Racoon roundworm question??

[puddinpie]

I have a wild grey that comes here to eat. He sits in my neighbors yard( he wont come to close to me) and I throw nuts for him to eat. He is not right. He is wobbly when he sits and has balance issues. He also seems like he is blind in one eye. I have been seeing him for like two months now or more. He seems like he has gradually gotten worse. I saw a wild grey with this same issue about 2 years ago as well. I know someone mentioned Racoon roundworm, but wouldn't that kill a squirrel rather qiuckly?? I mean this squirrel has been like this for two to three months already. Any ideas what else he could have??? I mean like I said, I saw this once before in a squirrel. Is this maybe a squirrel disease they get??

[Scooterzmom]

I have a wild grey that comes here to eat. He sits in my neighbors yard( he wont come to close to me) and I throw nuts for him to eat. He is not right. He is wobbly when he sits and has balance issues. He also seems like he is blind in one eye. I have been seeing him for like two months now or more. He seems like he has gradually gotten worse. I saw a wild grey with this same issue about 2 years ago as well. I know someone mentioned Racoon roundworm, but wouldn't that kill a squirrel rather qiuckly?? I mean this squirrel has been like this for two to three months already. Any ideas what else he could have??? I mean like I said, I saw this once before in a squirrel. Is this maybe a squirrel disease they get??

If my information's correct, the degeneration caused by roundworm caan sometimes take longer. It depends on the severity of the infestation and what organs it will attack first. This little guy would need to be treated with Pancure before it gets any worse.

Check the following thread - we had that problem for one little guy a very short while ago: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38807&highlight=roundworm

[puddinpie]

I do not think he would even come that close to me to get treated. I mean he is very leary and scared of everything it seems. He wont even come in my yard, he stays a distance away from me and I throw the nuts to him over the fence.

I feel really bad for him. I think whatever he has it has really affected him a lot already. His one eye is not open all the way and he does not see out of it at all I dont think. Would this be racoon roundworm??










If my information's correct, the degeneration caused by roundworm caan sometimes take longer. It depends on the severity of the infestation and what organs it will attack first. This little guy would need to be treated with Pancure before it gets any worse.

Check the following thread - we had that problem for one little guy a very short while ago: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38807&highlight=roundworm

[jo_schmoe]

I do not think he would even come that close to me to get treated. I mean he is very leary and scared of everything it seems. He wont even come in my yard, he stays a distance away from me and I throw the nuts to him over the fence.

I feel really bad for him. I think whatever he has it has really affected him a lot already. His one eye is not open all the way and he does not see out of it at all I dont think. Would this be racoon roundworm??
You can try putting the medicine in some peanut butter and placing in a nutshell. It doesn't always work but its worth a shot! :thumbsup
Raccoon roundworm is nothing to mess with....Ive rehabbed raccoons....and knowing how dangerous these worms are even for humans....I would burn all the bedding. If you have children...and you see raccoon droppings in your yard...it would be a good idea to dispose of it....and the only way to be sure nothing is transfered ( wear gloves of course) is to burn the droppings. I can't stress how dangerous these roundworms are....their favorite place to make a home is the brain of mammals....including humans.

[CrazySquirrelLady]

:goodpost
You can try putting the medicine in some peanut butter and placing in a nutshell. It doesn't always work but its worth a shot! :thumbsup
Raccoon roundworm is nothing to mess with....Ive rehabbed raccoons....and knowing how dangerous these worms are even for humans....I would burn all the bedding. If you have children...and you see raccoon droppings in your yard...it would be a good idea to dispose of it....and the only way to be sure nothing is transfered ( wear gloves of course) is to burn the droppings. I can't stress how dangerous these roundworms are....their favorite place to make a home is the brain of mammals....including humans.

[island rehabber]

:goodpost:goodpost Do not mess with anything that may have had raccoon poop on it -- EVER. There is no cure for baylisascariasis (raccoon roundworm) and it is a horrible death. The only thing that kills the worm is fire (not even bleach!) -- an area that has been used as a latrine by raccoons should be blowtorched.

[puddinpie]

Wow, this is so awful. I wonder if he has this. I bet he does since he is acting like it is in his brain already. I mean he cannot see well and gets bewildered.

So when you say there is no cure for this, are you meaning that once a squirrel gets it, he/she is doomed???

