Advise

[Peanuts mom]

Okay, so Peanut went out a few times, soft relase style and yesterday he took off in the morning and did not come back :shakehead
We figured okay then, he is on his own, much faster than we had wanted but figured/hoped if and when he gets hungry/thirsty hopefully we will find his way back home! Kept an eye out today as well, nothing! Than late this afternoon he showed up, sitting on his outside condo :wott......
However, all is not well:dono ! He is not responding very well, has a lump on his neck and a scratch on his ear! His breathing is labored and all he wants to do is lay around! His fur is messy, rough looking.... he is so sad looking it breaks my heart :Love_Icon I will try to give him some sugar water, add a little salt maybe too, electrolytes? Any advise, suggestions?!

[SammysMom]

Can you bring him back in to assess his condition?

[Peanuts mom]

Oh, he is in! I brought his cage back inside as soon as I saw that he was hurt and in need of, if nothing else, some TLC!
I have offered him sugar water and he went for that with much enthusiasm, held onto the syringe after the first two, didn't want to let go, ended up drinking out of the dish! After that he very gently curled himself into a ball on his hammock and he is out! I hope all he needs is hydration and some care of his cut/bites!

[SammysMom]

Poor guy! He has his family back to take care of him. That way you can see how he is in the morning. Prayers to all of you! :grouphug
P.S. FV couldn't hurt...lol

[Nancy in New York]

How is his breathing, is it still labored? Is the lump soft, or is it like something is broken? Not sure why the lump. Do you see any blood around? Are his eyes clear? How was his movement? When you say scratch, I am just hoping not a cat. Do you have antibiotics?

[Rhapsody]

:grouphug :Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon :grouphug
some times its a rough start out there in the land of the free and the brave.

[SammysMom]

But at least he has a mom to take care of him when he needs to lick his wounds and get a good nights sleep. :grouphug

[Peanuts mom]

His breathing is better, seems to be anyway! He is moving a little less... stiff for lack of a better way to explain! He is still out, way out! Doesn't even stir when I open his cage, he always does!
His cut is small, just on his ear, yes there was a little bit of blood but I cleaned it off. As for lump, hard to tell, he doesn't really want me to touch it, every time I rub on it he rolls himself up so...I don't think its bone, I was wondering if it could be a wasp bite?! Do they get them? His fur looks rough, messed up, not smooth like it normally is, not sure if he got into a fight with another Squirrel or cat or.... who knows:dono
I hope he is better in the morning, heading to bed now myself, Hubby will check on him when he gets home at 2.00am.... all I can do is give plenty of TLC and oh yes, I do have some meds on hand if need be!
I'm just thrilled that he found his way home to his family, only one he knows! He knew Mom would fix him up!!! I was so worried when he took off, knowing its best for him but still..... I've had him since he was hairless for goodness shake!! We are bonded, for better or worse! Maybe next outing he wont go so far....:shakehead

[Nancy in New York]

How's your little one this morning? I'm a little concerned. Hope all is well, and that I'm just a worry wart.:dono :Love_Icon
I'm wondering too if his fur looks messed up because he's in pain? I had one once that got in a terrible fight, looked similar with the messed up fur....but after pain meds etc. he looked a lot better. Also concerned still with his breathing, and stiffness. I have to run, but there are many great people that will keep an eye on little peanut...:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

[Nancy in New York]

One more thing before I leave....keep him in for a few days. Scruffy fur can also mean dehydration, so keep the water going. Good Luck :Love_Icon

[Peanuts mom]

Good Morning,
Well, he still is stiff, came out of hammock only to go lay down in his tunnel! Moves very slowly, poor baby! Eyes look better, not as cloudy as yesterday, took a rodent block and more water! Yes, he is staying in for a few days, he wouldn't go right now even I wanted him too..... of course I don't! Have to run now, will let him rest, put fresh water, food, fruit.... will check on him in a bit and get back to you..... Thanks you guys....:jump

[CritterMom]

You need to get a good look at this lump. If it is an abcess you will need to have it drained and he will need some antibiotics. They can get them from any kind of bite.

Do you have access to any antibiotics - have a vet or anything like that?

[Busysqrl]

Wow, poor little Peanut's first full day out was not too good of a start. I hope he just got in to a scuffle with another squirrel and will be well with some TLC. That's wonderful he's eating and drinking. Praying for little peanut. Please keep us posted :grouphug

[Peanuts mom]

Hi all,
Well he finally moved around a little, very little :wahoo ! He seems sore still, the cut/bite on his ear is not much, there is a very small cut/scratch over his eye but its very small as well. He still doesn't want to be handled much, this from Mr. Cuddles himself, so I know he is hurting somewhere!!!
Anyway, I figure its because he is too sore or dehydrated, i've been there and lord knows all I wanted was to be left alone:osnap!! I do want to get a good look at his neck, shoulder area, just to be sure. It is not as swollen as before so that's good news and yes, I can get some meds if I need them, there is a wild life rehab doc about 1 1/2hrs from me, although last time I took Peanut and then Gizmo as well to see him, he flat out told me I knew more about them than he did and that he was impressed!!! Gee thanks, didn't stop him from charging me $172.97!!!! He is more of a big wild life kinda guy but.... I can call on him for meds so that's worth it!
Will keep you all posted.... thanks for all your thoughts and concern.... hugs :wave123

[Wonkawillie]

Your in texas? Could the lump be a bot fly??? You have warm weather there I am sure. Our bot flies would not be out yet up north

[Scooterzmom]

If you say the cut is near the eye and ear and the bump near the neck it sounds suspiciously like he was bitten/grabbed - most probably - by the head... and that would mean an abscess. I would take no chance, especially since he seems so stiff/lethargic. I would have him seen by the vet and put immediately on ABs. No question about it he needs hydration.

