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View Full Version : What Exactly is "neuro"?



riefderrico
09-30-2012, 11:12 AM
Greetings everyone!

Just recently posted about our little Missy Girl and her sounds. (BTW she has just started chirping this wkend when we play but she is real quiet). I have read many posts here about "neuro", but nothing about signs or symptoms.

A little background - We received this little girl one morn. at about 5 wks (eastern grey, skinny tail, but eyes open, very tiny teeth). I left her outside until night fall in a shirt but she was not claimed. So we brought her in fed and cared for her. The next day her foot had swollen so much it looked like a cartoon foot that had been run over by a steam roller. I carefully bathed her w/ a warm cloth, but there were no visible signs of injury - no open wounds. She slept most of the time and we kept her cage small until the swelling went down. When we asked the pet store and local vets questions we told to call the DNR. When we looked on their website we saw that she would be put down due to the injury - we opted to deal with this ourselves.

That was during the last week in August, fast forward 5 weeks and she is doing quite well - running, playing, eating solids, looks healthy, nice coat and bushy tail. My husband has really taken to her big time! But we both want what is best for her.

Since she came home we've been doing the "is she releasable dance". I have rehabbed small mammals in the past - a group of 3 baby squirrel sisters, a nest of baby mice, bunnys, a flying squirrel etc...But I was always certain they were releasable. This little girl I keep going back and forth on.... With her leg injury, we weren't certain if she was going to recover fully. Now we are looking at her balance. IMO she should be a lot more balanced and steady than she is. We can't figure out if she was that way to begin w/ (her falling out of the tree at such a young age) or if she is still recovering from her injury and still needs more "squirrel PT" - lol.

She doesn't show signs of seizures or twitches, she plays and climbs and has healthy appetite. She is starting to "fly" from cage to me (about 2 feet) but landings can be a tad rough some times. I question her balance sometimes though. She'll be on a branch in her cage and I'll hand her a piece of fruit. She'll start eating and in middle of feeding it seems like she's lost her balance - she drops food and has to grab the stick w/ her hands to keep from falling over. This morning she ventured over to my armoire and when she walked out onto the door edge she fell off.

Plus we have been feeling a little pressed for time with winter coming. But just read post that fall babies stay w/ mom through winter. All the rest of my rehabbing was in central FL - winter is about 2 weeks long there - weather temps never played into release down there - just storms.

I have a few questions:
Do fall babies stay w/ mom and we'll need to release her in spring?
I have read many posts referring to a squirrel as "neuro". What does that mean as far as symptoms go?
How long from a broken leg (it was broke just above knee) does it take them to fully recover?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

PS Pls excuse my typing and grammar. I had to have hand surgery last week and have been turned into a lefty for a while. :dono

Sweet Simon's Mommy
09-30-2012, 11:28 AM
where do you live ??
That would depend on release now or later, how ever 6 months is more the norm for release age... How old is your baby?? and releasing is not an easy task and even harder with just one, if she is releasable you should let someone with experience take her so they can put her with other squirrels her age this way she can learn how to be a squirrel....
Neuro mean neurological or head trauma, there are many symptoms depending on what part of the brain is affected, usually by a fall

CrazySquirrelLady
09-30-2012, 11:29 AM
I am guessing 2 months for the bone to fully heal up, and probably 2 more months for the leg to get back up to full potential.

I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to squirrels with broken legs, they need them to make it in the wild... :D

Neuro means that the squirrel is suffering from neurological symptoms. In other words, injuries sustained in the head after a fall. Some symptoms i've read about are head tilting and running in circles, but I am sure there are more symptoms, i'm no expert.

Having lived in central florida, it gets darn cold feeling at 36 degrees when the squirrels have summer time temps of 120 F daily....


So I would plan on keeping squirrel until spring and then you will have plenty of time to assess her potential for release. :D

riefderrico
09-30-2012, 11:40 AM
Here is our Missy at about 8 weeks:

riefderrico
09-30-2012, 11:54 AM
I am in North Ga. about 45 min. outside the perimeter. My husband and I have also tossed that around too (finding a rehabber) but he has really fallen for her and would prefer (if she would be OK) to release her here. (He's even found a pic of tree houses he wants to build for them in the backyard trees complete w/ bridges and rope ladders on Pinterest LOL) He has gone complete nuts over this little one :D .

We just finished building our home in July and our prop. backs up to Corp. of Engineers land -1000's of wooded acres around huge lake. No hunting near our house etc... We currently have a family of deer (one w/ 10 points!) that visit our backyard every morn. and evening. Lots of squirrels, racoons etc...

That is our next concern - if she is releasable - does she need a "friend" will she be ok at that age in the spring to be by herself, will the others take her in etc... (She has us worrying worse than w/ our kids - Ha ha :jump )

riefderrico
09-30-2012, 11:59 AM
This is our Missy about a wk after we got her, at about 8 wks and a pic of her exploring her new enclosure about two wks ago. She has many more sticks and three nests going now!

riefderrico
09-30-2012, 12:07 PM
Thank you both for the replies! The board is very helpful and I appreciate that it has been put into place. Yes FL can get cold but the winters here seem like they last FOREVER compared to "home".

We've made the investment to keep her as long as needed. And my daughter (who is in college studying to become a vet tech and still lives at home) has started the process to become licensed because of this little one. So when (hopefully) she can be released, the equipment will be put to good use (or donated if she changes paths).

She is having more issues w/ balance than w/ non-voluntary movements. We were watching her this morn and it looks like she is still favoring one leg over the other. So hopefully all she needs is a little time.