Nature is so frickin cruel. Now is he contagious when he is around other squirrels, like do the worms come out in his poop and he can infect other squirrels or is it just that it is in the racoon poop only?? We have some racoons around the area, but not a ton or anything. I mean we live in the city. But we do get them.

Jo-shmoe: I would not even know where to get the med from. Also I am thinking this little guy going by his symptoms his disease must be advanced already if he is blind in one eye already. I also have a hard time feeding him. I mean he will not come in our yard or near. I have to literally throw the sutff over into my neighbors yard and most of the nuts I throw to him, he misses, he does not see them. So the other squirrels will grab those nuts that he does not get. It would very hard to try and medicate this little guy. I feel so sad. I hate nature sometimes, it is so mean!:(










:goodpost:goodpost Do not mess with anything that may have had raccoon poop on it -- EVER. There is no cure for baylisascariasis (raccoon roundworm) and it is a horrible death. The only thing that kills the worm is fire (not even bleach!) -- an area that has been used as a latrine by raccoons should be blowtorched.

[jo_schmoe]

Wow, this is so awful. I wonder if he has this. I bet he does since he is acting like it is in his brain already. I mean he cannot see well and gets bewildered.

So when you say there is no cure for this, are you meaning that once a squirrel gets it, he/she is doomed???

Nature is so frickin cruel. Now is he contagious when he is around other squirrels, like do the worms come out in his poop and he can infect other squirrels or is it just that it is in the racoon poop only?? We have some racoons around the area, but not a ton or anything. I mean we live in the city. But we do get them.

Jo-shmoe: I would not even know where to get the med from. Also I am thinking this little guy going by his symptoms his disease must be advanced already if he is blind in one eye already. I also have a hard time feeding him. I mean he will not come in our yard or near. I have to literally throw the sutff over into my neighbors yard and most of the nuts I throw to him, he misses, he does not see them. So the other squirrels will grab those nuts that he does not get. It would very hard to try and medicate this little guy. I feel so sad. I hate nature sometimes, it is so mean!:(
It doesn't mean this is what is going on...it could be many things. He could have fallen as a baby and developed neuro problems....he could have been born with poor eyesight....it also could be the result of fighting....especially if its breeding season where you are at.
The medicine is easy to get. I use panacur because its a broad spectrum wormer and very gentle on the animal. Ive seen it in pet stores....but I get mine through my vet....costs about 2 bucks for one worming.
You could dose many peanut butter nut shells....the wormer is not going to harm any of the other squirrels. But I understand that it would almost be like playing the lottery trying to get the sick guy to take it while fighting off the others. You could try and live trap him.....leave him in the trap and dose him that way.....but then again...lottery time. :peace
If it were me....Id observe for awhile....and try and build some trust between you two. Squirrels are extremely smart and know when someone is trying to help. It may take some time but I'd try.
Another thing to help ease your mind a bit is this.....squirrels systems work extremely fast....and if this was the roundworm....with the length of time you mentioned my guess is he would have passed already. You don't see many sick wild squirrels....for this very reason. Human, dogs, cats etc can harbor the worm for sometime....but in a squirrel thats not so much the case. Its also why they are not considered a vector species....its not that they can't get rabies....its that if they do....it goes through their little bodies so fast death is swift and normally the shock from being bit is enough to kill them.
Without negating the possibility of a roundowrm being the problem....we should look into other possible scenarios. Who knows...poor little guy could have just been born this way. :grouphug

[jo_schmoe]

Now that Im thinking about it....have you noticed any discharge from the nasal area?? Weight loss?? Does his coat look ruffled or rough?

[puddinpie]

Thanks for all your input. That is what I was kind of thinking, that if this was roundworm, wouldn't he have already succumed to it? I have been feeding him for over two months already. When I first seen him, he was a bit wobbly and when he would run , he would run kind of to one side( but he can run fast!). I mean he has no problems getting around. He is unstable though, moreso than he was two months ago. But he can still sit up and eat, just that he gets off balace and will topple over, but he usually can right himself again. He also leans against things sometimes to eat, but not always.

About a month ago I was certain he had mange because he had some fur missing. But now since we have been feeding him, his coat is looking way better! I mean the patches of missing fur have grown in and he is looking ok now. I mean I see other squirrels that look like he did too. The top part of his fur seems a but shorter than the botton half, but I mean he look better now than he did a month ago as far as that is concerned. I think if he did have mange, feeding him has helped him get rid of it. Last year I had a little female squirrel who had mange kind of bad. We started feeding her as well and she got well. NOw she is healthy as ever!

