PDA

View Full Version : head trauma?



squirrelfriend
11-14-2006, 09:49 PM
I saw a squirrel at the park today that had a severe head tilt problem. might be blind to a certain extent, swollen genitals (male or female unknown at this point) and bad ballance problem. I suspect a head trauma case but the genitals swollen? I mean the pee pee was about the size of a blueberry and reddish. I can't say much more than that. I will get a better look tomorrow when I go. any advice or ideas on what is wrong with this guy? It is a black eastern grey, adult.

ravenlaws32
11-14-2006, 09:54 PM
hmmm if possible to take a pic fro ma digi camera? honestly with out seeing it or getting an eye for the behavior it hard to tell. it sound like a head trauma, they tend to tilt their heads , but it could be injury to neck, ear mites, or combination. poor guy . the swollen peepee sound a bit odd . thanks for caring.

Gabe
11-15-2006, 07:13 AM
Or..., he may be unable to pee, due to the injury or maybe scabbing around end of penis, is filling up with fluids and toxins because kidneys are shutting down, causing stumbling and lack of balance?
Pretty extreme, I know, hope you see him again, and he is better. Wonder if you can grab him with a net if he is not moving too fast, he really needs help quickly.

squirrelfriend
11-19-2006, 02:49 PM
I managed to catch him. It wasn't too hard. I have come to the conclusion that he is almost completely blind. WHere I found him there was a partially destroyed nest in the power line cluster that went into the apartment bldg. Possibly this was his nest? Is it possible that he was electricuted? He has a very healthy glossy thick black coat. He is at a good weight. eats, pees and poos fine. For some reason his nuts are nowhere in sight. I mean I thought it was a girl until I was bathing him and saw the distace between the penis and where poo was coming out. I even tried to feel around in there, they must be sucked up deep inside (no I am not a perv). his eyes are not punctured or have cataracts. He has a penis that is swollen on the tip. It looks like someone added a very pink pea at the end. He has two crusty red welts, one on his side near the hind leg and the other on the back of his neck. No pus in these. also what looks like a wart on one of his toes. All crawlies have been bathed off of him. there is a remainder of lice eggs but I have been trying to bathe those of of him. This guy has very little balance.

could electricution from the power lines have blinded him and taken his balance away? could the crusty welts be burn marks or from parasites?

I will try to get photos of the crusty welts as soon as I can. It won't be easy.

pia
11-19-2006, 03:35 PM
poor thing.. dont have any advice, but i am happy you got hem so he can get help:)

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-19-2006, 03:46 PM
Do you have something warm he could lay on would probably feel good to him.
Poor baby.

squirrelfriend
11-19-2006, 03:46 PM
I managed to get a photo of the one on his side and the one on the toe.

pia
11-19-2006, 03:48 PM
hope you get help soon..

squirrelfriend
11-19-2006, 03:48 PM
yes he usually has more towels in there than that. I had to take them out to get the photo. He also is usually half on the heating pad.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-19-2006, 03:53 PM
:thumbsup

rygel1hardt
11-19-2006, 06:17 PM
Though it is possible he was electrocuted I doubt it. I have seen two squirrels electrocuted and both died instantly. I am glad that you have him in and safe. Do you have any rehabbers near you that could take him to a vet? He needs nutrition, do you have any formula that you can give him? It is what I use for compromised adults. Also if you have it maybe a couple drops of nutridrops might help. Also most male squirrels dont have their testicles down all the time. They come in season twice a year much like a female, so you dont have to worry about that right now. Im glad you were able to get most of the parasites off him and that at least must make him much more comfortable. Keep us posted and good luck with him. Stacey
I saw a squirrel at the park today that had a severe head tilt problem. might be blind to a certain extent, swollen genitals (male or female unknown at this point) and bad ballance problem. I suspect a head trauma case but the genitals swollen? I mean the pee pee was about the size of a blueberry and reddish. I can't say much more than that. I will get a better look tomorrow when I go. any advice or ideas on what is wrong with this guy? It is a black eastern grey, adult.

Gabe
11-19-2006, 06:35 PM
poor little peanut, I'm glad you got him finally. I'm sure he's glad you got him too. It must feel so good to be warm and full right now. I wonder if the penis is the result of being orphaned, yet old enough to scape by, and therefore penis sucking by the siblings, or even himself. I have had electrocuted squirrels. usually they have a mouth burn from chewing through a wire. It does seem as though it could be an in and exit wound, although the pictures do not look like burns. keep an eye on those areas and see if they change at all.

skwerls_R_soft
11-19-2006, 07:41 PM
Squirrelfriend,
The scab on his side almost looks to me like a nipple that has been scratched.
Also, his penis looks odd...besides the red tip, it looks almost too high. I am sure you would know better from seeing him in person than from my perspective through a picture, but do you think it might be a swollen nipple instead of a penis? Maybe he is a she? I know that might sound silly, but that's alomsot what it looks like to me, and I just had to throw that idea out there.

How on earth were you able to bath this wild critter?

Dancingsquirrel
11-19-2006, 08:06 PM
Oh the poor sweetie! He is a very lucky squirrel to have been found by you! I too am amazed that you were able to bathe him! Even if he dosn't make it
(heaven forbid), you made him comfortable and safe!

GhosTS
11-19-2006, 08:29 PM
Poor guy.I hope he will be fine.

squirrelfriend
11-20-2006, 06:25 AM
It is deffinitly not a nipple, the penis or the scab for that matter. they are both in the wrong spot. It is deffinitly a male. there is a small bit of scrotum there just nothing inside of it. as for the testicles dropping my male Squirrelie has his dropped all of the time. maybe he just likes showing them off?:wahoo

as for bathing him I keep half of him wrappen the towel at a time. I put the soap on him first, he kind of likes that part. he gets a nice massage. he even gives me the arm up when I do his neck area.

no burns on the mouth. I didn't think of that one.

He is too big to have been a recent orphan. he is full sized to I dout the suckling part. aslo I have not seen him do that at all. I wil keep an eye out for it though.

I don't know of any rehabbers around here. I think any wildlife place would just put him down due to not being releasable.

other than his ballance, eye sight and scabs he seems very healthy. very strong, squirrely and feisty. He managed to bite my finger really good. Did it have to be the same one that was still healing from when Booger bit it during her seizure? I lost some feeling in the end of it from Boogers bit and there is a hole in the middle of my nail where it is coming off. This little guy had amazing aim. He got it right in the hole of the nail from the last bite. my poor finger. It has been bitten three times burned once and bumped many of times in the last three weeks. I now have what looks to be Franken Finger syndrome.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-20-2006, 06:33 AM
I dout the suckling part. Maybe it was a sibling doing it to him?

squirrelfriend
11-20-2006, 07:04 AM
but he's got to be too old to still be nesting with his siblings? he is full grown. he's a big boy. do they stick with their siblings that long? how long do they usually stay with their siblings?

island rehabber
11-20-2006, 07:17 AM
squirrelfriend I am truly not experienced with anything like this first-hand but I'm wondering....the growth on his foot looks a lot like the squirrel pox growths we saw in another thread here....could he have had a bad case of pox that has left him like this? The lesions you speak of could be old growths, maybe, because they look dried up.....and maybe there was one on, or under, the skin of his penis, causing that 'pea' shape? Poor, beautiful boy..... am I correct that you don't really have access to a wildlife vet where you are?

