shoulder injury / matted fur, my little guy is getting worse

[solarx10]

It's my little man that's had issues with his left front leg.
He came today looking horrible, he would sometimes sit and put his head down and breath a little quick.
He wont use his leg and its a bloody and matted fur.
This is the same leg that he never really uses so I don't know if its broken or some kind of infection...

I can approach him easily as he trusts me. He's not in the yard right now, may not be back until tomm but are there rehabbers that can take a look at him for me?

He's my little sweetie and he's just getting worse.

Heres a pic, the best I could do..

210789

[TubeDriver]

It's my little man that's had issues with his left front leg.
He came today looking horrible, he would sometimes sit and put his head down and breath a little quick.
He wont use his leg and its a bloody and matted fur.
This is the same leg that he never really uses so I don't know if its broken or some kind of infection...

I can approach him easily as he trusts me. He's not in the yard right now, may not be back until tomm but are there rehabbers that can take a look at him for me?

He's my little sweetie and he's just getting worse.

Heres a pic, the best I could do..

210789

I am not a rehabber but the matted fur might be a result of open wound or an infection/abscess that is open. If he comes regularly, it should be fairly easy to get him antibiotics. I recently had to do this so if any rehabbers feel ABs should be used, I can post up how I made up the AB laced treats.

He does not look thin in the picture, is his weight stable? At the very least, I would continue to give him food and make fresh water available. I got some Henry's wild bites to feed my injured wilds since I know it is healthy and has vitamins.

[farrelli]

I don't know his progression, if that leg/mobility has been getting worse or what, but if he doesn't seem to be going downhill overall, I'd try ABs in the field first before catching him for evaluation. Do you have any ABs?

[solarx10]

He's a bit of a picky eater, but he's been nibbling HHB for the last few days.

He's always been smaller and thinner then all the rest, which is why I started favoring him and making sure he always gets food here. I change the water daily too.

[solarx10]

I don't know his progression, if that leg/mobility has been getting worse or what, but if he doesn't seem to be going downhill overall, I'd try ABs in the field first before catching him for evaluation. Do you have any ABs?

I don't have any AB's and don't know how to get any without a prescription.

[solarx10]

one other thing, he did have labored breathing and would do the classic head down position that squirrels and hamsters do when they are sick. hes moving very slow today

[farrelli]

If he's really on the rocks you might have to catch him. Do you have a trap or do you think you could get him in a carrier?

But, treating in the wild would probably be best if he's still pretty OK. Either way, you will need ABs. Ask your friends what they have. Cipro, Baytril, or SMZ are great. You can sometimes get them from pet stores because for some reason selling them for fish, reptiles, and birds don't require a script. You can also order them online. We can dose them for you if you get some.

[TubeDriver]

one other thing, he did have labored breathing and would do the classic head down position that squirrels and hamsters do when they are sick. hes moving very slow today

I sent you a detailed PM with AB info (where to get, how to dose etc).


I hope you can help him!

[solarx10]

Got some Orbax (orbifloxacin) from my neighbor.
Can anyone help with dosing.

I can try to weigh him when he comes back. I'll just put some seeds on the scale or something like that to get his weight.

Also, my neighbor said a person closer to the woods and creek used to shoot them with a BB gun. She thinks he doesn't anymore but did as recent as last year.

What can I look for to see if this could be his injury. Just to rule that out.

[TubeDriver]

Bumping this for anyone with Orbax dosing info. It looks to be a similar antibiotic to Baytril and appears to be safe for adult rodents.

A BB pellet could be lodged in him but the only way to know would be a thorough exam or X-ray. If that is the case, the BB would need to be removed. Antibiotics should still be started, it sounds ands looks like he has an infection and is very sick. The breathing and head posture worry me, I would consider trapping him and bringing him to a vet or rehabber.

