found sick squirrel,near death almost hairless

[dianerx]

I found "Ferris" 17 days ago after a football game at FSU in BigRapids MI.
(thus the name). He was curled up in a fetal position & very cold ,barely moving. I was unable to find help for him that day. I warmed him up by wrapping in a towel & holding him next to me.He gradually came around. Knowing nothing, I fed him Similac with a dropper. He ate very small amounts.
In Michigan it is illegal to keep squirrels. I took him to Gillette Nature Center & spoke with a DNR officer. It was clear that he would have taken him. So I took Ferris home.

17 days later, Ferris is acting healthy, however, he is still bald,except on his face,paws & tail. He just today stopped taking the similac. He acts like an adult, only he is quite small. He is very sweet & friendly & is attached to me.
I cannot find a picture that looks anything like him.

I don't know what kind of squirrel he is,or his age. He is obviously sick (ie baldness) I would like to make him well & release him at my home.

My property is wooded & butted up against a county park. Lots of squirrel here. Please help us. Dianerx & Ferris:thankyou

[island rehabber]

I found "Ferris" 17 days ago after a football game at FSU in BigRapids MI.
(thus the name). He was curled up in a fetal position & very cold ,barely moving. I was unable to find help for him that day. I warmed him up by wrapping in a towel & holding him next to me.He gradually came around. Knowing nothing, I fed him Similac with a dropper. He ate very small amounts.
In Michigan it is illegal to keep squirrels. I took him to Gillette Nature Center & spoke with a DNR officer. It was clear that he would have taken him. So I took Ferris home.

17 days later, Ferris is acting healthy, however, he is still bald,except on his face,paws & tail. He just today stopped taking the similac. He acts like an adult, only he is quite small. He is very sweet & friendly & is attached to me.
I cannot find a picture that looks anything like him.

I don't know what kind of squirrel he is,or his age. He is obviously sick (ie baldness) I would like to make him well & release him at my home.

My property is wooded & butted up against a county park. Lots of squirrel here. Please help us. Dianerx & Ferris:thankyou

First, thanks so much for rescuing little Ferris. What have you been giving him to eat besides the Similac? Depending on what type of squirrel he is he needs a mix of veggies, fruits and nuts to stay healthy if he's old enough to be weaned. If not, he should be switched over gradually to Esbilac puppy powder formula.
Secondly, mange is probably what caused him to lose his fur. There are two types, treated differently with antibiotics. Where are you exactly in Michigan -- I may be able to find a wildlife vet for you.....or a licensed rehabber who will have the medication he needs.

[Gabe]

I agree with IR, I have 1 gray and 3 reds with mange, finally, starting to grow some fur back. It takes a long time.

[pia]

me again.. what is "mange"? you have to learn norwegian, because i have some language-problems here:confused:
:crazy

[Gabe]

Mange is a small mite or parsite that gets under the skin, it causes itching and hair loss.
Humans can have a form of it, it is called scabies

[pia]

oh, i see:) in norway we call scabb. foxes often have it here.. looks painfull:(

[skwerls_R_soft]

me again.. what is "mange"? you have to learn norwegian, because i have some language-problems here:confused:
:crazy

Mange is a condition caused by different kinds of microscopic mites (bigs that look like crabs) that feed on and burrow into the skin of animals.There are 3 different types of mange, Demodectic, Sarcoptic and one other that I have forgotten (been a long time out of the vet-tech gig). Animals with mange typically lose their fur and usually get secondary infections caused by scratching the skin. Foxes are wild animals that are considered common carriers of mange mites.
It is cured in dogs and cats by bathing with insecticidal shampoo frequently.Not sure what the treatment for mange in a small rodent like a squirrel would be and a large animal remedy might be harmful . Best to get the advice of a rehabber or vet on that. It is a serious condition and can be transmitted to humans, so please be aware of that. Wash your hands and the squirrel's bedding often.

[pia]

poor animals... hope they`ll be allright...........

[GhosTS]

:Welcome dianerx to TSB, and :thankyou for taking care of Ferris.

How old is Ferris.If he had his eyes opened for more than a week he is ready to take solids.

[susanw]

Hope Ferris gets the medication he needs, thanks for helping the little guy!:)

[zippy96444]

Ivermectin is used for mange. Have to use it carefully, too much can kill the squirrel.

