Help-My released squirrel came back with broken front leg

[sabelson]

So I raised this baby last summer and she lives in my yard. She is a year old. Comes to sit on my lap every day for treats. Very cute. She has been missing for a couple days and just showed up on 3 legs. Front paw is curled up, leg is swollen and there is a big knob where her wrist would be. She doesn't seem to be in pain and can climb ok. I'm assuming this happened in the last couple days when she disappeared because she comes every day for food except the last 2. I can't get a good look at it. She would never let me grab her to examine her. I'm concerned it will get infected and kill her. Any thoughts? Am I better off letting her be and see how she does? I can take her to the wildlife clinic but she'd go crazy being in a cage and once I hand her over to them, she is theirs. I could try to give her antibiotics on a nut if that would help prevent an infection. Anyone have any experience if a 3 legged squirrel can survive in the wild? Any advice you can give would be appreciated. I'm just worried sick. She's my first rehab. squirrel and I'm crazy about her.

[Jackie in Tampa]

unless you see a wound, no ABs should be needed.
could it be a BB?
If she cannot be contained...make her life easy..she came home and wants your support...:)
the easier the food water and shelter are the safer she will be and the faster she will heal!
Adding a pinch of calcium will help heal any broken bones a wee bit faster.
It wouldn't surprise me if she went into a cage at night for a few days, is the release cage still outside?
I feed many sqs and from time to time, we do see injuries in the wilds and releases...

:grouphug hope she will stick around close and get good mommy love.

[jbtartell]

my peanut came up with a broken wrist one time and I did not know about what I doo now and the vet recomended putting him down.. I broken heartdly did and now I regret it till this day.. listen to Jackie.. my poor peanut. :Love_Icon he was a pick of mine..:shakehead

[island rehabber]

Jackie's right -- most likely no ABX needed and it will heal on its own. Just support her with good yummies and a safe place to hang out.

[sabelson]

Thank you so much for your replies. I feel better and hopefully she'll be ok. I will give her more food so she doesn't need to be running around on her bad leg. She was eating Henry's wild bites but wouldn't eat them today when she was here - she just wanted nuts. Maybe tomorrow she'll eat them. I can open the release cage for her but once I opened it for her last year when I released her, she never went back in. She loves freedom. We will see now that she is injured. I followed her today when she left so now know where her nest is. It is in the neighbors yard near our driveway so she doesn't have to go far. They don't have pets which is good! Thanks again for your replies. I'll probably have more questions as the days go on. :thankyou :thankyou

[jbtartell]

It is nice when they stay home, Peanut stayed in the tree in my back yard,, loved it..:Welcome :thumbsup :)

[Margie]

Is she using the leg/hand to hold her food with? If she is using it, it probably isn't broken. It could be a bad sprain, or could be an abscess from a small puncture wound that you can't see. Try to trap or restrain her so you can keep an eye on her and treat her with meds if needed.

[sabelson]

She does push food against that paw but isn't actually holding anything in the paw. She does not use the claws at all - they are all curled under. She doesn't put any pressure on it or use it when climbing. It looks like there is a big abscess or something on the inside of the paw but she won't let me look at it. Hopefully she'll come back tomorrow and I will try to get a better look at it and maybe try to confine her. Thanks for all the advice. It is so helpful!

[Jackie in Tampa]

Have treats and the camera...
believe it or not, the release cage is symbolic to our releases,
they know it is a secure place... just sayin...
I agree, you are probably spot on, broke or sprained
Curled paw, swollen arm...

Keep a watchful eye!

[Wonkawillie]

This is an odd place for a bot fly, but could it be one? It would make that skin tight enough for the hand to feel numb and for her to not use it. Can you get a picture of it when she sits with you?

[sabelson]

I will get the release cage ready for her...just in case she wants to go in for security. I'll try to get a photo today too. Just went out there with her breakfast and no sign of her yet. Thanks again for all the suggestions. I've never dealt with bot flies so I'm not sure what I'm looking for. I can look it up in one of my squirrel/rehab books though. Thanks :thankyou

[Jackie in Tampa]

This is an odd place for a bot fly, but could it be one? It would make that skin tight enough for the hand to feel numb and for her to not use it. Can you get a picture of it when she sits with you?
very possble..
we had Madge, the "you're soaking in it " sq...
she had several warbles on one front arm that skin was so fever and tight, her hand turned black,
we treated her pecans with ABs for a few weeks...
she had alot alot.
there was one area that always was hair bare, but it was amazing that she had no real post issues with her hand/arm...

this is a real p[ossibilty, good thinking WW.

here is the TSB forum on Bot Flies
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=160

Hope she comes home for a photo shoot and lunch:Love_Icon

when you said lump/wrist..I had a flashback of removing a BB from SugarBears wrist....long time ago.

[sabelson]

Ok, just read up on bot flies. They are so disgusting, especially all the lovely photos provided. At least I know what I'm looking for. Thanks for the link. Unfortunately she would never sit still for me to get the larva out but it sounds like they can make it just fine once the larva leaves. I'll try to get a better look today to see if that could be the cause of her limp paw. I'm not so excited about her sitting on my lap or shoulder now!

[Jackie in Tampa]

alot of people remove them..

unless life threating, I don't.
If the larva breaks or tears while removing, it puts a toxin in the sqs bloodstream that requires AB...
then it gets really nasty!!!

yeah, the bot fly deal is pretty gross, but it's natural..
just the way it is being wildlife...

keep us in the loop, sending good vibes to your girl..

[sabelson]

:thankyou Thanks Jackie. You are so helpful!

[sabelson]

Well, she never showed up today and I was home most the day looking out for her. I put food out in the release cage and in the squirrel feeders and even on the front step but....nothing (except some happy fat chipmunks). Maybe tomorrow. There was a lot of yard work going on at the neighbor's house so maybe she stayed away from of all the commotion today - I'll try to convince myself of that.

[sabelson]

She finally showed up tonight at dinner time! Yahoo! She is now putting a little pressure on the leg and is sort of holding food in that paw so she is doing better. I tried to get photos of the paw but she just doesn't sit still long enough and the photos I took didn't show the wound area. I think the bot idea is a possibility - there is a big lump on her wrist. I'm just so relieved she is ok.

[Garden71]

Any news with your little one?

[sabelson]

She has been coming back every day now for food. She can bear weight on the leg too. It seems to be healing although one day she came back with it curled up again. Clearly something happened to it but she seems to be adjusting to partial use of it. I'm thinking she did break it because even when she is weighting bearing, it bows out in a different position than the other one. There is still a swollen lump at the wrist area too. She does use the paw to hold her food. She seems to climb trees just fine with 3 legs and is doing ok. I just worry about infection. We will see. Thanks again for all the wonderful advice.

On a different note, had my DNR inspection yesterday and passed. I've jumped through all the hoops. Now just waiting for the official MN DNR Rehabilitator's License in the mail and I'll be licensed and ready for service. Yeah!

[Garden71]

On a different note, had my DNR inspection yesterday and passed. I've jumped through all the hoops. Now just waiting for the official MN DNR Rehabilitator's License in the mail and I'll be licensed and ready for service. Yeah![/quote]


:jump Congratulations!!!!!!!!:jump
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[sabelson]

Thank you!:thankyou