Bald patch on head

[JunoWhat]

What I would've guessed, my boy hit or got his head caught somewhere on his cage a few days ago. But today I looked at his head and the patches are noticeably bigger! Before you could only see one barely. Just making sure it's not something else!! Also, does any one know how much it would cost aprox to get a male black squirrel neutered?

[Duckman]

Hello and :Welcome to TSB. First question is what is his diet? There are several things that will cause hair loss, but diet is related to almost all of them.

That said, I don't know what the laws are in BC, but you need to see if you are allowed squirrels where you live. If you take him to a vet where squirrels are not allowed, the outcome will not be good. That said, I had my Rex neutered and it was the same price as a cat. Make sure you take him to a vet that is familiar with squirrels though, as a simple blood draw can stress them enough to stop the heart!

[farrelli]

Also, most people here advise against neutering, especially after a male has "dropped". Once they've gone through their first mating season, lots of people seem to say that neutering no longer provides any benefit.

[JunoWhat]

Hello and :Welcome to TSB. First question is what is his diet? There are several things that will cause hair loss, but diet is related to almost all of them.

That said, I don't know what the laws are in BC, but you need to see if you are allowed squirrels where you live. If you take him to a vet where squirrels are not allowed, the outcome will not be good. That said, I had my Rex neutered and it was the same price as a cat. Make sure you take him to a vet that is familiar with squirrels though, as a simple blood draw can stress them enough to stop the heart!

He gets rodent block, sweet potatoes, yam, avocado, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and squash as well as apple, pear, grapes, acorns, pecan, hazelnuts, almonds, walnut, and a syringe or 2 of formula a day as he gets mad without it. He's been getting this ever since we went onto solid food and was born beginning if August.
Do you think it could be from chewing on his cage and getting some of the paint chips?

[farrelli]

Why kind of rodent block? Some are absolute crap, made from seeds and corn.

That diet seems a bit fruit and nut heavy. Fruits should be limited and nuts should be just one or two a day. Here's the healthy diet guide:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?39275-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-%28Revised-2-13%29

Most bald spots are from rubbing their heads on the bars. What kind of cage do you have?

I don't understand the question about paint chips. There should be none for him to ingest.

[JunoWhat]

He only gets 1 of each but a day and the amount of fruit/veggies varry (my mom takes care of him and did the research)
He's in a large metal dog crate until we have his huge cage outside built but is chewing on the bars. (He chewed through his huge bird cage)


Why kind of rodent block? Some are absolute crap, made from seeds and corn.

That diet seems a bit fruit and nut heavy. Fruits should be limited and nuts should be just one or two a day. Here's the healthy diet guide:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?39275-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-%28Revised-2-13%29

Most bald spots are from rubbing their heads on the bars. What kind of cage do you have?

I don't understand the question about paint chips. There should be none for him to ingest.

[Duckman]

He only gets 1 of each but a day and the amount of fruit/veggies varry (my mom takes care of him and did the research)
He's in a large metal dog crate until we have his huge cage outside built but is chewing on the bars. (He chewed through his huge bird cage)

We really need to know the brand, as some are just crap and absolutely useless for nutrition. The fruits and veggies should not be the main staple of a squirrel because of Metabolic Bone Disease. This is why this question keeps being asked! :grin3

[kastillo]

I've seen lots of squirrels that will get a bald patch on their head from chewing bars and the fur gets rubbed off on the top of their head where their head rubs the bar while they chew.

A picture would be helpful as well.

Are you planning on releasing this squirrel? Bar chewing is a sign of being tired of a cage.

Edit: I would not advise neutering. Just my opinion. if theirs nothing wrong with their "package", leave it alone. I think the only way I would consider that is if they had something like testicular cancer.

[JunoWhat]

We are trying to decide if it's best to keep him or not as he's super imprinted on people... He usually chews on the cage when he demands his attention. For the rodent block brand part, I'm not sure. My mom buys/feeds him as I'm in school and need to focus on grading, but she said she got it at all only pet store that sells it and knew what we were talking about around here. (we live on Vancouver Island)
I would attach a picture, but I honestly do not know how too, it's a very tiny bald stop and not noticeable, I'm just extra cautious!

[Jamie2004]

262098I was just wondering if you ever figured out what was causing the bald spot? I have a small squirrel and I have recently noticed a small bald spot by his eye. I never notice him chewing on the cage or anything. He did jump a few weeks ago and didn't land where he planned. He hit his head in the side of a chair. He seemed fine after that though. Doesn't seem to be anything serious since he is just as active as before. Just wanted more info. Thanks for any help!