Released squirrel with raised wounds back and neck.

[verchieleo]

I have a squirrel that was released July 4th of this year. He's been coming back every few days since gaining his freedom. I came back from vacation this weekend to find he has a raised wound from the back of his neck and at the side of the neck. There is dried blood on his fur around both and especially under his neck. They don't look to be bleeding but clear bodily fluid is oozing out of the puncture wounds at the top of both. He is moving around okay. He hasn't left the vicinity of my yard since returning. He applies pressure to the right leg when he runs but you can see he's babying it when he moves slower. He will let me get close to touch him but if he sees me with anything in my hands he runs. I want to clean the wounds but am not sure what to use or how to do it. We have a wildlife vet close by that will help but I am not sure how to catch him. According to my son, he had the injury for at least 5 days before I came home. So he's had it for about a week. It doesn't seem to be getting worse.... Is there anything I can do myself?

[stepnstone]

Will he take food from you, something you can lace with antibiotic?

[farrelli]

You can treat him in the wild with antibiotics or you could catch him with a have-a-heart trap. The former is best if this isn't life threatening given that trapping is very stressful. If you tell us what antibiotics you have (Cipro, Baytril, and SMZ are best) and tell us how much he weighs or send a pic so that we can guess, we can tell you how to dose. Ask your friends for any antibiotcs or call a pet store as they often sell them without a script for birds, fish, and reptiles.

[verchieleo]

I have a water bottle attached to the tree and I leave a few nuts at the tree where his nesting box is so I am sure I can try to hide antibiotics in his food or water. I wasn't sure about trying to apply anything topical peroxide or Neosporin. I did not know if it would harm him. The wounds look like they should be cleaned. I don't know how much he weighs. I will need to check with the pet stores and see what they have. What should I ask for? I do not have any in the house. I have attached a picture I took 2 days ago. He ran up the tree before I could get a shot of the wounds.
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[farrelli]

Does he let you handle him? If so, yes, clean the wounds with a weak betadine solution and apply neosporin. As far as ABs go, have you asked your friends? Cipro in particular is very common with women for UTIs. Just ask pet stores if they have any ABs for fish, reptiles, etc. Fish Flox is a common name.

[verchieleo]

He will let me give him a nut and pet his head but that is the extent of handling him. I will see what I can do. Thanks for the information. I am sure I will be back soon with more questions.

[kastillo]

I've had two releases with these same exact wounds. Both males. I thought at first bot flies, but I realized they are squirrel bites. Only my two males have them. Puncture wounds like top and bottom teeth went in. If he comes everyday, and you are certain you can get AB's into him everyday, that would be the way to go. If not, I think sporadic AB dosing dose more harm than good, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the bacterias can become resistant if the AB's are not dosed properly.

[verchieleo]

I have been seeing him every day this week except for yesterday. Why would the skin become so raised? It doesn't look infected on the outside.....I thought it might be a predatory bird like a hawk because of the positioning of the wounds but bites from another squirrel (after reading how territorial they are) was the other thought.

[Jackie in Tampa]

sounds like bot fly may be a possibility....
this is a link to a thread with pics of different warbles....


http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?41471-Bot-Flies-possible-this-time-of-year

[farrelli]

If it's a bot, would ABs be wrong?

[Jackie in Tampa]

ya know farelli... that is probably a case by case.... I have seen some bots that make me sick nasty nasty amd I have seen bots that are super clean and well defined by the sq himself.... so I would guess that either the bot warble on an area that can't be groomed may look worse, like on the shoulders....
andyet it MAY be worse BECAUSE the sq hasn't been able to groom it...who knows??

my vet always says if it's not infected don't treat it, but sometimes it's hard to really tell...
and although we have all heard of building a resistance... my vet has shrugged and said this sq and probably none of her gene pool will ever be treated with SMZ again... so give it a dose...
as a precaution even...

it seems alot of parasites pick immune comped hosts... not so of bots... they are equal opportunity monsters..

my monitor is not the best so I can't see well enough to say what it is... but hoping in the bopt fly threads there are pics to compare to...
if it is a normal Bot..usually 'doing nothing' is best imo.
we have them here every year during the wet season...they're everywhere and they are species specific so not a worry except for the poor sqs...

[farrelli]

Thanks. I was just wondering if the ABs could kill the bot and result in complications or death.

[kastillo]

Ask Chickenlegs about her experience with bots on her squirrel. I think she took it to the vet and had them removed. But the poor baby looked like Frankenstein after. I think it was chickenlegs anyway. Let me see if I can find the thread.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Thanks. I was just wondering if the ABs could kill the bot and result in complications or death.
def won't kill them.

[verchieleo]

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Thank you for the responses. I did look at the botfly image and I think you are right. I just took a picture of him this morning. He's not in any distress just seeing him hanging around his tree more often. He used to come around everyday, now he is here almost every day. What kind of immune boosters can I put in his water?

[Jackie in Tampa]

that is bot fly...much better pic...
there are some dangers associated with having too many in the same area... taught skin on the neck needs to be monitored, I had a sq years ago that had several on one upper limb, cutting off the circulation, we named her Madge, as her arm looked like a rubber glove..we did intervene...

I think your guy will be okay...

[Charley Chuckles]

My Wiggles gets them every year, he just had one finally hatch, I have a couple more in my yard look a lot like yours :sanp3 Now what I wonder is, I think they get bite marks from fighting this time of year because of mating season, does this lead to the smell of blood which attracts the bot fly to lay eggs in the wound :dono just a theory I was contemplating the other day because I first see what looks to be like bite marks, hair missing blood or oozing, then I start to see the tube looking bot fly :thinking because how else could a fly just lay eggs on hair and get them to get under the skin, and I always see the tore skin first. A fly will lay eggs on anything dying, so I am wondering...guess which come first the chicken or the egg :tilt
I too think your guy will be fine, and the bot will run its course :thumbsup I would love to see one in my yard, and kill the dang thing, and I never see it when it comes out

[pappy1264]

I have never seen a squirrel here with one (praying I never do, yuck!) They do look pretty bad, but from everything I read, they usually are ok on their own.

[Garden71]

The Skul's told me about this echinacea from GNC.
One 500mg capsule squeezed into half a gallon of water.Shake it up real good.Add another half gallon of water. We just used one gallon milk jugs.It will last quite a while.Just give as you normally would with water.
Here's a pic of it.
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[verchieleo]

I feel relieved!!! Thanks again for all your expertise.