Injured baby - 3 legs and now possible broken arm

[riefderrico]

Hello everyone!

Picked up this sweet baby girl Friday night from a very nice lady who had her since last Tuesday. Nubs had a broken back right leg that had died and he poor baby chewed it off herself while I was in route to pick her up. She also had really bad diarrhea and was VERY skittish. Her caretaker had given her sunflower seeds and cow's milk :shakehead and she was very thin in the face and dehydrated. Anyway I concentrated on getting her hydrated, warm, diarrhea and the getting her to let me clean the nub and not letting her move around. Her wounds are at least 2-3 weeks old - several scratches and wounds on all legs (scabs and fur falling off - almost healed) no puncture wounds that I can see.

This evening I let her climb on my lap a bit after feeding and noticed that her front left leg didn't look quite right. She let me get a good look and I believe it is also broken midway between paw and elbow. She can use it and can grip with that paw but it bends under very funny when she tries to walk.

I have not given her any antibiotics not sure if they are necessary at this point since wounds are 2-3 weeks old. I have her confined in a large cloth/mesh pet carrier for the time being.

Does anyone have any experience with "nubs" and is there a way to bandage the front leg?

[SammysMom]

Oh that poor baby...:shakehead I am thinking that the injuries are sort of beyond much except keeping them clean and dry, but others who have hands-on experience may have more info to offer. For now, you and your baby are in my prayers...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[riefderrico]

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[riefderrico]

And her belly was soooooo bloated!
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[riefderrico]

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[riefderrico]

See how she has use but it just isn't right.

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[SammysMom]

I think that I would give an antibiotic. That looks pretty open and if she just removed it, an antibiotic will help it to not get infected. What do you have for antibiotic?

[Shewhosweptforest]

Oh how precious ...all curled up napping :grouphug I'm so glad she's come to you "cow's milk" :yuck she's survived this long...with your care and good nutrition she should thrive :thumbsup :Love_Icon

We've had a few nubs...and I believe, if it's healed and not open, it's best to leave alone...although if you had some silver sulfadene, it couldn't hurt to put a dab on...even if you do it while she's feeding, it only has to be on a short time to get some benefit to the tissue....I swear by it since it saved my baby's tail. As far as the front paw :dono you could try and stabilize it, by taping it with the athletic stretch bandage others use here....I just don't know if she'll leave it alone or start chewing on it...I guess you could try :dono

Thanks for taking her in....and I guess the finder has a good heart to have helped her, even if it wasn't the best care :eek and she did find you :bowdown

Good luck...I'm praying for y'all too! :Love_Icon

Edit: Whoa, I just saw the pic of her leg....definitely, try and get some silver sulfadene...that looks really fresh..and yeah! What SammysMom said :thumbsup

[SammysMom]

Not to be critical, but NEVER feed them on their back. They need to be sitting up and the syringe pointed up toward the roof of their mouth.

[riefderrico]

LOL! Oh yes we know that (but that's o.k. - don't want anyone thinking it was o.k.). It is just the camera angle, she is actually sitting up trying to grab the syringe before laying on her belly (I think this is no 3). She scarfs it down like she's starving and freaks when I take it away. Then - just like that - she's done. :gigg


Not to be critical, but NEVER feed them on their back. They need to be sitting up and the syringe pointed up toward the roof of their mouth.

[riefderrico]

I have Batryl and have a vet (about an hour away) if there is something better. I believe the lighting isn't doing it justice. I'll try to get some better pics. I applied some Aloe plant to it yesterday and today which she seemed to enjoy. No worries on her licking - she can't reach. It has antibiotic and antibacterial properties as well as a little pain numbing. I keep forgetting to mention - some of the bone is exposed. Is that o.k.?


I think that I would give an antibiotic. That looks pretty open and if she just removed it, an antibiotic will help it to not get infected. What do you have for antibiotic?

[Shewhosweptforest]

That's very bad that the bone is exposed :shakehead she definitely needs some further treatment....if that bone gets infected...well it will be a hard battle to win.

[SammysMom]

What strength is the baytril? How much does she weigh?

[riefderrico]

Ok. Here is a close up w/ the little bone sticking out.