[solarx10]

I don't think I can find a vet for him in PA or anywhere close. I do have a cage/trap ready that I can get him into to take him to a rehabber if any are available.


looking at older photos when he was first injured and recent ones it looks like it may be a bite. looks like two puncture wounds on the shoulder and maybe another wound on the other side of his leg, like where an elbow would be. I see something in the pics but not too clear.

I get him on the antibiotics and try to get a look at better if he comes around tomorrow.
Need dosing for Orbax....

[CritterMom]

Whoever is able to help will need an approximate weight on the squirrel and the size in milligrams of the tablet you have.

[solarx10]

Whoever is able to help will need an approximate weight on the squirrel and the size in milligrams of the tablet you have.

ahh, of course.
guess weight is 3-4 pounds,
Orbax - liquid suspension 20ml

[Unikorngrrl]

ahh, of course.
guess weight is 3-4 pounds,
Orbax - liquid suspension 20ml

You won't be able to guess weight Solar. This is an eastern grey squirrel correct? if so that weight seems a bit high. Did you try the nuts on the scale yet?? Try that b/c they will be a difference in dosing! :thumbsup Good luck!!

Oh and BBs and pellets can easily be felt under the skin. My cousin used to shoot my goats (among other things) with BBs and you could tell they were there and what they were. They never caused any problems. The BBs normally lodge just under the skin, however a pellet could be an issue. They are bigger and go deeper. Your description doesn't sound like a BB or pellet though!

[solarx10]

I'll have the scale ready if he comes by.
I just took a walk though and its a mating day , there's 5 in a tree...probably why his leg hurts so bad.
they come by with cuts and bruises after days like today.

[Jackie in Tampa]

I am helping with med dose via PM service.

[Jackie in Tampa]

1 pound sq 0.16ml
1.25 0.2ml
1.5 pound sq 0.24ml
1.75 0.28ml
2 pound sq 0.32ml

ml and cc are the same

this is for the orbox suspension 30mg/ml {dosed on the higher side since he is a wild and not sure he will eat entire dose, but not above the standards}
I am only dosing, not diagnosing
good luck guys! hope this helps...
also sent tips on how I get the meds to the wild sqs... maybe others will share their methods... you may need them.

there are pics of 1 cc syringe helping to identify dose info if needed...Stosh's award winning details!!! gotta love the stoshster!

[solarx10]

Thanks Jackie ! now I just need him to come to the yard. He's hanging around a tree with a female and some other males. There's some mating calls going on but I think the female wants no parts of that today. There's been a lot of growling and squeaking and distress calls from one area of the tree since 6:30. she may have babies in the nest ?


I'll give it a little while and then maybe go over there with some medicated peanut butter ball and feed him there if he'll come down the tree for me.

He was laying flat for a while and not as active as the rest..

210895

[solarx10]

He came by and ate the peanut butter, it's raining so he ate and ran.

His eyelids look a little puffy. I hope he feels better soon.

[TubeDriver]

He came by and ate the peanut butter, it's raining so he ate and ran.

His eyelids look a little puffy. I hope he feels better soon.

It looks like he should be on this for a week or so? The dosage mentions continuing for 3-4 days after the infection appears healed. It is apparently neutral tasting which is better than Cipro which is bitter. Hopefully, he will start improving in a day or so. Try and keep an eye on him today just to make sure he is not allergic to the AB (not likely). Good luck.

[Jackie in Tampa]

TD..usually they flavor canine meds to taste like beef...:) we need hazelnut flavor!!!:grin2
I can still always taste the bitter in flavored ABs, I have never used the Orbox, but I did do some research as well.
Seems to be safe/sq friendly...:thumbsup
Glad he ate the PB ball!!!! he is so cute with that dirty face...we don't have that color sqs here...gorgeous!

[TubeDriver]

TD..usually they flavor canine meds to taste like beef...:) we need hazelnut flavor!!!:grin2
I can still always taste the bitter in flavored ABs, I have never used the Orbox, but I did do some research as well.
Seems to be safe/sq friendly...:thumbsup
Glad he ate the PB ball!!!! he is so cute with that dirty face...we don't have that color sqs here...gorgeous!

