blinded and missing some fingers

[missPixy]

i am so glad i found this site yesterday. i have lots of squirrels in my backyard that i feed, and this new one turned up a couple of days ago. i can't really figure out how it happened, but he's lost his right eye completely, some of the fingers on his right hand, and seems partially blind in the remaining left eye (which doesn't appear injured at all.)

i've been feeding him peanuts, some with peanut butter on them, and apple slices. as you can see from the pix, he eats very close to the ground and doesn't stand up to eat. he climbs trees but is very slow.

what should i do? my regular vet would care for him if i brought him in, she's had squirrels herself in the past and is very knowledgeable. but should i attempt this, or let this little guy alone and just keep feeding him? i don't want to traumatize him any more than he's already been; but he's got to be in pain, and i'm concerned over his right hand... part of it looks black. i wouldn't want him to slowly die of an infection~~

http://members.cox.net/misspixie/keeHaCha/hurtSquirrel1.jpg

http://members.cox.net/misspixie/keeHaCha/hurtSquirrel2.jpg

[BHO]

IMO, you shd catch him and take him to your vet. If not he will die or taken by predator.

[island rehabber]

oh that poor baby.....you know, I'm thinking it looks like a bad case of mange. Mange often starts right above the eyes and around the ears, and can actually cause blindness if untreated. I will wait to see what my fellow rehabbers think......
If it is mange, it can be treated in two doses with either Revolution or ivermectin. Your friendly vet may be able to help! You can give him the doses on a special treat -- a walnut or piece of avocado -- and not have to trap him. :thumbsup

[mindy65]

Very sad, My personal opinion is to try to catch him and take him to a vet. But wait for the rehabbers, and others to respond. So glad you are willing to do what it takes to help this little squirrel. I have no idea how you would catch him, because they can bite pretty hard. Maybe throw a blanket over him or, do you have a have heart trap? I really hope he can be helped, it breaks my heart. min

[mindy65]

I have a mentally challendge squirrel and they really make wonderful pets. With him being blind, I'm sure its not reversible, or can it be? He would be most likely become food for some other animal, or road kill. I hope you can help him.

[missPixy]

oh that poor baby.....you know, I'm thinking it looks like a bad case of mange. Mange often starts right above the eyes and around the ears, and can actually cause blindness if untreated. I will wait to see what my fellow rehabbers think......
If it is mange, it can be treated in two doses with either Revolution or ivermectin. Your friendly vet may be able to help! You can give him the doses on a special treat -- a walnut or piece of avocado -- and not have to trap him. :thumbsup


but would mange do that to his fingers, too?

i have some ivermectin at home~~ my dwarf hamsters came down with horrendous mites a couple of years ago *shudders* it took a while to get rid of them! it's liquid though...

there is one or two other squirrels in the yard who have bald patches that are completely pink, all about their ears, neck and head. and one seems to have gone slightly blind in the right eye as well, although the eye is still whole.

[missPixy]

I have a mentally challendge squirrel and they really make wonderful pets. With him being blind, I'm sure its not reversible, or can it be? He would be most likely become food for some other animal, or road kill. I hope you can help him.

i had another squirrel last year who was completely blind, plus had somehow lost 3/4 of her tail so all she had left was a little puff. i called her Bunny. she was with us a couple of months but then she started falling out of the trees because she couldn't see. one afternoon she fell out of a tree onto the driveway and died. i buried her in my garden and put a beautiful bunny statue over where she is.

[BHO]

If you intend to catch him, as he is not able to see, cut some chicken wire ( 2ft height ones)and make it into a cylinder, make sure all sharp edges are folded away from inside of the barrel. Then fold the top over several times and squeeze it tight, so that you have only one opening. Then slowly put the trap over him and quickly pinch the bottom together once you have trap over him and take him inside to release inside a transport cage to take to your vet. Give him several drops of rescue remedy to calm him down.

He will jump around inside cage so make sure the trap is bolt proof. Poor baby. I dont know if it is mange, cos the skin seems shiny and an inflammed.

[PBluejay2]

Mange could/can certainly cause an eye infection, but I don't see anything going on around the ear or rest of the head, and the skin otherwise looks okay, except for the feet. The right front is definitely compromised, but it looks to me as if the right rear is missing some fur also. My vote would be for a vet, especially if you have one lined up that will see him. But when you catch him, preferably in a Havaheart, keep it covered/dark and don't bother the squirrel any more than necessary (providing food and water). I've seen injured squirrels die of stress when the injury itself wasn't life-threatening. It would probably be a good idea, even, for your vet to anesthetize the squirrel before examination.

[snowman11]

That looks more like scar tissue around the eyes than mange. The poster stated that he is missing his right eye, and whatever trauma caused him to lose an eye appears to have caused the scar tissue as well. His haircoat looks pretty dang healthy.

I am unable to tell from the picture, does the tissue around the eye seem to be healed? If so, and he has good movement in his feet, I would let him be. I know it's an unpopular answer, but I imagine that just surviving is stressful enough on the guy...being caught, sedated, probed then released is going to be even more stressful.