[bubba311]

Hi all,nice to meet you!
Like Ferris, we have a resident outside squirrel at work that is also 90 % hairless. We call her/him "Pink". First noticed her bout 10 days ago. Skin definitly pink, and loosely hanging in wrinkles and folds. Skinny and seemed to be having trouble with cooridination.
I have been leaving shelled walnuts for her 5 times a day, but do not know how much she gets and how much the birds get. She also has some dried corn on the cob and one of those cheap squirrel logs (corn and corn syrup) Some raw peanuts as well. Tried some veggies but they appear to be untouched. Because they froze?
Well, as of today her weight looks to have increased by about 50%. Looks like light grey hair is growing and her balance has improved. No vocalizations, however.
Yes, I will try to get some pics tommorow. Wish me luck, we only get a couple of breaks and a short lunch. Hope Pink is feeling photogenic.
Brad

[momma2boo]

Bubba: Where are you located? Can you get near her ... is she friendly?

[PBluejay2]

Hi all,nice to meet you!
Like Ferris, we have a resident outside squirrel at work that is also 90 % hairless. We call her/him "Pink". First noticed her bout 10 days ago. Skin definitly pink, and loosely hanging in wrinkles and folds. Skinny and seemed to be having trouble with cooridination.
I have been leaving shelled walnuts for her 5 times a day, but do not know how much she gets and how much the birds get. She also has some dried corn on the cob and one of those cheap squirrel logs (corn and corn syrup) Some raw peanuts as well. Tried some veggies but they appear to be untouched. Because they froze?
Well, as of today her weight looks to have increased by about 50%. Looks like light grey hair is growing and her balance has improved. No vocalizations, however.
Yes, I will try to get some pics tommorow. Wish me luck, we only get a couple of breaks and a short lunch. Hope Pink is feeling photogenic.
Brad

Thanks for caring about this squirrel! If she is 90% bald, I'm surprised she has survived the winter! If it's mange (probably is), it can be treated with a drug called Ivermectin, but you have to be VERY careful about the dosage. Does she get close enough to you that your can offer her a nut and make certain she gets it and not another squirrel or bird? The fact that some hair seems to be growing back is a good sign, but it might be the result of the mites themselves having a hard time surviving the cold.

[momma2boo]

Hi all,nice to meet you!
Like Ferris, we have a resident outside squirrel at work that is also 90 % hairless. We call her/him "Pink". First noticed her bout 10 days ago. Skin definitly pink, and loosely hanging in wrinkles and folds. Skinny and seemed to be having trouble with cooridination.
I have been leaving shelled walnuts for her 5 times a day, but do not know how much she gets and how much the birds get. She also has some dried corn on the cob and one of those cheap squirrel logs (corn and corn syrup) Some raw peanuts as well. Tried some veggies but they appear to be untouched. Because they froze?
Well, as of today her weight looks to have increased by about 50%. Looks like light grey hair is growing and her balance has improved. No vocalizations, however.
Yes, I will try to get some pics tommorow. Wish me luck, we only get a couple of breaks and a short lunch. Hope Pink is feeling photogenic.
Brad

Please don't give her raw peanuts. They can be really bad for squirrels.



No Raw Peanuts, Please!

Don't feed raw peanuts to squirrels and other animals because it can seriously hurt them. That advice comes from fellow backyarder and Eastern Washington University history professor James K. Kieswetter, Ph.D., of Medical Lake, who found out the hard way.

"I had been feeding raw peanuts to my backyard squirrels when I noticed thev were beginning to look pretty ratty," Kieswetter says.

A friend who works in the human nutrition field told him that raw peanuts and other legumes contain a trypsin inhibitor or substance that inhibits or prevents the pancreas from producing trypsin, an enzyme essential for the absorption of protein by the intestine. With the help of a veterinarian friend. Kieswetter reviewed animal nutrition literature and discovered similar problems.

While the exact relationship between the trypsin inhibitor and malnutrition in rodents is not fully understood, the detrimental effects have been documented since 1917. Squirrels fed a steady diet of raw peanuts, soybeans. other legumes, and sweet potatoes could easily develop severe malnutrition.

