HELP - possible mange or deficiency?

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Hello, I have had a pet squirrel for about 6-7 years now (found when he was only 2 weeks old). I'm so glad to have found this site because when I've sought out help with him before I usually just get lectured, so I'm quite relieved to find people willing to help "pet squirrel owners". I realize now that the best thing for him probably would have been to find a rehabber and allow him to live a normal wild life, but I was younger and frankly, very ignorant about squirrels as pets. Now, at this point, I'm certain that trying to rehab him and release him into the wild would be death sentence. I can go into his history later if anyone is interested. What I need help with is his hair loss. This is not his normal molting hair loss. He normal "sheds" twice a year. It usually grows back quickly. This hair loss started on the top of his head and has spread down the front of his neck and chest and is patchy from his chest down. I originally thought of Metabolic Bone Disease. I always tried to be very careful with his diet and vitamins, etc. He has had the best UVA UVB reptile light that I could find for 3-4 months now and I've changed his diet. I've included rodent block, vitamin drops for rodents in his water, and I've added a lot more variety, making sure to include lots of veggies that have both calcium and vit D and phosphorus. His hair loss is slowly getting worse. Very slowly. He never exhibited any other signs of MBD, though, no lethargy or weakness, no pain in his limbs, etc. Then I started thinking it could be mites. He's never been outside, but he is by a window that I open for him regularly. I also used to work at the local animal shelter and very possibly tracked it home to him (I was always very careful to change and shower before handling him, and my other animals but it's still a possibility). I have a vet that is willing to help me with getting any drugs or treatments I may need even though I'm not a licensed rehabber. I am a Vet Assistant and used to work for her. She has given me Revolution for puppies/kittens, and she has also suggested Calcium Carbonate Syrup which I am to pick up today. She said she used that on a relatives sugar glider who had hair loss. She just doesn't know what dosage of that to recommend for a squirrel since her specialty is not squirrels. My squirrel is a Grey Tree Squirrel. He has been in my care, again, since he was 2 weeks old. He never before had problems with MBD, but I got him a light and changed his diet anyway just in case. SO here are my questions: If he has MBD what should the dosage be for calcium carbonate syrup? I know there are instructions on this site but I don't think they answered my questions about dosages directly. If he has mites is Revolution or Ivermectin better? If I used Revolution how many drops of the puppy/kitten formula? How much Ivermectin should I use and can I use the Ivermectin found in feed stores or might that be a different solution/strength? Also, if it's mites what do I need to do with his dwelling and the things in it? Do I need to get him a new cage, new branches, swings, food dishes, toys, etc? Can I just wash them and would I use bleach or dish soap, do I soak them, etc. How often would I apply the Revolution and when should I start seeing hair growth in either of those situaitons? If anyone needs any more information about him or has question, ideas, suggestions please feel free. I hope I've included enough info ,for anyone willing to help me,to get a good idea of the situation. He's had hair loss for some time now (6 months?), does not seem to be itchy, and he's otherwise acting normal. I see my vet friend today to pick up the calcium and I would really like to get started on treating him right away. Can I also treat for both without harming him? That is, of course, my number one concern. I want him to be healthy and happy so I don't want to do anything that might hurt him, or kill him, of course. He's very dear to me. I will try to post some pictures of him and his hair loss on here, I just have to figure out how to get them from my cell phone to this forum. Thank you, in advance for your help, and again, I am so glad to have found this site, where the criticisms and judgements are put aside for the good of the squirrels we love and take care of as best we can.

[Milo's Mom]

I cannot help you with your questions, but there are certainly members that are able to do so. You've come to the right place!! We LOVE OUR FUZZERS!!

What I can offer is assistance with the pic posting. Can you e-mail the pics from your phone to yourself so that the pics then reside on your computer? If you can do this, you should then be able to get them posted on TSB. However, newer members may not be able to post pics right away. I am not sure what constitutes a newer member not having the ability to a newer member having the ability. If you are not able to post pics here, you could post them to an internet site like Photobucket and then post a link here to the album on the internet site.

Try one of these options and if neither work leave us know and we can try a different avenue. The pics would most likely be very helpful to the rehabbers in assessing your situation and making recommendations.