Galena
11-20-2006, 10:07 AM
Poor, sweet little guy.
I hope you'll be able to get him better, and at least he's as comfortable as can be, and he's getting lots of love :tilt

squirrelfriend
11-20-2006, 11:53 AM
The wildlife place I am sure would just put him down. As for a vet it will be at least a couple of weeks before I have the money for that. If squirrel pox, is there a cure for that? Does anybody know any home remedies?

island rehabber
11-20-2006, 02:03 PM
The wildlife place I am sure would just put him down. As for a vet it will be at least a couple of weeks before I have the money for that. If squirrel pox, is there a cure for that? Does anybody know any home remedies?

My research tells me that a mild to moderate case of squirrel pox will subside in 1-2 months (!!) if the squirrel is kept from succumbing to secondary infection -- in other words, if wounds or lesions are kept clean and infection-free, the squirrel will survive without other treatment. (There are no medicines that are effective on squirrel pox.) If the case is severe and the animal begins to have respiratory failure, euthanasia is recommended (sorry). Interestingly, one book says that the pox can cause nodules under the skin of the squirrel's genitals.
I've gotta say I find it so strange that in Canada you have socialized medicine -- free to human beings nomatter what their income -- but vets are allowed to charge money to good-hearted people like you who rescue wildlife. :thinking :dono

Gabe
11-20-2006, 02:21 PM
What you're saying is that the thing hanging from his tummy is not his penis. The area on the side that is round, is that flat or raised? The pic looks flat.
I've emailed your pictures to another rehabber that has had pox recently. I have not seen it in about 4 years in this area. It is extremely contagious so watch the other squirrels in the park. I don't know where the blindness fits in.

Gabe
11-20-2006, 02:39 PM
When I had squirrel pox I used echinaccia and antibiotics. Some of the milder cases made it, but many didn't. I've heard that it can infect their internal organs also. Maybe not by getting pox in the organs, but under the skin, the pressure pushes against them. Many of mine died of respiratory problems, I think it affect their lungs. There was a huge outbreak in Oswego, near the College Campus and all those students brought me squirrel after squirrel. They were mostly juveniles, I think their mother's had died of it.

squirrelfriend
11-20-2006, 03:07 PM
Gabe, the sores are raise about a couple of millimeters. The one IS his penis. there are no resperatory issues with this little guy.

IR, ThEre is no pus coming form the lesions. as far as medical help for people but not for animal, I know, it's stupid isn't it? I have a vet that will see wildlife but she charges and arm and a leg. It is all about the money. It is illegal for the vets to see wildlife here so I am at least lucky to have one that will see them at all.

other than the scabs and blindness he apears to be perfectly healthy. How contagious is squirrel pox to me? he bit me a good one yesterday. What does mange look like on squirrels? I look up Squirrel pox on the internet and this doesn't look like the photo that I saw. Those were raised up like little balls (the internet ones). the only one that is raised up like that is the one on the toe.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-20-2006, 03:27 PM
Can you get anything form the squirrel if it has mange? Just wondered how it would affect you.

Gabe
11-20-2006, 04:13 PM
squirrel pox is species specific, you cannot get it. Avian pox is also species specific, it cannot go from pigeons to bluejays.
I forgot to comment earlier on your bite. Ouch.
Sad thing if it is pox, is that they do act perfectly healthy, which is why it's so hard, in bad cases. to stop trying.
Try to find some ecchinecia capsules, open them up, mix with 10 ml's of water, and give 1 ml 3 times a day. It will boast his immune system, and can't hurt him. I also think Vit A may be beneficial. I saw the toe on your pic and thought you had said he lost a toe, and that was the stump. But IR is right, it does look like pox, more so than the other one.

squirrelfriend
11-20-2006, 04:26 PM
no loss of a toe. how many miligrams or whatever of echinecea per dose and how much vitamin a?

Gabe
11-20-2006, 05:53 PM
I'm looking into that, I'll let you know by tomorrow. Gabe

Gabe
11-21-2006, 08:29 AM
squirelfriend, you can give 50mgs of echinnecia twice a day. Just buy the capsules, if they are 500mgs, dilute with 10ml water, give 1ml twice a day.
You can give carrots or for vit A.
It does appear to be squirrel pox. Hard to say if it is healing or beginning. Keep your eye on the pox. Let us know if they grow or shrink, or if more appear.

squirrelfriend
11-21-2006, 08:54 AM
ok thanks. Yeah, I have been keeping an eye on them to see if they are growing or shrinking. I still don't understand how the blindness ties in. can pox blind them? One of the scabs is on the back of his neck. could this be from a fall, parasites or pox?

Gabe
11-21-2006, 11:48 AM
Let's hope the scab on the back of the neck is a healing pox scab, that would show he is in the recovering stage.
Maybe his vision will return, it may be trauma. Perhaps he fell from the tree due to poor eyesight.
One way we evaluate animals is to note their general weight, if he feels good and fleshy, it would indicate his vision has not been gone for very long. If he is the other extreme, skeletal, he has been blind for maybe 10-14 days and just managing to survive. What is your opinion on his weight.

squirrelfriend
11-22-2006, 04:05 AM
his weight is very healthy. he seems well fed, not bloated either. just a good sound weight.

Gabe
11-22-2006, 06:41 AM
This is the opinion from the rehabber I had emailed pictures to;

Squirrel pox look the same, they are all raised, crusty, warty looking pox - like when we have chicken pox. There are not various looking pox on our bodies, they all have the same look. His do not look the same. The round scab is not raised enough to be a pox. The smooth area on his foot is not a pox. The penis looks like the long term result from penis sucking. Blindness would go back to your original thought of head trauma.

If you consider his weight, and his blindness, it would point to recent injuries, as oppossed to long term. He hasn't been sick and is now recovering if he is in good flesh. If only they could talk. Sometimes rehabbing is like doing CSI work. We can only be good investigators, treat the symptoms, and hope for the best. I have had head injury, blind adult squirrels that have been released, they do recover, sometimes it takes weeks. I feed them esbilac mixed with cooked oatmeal and applesauce. They seem to like it also. It is easy to eat and keeps their weight up and nutritious. You can throw in some finger foods such as nuts and fruit. I would watch for evidence of a jaw injury. Are they grinding and eating nuts or grinding and making a mess and not getting food in well.

squirrelfriend
11-22-2006, 04:08 PM
so what you're saying is that you don't think that it is pox? if so that is great. maybe he just had an accident and that is what the scabs are from. the scab on the back of the head (if it was trauma) would explain the blindness. he has no ballance either. sometimes he has a little bit of a head shake like parkinsons. not really bad though. you said you released some that were blind before. I assume that they got their sight back? If so, that is great! I sure hope this guy does. He seems so healthy and sturdy otherwise. I wonder how old this little guy is. He is not a baby but doesn't look really old either. Is there a way to tell a squirrels age once they are no longer a juvinile?

squirrelfriend
11-22-2006, 05:20 PM
here is an update on the little grumbly guy. the darker scab is the one on the back of his head.

Gabe
11-22-2006, 05:38 PM
I don't think it is pox. I'm sure after seeing the pictures.


