PDA

View Full Version : Loss of tail hair



Lady Squirrelly
05-25-2009, 10:12 PM
Last night Bruiser was out playing. I went to the kitchen to empty the dishwasher. He followed me.

He ran up my left leg and up onto my left shoulder. He leaned out looking at the top of the cabinets.

With visions of my collection of antique biscuit jars being knocked to the floor as he romped across the top of the cabinets, I turned to leave the kitchen and return him to the great room.

Just as I did, he went across my back to the other shoulder. When I went through the doorway he got tangled up in the fly strip hanging there. (Have had a moth problem lately)

He flapped and jumped down. He went tearing throught the room from couch to cage to cage and back again. He ran over and under everything in there several times.

It would have been hysterically funny if he had not been so frightened. He was crying and chucking with the sticky strip glued tightly in his fur with the container end bouncing on everything and rattling like a skeleton chasing him.

He would not let me near him. It took almost 15 minutes for him to settle down enough for me to get close enough to grab the end of the strip. I knew there was no chance of touching him, so I just got the container and held on as he ran again.

There was a good amount of tail hair stuck to the strip. I was so afraid he would stress out but he finally went into his cage. After about an hour, he let me reach in his hanging cube and rub him.

He whined like a little baby and hid his head in my cupped hand. He did not want to come out this morning but I finally got him to come out this evening.

He is missing about 2 1/2" of hair on one side of his tail. There is no blood just bare kind of pink skin. It looks like it might still be a little sore. I guess so with that much hair being ripped out.

Will this grow back??

He is still very guarded with me. How long do you think it will take him to forgive me??

:osnap

Legomom
05-25-2009, 10:17 PM
Awww, poor Bruiser. I'm gonna guess that it will grow back, but it's only a guess. If the skin seems tender, you might put some triple antibiotic ointment on it, to help it heal.
Otherwise, I'd just leave it be. (Of course, if Bruiser starts chewing on it, that's a whole other set of issues. So, let's hope for the best.)

As for trusting you, I think he's just thoroughly freaked out by the experience.
I hope he feel like himself again in another day or so. (He probably won't be going near those jars any time soon, though. :sanp3 )

Give him a little extra lovin & a treat or two. He'll be your baby again real soon, I'm sure. :grouphug

PBluejay2
05-25-2009, 10:22 PM
If the hair loss didn't involve degloving (actual loss of skin) it will probably grow back. As far as forgiveness, every five weeks I have to chase down and capture one squirrel in a net to get her teeth trimmed; another one I have to grab and hold (all the while he's kicking and screaming) to check on his teeth every so often--there are other stories, including accidents, but the point is, they remember but are very forgiving animals, and in my heart I think they somehow know that you are only wanting/trying to do what's best for them and that you love them and would never intentionally do any harm to them. Your baby might act like nothing ever happened tomorrow, or it might take a couple of days, but he/she will come around.

FLUFFYTAILNUT
05-25-2009, 10:28 PM
Yes..my guess...would be also...that it will grow back... but..it is no ,doubt very tender..and is most likely..just traumatized over the whole situation...and in this case...offering him...more peanut treats...to gain back his favor...would be good...talk softly to him..and continue reaching into his cube assuring him...you love him..and see if you can gently touch the area with you finger tips...to see how sore he is...
Poor baby...he must have felt...so scared something was "after him" not knowing it was STUCK...to him..
Poor little punkin seed..

I think he will be fine....just a little extra tlc...from Mom...and treats...:grouphug
Kisses to his furless boo boo's..oxox
Rachel & Bean:grouphug

Lady Squirrelly
05-25-2009, 10:34 PM
The tail is just a pinkish red and shiny. Nothing raw. I'm not sure what the tail normally looks like without hair.

I gave him some extra cuddles tonight, but her was rougher than usual. He nipped me kind of hard. No broken skin. More of a reminder that he could of if he had wanted to.

He us usually such a sweet boy. He is not 2 yet so he is much more active than Jack.

tatcat
05-25-2009, 10:35 PM
:wave123 hi Lady Squirrelly, i hope Bruiser is doing ok today...i bet that did scare him, poor boy...give him extra lovins tonight...i must admit though that the way you explained it had me laughing soooooooo hard...it reminded me of when my cat buddy got tangled up in a winn-dixie bag...he has his head in the handle and hauled ass past me and down the hall...his lil heart was beating as fast as it would go...thought he was gonna have a heart-attack....afterwards, when he was ok, i laughed sooooo hard...it was funny afterwards...:rotfl :rotfl

JLM27
05-25-2009, 10:36 PM
Knowing what sensitive nerves squirrels have, I'm sure he was really freaked. What Rachel says sounds like the best idea. Persistence. Let him know you have not changed and are just as much a part of his comfort world as his beddy-bye. Does he have a favorite toy or blankie?

Lady Squirrelly
05-25-2009, 10:46 PM
Thanks for all the feedback.

I seems funny tonight, but not last night.

He had such a beautiful tail.

I have had a cat got its head stuck in the handle of a plastic bag myself. The thing filled with air as he ran. It rattled and flopped behind him. He was scared to death.

Bruiser's favorite toy is a paper plate. I feed him and Jack on paper plates so I can just pitch them.

Bruiser LOVES them. I have seen him dump his food just to play with the plate. STRANGE child.:D

4skwerlz
05-26-2009, 07:28 AM
The fur should grow back, but it might not match the rest of his fur until next shedding season. When fur is ripped out traumatically it can damage the hair follicles, so that area might always look a bit different, i.e., slightly different color, length, or thickness.

Since he came to you for comfort, he's already forgiven you. But he might be a bit touchy for a while. They're like elephants; I swear they never forget.

Jackie in Tampa
05-26-2009, 08:45 AM
Poor Bruiser, give him extra love, sweet boy!
too funny about the cat and paperplates!:D

Anne
05-26-2009, 08:53 AM
Poor baby boy! I can only repeat what everyone else has said. Must have been the scare of his little life :grouphug :grouphug He loves his mommy even now, don't you worry :grouphug :grouphug