[pappy1264]

A pic would help. Do you see any red patches on the skin? I overwintered four greys and for several months, three of the four had hardly any fur on their tails, it lasted for months. But they went outside (they had a light inside, too) and being in the sun, they all grew their tails back extremely quickly! Not saying it could be the same thing, but is there any way you could take his cage outside (supervised, of course) for some natural sunlight every day (I like morning sun the best, before it gets too hot).

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

I will try to email the pics and post them that way - good idea! As far red spots go..... The top of his head has become discolored. It is sort of red, maybe brick red in color, but not scaly or flaky. It does not seem to bother him at all. The rest of his baldness is very pale, as the skin normally is. And to answer your question about taking him outside, I wish I could. It is something I continually think about, to try to come up with a habitat outside for him for the light and fresh air and interesting things for him to see and do, but I have yet to come up with a solution that also accomodates the need to be subtle because I live in a state that doesn't allow squirrels as "pets". I am deathly afraid someone will report him and take him away and I wonder what would happen to him. He's not releasable at this point and he's only friendly with me. No one else can handle him without getting torn and bitten to shreds, so I'm afraid he would be euthanized. I did speak to one rehabber in this area (the only one I could find) and after a lengthy lecture that left me feeling horrible about myself for having him as a pet (I call him my friend) she told me no one would be able to take him anyway because he's not native to this state (He has moved with me twice). She also told me that he would more than likely be put down and told me that she was going to try to forget the conversation we just had and not report me. I may be a little paranoid in letting people know I have a friend-pet squirrel but I have had nothing but lectures, and sometimes threats until I came across this site. I just don't want to draw so much attention to him that he gets taken away and is traumatized or worse, put down. I am open to ideas, though, for habitats both inside and outside. Sorry my posts and replies are so lengthy - I just haven't had anyone to talk to about squirrels before.

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

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[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Not sure how these pics look to everyone else but they seem quite large and blurry to me. I don't know how to fix that but I hope it can give an idea of what these bald patches look like. As you can see the spot on the top of his head is discolored but the rest of his patches are not.

[UDoWhat]