Great pictures. Two of them, maybe the back of the head? Look like there is a hole in the center. Is that right?

squirrelfriend
11-22-2006, 06:10 PM
no hole in the middle that I can see. if there was one it is healed. the skin is very thick under each scab. could this be scar tissue forming?

also as pertaining to his age, I know that when the males near one year of age their scrotum darkens. this guy's is the same color as the rest of him. could he just be a very big baby? perhaps a spring baby?

squirrelfriend
11-22-2006, 06:11 PM
glad to hear that you don't think it is pox. not onoly for his sake but the rest of the little guys at the park as well.

Gabe
11-22-2006, 06:16 PM
It's hard to tell his age.
The pads of his feet look white, or is that just the flash? If they are white, is the inside of his mouth pale or pink?

squirrelfriend
11-22-2006, 06:16 PM
another thing I noticed pertaining to his possible age is that the bottom of his back feet are fully furred. Once they start climbing trees a lot doesn't the hair rub off? The adults I see at the park have no hair on the bottom side of their feet. If he is a baby then that would explain the penis problem.

Gabe
11-22-2006, 06:28 PM
Yes, that is a possibility. He has a young look to me, but it is hard to tell in the pictures.

squirrelfriend
11-22-2006, 06:30 PM
the pads of his feet look fine. normal flesh color same as with the inside of his mouth. do you realise how risky that was to find out? the back feet are easy to check. It just cost me some pettin's. the front half is another matter. that could cost me another portion of my finger.

Gabe
11-22-2006, 06:31 PM
Sorry :D
How is his appetite and what is he eating?

squirrelfriend
11-22-2006, 06:41 PM
His appetite is fine. I have been giving him a wide variety of nuts, fruits and vegetables. I put a chunk of carrot in there as well like you suggested. he has calcium in his water bottle and I have been giving him the full spectrum lamp as well. he's working on his tan as we speak.

Gabe
11-23-2006, 06:57 AM
Let's just give him some time and see how he does.

squirrelfriend
11-23-2006, 07:15 AM
ok, at least he's not getting any worse. It will be a few days before I can see if the scabs are getting smaller or not. Let's just wish the best for him. thank you for all of your advice. It has been very helpfull.

Gabe
11-23-2006, 05:23 PM
I'm beginning to wonder if the scabs are the result of a botfly larva. I'm going to try to attach a picture. Let's see if this works.

Gabe
11-23-2006, 05:27 PM
This is a picture shortly after the larva came out. Yours may be more advanced in healing. I think the larva may have done some damage to the brain, vision, sinus cavity which could be causing the head tilt and blindness. If the link below works you can see how big the larva get.





http://botfly.ifas.ufl.edu/wrbwk2/wrbwk2a.htmn

Gabe
11-23-2006, 05:30 PM
http://botfly.ifas.ufl.edu/

Opps, that one didn't work, try this one. This one works.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-23-2006, 08:44 PM
Gabe I thought that before also.

Gabe
11-24-2006, 06:19 AM
So, rippie... why are you keeping secrets from us? :D
I love to hear your opinions, gives us another point of view.

susanw
11-24-2006, 12:39 PM
After seeing a close up of one of the sores, I would have to agree with rippie and say it looks like old botlfy wounds. I'm not an expert, but have seen the results of botlfy wounds over the summer on a few squirrels. I have actually witnessed them being removed, it's an ugly sight!

Gabe
11-24-2006, 01:55 PM
Susanw. What are your intentions with this squirrel? Do you plan on keeping him, or do you think it needs to be in the hands of a rehabber for a while? If you need help finding one, let me know, I'll try to help, or someone else on the board may be able to.

squirrelfriend
11-24-2006, 07:28 PM
wow, that is a great site Gabe! Yes it looks like old wounds from bot flies. If so that is good news. it means he isn't sick any more. he just needs to heal his scabs. I was reading alot on that site and the description round, oblong, flat but slightly raised fits exactly. I think the one on thew back of his head/neck must have caused the ballance problem and blindness. the stuff on that site about fibrosis looks like what my baby one had a week ago. I had posted a thread about her. she unfortunately didn't make it. this guys doesn't have any larvae in it now. he has a bunch of small dot scars too. they are just a little smaller than the tip of a pencil eraser. could these be old ones as well?

I think you addressed your question to susanw but it was probably meant for me. you wanted to know what my intentions were with this guy. I will keep him. If I give him to the toronto wildlife place they will just put him down. since he seems healthy otherwise and not in pain I don't see why not to let him have a full life. I am happy to have him join our little gang. Booger likes to talk to him. she can see him in his cage across the room and keeps calling to him.

as far as rehabbing him it's just a matter of letting his scabs heal and letting him adjust to the loss of sight. other than that he is doing fine. he is presently working on a whole walnut and by the sound of it he is having no problem cracking it to get the nut. He a cute little guy. I will do my best to see that the rest of his life is a lot better than the begining of it was. he will live his years with lots of nutritious food, warmth and comfort.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-24-2006, 07:33 PM
Well its just that Little Girl got a bot fly in August but in the weeks after that, I couldnt get close enough to see how it healed. But did do a lot of searching web pages on it & thought it looked like one healing up.

Gabe
11-24-2006, 07:34 PM
That's wonderful, squirlfriend, I'm glad that he will have a loving home, and that you are willing to commit to a blind squirrel. Here's to his recovery. :thumbsup

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-24-2006, 07:40 PM
Well its just that Little Girl got a bot fly in August but in the weeks after that, I couldnt get close enough to see how it healed. But did do a lot of searching web pages on it & thought it looked like one healing up.
http://botfly.ifas.ufl.edu/wrbpex/wrbpex.htm
I remember there was someone here treating their squirrel for cat bites & was putting peroxide in the wounds and out poped a warble. Only got to see one a week old, but not post exit.

Gabe
11-24-2006, 07:49 PM
I've never seen a botfly larva, they do exist in this area, but not often. People always describe them as an "eye". They sure look gross on the web site.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-24-2006, 07:57 PM
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=845&highlight=botfly
Dancing squirrel posted this early in the summer scrool down to see post exit!?

squirrelfriend
11-24-2006, 07:59 PM
thanks so much Gabe for that site. I have been looking on the internet for some sort of description of parasites that would bother squirrels. that one is great. do you have any others that describe any other pests or illnesses? I think you nailed this one with this guy. good job!

skwerls_R_soft
11-24-2006, 08:46 PM
Back when I worked as a vet tech, we saw dogs that would come in with bot fly warbles. We used a special spray (wish I remembered the name) to cause the fly to poke out of the hole and a solution of some type to paralyze it enough to pull it out slowly without causing it to break. Then we usually needed to open the wound a bit under a local anesthesia and clean out damaged tissue. It was a stomach turning event that not many of us volunteered for....that and impacted anal glands.

Ahhh..memories :shakehead

Cannot imagine trying that stunt on a feisty squirrel!