Yeah, like today I just got done feeding the dizzy one. I mean he knows my voice. When I see him out the window I will open the door and yell " hi Dizzy, I'm coming, just getting your yummies for you"! and he will turn his head to the sound of my voice. Now he wont come in our yard though. He only stays in my neighbors yard. I just stand by the end of the fence and thow him the nuts. Some he misses some he gets. He is very leary though. I mean like today a car alarm went off and he ran away to the alley. Well I went out there to try and follow him and give him so more nuts, but he scurried away real fast. I mean he took off across the street like lightening! I have no clue where he even lives. It is impossible to follow him, he is just to fast...

I could not trap him for the fact that well, one, I get like 12 squirrels who come here to eat, we have a lot of squirrels in our neighborhood. Second, He only goes in my neighbors yard so I cannot get in there really and I seriously doubt he would even go near a trap. I mean is very leary and when all the other squirrels are around, he does not like it and will run off.

I just dont know what he has. I seen a squirrel with this same disease two years ago. He also had it for like three months and just got worse and worse and then I just did not see him anymore. That is why I was thinking maybe it was some disease that squirrels get, kind of like how humans get MS and Parkinsons, well maybe there is some squirrel disease that squirrels get???

I hate seeing any animal suffer. They have it so hard. :(










QUOTE=jo_schmoe]Now that Im thinking about it....have you noticed any discharge from the nasal area?? Weight loss?? Does his coat look ruffled or rough?[/QUOTE]

[jo_schmoe]

Thanks for all your input. That is what I was kind of thinking, that if this was roundworm, wouldn't he have already succumed to it? I have been feeding him for over two months already. When I first seen him, he was a bit wobbly and when he would run , he would run kind of to one side( but he can run fast!). I mean he has no problems getting around. He is unstable though, moreso than he was two months ago. But he can still sit up and eat, just that he gets off balace and will topple over, but he usually can right himself again. He also leans against things sometimes to eat, but not always.

About a month ago I was certain he had mange because he had some fur missing. But now since we have been feeding him, his coat is looking way better! I mean the patches of missing fur have grown in and he is looking ok now. I mean I see other squirrels that look like he did too. The top part of his fur seems a but shorter than the botton half, but I mean he look better now than he did a month ago as far as that is concerned. I think if he did have mange, feeding him has helped him get rid of it. Last year I had a little female squirrel who had mange kind of bad. We started feeding her as well and she got well. NOw she is healthy as ever!

Yeah, like today I just got done feeding the dizzy one. I mean he knows my voice. When I see him out the window I will open the door and yell " hi Dizzy, I'm coming, just getting your yummies for you"! and he will turn his head to the sound of my voice. Now he wont come in our yard though. He only stays in my neighbors yard. I just stand by the end of the fence and thow him the nuts. Some he misses some he gets. He is very leary though. I mean like today a car alarm went off and he ran away to the alley. Well I went out there to try and follow him and give him so more nuts, but he scurried away real fast. I mean he took off across the street like lightening! I have no clue where he even lives. It is impossible to follow him, he is just to fast...

I could not trap him for the fact that well, one, I get like 12 squirrels who come here to eat, we have a lot of squirrels in our neighborhood. Second, He only goes in my neighbors yard so I cannot get in there really and I seriously doubt he would even go near a trap. I mean is very leary and when all the other squirrels are around, he does not like it and will run off.

I just dont know what he has. I seen a squirrel with this same disease two years ago. He also had it for like three months and just got worse and worse and then I just did not see him anymore. That is why I was thinking maybe it was some disease that squirrels get, kind of like how humans get MS and Parkinsons, well maybe there is some squirrel disease that squirrels get???

I hate seeing any animal suffer. They have it so hard. :(










QUOTE=jo_schmoe]Now that Im thinking about it....have you noticed any discharge from the nasal area?? Weight loss?? Does his coat look ruffled or rough?[/QUOTE]
The loss of fur you described sounds like a normal molt.....especially since the other squirrels looked the same and then grew the fur back in.....but if it was mange the extra nutrition could have boosted the immune system enough to fight it off.
If he leans when he eats....but is also fast and gets around well.....Id be leaning towards maybe an old injury. I had a squirrel ( Baby Jude) that came in with a broken back...and although he healed...he would always lean on something or tilt when he sat up. He was also extremely fast and just learned to deal with his disability. Squirrels being prey animals wont show weakness if at all possible.
The eye thing has me kinda baffled though.....is it crusty??