Hello, I have had a pet squirrel for about 6-7 years now (found when he was only 2 weeks old). I'm so glad to have found this site because when I've sought out help with him before I usually just get lectured, so I'm quite relieved to find people willing to help "pet squirrel owners". I realize now that the best thing for him probably would have been to find a rehabber and allow him to live a normal wild life, but I was younger and frankly, very ignorant about squirrels as pets. Now, at this point, I'm certain that trying to rehab him and release him into the wild would be death sentence. I can go into his history later if anyone is interested. What I need help with is his hair loss. This is not his normal molting hair loss. He normal "sheds" twice a year. It usually grows back quickly. This hair loss started on the top of his head and has spread down the front of his neck and chest and is patchy from his chest down. I originally thought of Metabolic Bone Disease. I always tried to be very careful with his diet and vitamins, etc. He has had the best UVA UVB reptile light that I could find for 3-4 months now and I've changed his diet. I've included rodent block, vitamin drops for rodents in his water, and I've added a lot more variety, making sure to include lots of veggies that have both calcium and vit D and phosphorus. His hair loss is slowly getting worse. Very slowly. He never exhibited any other signs of MBD, though, no lethargy or weakness, no pain in his limbs, etc. Then I started thinking it could be mites. He's never been outside, but he is by a window that I open for him regularly. I also used to work at the local animal shelter and very possibly tracked it home to him (I was always very careful to change and shower before handling him, and my other animals but it's still a possibility). I have a vet that is willing to help me with getting any drugs or treatments I may need even though I'm not a licensed rehabber. I am a Vet Assistant and used to work for her. She has given me Revolution for puppies/kittens, and she has also suggested Calcium Carbonate Syrup which I am to pick up today. She said she used that on a relatives sugar glider who had hair loss. She just doesn't know what dosage of that to recommend for a squirrel since her specialty is not squirrels. My squirrel is a Grey Tree Squirrel. He has been in my care, again, since he was 2 weeks old. He never before had problems with MBD, but I got him a light and changed his diet anyway just in case. SO here are my questions: If he has MBD what should the dosage be for calcium carbonate syrup? I know there are instructions on this site but I don't think they answered my questions about dosages directly. If he has mites is Revolution or Ivermectin better? If I used Revolution how many drops of the puppy/kitten formula? How much Ivermectin should I use and can I use the Ivermectin found in feed stores or might that be a different solution/strength? Also, if it's mites what do I need to do with his dwelling and the things in it? Do I need to get him a new cage, new branches, swings, food dishes, toys, etc? Can I just wash them and would I use bleach or dish soap, do I soak them, etc. How often would I apply the Revolution and when should I start seeing hair growth in either of those situaitons? If anyone needs any more information about him or has question, ideas, suggestions please feel free. I hope I've included enough info ,for anyone willing to help me,to get a good idea of the situation. He's had hair loss for some time now (6 months?), does not seem to be itchy, and he's otherwise acting normal. I see my vet friend today to pick up the calcium and I would really like to get started on treating him right away. Can I also treat for both without harming him? That is, of course, my number one concern. I want him to be healthy and happy so I don't want to do anything that might hurt him, or kill him, of course. He's very dear to me. I will try to post some pictures of him and his hair loss on here, I just have to figure out how to get them from my cell phone to this forum. Thank you, in advance for your help, and again, I am so glad to have found this site, where the criticisms and judgements are put aside for the good of the squirrels we love and take care of as best we can.
Hi I am a rehabber and run in to this "pet squirrel" thing all the time. I am sorry you have encountered this attitude. He is your pet and you love him so.......... now let's take care of him. I have been given the "green light" from my Vet to use Frontline Plus. It is over the counter at stores like Wal-Mart, PetCo, Petsmart, etc. It has just come off the patent license and is available in Wal-Mart. The generic is called PetArmor Plus. I would use the cat/kitten /or puppies labeled one. Use only 2 small drops on the back of your squirrel between his shoulder blades, so he can not lick it. I use Frontline Plus because I have it but will use Pet Armor when I need more. I have recommended it to others and they have loved the results and have had the hair grow back on their pet squirrels fast and with out any problems. It is the one for killing fleas, flea eggs, ticks and chewing lice, aka mange mites It is ok to use off label for squirrels, chippies, etc. Now the syrup thing... I have used it too but... it is very low in elemental calc. and not a good choice. BTW , I was told to add 1cc per 8 oz. of drinking water everyday. Change the water daily. If nothing else, today get berry flavored Tums and crush it in water or apple juice and give your sq a little of this mix 5 times per day. I would use 600mg Tums. A better choice would be to get plain calcium carbonate or calcium citrate, crush 1 500-600 mg calc pill and mix with 3-5 cc's juice like apple juice or watered down apple sauce and spread the entire dose over the day. You want to keep the calc . blood levels steady and not spike and fall. Then please follow the MBD emergency treatment and follow up treatments in the nutrition section. I will find and post later. Please let us know how we can help you with your squirrel. I hope our nutrition person will advise here. She is named 4skwerlz. She is wonderful with sq. nutrition. Again, I am sorry you have encountered rehabbers unwilling to help with a pet squirrel. It is about the squirrel, people.:shakehead I will help as I can. Please keep us up dated.

Marty

[Milo's Mom]

I reduced the pics for you and reposted them...

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[Ronda]

Hi and welcome! Your little friend has nice bright eyes...always a good sign. The punk hairdo...not so much :P

There is lots of good help to be had here....and nothing but supportive loving ppl..there is even a section for pet squirrel owners! I have an in house Grey that so far has zero interest in being outside. She will stay where she is happy as long as she likes-be that in or out. I too am in an illegal state so I definitely understand your fears of being "found out"

Good luck with your guy. What is his name?