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-25-2006, 04:46 AM
The day that I got R2 Preston & Jasmine I took them into the vet when I went for formula, the vet said he had just that day rememoved one from a cat and was looking in the garbage for it!!:shakehead I said "dont do me any favors"!! He said it was a discusting looking thing.:nono

squirrelfriend
11-30-2006, 12:17 AM
here are some recent ones of him.

squirrelfriend
11-30-2006, 12:20 AM
one thing else I noticed while taking these photos is that he does not get red eye in any of them. I cannot see any cateracts in his eyes. Red eye is caused from the light from the flash bouncing off of the back of the eye. It is the blood in the eye that causes the red effect. therefore I find it strange that he doesn't get that. no red eye feature on the camera was used. as we all know here. red eye is really hard to avoid when taking photos of squirrels. that is what makes it so strange that he doesn't have it at all.

Gabe
11-30-2006, 06:14 AM
Yes, and look how large his pupils are. It's possible he is permanately blind, and it could be from a botfly larva, or head injury from a fall.
In response to question on Downs, in a pm, his front legs seem short, and his face is small. His body seems short. I think black squirrels have a different face shape than greys, what does everyone else think regarding greys vs blacks? I've asked that question before and got no response, maybe no one really knows.

It is unusual that you can carry a squirrel this age around. Is he able to balance himself?

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
11-30-2006, 07:42 AM
He looks happy & content SF. Looks better to me than the day you brought him home. Whatever it is that he has, your doing a good job with him. Thank you for taking him in & giving him such good care.

island rehabber
11-30-2006, 08:17 AM
Yes, and look how large his pupils are. It's possible he is permanately blind, and it could be from a botfly larva, or head injury from a fall.
In response to question on Downs, in a pm, his front legs seem short, and his face is small. His body seems short. I think black squirrels have a different face shape than greys, what does everyone else think regarding greys vs blacks? I've asked that question before and got no response, maybe no one really knows.

It is unusual that you can carry a squirrel this age around. Is he able to balance himself?

Gabe I'm with you on the Downs question here -- his face does look shortened to me, as do his limbs. (He looks beautiful, though, squirrelfriend -- good job!! :thumbsup) As for black squirrels having different face shapes, I always thought they did -- their faces seem longer and more "rodentlike" to me -- but sometimes I wonder if that's just an illusion because of being all one color? I mean, Nero and LB are brothers, shouldn't they have the same face shape? I'll post a Nero pic here to compare to squirrelfriend's little guy, see what you all think:

Gabe
11-30-2006, 10:40 AM
Island, thanks, that picture does help. Nero has longer limbs, and a larger head than squirrelfriend's baby.

I've had litters of 3 greys and 1 black, and they do look different. I think, the black is a mutant gene and with that maybe there are other physical characteristics.

Timber
11-30-2006, 11:46 AM
Well, I have noticed even among grays some have more pointed faces than others. That is one way that I can tell one squirrel from another. Infact I have come to notice that Wahdees face is a little more pointed that Timbers.

island rehabber
11-30-2006, 12:30 PM
Well, I have noticed even among grays some have more pointed faces than others. That is one way that I can tell one squirrel from another. Infact I have come to notice that Wahdees face is a little more pointed that Timbers.

True...and big differences in ear shape and size, too.

Gabe
11-30-2006, 03:26 PM
Okay, you two, Timber and Island, I got the message, blacks look different. Squirrelfriend wants to know if hers could be a down's baby. Timber, do you think her black looks different from Island's black?

I think squirrelfriend may be onto something here, if she is, where are all these down's babies coming from?
I know of three not from this board, look how many are on here, squirrelfriend, muffinsquirrel, and one or two more I can't think of right now.

island rehabber
11-30-2006, 03:37 PM
I think squirrelfriend may be onto something here, if she is, where are all these down's babies coming from?
I know of three not from this board, look how many are on here, squirrelfriend, muffinsquirrel, and one or two more I can't think of right now.

Gabe I was thinking the same thing. If there is a pesticide suspected of causing baldness in the red squirrels, could something similar be causing Down's in grey squirrels? It certainly seems as if there are way too many of them lately to be normal occurence....

Dancingsquirrel
11-30-2006, 04:14 PM
here are 3 of my black squirrels, Mysteryboy who has the tattered ears and patches on his side, Ninjaboy, the closeup and nick in his ear, and Chocolate Chippy, who is a female and chubbier than the boys.
I have noticed that they do seem to have slightly more tapered heads than my greys.

3548

3549

3550

Liza
11-30-2006, 04:14 PM
Think about this one- Downs is much more common in the human population in older mothers. IS it possible that because of more available food (from bird feeders, etc.) and fewer predators because of human encroachment, that females are living longer, and thus reproducing longer? I know that with some bird species, the longer the female lives, the more pollutants, chemicals etc. she is exposed to and the less likely she is to produce viable chicks. It may be that cumulative exposure to longer living moms is causing genetic mutations in their eggs. I think this is more plausable than something like a single exposure to chemlawn or something like that.....

?????????



Liza, mom to the three munchkateers

Gabe
11-30-2006, 04:58 PM
Thanks dancingsquirrel nice pics.
Liza, good point. Tufts University Wildlife center is very, very, good, they are researching it, and think the chemical thing. Also, that may be why we see them in the fall, the spring babies are born before we start applying chemicals. But yes, I have thought that this is the new DDT, cumulative affect over time.
Another thought, before rehabbers, these little guys were not being discovered, or if discovered kept as pets, and there was no squirrel board to share our discoveries and questions.
Do we have squerly to thank for this? i much prefer to roll my eyes at him. :)

Timber
11-30-2006, 06:11 PM
Liza and Gabe, my first reaction to the question about more and more baby downs in squirrels was wondering if this didn't come from older female squirrels since that is usually or should I say the most common chances of producing downs in humans increases with women over 40. Also the more sever the downs the more problems humans have with increased retardation and health problems. So I guess it would be so in other mammals with said problem. Therefore blindness and maybe muscle control etc.,etc.,. And from looking at the photos I would be inclined to think that the beautiful baby does have a sever case of downs. However I am not a vet so that is just my educated guess. But more reason to hold him close and love him dearly. Oh yes one other thing, until they made great discoveries over the past 20 or 30 years in downs problems, the life expectancies were very short.

Gabe
11-30-2006, 06:24 PM
SF just pm'd and noted that he is afraid of her, so if he has appropriate fear, should we consider other ideas? Perhaps he is neurological for whatever reason. What about raccoon roundworm, baylis ascaris, bunnies and woodchucks are deadend hosts for it. Not sure about squirrels, but the bunnies and woodchucks act and appear like this squirrel.
SF, look at my extremely large picture under "help with feeding". I chose that photo to show how although full grown, he fit into my hand, his body is that short. Is yours that short? If not, we need to talk about other causes.
There are just so many maybe's, it's hard to get stuck on one idea.

squirrelfriend
11-30-2006, 06:29 PM
as for body and head shape differences, Mine here has his winer coat the ones all posted by everyone else here on this thread have their spring summer coats. you can tell that by the tufts on the end of the ears (which they only get with the winter coat) and the thickness of the coat. the winter coats give their no neck look as I heard someone else on here call it.

squirrelfriend
11-30-2006, 06:43 PM
I have never had a case with the racoon round worm. I do have meds for it though. the vet had thought that Weebles had had that. I have some meds left over. Well, there is another case of no ballance. she is from the same park. she had babies a week after I got her. Her babies were all born normal.

well the little guy did happen to just walk right now. he wobbily exited his blanket, peed and then went back in. so far in captivity I have not seen him sit up once.

