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Pointy Tale
03-11-2009, 09:36 AM
Hi all, Pointy is missing fur on her tail and she is itching and I'm not sure why, I’m guessing mange is not it. No one else in her family has this problem (except the itching), only her. Another squirrel, Snowflake has fur missing on her body, but she is from a completely different direction and she and Pointy have not crossed paths.

Pointy first started by missing a small about of fur on her tail (Feb 22, 2009) as shown in http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16075 Post #1, “Pointy is the Tail Only” picture. The others are of two other squirrels I have lost. The other picture of Pointy’s tail from the same thread, Post #38 was Pointy as of yesterday.

Today, I went out to feed her, and she let me take lots of pictures of her. I am attaching what I think are the best pictures to show her tail. I love her so very much and I do not want her to be sick, she is a good girl. I have purchased Ivermectin, as in Post #29 http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16075 from www.squirrelsandmore.com, but I’m not sure if 1) I have the right stuff and 2) If this is the right stuff to give for Pointy’s condition (I Do Not Want To Hurt Her In Any Way).

Some background: We’ve had a hard winter and she and her family were held up in their home for a week at times—where I would drop off food (hard nuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and her pecan), then they were out for a little. She was around the two squirrels one before the worst part of winter was here, who were missing fur on their bodies, one she chased and caught, during a mid-January severe snow storm the other went up in her home area hiding from a bird of prey. After the hair loss began on her tail she moved nest locations.

Again, I’m not sure if I have to give her the medication or not or what else is recommended for her.

My sincere thank you for any help or input you would provide.

Jackie in Tampa
03-11-2009, 10:06 AM
Hi, just my thoughts, not a rehabber.
Mange is mostly found on he head. Ears generally are crusty and scaley, scabby!
I am seeing...I think, an injury. It may have escaped something animate or inanimate!..? Maybe even a car. We have a sq her we call Scrape Back...almost looked stripped...do you see scabs or scartches? boo Boos?
Hmmmm?:dono I don't think it's mange.

4skwerlz
03-11-2009, 10:33 AM
I agree. Looks more like a close call with a hawk to me. They grab at the tail, and the fur pulls out pretty easily. Or maybe a fight with another squirrel. The other pic you posted of her showed some fur loss around the neck, but it looked like it was growing back. If it's mange, she'll be scratching more than usual. The Ivermectin is great to have on hand even if you don't dose her now. Mange has been bad the last year or so. I'd get at least one mangey squirrel every summer.

FLUFFYTAILNUT
03-11-2009, 01:50 PM
Hello...hello..
Coming in to see your outside fuzzers..
Even though she's light on the tail fur..she is a PLUMP girl....:thumbsup

GLAD to be able to make you smile....when you having a sad moment..
Come visit anytime...
Again....Welcome to The Squirrel Board...the more...squirrel NUTS...the better....:D:wave123
Rachel n Bean:grouphug:wave123

Pointy Tale
03-13-2009, 09:49 PM
I have been monitoring Pointy very closely this past week, and have taken lots of pictures of her and studied them, comparing them to earlier pictures. She first began missing fur in mid-January. Now, she is also missing fur underneath her front paw legs and on her sides in addition to her tail. Her tail is the worst. My husband believes that her tail does have some hair on the bare spots. She is constantly scratching and is biting herself, her family is scratching, Snowflake is scratching, little Max is scratching. Pointy looks sick to me. She is behaving just like Denny and Charlie before they “disappeared”. I don’t want her to die, I don’t want her to lose her tail. I feel I must do something. I think I am going to use the ivermectin I purchased from Chris. My husband will help me to prepare it tonight and at the crack of dawn tomorrow I will be there and give it to her. I pray I am doing the right thing for her, I love her so very much and I don’t want to see her in pain or uncomfortable. If someone wants to add something, anything to try before the ivermectin, I will do it. It could be diet, it could be flees, it could be fungus from the rough winter and now the very wet grounds, it could be manage, I just don’t know, but I know she is not herself.