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Thank you all so much for the information and support and words of welcome. I can't tell you how much this resource means to me and my friend. His name is Vincent, by the way. I also call him "Nummles" or "Menners". I have somehow developed a special language with my squirrel and he responds to all his names. Anyway, thank you all so much again for your support and help, even down to resizing my pictures for me! I have just come from my vet friend's clinic. She gave me a bottle of Calcium Gluconate (I think I may have typo-ed earlier that it was carbonate) 1cc per day (this is not the emergency dosing). She also gave me Revolution for the possible mites. She said to put one drop between shoulder blades and two weeks later another drop if there is no adverse reaction to the first administration. I explained to her that I am incredibly reluctant to think it is MBD because the only presentation has been hair loss. No lethargy, no lameness, no seizures, no pain, etc, and I would think he would be dead by now if it were MBD. When I noticed that the hairloss was not the regular molting I immediately thought MBD and took the steps to correct it with calcium, though even then I doubted. Would MBD pop up so suddenly after so many years of never having a problem? I have kept his diet healthy, natural and varied and I don't understand how it wouldn't have been a problem before. I have done a lot of research and talked to a lot of "experts" over the years to make sure that I am taking care of him correctly, especially with his diet. I used to rescue and rehab iguanas (unofficially), most of which had MBD, so I understand the complexity and dangerousness of MBD. My vet suggested to give calcium anyway, just in case. But now it seems I am in a quandry with whether to use Revolution or Frontline plus, and I didn't hear from anyone about Ivermectin. Should I use the Revolution and see if that clears up the problem, use the emergency calcium plan, do both, use the frontline, and syrup my vet gave me, etc. It seems there are too many options and no way to narrow it down. I would love to be able to do a skin scraping... But he is bright and alert as the last post mentioned and he acts completely normal. Mischevious and full of the business as usual. I just don't want to overload him with too many remedies. And if his diet is not the problem I am reluctant to change it too much and I do worry about calcium toxicity. I know I sound very indecisive (and I am), and I think I'm starting to talk in panicky circles:crazy but I just want to do the right thing for Vincent and I want to know which remedy worked (when this is all over with) so I know exactly what happened and how to either correct it in the future or prevent it altogether. Again, thank you all so much!! :thankyou

[4skwerlz]

Save your money and don't buy the Calcionate Syrup. There isn't enough actual calcium in it to do any good. Plain calcium carbonate pills or powder, the human kind, without Vitamin D, are all you need.

Marty gave you excellent advice.

[UDoWhat]

Hi SSSM, I would use the Revolution that your Vet. has recommended, as directed. Revolution is a tried and true standby. I only suggested the FL Plus because it can be purchased over the counter. Can the Vet do a skin scraping to determine if there is a presence of sarcoptic mange mites? A Vet could easily do a rule out or confirmation, as the case may be, on this condition. The Rev. would take care of this at any rate. I would follow the Vets instructions. I do believe this is most likely not MBD but the calc that was suggested by 4skwerlz is the very best option. I would do the calc just to be certain. It can not hurt. Maybe just for a week or so. As I have said in my PM to you there are other excesses and deficiencies that can cause alopecia in squirrels. One cause is a zinc induced copper deficiency. Often seem in squirrels kept in galvanized cages that lick the cage often and ingest the zinc from the galvanized cage. The zinc then causes a copper deficiency and can cause hair loss(alopecia). Also if an animal is ingesting a med with zinc in it. This can cause hair loss and even death. Some meds like diaper rash meds have zinc in them. Diet related issues can cause hair loss also. If the Vets suggestions don't take care of this then you might want to consider a different diet staple. Here is a link to a site that could help with the diet change if you find it necessary to change Vincent's diet. Just a suggestion if needed. http://www.henryspets.com/
On the Ivermectin, if you can use the Revolution it is a safer way to go. A micro drop of Ivermectin can be too much. Yes, I have used it but I would rather use Rev. or Frontline Plus anytime rather than Ivermectin. It can be scary if overdosed.

Marty

[4skwerlz]

Never seen fur loss like that. Very, very strange looking. :dono

[UDoWhat]

Never seen fur loss like that. Very, very strange looking. :dono
My thoughts exactly. This is not a normal hair loss pattern seem in the normal culprits such as mites/ mange. I am wondering if it is diet related in the form of a deficiency or excess of some kind, other than calcium related?? Don't know. Really does look different from what we usually see. :dono Could it be excessive rubbing??:thinking

Marty

[4skwerlz]

My thoughts exactly. This is not a normal hair loss pattern seem in the normal culprits such as mites/ mange. I am wondering if it is diet related in the form of a deficiency or excess of some kind, other than calcium related?? Don't know. Really does look different from what we usually see. :dono Could it be excessive rubbing??:thinking

Marty

If I didn't know better, I'd swear it was Photoshopped. :dono

Marty, you're right that certain nutrient imbalances, particularly of minerals, can cause strange, symmetrical patterns of hair loss or discoloration. But not like this; and I've never seen it in a squirrel (yet).:thinking

Need a diet history for sure.