Gabe
11-30-2006, 07:02 PM
Is your vet a wildlife vet? It's interesting that she thought of raccoon roundworm, it cannot be reversed at this point, only stopped from producing more damage.
Is the common denominator the park? Pesticide poisoning manifests itself this way also.

squirrelfriend
11-30-2006, 07:18 PM
my vet is an exotics vet.

weebles and this new guy possibly named Grumblebee came from the same park. I have noticed a third at another park about ten minutes drive down the road from the other. This one has the wobble too but is still just a little bit too crafty to catch. at least he is smart enough to stay in the thick underbrush that I cannot get to. he is not that fast and is a little slow in climbing. I do wonder now what you are saying about the pesticides. that scares me. this is three that I have come across since summer.

squirrelfriend
11-30-2006, 07:20 PM
as for size. Here are a couple of photos of him next to a 4x6 photo. I can't hold him yet like you did in your photo.

Gabe
11-30-2006, 08:05 PM
SF, he does seem full size, note the length of his tail. Mine has a short, squat tail. I don't think you would find that many in one area with down's. It is rare, not common. Pesticide would infect many. "Woobles", is also appropriate in that he fears you. My downs baby was found at the base of tree, probably came out and had no idea how to get back. He seemed stupid or disoriented, kinda duhh acting. Certainly not appropriate acting. He sleeps and tires easily when stimulated with play. He's just not normal acting. Yours acts normal, yet disabled. Am I making sense?

squirrelfriend
11-30-2006, 08:56 PM
yes he acts normal except for sleeping all the time and never venturing about. yes mine does seem a good size. he is deffinitly not an undersized squirrel. he is quite plump as well. Weebles has something simular as well. I remember her at the park before she had the wobbles. she had one eye but was doing very well for herself. she was aggressive and one of the alpha squirrels at the park. One day I noticed that her ballance was really bad. she walked like she was drunk. she still has the eyesight of her remailning eye though. I never did figure out what was wrong with her.

squirrelfriend
11-30-2006, 09:00 PM
here is Weebles. she kind of uses her tail for ballance. kind of sits like a tripod.

Timber
11-30-2006, 09:07 PM
Well now, three in one area is beginning to sound scary. It would be nice if you could some how have a toxicology test performed. Or if you could bring this to the attention of the enviormental services in your area because if it is something affecting the squirrels then lord knows what else maybe being affecting. Oh right, for a minuet I forgot that the government manages those facilities and they either don't think that we have any enviormental problems or they flat out don't give a damn.

Gabe
12-01-2006, 06:23 AM
That's right Timber, and don't you forget it. Now, if it were Chronic Wasting Disease and they were going to lose their income from the deer hunters they would be all over it.

Timber
12-01-2006, 07:53 AM
Amen and pass the amo.

skwerls_R_soft
12-01-2006, 10:27 AM
My ex-husband used to work in maintenance for a golf course and was called in one morning very very early to do some damage control. The maintenance department had sprayed a chemical fertilizer right before a hard rain and all of the fish in the pond on the course were floating. So my ex’s job was to clean out the floating fish. He found that they were not all dead, just floating there gasping for breath and paralyzed. He had to dig a hole in the woods to put them in. While scouting for a burial site he came across a dozen or so other critters in the same state. Most were squirrels and birds and one was a fox, all stunned and lying paralyzed. He was just sick and ended up quitting his job that day. He remembered seeing deer in the past that he mistook for being overly friendly and lying motionless at his approach. After this incident he pieced together that they were most likely victims of previous fertilizer “bombs”. When he reported this to the local DNR they did absolutely nothing and told him to forget about filing future reports.

Momma Squirrel
12-01-2006, 10:52 AM
SRS that is terrible. I just don't understand humans. Why do people not love creatures and critters. Something is very very wrong with our society. I guess they have forgotten Vietnam and the Napom (sp) that was dropped on people, vegetation, and yes animals. Just look what happened there, oh yeah they didn't really care about that either.

Has anyone thought what happens when those precious hunters kill these animals and then eat them after they have been ingesting those pesticides. They would probably do something then if deer hunters started dying from eating the meat they killed.

Liza
12-01-2006, 11:54 AM
That kind of horrific abuse of creation is one of the rare things that gets me so mad I can't stand it!!!!!! My dh loves to golf and we've often talked about how nice it would be to have a "natural" golf course... The fact that animals die so they can have nice smooth greens turns me inside out.

We had a beautiful collie-cross dog who died from kidney failure from a neighbor who HAD to have the most beautiful lawn in the neighborhood (he and his wife literally-no joke- would go out with a ruler and little scissors and measure the grass in random spots and clip clip till everything was absolutely even.) Their lot was slightly higher than ours, and all their run-off ran downhill to our backyard. It killed my apple tree, my raspberries, and my beautiful friend who loved to lay back in the shade. :frustratedx

These were the same people that followed my poor dh down the lot line as he planted trees-yelling that our shade would wreck their lawn.:argue OH well.... They moved away. Finally.

Liza, secret environmentalist :Love_Icon

Buddy'sMom
12-01-2006, 12:31 PM
... weebles and this new guy possibly named Grumblebee came from the same park. I have noticed a third at another park about ten minutes drive down the road from the other. ... I do wonder now what you are saying about the pesticides. that scares me. this is three that I have come across since summer.

squirrelfriend, if these are public parks, you should be able to find out what they have applied this year AND when it was applied (if anything was used; in a public park, there might be minimal maintenance). If it was the US, I'm sure you could get that info. If they are privately maintained parks it might be harder. With the pesticide and/or fertilizer name(s), we would be able to research more information as to possible effects, dangers, etc. (or, if no pesticides were used, then other possibilities might be more likely)

BTW, he is absolutely precious! If kisses could cure, I'm sure he would be OK by now because looking at him all you want to do is grab him and kiss him!!

Gabe
12-01-2006, 12:49 PM
SF Weebles is balancing well in the bowl of seed, it is the uneveness that helps them to balance. Try a fluffed blanket for the one you have, see if he can balance amongst the ridges.
SRS and Liza, those are horrible stories. I don't golf, so I've never thought about what goes on there. I had a person bring me a fawn once that was on a golf course, because it was in the way!!!. Just kidnapped it and thought I should raise it, weren't too happy when I made them take it back.

rygel1hardt
12-01-2006, 01:35 PM
Im with Gabe on this one. These appear to be adult squirrels and downs babies wouldnt have made it to adulthood in the wild. I am also guessing pesticide or herbicide poisoning. Do you have a vet that might be able to run a tox screen from a blood sample? That would be my next step. Stacey

Dancingsquirrel
12-01-2006, 05:49 PM
This whole poisoning thing makes me really @#%$$^ off!! Now, I personally do not like the local news media, but what about going to them with photos and other information gathered regarding dead or sick wildlife, and seeing if they would do a story on it? If the local government won't get involved maybe getting the story out to the public would cause people to complain.....of course that would depend on if the people cared enough :dono

Gabe
12-01-2006, 06:28 PM
That's a great idea. I second the motion to go to the news. You'll get some bleeding hearts going on that, even if they're not squirrel people, just animal people. Or... what about their dogs when they walk them in the park. There are so many angles here. Give it a shot.