[Tomo]

The truth of his condition needs to be discovered. Trapping him and getting him to your vet is the only way to know for certain what has happened i.e. mange, scar tissue from a fight, etc. If this is something treatable and he's not trapped, he may succumb to it. If it's nothing, then he can be released back into the wild if he can survive in his shape. Squirrels live in the moment and forget things that happen for the most part.

Hope this little one will be better soon. :)

[Jackie in Tampa]

A couple members and I are wanting More pics please.
Sometimes trapping is TOO stressful on a sq! Trust me, I have seen them die of stress, maybe we can get more pics and think about what we are dealing with and then decide how to move forward.
Are we dealing with a legal state?
Maybe a workable rehabber can be found.:grouphug
If this sq is trapped, please have appt or rehabber ready and do not ponder. Cover and dark, lots of fleece inside trap. Keep in a cool area and support with water. If you have pet sqs, keep this one seperate.
those toes look uncanningly familiar, *eek*.
Good luck:grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

:Welcome and thank you for wanting to help your poor little friend. :bowdown

It is EXCELLENT that you have a knowledgeable vet that is willing to help! :thumbsup :bowdown That is more rare than you can imagine.

Before you trap him though, it is important to think through the "What then ...?" questions and make some decisions ahead of time. A closer look by the vet can determine what is or is not going on with him. And any wounds that are treatable can be treated. But ..... then what? :dono :thinking

His blindness from loss of the eye is permanent. So are the missing fingers. Infection and pain could be treated, but it does not seem possible to restore him to full function. This is known already.

As long as he is functioning and taking care of himself in the wild, should/can he be supported in place? (healthy foods, high calorie foods, possibly pain meds, antibiotics (which can be dosed in peanut butter)) (If he does not appear to be able to move around, climb or find food, that changes the balance, but he seems to have adapted well at the moment.)

Should he be trapped briefly and released ASAP? Depends on what the vet can hope to achieve. Sorry, but I disagree that just knowing what is going on will necessarily help him. If the vet has not already seen the photos, perhaps that would be a better first step, to work out the possibilities and begin to formulate a plan. If there is nothing that can be done to help him, then I do not believe he should be subjected to trapping unless he will be kept as a nonreleasable.

So ... should he be kept as a non-releasable to let him live safely for the rest of his life?
Human question: Are you willing AND able to do this? It is a very major time, energy and dollar commitment. Or, can someone else be found to do this. This you should determine in advance.
Squirrel questions: Will he adapt to being captive? Some ill/injured squirrels do well in this situation and some do not (this is one question that cannot be decided ahead of time, but still needs to be thought-through so that you would be willing to set him free if he does not do well in captivity). If he is capable and content in the wild, should he be permitted to live out his life in his familair, wild surroundings? This, obviously, is a more philospohical question and different people have different (strongly held) views. In this case, yours is the one that counts the most, since you are there and can see him and evaluate the best, and will be doing the helping -- whatever form that takes.

My thoughts are with you and your little friend. TSB will support you whatever way you proceed. :grouphug
I just urge you to think it through as much as possible beforehand.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[missPixy]

wow, thank you so much everybody for your answers :bowdown . my worst fear is doing more damage in my urge to help this little sweetie.

the good news is that i seem to have established a level of trust with him so that he'll come right up to my back stairs and let me feed him/photograph him. he's still understandably fearful though, so for example any sounds around him, even a fly grazing him, makes him jump.


A couple members and I are wanting More pics please.
Sometimes trapping is TOO stressful on a sq! Trust me, I have seen them die of stress, maybe we can get more pics and think about what we are dealing with and then decide how to move forward.
Are we dealing with a legal state?

what would you like to see in these other pix? the shots i got yesterday are all of the same side you see... to me these were the clearest. his other side looks like a "normal" squirrel, except he seems to have very limited vision in that eye. he can't bound away as a normal squirrel does; if a predator wanted to nab him he would be easy pickings. but as you say, i don't want to push this little one over the edge with a capture.

my current veterinarian, although not a licensed "rehabber," is of course a licensed vet who has amazing experience with both domestic and wild animals. she had a pet squirrel herself for over 10 years. i plan to show her these photos later today and see what she has to say before i make any capture decisions.


It is EXCELLENT that you have a knowledgeable vet that is willing to help! :thumbsup :bowdown That is more rare than you can imagine.

Before you trap him though, it is important to think through the "What then ...?" questions and make some decisions ahead of time. A closer look by the vet can determine what is or is not going on with him. And any wounds that are treatable can be treated. But ..... then what?
Human question: Are you willing AND able to do this? It is a very major time, energy and dollar commitment. Or, can someone else be found to do this. This you should determine in advance.
Squirrel questions: Will he adapt to being captive?

thank you for these excellent thinking points. i'm going to talk to my vet later today about him, and see what she has to say. i have zero experience with caring for a wild squirrel in captivity, and since he isn't a baby anymore i imagine the transition might be more difficult than if i'd found him as a baby? my vet may be able to help answer some of these questions.

my biggest fear is about his vulnerability, especially with the blindness. i mentioned earlier in this post that i became attached last year to one of my wilds who was totally, totally blind and had only 1/4 of her tail left. she stayed in the yard/trees for the next couple of months, but kept falling out of the trees because of her blindness and eventually fell onto the driveway, dying. i fear the same end for this poor little guy... we've got some really tall trees in the yard and neighborhood.