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Interesting ..... I was completely unaware that zinc could cause problems such as hair loss. What other excesses or deficiencies could cause patterned hairloss (although the hairloss on his abdomen and lower seems more patchy)? I know next to nothing about different types of wiring/metal but he was living in a different cage before the hairloss started. I made it for him so he could have more room to run and climb (I've never been able to find a cage I liked that didn't cost an arm and a leg - especially in pet stores). IT was made out of wood and chicken wire. I had to tear it down after about a month or so because somehow I got a fly infestation in one of the joints of his cage (This cage was massive). So he had to go back to his other cage which is actually a finch cage (one of the tall ones). He's been in that same cage off and on for most of his life. (Of course he gets to get out and run around the house). But he does chew on the bars.... so I'm starting to wonder... or was it the cage I built him..... or something else. I will try to take some better pictures and post them to everyone can take another look (although I don't know how to resize them). And as far as doing a skin scraping, as I mentioned I would love to do one, but no one but me is able to handle him and I know he could and probably would do some serious damage to me if I tried. He's very sweet to me but he is still a wild animal and I try to always respect that aspect of him. I just thought I something else. He sleeps in a metal bucket. It sounds weird but it's a very large bucket that hangs from the top of the cage and is stuffed full of old pillow cases and things like that for his bedding. I've tried all the ferret beds, hammocks, nests, etc and within 1 day they are all shredded and on the floor, completely useless. So I finally decided to get him something that he cannot destroy - a metal bucket. He has had this bucket for years, though, so if it's the bucket or cage or such how long would it take for this zinc excess or something similar to affect him? And how long to reverse it? And is there the possibility of any permanent damage? Oh, and I don't think there is a rubbing problem. I remember something similar with some of the iguanas I rescued so I did watch for that on him. He doesn't rub, scratch, lick, groom excessively. He doesn't even pace the floor of the cage or anything like that. This seems to be turning into an interesting case...... thank you all for your help and support.

[4skwerlz]

Thanks for the PM with the diet history. I do think one possible issue is the Petco "Rat, Mouse, Hamster, Guinea Pig" food (who knows which of these very different nutrient profiles they used; or maybe they added up all the requirements and split the difference....:dono )

In any case, between the multi-animal chow, the mineral block, and the vitamins in the water, almost any kind of nutrient imbalance is possible. Hopefully once you get your squirrel on the Healthy Diet, the strange fur issue will resolve.

You can also have a simple parasite check done using a piece of scotch tape. Just press it onto the fur, pull it off, put it in a ziplock bag, and take it into a vet for analysis. Parasite eggs, feces, and hopefully some of the critters themselves will stick to the tape.

Good luck.

[UDoWhat]

:wave123 Sent you a PM. Will post tonight as I find more info and I will have some questions too.

Marty

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Good idea about the scotch tape. Sounds vaguely familiar - must have been buried somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain. I will see if I can have a vet look at that.
I thought that if an animals diet was nutritional and varied enough that it would be able to maintain healthy balances of its own system, but when I realized Vincent's hairloss was not normal molting and was getting worse I started thinking MBD. That's when I started adding vitamins to his water, the rodent blocks, and mineral chew. I had hoped that would resolve it and I remember seeing on the packaging of vitamins for water that it specifically stated it would not harm a small mammal even if you overdosed it. (I thought that was a pretty ridiculous statement, as ANY animal could be harmed if given too much of ANYTHING) but whatever.... I certainly hope this will resolve soon and cause no permanent damage to him. It does make me wonder if it is even mites, at all, since everyone here seems to agree that it is bizarre in it's pattern. Could a deficiency or excess of something cause hairloss but no other symptoms???

[UDoWhat]

Good idea about the scotch tape. Sounds vaguely familiar - must have been buried somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain. I will see if I can have a vet look at that.
I thought that if an animals diet was nutritional and varied enough that it would be able to maintain healthy balances of its own system, but when I realized Vincent's hairloss was not normal molting and was getting worse I started thinking MBD. That's when I started adding vitamins to his water, the rodent blocks, and mineral chew. I had hoped that would resolve it and I remember seeing on the packaging of vitamins for water that it specifically stated it would not harm a small mammal even if you overdosed it. (I thought that was a pretty ridiculous statement, as ANY animal could be harmed if given too much of ANYTHING) but whatever.... I certainly hope this will resolve soon and cause no permanent damage to him. It does make me wonder if it is even mites, at all, since everyone here seems to agree that it is bizarre in it's pattern. Could a deficiency or excess of something cause hairloss but no other symptoms???
It could, but we need to get his diet straightened out . Or just adjusted some. I think the 80/20 plan is what you should try to do. 80% good block and 20% healthy veggies, fruit or treats. He is an older squirrel and organ health is important now to keep him at his very best. You are very observant of him and I think he will be fine. Now let's see if we can grow Vincent some hair. I will post more later. :Love_Icon and scritches to Vincent.