squirrelfriend
12-01-2006, 09:08 PM
I'll start working on it. I will try to get photos of the one still in the park. I will probably have to get photos of a few to be convincing though. I don't want to use Grumblebee or Weebles as examples because they will just turn around and take them from me and euthenise them. I will deffinitly start to collect any evidence that I can. I haven't seen any other dead or sick wildlife at either park yet. as for dead squirrels it is pretty minimal considering how many squirrels are there. I think I have only seen two dead ones in the last year (excluding road kills). I like the idea of the media. that would get the ball rolling especially the dog walking angle. lots of people walk their dogs there. but once again I will need more evidence as even we are stil unsure if this is the case. could still be head injuries or something else. by the way Grumblebee is still the same. he still doesn't investigate his surroundings but certainly still has his strength. he had something in his eye today and I was trying to flush it out with drops of water from an eye dropper when he managed to bite me through a finger nail again! what is it with these guys lately? are they all aspiring manicurists? this is the third time in 3 weeks that I have been bitten through a nail.

still love the guys though. I guess they are just showing me tough love?
really tough love

Gabe
12-02-2006, 07:54 AM
Sorry about the bite, they do know how to make their point and boy does it hurt.
Good luck with your story, hope it works out.

squirrelfriend
12-02-2006, 05:12 PM
thanks for all of your help. I will keep you posted on his or any park results. As for him. I am not 100% sure but I think that his scabs are getting smaller. the one on his side I believe is a big scar with dry skin on the surface. does anybody know what the gestation period for lice? he still has a bit of eggs stuck to his fur. a lot of them are gone but I am wondering if the ones remaining are empty ones that already hatched. As I saw on the photo that I posted for the recent baby that I had (I will repost that photo here) the eggs stay attatched even though they have already hatched. as you can see in the photo one still has the lice in the egg, one is crushed from removing it from the squirrel and the third has hatched. It is empty and the end is off of it.
I am asking about the gestation period because I have been bathing him every couple of days or so to rid him of any newly hatched ones. There have only been two crawlies since I bathed him the first time a couple of weeks ago. He was bathed immediately afterwards to rid of those two. I am curious if I can stop bathing him.

Secret Squirrel
12-03-2006, 07:13 PM
I am asking about the gestation period because I have been bathing him every couple of days or so to rid him of any newly hatched ones. There have only been two crawlies since I bathed him the first time a couple of weeks ago. He was bathed immediately afterwards to rid of those two. I am curious if I can stop bathing him.
Lice hatch every 10 days or so....just keep your eyes open. My rule of thumb is "No nits = no lice"!!!!:thumbsup

VLOVE
12-05-2006, 07:27 AM
GET HIM TO A VET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICS THIS IS PAINFUL.....AND "NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE". I WOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT MY VET.......IT MAY JUST BE A MATTER OF ANTIBIOTICS, BUT
THIS LITTLE BLACK BEAUTY IS IN PAIN! LET US KNOW..

VLOVE
12-05-2006, 07:40 AM
THIS IS WONDERFUL. I HAVE A LITTLE GUY THAT WE THINK IS BLIND IN ONE EYE AND HE IS A DELIGHT. ANYONE KNOW HOW TO KEEP BATFLYS OR WHATEVER THOSE THINGS ARE AWAY? THX

squirrelfriend
12-06-2006, 12:23 AM
GET HIM TO A VET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICS THIS IS PAINFUL.....AND "NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE". I WOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT MY VET.......IT MAY JUST BE A MATTER OF ANTIBIOTICS, BUT
THIS LITTLE BLACK BEAUTY IS IN PAIN! LET US KNOW..

First of all, Why are you yelling at me? We are all on this board to try and help each other with info. Second of all. he is not in any sort of pain. The sores are all getting smaller and apear to just be scar tissue from whatever had happened to him. No broken bones or any wounds that bleed or that are infected. I am sorry If I don't have a couple of hundred dollars to take him to a vet and any wildlife place here would just have him put down. Other than being completely blind he is fine. And I don't see what a vet can do for that. I am doing my best to help the guy. He is a lot better with me than running across a busy street when I found him!

Liza
12-06-2006, 08:54 AM
SF- You are doing a wonderful job with that baby. I think sometimes people don't realize how the "come off" over the computer. (LIKE ALL CAPS BEING YELLING ,ETC.) You have gotten alot of good advice here, and your baby is thriving despite his disability... You should be proud!

You spend your days with him.. you KNOW whether he is in pain or not. Grumblebee and Weebles (love those names) are very lucky to have you! As you said, how long would a blind squirrel last in the wild?

And to VLOVE- My momma had a saying -"You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar"- I have no doubt you have positive things to contribute.. but consider your tone, and maybe make suggestions instead of being so ......hhmmm... insistant.

Now, everybody- behave yourselves- Don't make me come in there and whoop you!


Liza, mom to children, smooth and furry... and official Wednesday peacemaker. (self-appointed)

:grouphug

Timber
12-06-2006, 12:59 PM
Well, I understaand that all captials is considered screaming but some times that is not what we mean by using all captials. I have done it before, not to scream at anyone or about something but just to make it more noticeable and mean that it is very important to me. I guess it would be better if I could change the color print to red to show this but I don't know how to change the color of just one word, just like i can't get the hang of getting quotes in that little gray colored box and reprint it. If I want to quote someone I have to sit here and type out the hold thing and put parenthasis around it. Anyway as said several times on this board before, before we interpret something on this board we have to pull back and considered what someone is trying to say before we jump to conculsions and get angry. If we want to know exactly what they ment then we need to pm them and ask before we go off the deep end.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
12-06-2006, 01:24 PM
SF your doing a wonderful job, my friend. Carry on.

Secret Squirrel
12-06-2006, 03:48 PM
Yes Squirrelfriend you are doing a wonderful job....I don't think Vlove was dowinng you at all...( my 2 cents) I think being new to the board she was just very concerned and felt the urgent need to reply. Those photos of Grumblebee are very alarming and look like "ouch" to me...:D !!!
My sister used to use CAPS ALL THE TIME.......she didn't like having to use the shift key....LOL!!! Anyway that's my 2 cents...also just wanted to drop in and say HI too!!:Love_Icon

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
12-06-2006, 05:51 PM
:wave123 SS!
I believe the same she was just alarmed at the pictures. We know your taking good care.

squirrelfriend
12-07-2006, 03:58 AM
Thanks guys,

perhaps I read too much into it. And VLOVE, If negativity wasn't your intention I appologize.

Timber, If you need to change the color of your text use the A with the underline under it when you are writing. you can change it to just about any color imaginable. as for quoting use the quote button instead of reply.

Angel's Mom
12-10-2006, 10:57 PM
Thanks everyone for encouraging patience when capitals are used. I know I did it once on a different website out of ignorance - actually I misplaced my reading glasses so the only way I knew of to see what I typed somewhat was to use caps. Boy was I ever sorry. I received several very negative comments. If someone knows of a good website for internet etiquette I could probably use it! Anyway I wanted to say how much I admire you for taking care of this little black blind squirrel. Angel, the female grey squirrel who adopted me, started out with a serious head injury. Her recuperation has taken many months now but she is able to walk like normal, but slowly. Her balance is good so long as she doesn't rush. She jumps well, too. She also lost per sight in her right eye, and I think her sense of smell is dimished but otherwise she is very happy, hides her nuts around the house, loves to explore in it too. However she doesn't like trees. I've tried twice by moving them into the living room for her - we have a cathedral ceiling. She was very unhappy, go figure. Best of luck! I wouldn't have missed the experience for the world. Angel's Mom.

squirrelfriend
12-11-2006, 04:23 AM
Thanks Angels Mom. That is encouraging. I hope this guy can recover from whatever is ailing him. I think it is some kind of brain damage but I am not sure as to the cause of it or the blindness. He has no cateracts. I don't know what came first the blindess or the braindamage. Did a head injury cause the blindness or did the blindness cause him to hit his head? I don't know but anyhow he is doing fine and venturing about more now.