[Ontario Rehabber]

:Welcome You definitely have some difficult decisions to make concerning this little guy. Sounds like the vet can definitely help you out, especially since she has had a squirrel in the past. Let us know what the vet thinks about his condition.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Thanks BsMOM...you said what I wanted to say...and so well!:thumbsup
I have nothing to add, I just want the outcome to be FOR THE SQ...which ever avenue is traveled. Think every possibility before trapping. Even 'the not good ones'.
Thank you so much for even caring about him:thumbsup
Get better little sq!:wave123

[Pointy Tale]

missPixy, thank you so very much for caring for your little squirrel. He is very precious, as they all are to everyone of us. I am Not a rehabber or an expert, but the best of both are right here on this board.

It is always hard to know when humans should get involved in squirrel lives, and I don't have the answers. I can tell you that I have seen some of wilds without the use of their paws. I have also seen some that had fresh scars with blood—all healed nicely on their own—of course I supplemented with good food and fresh water. They are remarkably resilient.

All gave you good advice, as they are wise.

I send my good thoughts and prayers for your little one and hope that you will keep us posted on his progress.

[missPixy]

my little friend came by around 1pm for some lunch~~ actually, i heard a couple of the jays screeching unnaturally so ran out to make sure no cats were lurking~~ saw none and started back for my door when i saw my guy coming across the yard for me.

i grabbed some shelled walnuts and fed him a few handfuls. he doesn't let me get right up on him, but keeps about a yard between us all the time. also i have to satisfy the other squirrels with peanuts who are always about but so far have been very respectful of this injured one and don't try to chase him away.

the good news is that he's definitely got *some* sight in the left eye. so the chances are that he's got some vision remaining to prevent him from falling out of trees~~

i will update everyone after i speak to my vet later today!

[Pointy Tale]

Thank you for the update. So glad your little guy came for some lunch today.

A full belly never hurt anyone, so nice of you.

Good luck with the vet, hope it all works out. Keep us posted please.

[SkwerlGirl]

*prayers coming your way for this little guy*

thanks for helping him!!!!!!! :grouphug

[mindy65]

I think its great your taking care of this squirrel. They do like alot of other foods, lettuce, (not iceburg), sweet corn, watermellon, cherries, cantelope, just to name a few, but I would say hazelnuts that are already cracked alittle and pecans are my denny's favorite. Can't wait to hear what happens. min

[missPixy]

so last night i showed my veterinarian the photos i've taken of my little friend. she seems to think he may have gotten into something "caustic" maybe in somebody's garbage. her biggest concern is his eye because she couldn't tell from the photo whether or not it's abscessing. but as far as his fingers, she said they looked like the skin had necrotized where the fingers were missing. she asked about his ability to actually use that hand and i explained he does use it to push down on the peanuts to break off the shell.

when i asked her what i should do, whether or not it was worth capturing him to bring him in, she didn't think so. she believes that since he's already an adult, he's acclimatized to living in the outdoors, and won't be happy at all in captivity. plus, the stress and depression of being captured may adversely affect his immune system at a time when he needs it to do as much as it can to help him heal.

she explained a bit about squirrel vision to me; that they can basically see behind them because of the eye positioning on the sides of the head. but they can't see right in front of their nose for this same reason (at least not the same way we do). so her worry is that in his condition, he's a prime target for a cat or gangsta tweet (my euphemism for hawks, harriers and other predatory birds).

her suggestion was if possible, to build a sort of safe area in the yard to "contain" him without actually capturing him.

she told me to keep observing his eye to see whether it starts to look infected or growing~~ she can give me a squirrel-safe antibiotic to lace in the food i give him.

right now my little guy is napping in the hollow of the maple tree across the yard, i can see him from my door. i figured out yesterday his nest is high up in that same tree... which borders our driveway. the good thing is that i work from home, so the bluejays who also get fed peanuts let me know when predators are in the yard~~ the jays start screeching non-stop. so i'm thinking for the next couple of weeks i'll just observe the eye, and keep feeding him food that's easy to eat.

we also have a very low birdbath that's a little less than a foot off the ground that serves as a watering hole for the squirrels as well. i've already seen this sweetie taking some sips. so he knows where everything is.

fingers crossed.

[lookmomchickens]

Fingers crossed for this little guy!!! :grouphug :grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

:thankyou -- you and your wonderful vet. :bowdown

With your support, it will make it easier for him to live on his own. By monitoring him for changes, you will know when it is time to try something else. Let us know how he does.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Ontario Rehabber]

This sounds like a good first approach, especially since you can monitor him closely and have ABX and vet backup if required. :thumbsup Thank you for caring for this little guy. :grouphug

[Pointy Tale]

Sounds like you have a good plan and are moving forward, this is great news. Best of luck to you both and hope you'll keep us updated on his progress. Just a thought, you might want to document how he looks and what's eating for a while, and photos to you, just in case things get worse you can have a detailed report for the vet. What a nice Vet, btw.