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[Shewhosweptforest]

I pm'd Milo's Mom :dono this is very similiar to what MJ went through....don't you agree SammysMom? I don't know what advice she can give while that bone remains exposed :( but she's definitely been through a very similar injury.

[riefderrico]

What strength is the baytril? How much does she weigh?

Tonight she weighed 166g and the batril is 20mg

[riefderrico]

Did she have to have the vet take more off? I hope not the poor little dear has been through so much already....


I pm'd Milo's Mom :dono this is very similiar to what MJ went through....don't you agree SammysMom? I don't know what advice she can give while that bone remains exposed :( but she's definitely been through a very similar injury.

[Shewhosweptforest]

Did she have to have the vet take more off? I hope not the poor little dear has been through so much already....

If the bone is still viable they may be able to just stretch the skin over it....I will find MJ's thread and post it here for you....she's an adult wild squirrel and the vet took her leg. I'm hoping since your baby is young she may be more resilient and have less issues with healing:thumbsup

Here's the thread http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44382-Momma-J-needs-some-TSB-prayers-please

[stepnstone]

Will you be taking her to see your vet?
I can't say if the exposed bone would need to be
cut back or not, your vet would have to determine
that but the tissue will need to be pulled up over
it so it is not exposed and she has a stump that
will heal.

[Chickenlegs]

Just saw this. You are that baby's salvation. Should absolutely see a vet--if it's just to make sure that wound is closed. It needs to heal and when open can easily become infected. Love and healing to you both. Does baby have a name. Maybe I missed it.

[riefderrico]

Thank you both for your updates. I believe we will be taking a drive tomorrow then. She was just getting comfortable with me too :( (the vet we go to is an hour and a half away). Will post update when we get back...

[riefderrico]

Awe thank you. We've been calling her Nubbins (short for lovins and nubs) :gig


Just saw this. You are that baby's salvation. Should absolutely see a vet--if it's just to make sure that wound is closed. It needs to heal and when open can easily become infected. Love and healing to you both. Does baby have a name. Maybe I missed it.

[Chickenlegs]

Kisses on Nubbins little head :Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

Is it liquid Baytril or a tablet?
Tonight she weighed 166g and the batril is 20mg

[Milo's Mom]

I see good and bad here.
Overall I think the leg wound looks pretty darn good. No ragged edges, no raging infection, starting to dry and heal.
The bad thing...the bone is exposed and is dry and from what I can see in the pic has exposed marrow. Marrow being exposed is a surefire way of getting a nasty bone infection.

I'm not sure if Aloe is good or bad, but if that bone has any chance at all, it absolutely cannot dry out. Dry bone = dead bone.

In my opinion a trip to the vet is very necessary. Meds, most likely Clavamox, are also necessary. I am far from being a vet, but based upon my experiences with MJ it does look like your vet may need to clip the bone back a little so the skin can be pulled up over the end to close the wound.

Seeing as how she was on cow's milk and already has diarrhea I'd be sure to get her on a good probiotic, especially now that meds are likely. The cow's milk really messes up their intestines and Clavamox can be pretty tough too. Personally, I use Benebac as a probiotic but you can also use human probiotics. Not sure what kind or how much; someone else will have to elaborate on that for you.

Good luck and please keep us updated.:thumbsup She's a real cutie.:Love_Icon


EDIT: Thank you Sweeper for reaching out to me. :grouphug

[pappy1264]

That little one needs that stump cleaned up by a vet. They should make a clean cut and stitch her up to prevent bone infection, having been exposed like that is not good. Def. needs baytril asap.

[TubeDriver]

I think the advice you are getting is correct. That bone needs to be shortened in order to heal. If there was a squirrel mommy around, she would probably chew the bone down. I think a vet visit is needed.

Nubbins is a cutie and you have done a great job with her.:thumbsup I hope you can get her through this!

[czarina]

Have you given her anything for pain? Poor little pumpkin has sure been through enough.
If you are seeing the vet today, maybe wait and ask the vet for some pain meds.
I hate to see anything suffer, and I think any pain med would help this poor little one.:Love_Icon

[Monipenny]

Poor baby. I had experience with an exposed bone on a toe of one squirrel that did require amputating the toe back and stitched closed. Also have another squirrel that due to being paralyzed had to have her right leg amputated to the hip, that would be the best thing your vet could do for your baby. Exposed bone is not good. I hope you vet agrees to take care of that and can stitch it closed so it can heal completely.