Kathy56
12-20-2006, 08:20 PM
How is Grumblebee doing? I check this thread everyday for news about him.He is so beautiful.Thank you for all the care that you have given him.:thumbsup

squirrelfriend
12-20-2006, 10:31 PM
I was just coming on to give an update. He is doing fine. still wobbly, no ballance and blind but on the bright side he is getting more adventurous and no longer has any parasites. I just got through looking at a bunch of samples I took off of him on the microscope and all of his lice eggs were empty. well except for one but that one I am pretty sure was dead. I took hairs from all over on him too. I am sure he must be more comfortable now. Oh, and all his scabs are healing nicely. all the small ones are gone and the two big ones (the one on his side and the one on the back of his head) have shrunk in size a lot. I think in a few days those two will be gone all together. I'll post a new picture of him soon. He has such a beautiful coat on him. It is a very glossy pitch black coat. very pretty. Oh, I almost forgot, his penis is looking much better too. Maybe I ought to reword that somehow. that sounds a little perverse.:eek:

Timber
12-20-2006, 10:43 PM
Oh don't worry about using the word penis on here when you are refering to it in a logical and technical way. We have used it and other words when we are discussing things in the proper context. WE have even post some very graphic photos when needed to help analyze a problem. We know that it is not being used in any profane way and except that.

squirrelfriend
12-21-2006, 08:33 PM
He is still getting better. He is getting more and more active, that means that he is getting more and more comfotable in his surroundings. Everyone here thought that he couldn't walk or stand at all. I told them "Don't let him fool you. He can move when he wants to. He knows when he has a good thing going." right now he is getting pampered to bits. He's just soaking it up and enjoying the good life. This evening my inlaws were surprised to see him wandering around the living room like he was on a mission. He was zipping around. wobbly of course but getting around quite quickly.

Kathy56
12-21-2006, 08:46 PM
If you get a chance please post some new pictures of him.I think he is one of the most beautiful squirrels I have ever seen. :thumbsup

squirrelfriend
12-21-2006, 09:00 PM
I willtake some right now. just give me a few minutes.

Kathy56
12-21-2006, 09:07 PM
Thank you very much. Seeing him will give me a much needed lift.(Hard day at work).He will make me smile.x_biggrin

squirrelfriend
12-21-2006, 10:59 PM
ok here are a few. as you can see, compared to his previous pictures here he is healing nicely. so far he is a success story. something we all need once in a while. I couldn't get one of the back of his head. he just wouldn't cooperate. the sore on the back of his head is now only about 1/2 of a centimeter in diameter. within a couple of days that one will be gone. the hair is already growing back over the places that the scabs used to be. The last few days he is healing so fast.

Kathy56
12-21-2006, 11:44 PM
He just melts my heart everytime I see him. Give him a kiss for me.x_biggrin

squirrelfriend
12-22-2006, 01:02 AM
I'll have to blow him a kiss. He tends to startle easily because of his lack of eye sight. I could lose a lip that way.:hurt He does let me pet him though as long as I aproach him carefully and don't touch his nose. Once I have him on my lap with a warm towel around him he will lay there curled up and let me pet him for hours. I'll give him a good pettin' for you.

Gabe
12-22-2006, 06:08 AM
Squirelfriend, he sure looks beautiful Good job!:thumbsup

island rehabber
12-22-2006, 06:14 AM
I think maybe we can move this thread to Non-Life Threatening Help, don't you? :thumbsup

cpietra16
12-22-2006, 06:20 AM
Words are not enough to say...WOW. You have done a great job.

squirrelfriend
12-22-2006, 08:43 AM
yeah, I think he is out of the woods for now. Hopefully he will continue to improve. This morning he seems even more active. he now charges the cage bars which he never did before. He started this with Weebles a couple of days ago when she made the mistake of climbing up on the cage. My husband says he never saw either of them move so quick. I think Weebles had to change her little panties after that one.

Dancingsquirrel
12-22-2006, 01:42 PM
Oh Squirrelfriend, he is so sweet, I am so glad you are there for him :Love_Icon

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
12-22-2006, 04:09 PM
What a sweet little guy, thank you for taking such good care of him.

squirrelfriend
12-22-2006, 08:07 PM
Taking care of him is a pleasure. I feel like I am the lucky one.

Kathy56
12-22-2006, 08:19 PM
I'm glad he is doing so good. I just love that little guy. We are lucky that you share him with us. x_biggrin

Kathy56
12-28-2006, 05:27 PM
Just wanted to check in and see how the little angel is doing. I hope all is good with you and him and that you both Have a Happy New Year. Need some new pictures. I am hooked on him.:thumbsup

squirrelfriend
12-29-2006, 12:56 AM
He is doing well. I was just holding him and giving him his pettin's. As I ws petting him I looked over his scabs. The one on his belly is no longer a scab. The hair is growing back. Right now it is just a small slightly raised red spot. I think within a week it will hardly be noticable. the one on the back of his head is about half a centimeter in diameter. the hair is almost grown back around it. His penis looks pretty normal now. There is no longer a red swollen area on the end. I have been noticing that he can see at least a little. I know this by the pot shots that he takes at me when my hand waves by him without a sound.

squirrelfriend
12-29-2006, 01:57 AM
here are a few of his evening bath.

squirrelfriend
12-29-2006, 02:08 AM
a few more

squirrelfriend
12-29-2006, 02:10 AM
Grumblebee says that's enough. time for bed!

Vivinus
12-29-2006, 02:18 AM
I just read through this thread from start to finish (first time in the thread), and I have to say that if you compare the first few pictures you posted to these most recent ones, this squirrel certainly kicks adversity in the butt (did that come out right?).

I know it's much too late now (and fortunately not important in the current case), in humans, one thing we check for in possible head trauma cases is pupil reactivity. I honestly don't know how, or if it's possible, to check pupil reactivity in squirrels.. When I look at my little flyer, I don't see pupils, just giant black eyes :rotfl and if I ever flick the light on, she starts squinting, so I don't get much opportunity to check for pupils.

Getting back on track, checking for head trauma can be as simple as passing a penlight (or flashlight if you aren't super cool and carry penlights in your pocket) through her field of vision and checking to see if the other eye reacts to that-then doing it to the other eye. Or even before you get there, if one pupil is dilated and the other constricted, you could have a head injury.

