Wobblies

[Ratman]

We have several wild squirrels that come feed on our deck and the poor things can barely stand up and keep falling over at times.
We call it the "wobblies" does anyone have any idea what this is and what causes it?

[Anne]

Sounds like some sort of poisoning. Leaves or berries that intoxicate?
As a child in N.C.-we had a scare with our young heifers that were turned out on a mountain top to mature. Someone called the State vet in a panic and reported that our heifers had "hoof and mouth" disease!tinfoil Turned out they were all drunk from dumped sour mash corn. After being pinned up for two days they lead the axe men to a huge still! County was low on moonshine for several months.:jump
I only say this as it sounds as if this occurs on a regular basis and the squirrels apparently exhibit this behavior on and off with no permanent disability.

[island rehabber]

If you have raccoons in the area, it could be raccoon roundworm (baylisascaris procyonis) which lives in the raccoons' systems and doesn't harm them, but causes neuro symptoms and eventual death in other animals like squirrels. :(

[Ratman]

Yep, we have LOTS of Racoons living in this area of Minnesota, I just feel bad for our little "wobblers"....they try so hard to sit on the railings of the deck but just can't do it....they even fall off to the ground below but still manage to make it back up for another peanut.

I just worry about my "Lucky" squirrel who we rehabbed back to the wild, she has 3 kids and I'm hoping to see many more.

Thanks for the input! :thankyou

[island rehabber]

Ratman, the way squirrels get raccoon roundworm is: raccoons tend to poop in one place, called 'latrines', usually in a gully or a corner somewhere. Unfortunately they will poop out seeds and other edible matter, or edible things will be blown by the wind into these poop piles. When birds and squirrels then come and eat those seeds, etc., they consume the eggs of the roundworm. Eating that infested poop is the only way to contract baylisascariasis, and you have to watch out for little kids who eat dirt for this reason, as well.
One thing you can do is check your property for raccoon latrines and clean them out and pour bleach over them. Be careful that there are no areas where coons can go up on top of a structure and poop down into an area where squirrels or birds feed.....I know a rehabber who lost a dozen pre-released squirrels in an enclosure to racoon roundworm, because the coonies were sitting on top of the structure and pooping, and the rain washed it down into their food. :(

[Anne]

Thanks, IR, for another lesson learned! Living in the "burbs" we don't have coonies we have to deal with, plus any I get are passed on and have never been on my property. Poor squirrels-if that is their problem! I hope there is some other answer to their behavior.

[Ratman]

Thanks for the great advice! I'll be out looking for "poop" this afternoon! I want to nip this one in the bud ASAP.