Marty

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Vincent and I thank you, Marty, and :Love_Icon you and yours back. (what are scritches??:dono)

Thank you to everyone else who has also posted encouragement, suggestions, and advice. I do so appreciate it.

[Jackie in Tampa]

I have seen bald patches due to nutritional deficinecies...they are NOT symetrical...
I agree, no suppliments to the daily drinking water....:shakehead
I would pitch the bucket myself:peace
wash cage with vinegar, rinse well and sun dry...
clean everything well and start fresh:)
You are getting good advise from some of the best!:alright.gif

:poke I love pics of sqs and insist on more!!!!:multi


:Welcome :wave123 welcome to TSB!!!

[UDoWhat]

Vincent and I thank you, Marty, and :Love_Icon you and yours back. (what are scritches??:dono)

Thank you to everyone else who has also posted encouragement, suggestions, and advice. I do so appreciate it.
Hehehe!! Scritches are a loving squirrel term for scratches or under a squirrel's neck or belly, ears, back, down his spine or toes... you will see that word or a variation on it in many posts. :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

Marty

[Jackie in Tampa]

came back and re read this...
i should have said...that I have seen...were not symetrical:thumbsup


and armage...when you give scritchens on the chin and chest and they raise their elbow up....armage:Love_Icon :D

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Oh yes! He LOOOOOOVES scritches and armage??. We've been doing that for years! lol I always called it his sweet spot (when I get under his chin/chest and he throws his arm back..), but now that I know the correct term for it I will call it that. :flash3
I am going to try to ditch the bucket tonight and replace it with a wooden box. I'm just trying to devise a way to hang it from the top for him. I'm also eliminating the vitamin water and the metal dishes. Frankly, I would like to just get him a new, bigger, better cage but I don't seem to have much luck in finding ones big enough for what I want, or that don't cost 3 months pay. I wouldn't be opposed to building one myself, as I did last year, but I think this time I would want some kind of blueprints to go by instead of just wingin' it. If anyone knows of a place to find squirrel cage blueprints or even to purchase the whole cage please let me know. I'm sure Vincent would appreciate it too. I will try to get some more photos, but again I'm not sure if I will be able to resize them so please forgive me in advance.

:thankyou

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Here are some pics for you, as requested.

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

Here are more pics. One is just his tail coming out of his bucket ( I thought it was kind of funny). As you can see he has beautiful, thick fur (where he still has it) and a big, bushy tail.

Again I apologize for the gi-normous pictures. I am not tech savvy enough to resize them. I didn't see any obvious way. There was one I wanted to include - a full body shot but it said it exceeded the size limit so, oh well. :( :dono

[SammysMom]

I keep thinking this looks somehow familiar. In reading another completely unrelated post I saw "ringworm" mentioned. These photos look just like a kitten that I rescued who had ringworm. Does anyone else think it might be ringworm? It was even pattern baldness and the skin was totally bald just like these pics!:dono

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

You think?? :thinking I kind of ruled that out..... it doesn't look like any ringworm I've ever seen before, but I suppose it's possible. Wouldn't I get ringworm also?? Or my other animals, especially cats? I have wondered.... not really about ringworm because I just didn't think it looked like it (although I guess it's possible that it looks different on squirrels than on other animals) but I did wonder about maybe some other fungus. I read a few articles about wild squirrels losing their hair....... no conclusions were ever made that I'm aware of except that it was harmless to the animal and not contagious somehow... :dono I guess I should get a blacklight.... see if he lights up. I have been PM-ing with some of the other senior members as well and it was suggested that it might be zinc or some metal overload. Apparently that can cause patterned hairloss. I just don't know. This one is tough for me to figure out without the normal vet rule-out options. So far I've applied Revolution to him, removed his metal dishes and replaced with ceramic. Completely covered his metal bucket with thick fleece blankets so his skin does not touch (temporary until I can get his wooden box/nest hung properly). I removed the vitamins from his water, and increased the rodent block. I have been giving him calcium but not at emergency MBD rate because he is not in crisis and I have come to understand that too much calcium can also cause hairloss. I also don't think he has MBD (but I, of course, cannot be 100% about that at this point). I've completely cleaned out his cage and things in it. I guess now it is a waiting game to see if any of that helps, or if anyone comes up with anything else (I will see what I can do about getting a light to see if it is ringworm).