WDFW Urban Wildlife Biologist Patricia Thompson also reports that there are mycotoxins in raw peanuts that can cause liver, kidney, and brain diseases which unfortunately are seen in many birds.

If you want to feed peanuts, Kieswetter found, the solution is to roast them. According to the Washington State Cooperative Extension Service, roasting hulled raw peanuts for 20 to 30 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring them frequently, will destroy the trypsin inhibitor and render them suitable for feed. If that sounds like a lot of work, buy roasted peanuts but be sure they aren't salted. (Salted nuts of any kind should never be fed to wild animals.)

Kieswetter has become an information crusader about the dangers of raw peanuts, alerting several local backyard feed suppliers about the problem. He recently noticed an article in National Geographic advocating the feeding of raw peanuts to squirrels and wrote the magazine to set the record straight; his letter was printed in the March 1996 edition.

As for his own backyard squirrels, they're off the raw peanut diet and looking much more robust, thank you!

[bubba311]

Bubba: Where are you located? Can you get near her ... is she friendly?
Hi Momma2, live near Chicago, and sadly I can't get closer than 10 to 15 feet.
She only appears a couple times a day, watching me load her walnuts I bet.

[bubba311]

Please don't give her raw peanuts. They can be really bad for squirrels.
Thanks for the heads up on peanuts. I put out about a dozen in shell with the walnuts today. Hope I didn't further compromise her condition.
Brad

[bubba311]

Thanks for caring about this squirrel! If she is 90% bald, I'm surprised she has survived the winter! If it's mange (probably is), it can be treated with a drug called Ivermectin, but you have to be VERY careful about the dosage. Does she get close enough to you that your can offer her a nut and make certain she gets it and not another squirrel or bird? The fact that some hair seems to be growing back is a good sign, but it might be the result of the mites themselves having a hard time surviving the cold.
Hi PBluejay2; Yes, I think I could watch and make sure no other animal gets a medical Mickey. But should I wait to see how she progresses? I think part of the problem may be an inadequate food supply coupled with this years hard winter. I will try diligently to get pics. Thanks for the help thus far.
Brad

[mugzeezma]

Hi Momma2, live near Chicago, and sadly I can't get closer than 10 to 15 feet.
She only appears a couple times a day, watching me load her walnuts I bet.
Hey Bubba,
Are you near Glen Ellyn?
Willowbrook Wildlife Haven is there. They may have some advice for your bald squirrel. They also use the information to track illness in wildlife. As well as being a wonderful resource they have an education center along with resident non releasable wildlife of all types from bald eagles and Sandhill cranes to Blandings turtles and mudpuppies. Unfortunately they are heavily taxed by squirrels and bunnies during breeding season.

[mugzeezma]

It is cured in dogs and cats by bathing with insecticidal shampoo frequently.Not sure what the treatment for mange in a small rodent like a squirrel would be and a large animal remedy might be harmful . Best to get the advice of a rehabber or vet on that. It is a serious condition and can be transmitted to humans, so please be aware of that. Wash your hands and the squirrel's bedding often.


I used ferret tick and flea shampoo on my gray Squirrel. He probably doesn't have mange but rather molting or nutrtional issues. I thought I would rule out the possibilty...have the shampoo because we have a ferret!

[momma2boo]

Thanks for the heads up on peanuts. I put out about a dozen in shell with the walnuts today. Hope I didn't further compromise her condition.
Brad

You're welcome ... most people don't know how bad they are for them. We just assume "squirrel = nut, nut = peanut". We live and learn. Pecans and walnuts are two of my favorite to feed the squirrels.

[bubba311]

Hey Bubba,
Are you near Glen Ellyn?
Willowbrook Wildlife Haven is there. They may have some advice for your bald squirrel. They also use the information to track illness in wildlife. As well as being a wonderful resource they have an education center along with resident non releasable wildlife of all types from bald eagles and Sandhill cranes to Blandings turtles and mudpuppies. Unfortunately they are heavily taxed by squirrels and bunnies during breeding season.
Morning Mugzeezma; Yes Glen Ellyn is only 20 minutes from me. I'll give them a call and see what they say.
I was unable to get a pic of pink yesterday. Will try again today. She is much more cautious now that she is looking (feeling?) better. If she won't cooperate I am considering programming the camera to snap automatically
and setting it near the nuts. Wish me luck.
Brad