One more thing that makes me suspect an abscess is the fact that he's dehydrated and so thirsty (out in the wild he'd have no rason not to have been drinking)... it certainly sounds a lot like he may be running a fever - which would be consistent with an abscess. If the abscess is near the eye, ear.. it is near the brain and can spread to the brain fast.

Like I said, I would take no chance. I don't want to alarm you but... Having had experience with a cat who used to get into fights all the time and ended up with one abscess after another my vet explained a lot about them and it's a very serious matter. It goes like this:

A bite can close fast, especially a cat bite or cat's claw puncture wound - or any small puncture wound, a wound you might not even be able to see amidst the fur (especially a claw puncture wound, it could look like hardly more than a pin prick)... and when the small puncture wound closes the infection is trapped under the skin where it festers and develops into an abscess. The saliva of an animal (particularly cats) and their claws are very toxic and the infection is particularly virulent/rapid... hence the need to have the abscess/wound not just cleaned but drained and for the little creature to be put on antibiotics ASAP. It has to be done ASAP because the infection may spread under the skin, into the blood stream and go beyond the bump where you won't see it. The bump ois only the part where the puss accumulates. The infection goes beyond that, that's why you need the ABs.

Please, don't delay. Get this little guy some help fast... your vet should be able to handle that... big animal or small I'm sure he has dealt with abscesses before. I'm sure that even if he doesn't see an abscess he may wanat to put the lil guy on prophylactic antibiotics(something that is done when antibiotics are administered as a preventive measure)

[Peanuts mom]

Hi all,
Well, he seems much better, back to his feisty, playful self! He is eating, snacking, attacking :D as always! I think we got lucky this time :wahoo
The only issue we have now is that he doesn't want to go back outside! He will stay on his cage, try to come in first chance he sees and at night.... boy oh boy did he go nuts in his outside cage:sanp3 ! I took him inside after watching him for about two hours of and on so.... brought his HUGE, hard to move cage back inside and he was out like a light! Next night, same thing but I refuse to drag that cage in/out, too big and heavy! Anyway, took him in again, he ran onto the curtains made a little pocket for himself and was out right away so.... I let him sleep there a while than took him back outside, placed him in his hammock and this time he stayed! This morning, had to bring him in again, so agitated!
Guess it will take a while for him to feel safe again! I hope he stay's close to home anyway, makes me feel better too... :Love_Icon

[Nancy in New York]

Hi all,
Well, he seems much better, back to his feisty, playful self! He is eating, snacking, attacking :D as always! I think we got lucky this time :wahoo
The only issue we have now is that he doesn't want to go back outside! He will stay on his cage, try to come in first chance he sees and at night.... boy oh boy did he go nuts in his outside cage:sanp3 ! I took him inside after watching him for about two hours of and on so.... brought his HUGE, hard to move cage back inside and he was out like a light! Next night, same thing but I refuse to drag that cage in/out, too big and heavy! Anyway, took him in again, he ran onto the curtains made a little pocket for himself and was out right away so.... I let him sleep there a while than took him back outside, placed him in his hammock and this time he stayed! This morning, had to bring him in again, so agitated!
Guess it will take a while for him to feel safe again! I hope he stay's close to home anyway, makes me feel better too... :Love_Icon

Peanut was a loner right? I know that he is old enough to go on his own, but there is something that is just terrifying him out there. Not sure....does he have an outside cage? I don't think I would put him back out right now, but that's just me. If you keep him inside, perhaps he will get antsy and want to go back out on his own.
WOW, do I hate these decisions....I just like when they are chomping at the bit for freedom....:shakehead :shakehead :shakehead

[Peanuts mom]

Yes, he was a loner! He did have company but just for about three weeks and than Gizmo went back out into the wild!
As for his cage, yes he has one for outside and he has one for inside! The inside one is an old hall closet we did not use and made into his home, took door out, put screen door in.... perfect! Once we thought of releasing him we added a HUGE cage to it by cutting a round hole in the wall with a PVC tube connecting the two! He loved the bigger one, the hammock, sleeping tubes and all that so he pretty much only went into his "closet" to eat and drink. So, the HUGE one is the one we took outside, right outside our living room door, we took it in&out several times but boy, just too big for it, too heavy too :sanp3
He did okay last night but again, had to get sleepy inside:thinking than out and he was fine! The outside cage is secure by the way, no way in or out unless I open the little cut out door we put in it! Today I went out front to plant and he soon showed up on the big oaks we have to watch me plant but once I was done, he was too! He's been inside again but I just put him back out, it is very hot today as well so I think small doses is best, if only he'd stay in the back yard, I'd feel better but no..... right to the front :soapbox
I hope he comes around the back again soon, I hate when he is the front, cars, not many but still I worry and of course he doesn't listen:nono
Oh also he seems to drink only inside, I mean the minute he comes in.... straight for his bottle! He has two dishes outside but never seems to touch them, why :thinking ?
His bites are all healing nicely, ears, well they will never be the same, poor baby!
Anyway, let me go sit outside with him.... talk soon...