He looks like a cross between a tiger and a squirrel. Such beautiful coloring!

[solarx10]

Thanks for all these replies :)

Besides his coloring, he's the only one that is so tame.
I went out get some more bird seed and came home, filled the bowl, one minute later he was there!
Put out some HBB's but he didn't want those.

Shot 2 quick videos from just now..His right eye is a little more puffy than the left. and his left shoulder is dry, I could see some little pink wounds..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYBEy4_e6DE

[solarx10]

[QUOTE=solarx10;911794]Thanks for all these replies :)

Shot 2 quick videos from just now..His right eye is a little more puffy than the left. and his left shoulder is dry, I could see some little pink wounds..

[QUOTE]

2nd video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acgy1p_ugKs

[TubeDriver]

You can clearly see swelling on the backside of the left upper arm. Could be an infection/abscess or a protruding bone? The way he puts weight on that arm makes me think it is an infection and not structurally compromised with a bone fracture or dislocation? But that is just an novice guess.

If you want him to eat healthy HHB, don't put them out with nuts! Nuts are like squirrel crack, they always go for the nuts first. :)

[solarx10]

He came normal time today. While he was eating I took a look at his shoulder, I saw an inch long narrow wound, light pink and lighter than yesterday. This seems to be a new wound that just happened to be on his bad leg.

I saw no bones showing in the back side..its just a patch of white fur (unless there's something closer to his body that I can't see.) There were also some cuts on his face that are healing.

His right eye lid is still very puffy, I see no marks around it though so I don't know what that's from.

Looks like he took a small butt kicking from last weeks mating days..

Getting meds in him today was harder than yesterday. He didn't want the peanut butter, just licked a small amount, so I also dosed half a HHB, he took that and ran off, so hopefully he'll eat that.

He's been very scared and nervous the past few days especially when the birds make noises.

211007

[TubeDriver]

Aww, poor little guy. :(


I wonder if a hawk almost got him? Long, slightly circular lacerations are typical of talon injuries. Maybe mating season beat him up/tired him out enough that he got sloppy and let a hawk sneak up on him?

The ABs should help. That in combination with the food, water and love you are giving him should be enough to let his amazing squirrel healing powers heal him!

[solarx10]

Aww, poor little guy. :(


I wonder if a hawk almost got him? Long, slightly circular lacerations are typical of talon injuries. Maybe mating season beat him up/tired him out enough that he got sloppy and let a hawk sneak up on him?

The ABs should help. That in combination with the food, water and love you are giving him should be enough to let his amazing squirrel healing powers heal him!

I wondered that myself, even if a sparrow squawked, he'd jump up on the fence and freeze for a while.
His face cuts were from last week. I want to keep checking his eye, making sure his vision is ok.

He's also so small and thin. I always wondered if he was orphaned or if the nursing fox squirrel was mommy.

[solarx10]

He may miss a dose of his AB's today :(
They are here now to fix my fence (condo board thinks its leaning too much)

They will be here for a few hours and my little guy is usually just a morning visitor.

I'll dose a HHB and take a walk since I can call him to me and he'll come over. He's a hard one to find though. I've never seen him out except on mating days.

[TubeDriver]

He may miss a dose of his AB's today :(
They are here now to fix my fence (condo board thinks its leaning too much)

They will be here for a few hours and my little guy is usually just a morning visitor.

I'll dose a HHB and take a walk since I can call him to me and he'll come over. He's a hard one to find though. I've never seen him out except on mating days.

Hope you see him. A missed dose will not be a big factor as long as you see him tomorrow.

[solarx10]

I hope he gets better and the 2 doses he had was enough.

They are doing some kind of work with bulldozers down by the creek, (either a planned repair project or drainage project) but this complex is built on a slope and that noise is bellowing all over. It's scared all the birds away and there's no squirrels out.