[puddinpie]

Well I will say that it looks like he is just blind in his right eye. It is more closed than the left. It does not look crusty, it is just that it is not as open as the other one. You know how their eyes are big round and black. Well his one eye is not pronounced like his normal eye. it is more sunk in or just not as open maybe. But he deifinitely has gotten worse since I First saw him, especially with his eye. He also seems a bit more wobbly now than before( two months ago).

But yeah, he is quick when he runs so he does not have a problem running, only he kind of leans to the side a bit. I know he does not like to climb the fences and stuff, but I did seem him climb the pole out in our alley once when another squirrel gave out the alarm call( a dog walking by). But I notice he does not like to climb if he does not have to. But I am guessing he must if he lives in a tree. I mean I think he can climb fine, it is that he would not be good sitting up that high due to his balance issues.

I just dont know. I mean if it were an old injury, I would think he would not have gotten worse at all though. But again, I just dont know. I mean it also seems like some days he is worse than others. Yesterday it was awful, and likely because it was raining.Today he seemed a tiny bit not as bad as yesterday. But one thing is certain is that his eye sight in that one eye seems to be lost. Now we use to get a squirrel here last year that was actially missing an eye! He was definitely in a fight. But he was able to climb and stufff and he had no balance issues either so that was different.

Do squirrels get certain diseases that can cause these issues?















The loss of fur you described sounds like a normal molt.....especially since the other squirrels looked the same and then grew the fur back in.....but if it was mange the extra nutrition could have boosted the immune system enough to fight it off.
If he leans when he eats....but is also fast and gets around well.....Id be leaning towards maybe an old injury. I had a squirrel ( Baby Jude) that came in with a broken back...and although he healed...he would always lean on something or tilt when he sat up. He was also extremely fast and just learned to deal with his disability. Squirrels being prey animals wont show weakness if at all possible.
The eye thing has me kinda baffled though.....is it crusty??[/QUOTE]

[jo_schmoe]

Yes they can get certain diseases ( parasites etc) that can cause many things. Just keep in mind that a normal healthy immune system usually takes care of most disease. Take mange for example...( mange is a mite parasite)...most squirrels carry said parasite but symptoms are never shown because their immune system keeps it all in check. When you see an animal with mange....more than likely you will start to see other symptoms of a weak immune system.
The reason for all the questions is Im pondering the idea of Mycoplasma. I have never dealt with it in a squirrel but I deal with it daily in my rat Pinkerton. But honestly ( to me at least) the symptoms you are describing all fall under the "old injury" thought. Head tilt....wobbly...all neuro problems most likely from a blow to the head..( fall, attack...etc)
Other squirrels can and do pick on the weak ones....which would explain the eye.
You may have noticed symptoms getting worse because you live in a cold region....and winter time is skinny time. Its also very hard on bones and muscles.....Less nutrition means symptoms are likely to worsen.
Keep in mind also that nuts are not the best for squirrels. (neither is corn) They rob the bones of calcium....and low calcium levels especially in the winter can be deadly.
You can supplement calcium in a water bottle but it would most likely freeze where you are at.....next best thing would be to toss out a few tums ( full of calcium) and see if he goes for them. :grouphug
I hope some of this is helpful...I know first hand how hard it is to sit back and watch with a feeling of "What can I do??"
You have come to the right place...lots of good info here....:thumbsup

[puddinpie]

I was trying to feed him more hazelnuts as I read that they are higher in calcium. He seems to like them too. I tried offering him a piece of avacado once but he would not take it. I try and feed him healthy nuts like walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts and almonds. He seems to like the hazelnuts and pecans the best it seems.

I guess it being winter could be making it harder on him. His eye does not look like it was injured though. It just looks like it is not open fully or something. The squirrel I had seen a couple years back had the same issue with the eyes, he could not see well. Not sure if this little guy has the same thing or not though.

Yes, it is hard to stand by a watch. Nature can be cruel at best.

Do you have any other suggestions food wise that I could try and give him that would offer him more calcium??? He will not drink from any water bowls that I have here since he wont come in my yard. I even pusehd a small bowl of water under our fence onto the side of my neighbors so maybe he would drink, but he wont. I have seen him eat the snow before though.