Sammys swollen leg, Help!

[Sammys dad]

Great to find this place. I hope some of you can give me some advice. My wife and I found an abandoned baby gray squirrel in our backyard (western NC) back in August of 2009. We could not get him back to his nest nor would the mother come back for him. After running into dead ends with rehabbers in the area, we decided to raise him ourselves.

After much research and reading, we actually did a pretty good job. He grew to be strong and healthy. We released Sammy into the wild back in April of 2010. He did quiet well and has lived in a nest behind our house ever since. He comes back daily for food and will still run up and down my housecoat without pause. I am not exaggerating about coming back daily. It is what he considers normal I suppose. Other than that he has adopted well to the wild and appears to live a pretty normal life.
Still he is a part of our family. We also found out that he is actually a Samantha and has two young squirrels of her own. They appear to be about 5-6 months old and also in good health.

So that is the background on Sammy. Here is our problem. About 5 days ago we noticed Sammy was not using his rear leg and it looked swollen. We dug out his old cage and took him to the vet. To my surprise they actually treated him. The x-ray of his leg and foot showed no fractures but he had chewed the hair off and it was starting to swell. The vet gave him an antibiotic shot as the leg seemed to be infected.
There did not seem to be any visible signs of bites or teethmarks although I suspect a neighbors cat but he could have fallen as well I guess.

The swelling really has me concerned. Sammy is staying inside now with us for the next few days as the vet recommended. Maybe the antibiotic is helping the infection, but the swelling is so bad and does not appear to be decreasing. It seems that there should be something else I could do for that?
I am asking here because I can't get in touch with the vet today and my concern is growing for the little fellow. Sammy is eating some but not like his normal self which I can understand somewhat.

Would love to hear any advice from people with experience with this sort of thing. Sammy has become a very important part of our family.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Randy

[philomycus]

Take him back to the vet as soon as you can tomorrow. You said he got a shot of antibiotics...how many days ago was that and do you know which one?

[Sammys dad]

Thanks for replying. He got his antibiotic injection on Friday morning (Jan 11th). I don't have the medication name in front of me but as best I remember it started with Co..., something like corvican or something similar.
I can look it up when I get home.
I have a call into the vet but I am not sure he will be back in the office today. Maybe I worry to much. I just figured with the antibiotic being in his system this long we should have seen some decrease in swelling by now.

[philomycus]

Probably convenia is the anti-biotic they used. You should have seen a decrease in swelling after a couple of days. If there's zero improvement (the swelling hasn't gone down at all) by tomorrow, take her back in. Good thing you know the leg isn't broken, but there's many other reasons for swelling.

[CritterMom]

Probably Covenia.

It may have abscessed - that may be what you are seeing as swelling, and if so will have to be drained. The vet may also want to add a second antibiotic. They like covenia because it doesn't have to be given daily, but he may need something else...

[mpetys]

Probably convenia is the anti-biotic they used. You should have seen a decrease in swelling after a couple of days. If there's zero improvement (the swelling hasn't gone down at all) by tomorrow, take her back in. Good thing you know the leg isn't broken, but there's many other reasons for swelling.

I had a 5 week old squirrel that had been mauled by a cat. My vet gave him the convenia injection. He had several abcesses that I had to take him back to have drained. We had a follow up convenia injection at two weeks as well. He had swelling in his left front paw, which had no visible bite wounds or scratches. I assumed that could have been from a sprain as it was reported that the cat was picking up the squirrel and slinging him around! That swelling went down after about a week. Baby did well with lots of TLC.

Michele

[Sammys dad]

Thanks for the prompt replies. No word back from the vet yet, but hopefully we will be able to get Sammy back to see him tomorrow. I feel pretty lucky to have found a vet that would even treat a squirrel.

Sammy has been such a joy to my family, we just hate to see anything happen to him, and by what I have read so far on this forum, there are so many who feel the same about their squirrel buddies as well.
Very glad I found this place.

Thanks again, will keep you guys updated.

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

I had a similar experience with a release that I had to re-trap, and overwinter. Not sure exactly what got her, but it was a puncture wound that became seriously infected. She had licked the fur off her leg because she could not feel it, and we thought she had nerve damage.

The vet put her on oral Metacam for inflammation and pain, and Baytril for the infection. The swelling went down, and it took a long time for the fur to grow back and her to regain use of her foot. It also took some physical therapy of massaging her foot.

Definitely get it looked at again.

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Sammy Dad
Can you post a picture? You might see if the Vet is willing to give you some Baytrill for Sammy.
Then you can give it to her Daly. (10 days) I am glad you still have a relation ship with her.
My Rocki has been released out side for almost 6 years. She still comes in the house and plays with us.
They do know where the good food is! :D I hope the Vet visit goes well.
It would be nice if you started a Thread in The Gray Squirrel Section. If you have any pictures of Sammy while growing up.
We are all about shearing pictures and stories. :D
Good Luck and Welcome to the Squirrel Board. :Welcome

[jbtartell]

Hi, I have a 5 yr old girl named sam...lol any how I released one in the summer and he does the same thing about running up my housecoat or pants leg,,lol any how he came up not to long ago with a hurt leg and I finaly got a look at it and he seemed to have a sprang.. you did good by getting him to the vet. the only thing you can do for him now is just keep im in a quiet place anf let him rest..atleast till the vet calls.. I bet he really is hating being in the cage after having the trees..lol mine did too.. he may be just really stressed right now soo quiet and rest is good for him. good luck