As far as his injuries, The day before his shoulder was wet and injured, I noticed his head looked bigger, so much so that I googled squirrel growth spurts because he just, looked bigger somehow.

Now with his cuts and swollen eyelids, I'm thinking his head was swollen and that's why it looked that way.

So he may have had a fall or hawk attack.

Hopefully he's resting in his nest and will so hungry later that he'll come around.

[TubeDriver]

I hope he gets better and the 2 doses he had was enough.

They are doing some kind of work with bulldozers down by the creek, (either a planned repair project or drainage project) but this complex is built on a slope and that noise is bellowing all over. It's scared all the birds away and there's no squirrels out.

As far as his injuries, The day before his shoulder was wet and injured, I noticed his head looked bigger, so much so that I googled squirrel growth spurts because he just, looked bigger somehow.

Now with his cuts and swollen eyelids, I'm thinking his head was swollen and that's why it looked that way.

So he may have had a fall or hawk attack.

Hopefully he's resting in his nest and will so hungry later that he'll come around.


:( How is the weather? Hopefully, cool and dry so he is comfortable?

[solarx10]

:( How is the weather? Hopefully, cool and dry so he is comfortable?

Just as I gave up he showed up, he did not however, want anything that had AB's in it.
I even held a HHB with some in it but he pushed it away. I gave him some seeds and peanuts so at least he'd eat something.

His leg/shoulder is doing better, his eyes are still something to keep watch on. The one is still swollen and he seems to squint and blink a lot when he looks up. Could just be that gritty feeling when eyelids are irritated ?

One good outcome is I think I finally found his nest!!!!!!
I've been trying for months.

When he was done eating he took off with with a purpose and I followed him, not expecting him to go anywhere of importance. But he keep going, and I saw him run up a tree to a nest. He passed many trees that he could've gone up into so I hoping this was his.

Still I feel like his head is different looking, almost suddenly a longer snout. Here's a full size photo of him today

http://www.flickr.com/photos/novacancy/9442704605/lightbox/


and a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBBDBk5-WUE

[TubeDriver]

Just as I gave up he showed up, he did not however, want anything that had AB's in it.
I even held a HHB with some in it but he pushed it away. I gave him some seeds and peanuts so at least he'd eat something.

His leg/shoulder is doing better, his eyes are still something to keep watch on. The one is still swollen and he seems to squint and blink a lot when he looks up. Could just be that gritty feeling when eyelids are irritated ?

One good outcome is I think I finally found his nest!!!!!!
I've been trying for months.

When he was done eating he took off with with a purpose and I followed him, not expecting him to go anywhere of importance. But he keep going, and I saw him run up a tree to a nest. He passed many trees that he could've gone up into so I hoping this was his.

Still I feel like his head is different looking, almost suddenly a longer snout. Here's a full size photo of him today

http://www.flickr.com/photos/novacancy/9442704605/lightbox/


and a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBBDBk5-WUE

He looks reasonably healthy overall (not too thin, alert and moving quickly). Try and not give in with the nuts until he eats the AB treat. I know it is hard but if he is even remotely hungry he will eat the HHB. Maybe try adding a little peanut butter or molasses to the HHB to make it better tasting?

It is great that you found his nest. You could place the AB laced HHB at the base of his tree.

[solarx10]

I'll start a new thread in the Breed Specific/Grey Squirrel section for keeping updates on him after this post.

His shoulder is mostly better, he's got new cuts on his face from todays mating chase. He's looks tired and very worn out.

He finally ate a whole HHB, and drank some water that I put rodent/hamster vitamins in when he came over.

His eye is looking a little raw, can't tell if that's just because the swelling is going down enough to now see the damage. I'll try to get a pic next time I see him.

I'm just concerned about his vision in that eye. A half blind squirrel with a bad leg doesn't stand much of a chance.