Kathy56
12-29-2006, 07:26 AM
He looks so happy and content. You have done a wonderful job with him. He is lucky to have you. Keep posting pictures when you can. I love looking at him. :D

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
12-29-2006, 08:13 AM
Me too SF! Love his coat.

squirrelfriend
12-29-2006, 08:44 AM
I will keep posting updates on him. I love this little guy. and yes, he does have a wonderful coat. I have never seen one as glossy pitch black as this one. the fact that he has his winter coat makes it even richer. I love the tufts on his ears. I 'll answer more later. I gotta get to work. laters.

Secret Squirrel
12-29-2006, 10:55 AM
How is the "Frankinfinger" and does he still bite or have you tamed the beast??? :D
His coat is be-U-tee-full!!!!! Great job SF!!!:thumbsup

Dancingsquirrel
12-29-2006, 02:57 PM
I just love the new photos, what a beautiful boy, :thankyou :Love_Icon

cpietra16
12-29-2006, 05:23 PM
He looks absolutely happy and relaxed. When I see how much he's come around, it makes me wonder if I made the right choice of putting my little guy to sleep when everyone thought he was in really bad shape and in alot of pain; I found him on the road after being hit by a car. Too late now but I always think about him:(

squirrelfriend
12-29-2006, 06:47 PM
SS, I was considering scanning my frankenfinger but I will spare you. It looks terrible. 2/3rds of the nail has come off. I still have a swollen lump on the side of the finger. I beleive the nail is just starting to grow back.

cpietra16, don't beat yourself up over it. You did what you thought was best. I don't know the situation of your little guy so I cannot say. You took the time and effort to care for him. that is more than what most people would do.

as for vets saying to put certain pets down, 4 out of 4 times that vets have told me to put an animal down the animal has survived long after. Weebles was one of them. she has a thread of her own on here "Weebles is sick". she is still kicking. another was a cat of mine named Stimpy. they said he had FIV and to put him down. well, it is over a decade longer and he is now getting quite old. another was a cat of mine that got hit by a car. his hip and leg was broken in 5 spots. the leg had to be amputated due to the tendon being severed. he was fine afterwards. another was a kitten that I had as a kid , Zoint. they told us that she had some sort of cat flu and of course to put her down. she lived to 16 and a half years. I find that vets are a little over zealous on telling people to put their animals down.

squirrelfriend
12-29-2006, 06:50 PM
I'll get more photos of Grumblebee over the weekend. the ones I took last night I made a mistake. I left the ISO setting on 1250 instead of 400. THe 1250 is what I use for the microscope setting. oops. that is why they are so grainy.

squirrelfriend
12-31-2006, 09:30 AM
Grumblebee is presently showing his cardboard nest box who is boss. You could say that he is ripping it a new one? Tell it like it is Grumblebee!:D

Kathy56
01-01-2007, 12:02 AM
Glad to hear he is having fun with his box. I check everyday for updates and this is great news. Blow him a kiss from his number 1 fan. Have a Happy New Year. :D

squirrelfriend
01-01-2007, 12:15 AM
He is a happy camper today. I brought him some branches from the park and gave him a new box. I lodged it in the branches so he has a tree house now. When I put the branches in he was flipping around and having a good time. He was reburying all his nuts but After I put the box in the branches he went right in and hasn't come out since. He loves it in there.

squirrelfriend
01-01-2007, 04:14 PM
Grumblebee pic of the day.

susanw
01-01-2007, 04:17 PM
What a beauty!:thumbsup

atlantasquirrelgirl
01-01-2007, 04:32 PM
He is beautiful indeed. Great work!

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
01-01-2007, 05:02 PM
Great picture SF, love that he loves his new box, I used to give the kids tissue boxes & they would crawl right in!

squirrelfriend
01-01-2007, 05:55 PM
That reminds me of my Squirrelie except that he wasn't given the box. He just figured that he would commandeer the one on my desk. He swirled around in it and peeked out like "What?"

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
01-01-2007, 06:00 PM
:jump LOVE IT!! Thanks for the laugh!

rygel1hardt
01-01-2007, 06:37 PM
Here is one of my fall pups doing the kleenex/nestbox thing. I love this pic! Stacey



That reminds me of my Squirrelie except that he wasn't given the box. He just figured that he would commandeer the one on my desk. He swirled around in it and peeked out like "What?"

squirrelfriend
01-01-2007, 06:51 PM
awwwwww. that guy is so cute. we should make a thread for a kleenex box contest. I didn't realize that they were so popular. Doesn't surprise me though. Gotta love these guys.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
01-01-2007, 06:54 PM
Adorable Stacey!

squirrelfriend
01-01-2007, 07:22 PM
rippie,

do you have any photos of your guys doing this?

squirrelfriend
01-04-2007, 03:25 AM
Just a couple more of Grumblebee.

pia
01-04-2007, 04:02 AM
he is cute:)

Kathy56
01-05-2007, 11:42 PM
Just wanted to check in and see how he is doing? I have been depressed since turning my little guy over to a rehabber and seeing pictures of your baby makes me feel better.You are lucky to have each other. Take care.:D

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
01-06-2007, 07:00 AM
Kathy, I dont want to hijack this thread, and I know people here will undersatand. Dont be depressed because he's gone be happy because you gave him his life back. He has so much living to do. Each and every rehabber goes through this at every release..now we can only imagine how special they are.
It will get easier, and you are going to see him, keep you chin up baby season is on its way. And yes you will love the next one as much as Rufus but he will always be special to us all.


SF that grumblebee gets more beautiful everyday and how is the new baby?

heidiann
01-06-2007, 07:33 AM
SF, I just read this thread for the first time and Grumblebee has stolen my heart. Also I have to give you this :bowdown. Thank God you found him and have relentlessly and lovingly cared for him. Wonderful job. He's beautiful.

squirrelfriend
01-06-2007, 09:44 AM
Grumblebee's scabs have all finally furred over. It is just a matter of the hair getting longer now. other than that he is as grumbley as ever. He'll let me hold him and all. He just has to grumble through it so that I don't think that he is not tough. He wants me to believe that he is still wild. Currently he is burying nuts in his nest box.

Kathy56,

How about I let you "adopt" Grumbles like one of those infomercials for starving children. I can post updates and photos to show how your "child" is doing. This way you are no longer squirrel-less. the only difference is that you don't send money.

I'll try to get more photos over the weekend. He is getting more active and feistier.

squirrelfriend
01-06-2007, 10:01 AM
Rippie,

Squeetie Gonzales is doing fine. She is also getting a little more active. Her tail is healing nicely. No longer infected. I'll try to get recent photos of her again over the weekend as well. She's such a cutie.

Kathy56
01-06-2007, 07:09 PM
Thank you Squirrelfriend,
I gratefully accept. I love your little guy. I don't know what it is but from the very 1st picture I saw of him he just had my heart. There is just something about his face and the way he looks that just tugged at my heartstrings. The two of you are lucky to have each other. :D

squirrelfriend
01-10-2007, 03:31 AM
a thirsty Grumbles.

island rehabber
01-10-2007, 06:00 AM
oooooh I love that little pink toungue! What a great job you've done with him, squirrelfriend! :bowdown :thumbsup

Dancingsquirrel
01-10-2007, 12:09 PM
WHAT AT WONDERFUL PHOTO!!! Its so sweet, the little pink tongue, his little hands!:Love_Icon He is looking so good Squirrelfriend! Please keep the photos coming!:thankyou :multi

Kathy56
01-10-2007, 03:49 PM
Beautiful as always:D