[stosh2010]

I compressed some of your pictures--for easy viewing...

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

MUCH easier, thank you STOSH2010. I am lame and don't know how to do cool things like that, but I'm sure glad you took pity on me and made it look much better. :thankyou :D :thumbsup

[UDoWhat]

Oh yes! He LOOOOOOVES scritches and armage??. We've been doing that for years! lol I always called it his sweet spot (when I get under his chin/chest and he throws his arm back..), but now that I know the correct term for it I will call it that. :flash3
I am going to try to ditch the bucket tonight and replace it with a wooden box. I'm just trying to devise a way to hang it from the top for him. I'm also eliminating the vitamin water and the metal dishes. Frankly, I would like to just get him a new, bigger, better cage but I don't seem to have much luck in finding ones big enough for what I want, or that don't cost 3 months pay. I wouldn't be opposed to building one myself, as I did last year, but I think this time I would want some kind of blueprints to go by instead of just wingin' it. If anyone knows of a place to find squirrel cage blueprints or even to purchase the whole cage please let me know. I'm sure Vincent would appreciate it too. I will try to get some more photos, but again I'm not sure if I will be able to resize them so please forgive me in advance.

:thankyou
Awwwwwwwwwwww, He is so cute. What a darling face. Is he a Western Grey??? He seems so white and grey , more like a western grey with little on no beige or brown. Maybe just lighting. See you learn something new every day. Scritches, scritchens and armage words you will use often. You might try Craig's list for cages in your area for sale. Sometimes they are fairly reasonable. I was in the middle of a PM to you and got a call about a raccoon. My husband was helping me and before I could say nooooooooooooo..... the baby raccoon bit the heck out of him. So it is off to the hospital tomorrow morning for rabies shots for hubby. Oh my!!!

Marty

Edit: I read your post #29, You are doing everything right. We will wait and see if anything helps.

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

He is cute isn't he.... :Love_Icon I think he's just adorable. Always has been. (I'm a little biased, though) Good tempermant, too (except when other males of human origin are around or he gets just about any kind of nut - then look out!!). And yes, he is a Western Grey. I never knew there were so many different kinds of squirrels until I started browsing around this site. He is a California Kid, though we no longer live in California. He doesn't really have any brown on him, you're right about that Marty. Mostly just white, grey and black. And I keep learning on this site. I've just learned the meaning of 'pancake', which is also something Nummles does, randomly. I came to this site out of necessity and I'm learning so much and enjoying other peoples' posts (some are absolutely hilarious). This is a great place. :thumbsup So glad I found it.
I'm sorry to hear about your husband getting bit - no fun. :shakehead Send him well wishes.

[UDoWhat]

He is cute isn't he.... :Love_Icon I think he's just adorable. Always has been. (I'm a little biased, though) Good tempermant, too (except when other males of human origin are around or he gets just about any kind of nut - then look out!!). And yes, he is a Western Grey. I never knew there were so many different kinds of squirrels until I started browsing around this site. He is a California Kid, though we no longer live in California. He doesn't really have any brown on him, you're right about that Marty. Mostly just white, grey and black. And I keep learning on this site. I've just learned the meaning of 'pancake', which is also something Nummles does, randomly. I came to this site out of necessity and I'm learning so much and enjoying other peoples' posts (some are absolutely hilarious). This is a great place. :thumbsup So glad I found it.
I'm sorry to hear about your husband getting bit - no fun. :shakehead Send him well wishes.
I thought he looked really Western grey in his coloring. I am also glad that you found TSB. So many squirrel loving people here. A wealth of information too. I am hoping with the changes and meds you have given Vinny will begin to show signs of improvement soon. We will all wait for word of any signs of hair growth. :D
BTW, Hubby had the day 0 first round of post exposure shots. 8 shots in total. Oooouch. :shakehead

Marty

[SuprSecretSquirrelMission]

OUCH, indeed. Poor guy. :shakehead