[crazy4squirrels]

Needs vet and surgical intervention

[riefderrico]

Greetings everyone!

I'd like to thank you for all your feedback - you guys were spot on.

We have to ask for prayers for little nubs. We did go to the vet today. As expected her wounds are between 2-3 weeks old. The lady I got her from said she had only had her since last Tuesday and had found her on a nature-path - that poor baby. Seems like I have a little fighter on my hands, to be in that condition in the wild for over a week and still be fighting. Anyway she is scheduled for surgery Thursday morning. No signs of infection at this time but vet said as the bone dries out it puts her more and more at risk for infection. Her front arm is also broken but has already begun to heal and now the bones are overlapping, so best case scenario one arm will be shorter than the other. He is going to try to de-mobilize it while she is under so they can both get a chance to fuse and heal (right now it flops over at the break), but since she still has the use of her paw he doesn't want to mess with it too much. He doesn't want to risk loosing that one too. He sent me home with Metacam and Batril and wants me to start her tonight. So any prayers and well wishes her way are appreciated.

I will post updates as I get them and pics after surgery. :squirrel2

[SammysMom]

:grouphug:Love_IconNubs:Love_Icon:grouphug

[Shewhosweptforest]

I'm so sorry we were right :shakehead But the good news is you have a vet willing to treat and you're willing to rehabilitate her :bowdown Nubs truly is blessed...to have been found and to have ended up in your care :Love_Icon I will continue to pray for you both :grouphug and hope to see some positive developments....as I said earlier, she's a fighter :hug to have survived this long 2-3 weeks with this injury :dono it's proof that she's strong and is a healthy girl:thumbsup who I hope with your help will survive :grin3

I also feel better after Milo's Mom's post....she really has experience with this type wound....and although she's modest :grin3 she could give a vet a run for his money on the the protocol to use :thumbsup

[lovesmice]

I will keep your squirrel in my prayers for a successful surgery Thursday and a speedy recovery. Is Nubs the official name you have chosen? Also, is your squirrel a male? I just always feel really bad when I write the wrong name and/or gender of someone's beloved animal so I thought it best if I ask you rather than assume.

I was going to suggest you talk to Monipenny for advice on dealing with a squirrel that had a leg amputated as her Lily had to have her right leg removed; however, I see she already found you. She is doing an excellent job with her so is definitely someone who can tell you what to expect in this situation.

This squirrel is already well loved, that is for sure. I sincerely hope you are given years and years together.

[TubeDriver]

Nubs is facing LONG odds but you have already given her a chance at life!:thumbsup:thankyou

I so hope she makes it.:hug. You are her guardian angel!:w00t

[Chickenlegs]

OK Nubs baby--you can do this. You have a mama who loves you and who will be right with you through your recovery. Next yeR this time you'll be giving her a run for her money. Prayers baby girl :Love_Icon

[Shewhosweptforest]

:wave123 Hope Nubs is still doing well :grouphug getting lots of love and scritchins to carry her through her big day tomorrow ...you'll both be on my mind and in my heart :Love_Icon

[pappy1264]

Little Nubbs in def. in my prayers. Having been through this, I know how scary this is. Rocky had his leg chewed through by what we believed to be was a rat when he was about 3 weeks old. He could not be released (the rat chewed both legs, so the other rear leg has some residual issues, so he has trouble climbing. A missing rear is tougher then a missing front, as it propels them forward.) That is exactly the drugs we started Rocky on before his surgery. Sending love and healing thoughts for this little one.:Love_Icon

[Shewhosweptforest]

:wave123 Any news on little Nubbins' surgery? Hope "no news" is "good news" :thumbsup I'm hoping to hear she did great :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Milo's Mom]

:wave123 Any news on little Nubbins' surgery? Hope "no news" is "good news" :thumbsup I'm hoping to hear she did great :Love_Icon :grouphug

Hoping the same thing. :Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[riefderrico]

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. She is a little fighter and we got back from the vet a little bit ago. The surgery went well and she is doing very well. I have to run to the store for foods and a couple of things to help her be more comfy, but after this evenings feedings and meds I'll post some pics and give more details.

:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

[SammysMom]

Thank goodness!:Love_Icon

[TubeDriver]

:thumbsup

[riefderrico]

LOL! When I found out they took her whole leg and that her "nub" was gone - we changed it to Nubbins :Love_Icon So it is official - Nubbins it is! :thumbsup


Awe thank you. We've been calling her Nubbins (short for lovins and nubs) :gig

[Shewhosweptforest]

Oh that's great news :thumbsup :bowdown :Love_Icon Nubbins & reifderrico :Love_Icon

[riefderrico]

Sorry it took so long for me to get back to everyone. The drive back and forth to the vet takes quite a bit of time. Both appointments were during rush hour and turned a 3 hour round trip into close to 5!

Anyway, Nubbins is doing wonderful! She is a real trooper and seems to be feeling better than she did before the surgery. As far as that goes - doc took the leg up to her hip. Half of the femur was dead and he didn't want her to get caught w/ a nub or it to get callused, risking infection. So Nubs is now Nubbins because she has no nub but lots of love :serene!

As far as her front leg goes - it was broken but we did not get to it in time and the bones overlapped and started to heal (he had a word for it but I can't remember it at the moment). He did not want to attempt a re-break (which is what they would due to a human in the same situation) because of the risk of loosing that one too. So he just left it to heal on its own. It will be shorter than the other and balancing will be a challenge. Vet does not believe she will be releasable. She is on batril and metacam, confined to her carrier for at least another week to ten days.

She def. has her appetite back and is already trying to move around. She recognizes the carrier (one of those canvas/mesh dog carriers w/ zipper openings) as her "nest" and when she spotted when I picked her up this afternoon - it took the vet everything he had to not let her leap out of his arms and into her house. So not only a fighter but smart too! Looks like I'm gonna have my hands full :grin3

Anyway here are some pics of this precious little one:245399245400245401

[SammysMom]

It looks wonderful! So very glad for both of you!:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[riefderrico]

Here are a few more:

Still a little beat up on the other side but getting there....
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And getting spoiled rotten - shoulder rubs are the bomb!
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[Shewhosweptforest]

It looks wonderful! So very glad for both of you!:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

:yeahthat :thumbsup
I agree ....looks great....such a sweet, brave girl :grouphug I'm so glad she has you :Love_Icon and the sheer bliss with the shoulder rubs was sooo cute :klunk :bliss

[Shewhosweptforest]

Oh and not to be a downer :dono but I wanted to let you know that my little Nougie got carried around in one of the cloth/zippered carriers and one day she decided to chew right out:eek just out of the blue :shakehead so just as a precaution (I am a worry wart) you may want to also put the carrier in a tub with a good snap lid...of course with holes drilled in it. That way if she decides to do a Houdini :grin3 she'll be safe:thumbsup :Love_Icon

[lovesmice]

Nubbins is beautiful. She is a tough cookie that is for sure. Thank you for the update on her. She has a lot of folks praying her for her.

[Monipenny]

Oh and not to be a downer :dono but I wanted to let you know that my little Nougie got carried around in one of the cloth/zippered carriers and one day she decided to chew right out:eek just out of the blue :shakehead so just as a precaution (I am a worry wart) you may want to also put the carrier in a tub with a good snap lid...of course with holes drilled in it. That way if she decides to do a Houdini :grin3 she'll be safe:thumbsup :Love_Icon

Truth right there, Lily chewed her way right out of the pet carrier just a couple of days after surgery, she climbed into bed with my husband after her escape, I was downstairs when my husband came down to tell me to get her. I am so glad your Nubbins is doing better, she is so lucky that a lady found her and got her to you. Poor sweetie, out in the wild in that condition. Lily and I sends our love. :Love_Icon

[riefderrico]

Thank you everyone! She is doing wonderfully. At the moment she sees her carrier as her nest and I have to keep her from trying to jump back in and hide rather than trying to escape :grin3.

We have gotten out the two story ferret cage and separator this weekend in preparation for her needing more space. Hubby is out in the drive way bleaching and sunning it as I type. He is making a "floor" for the first story so she only has access to the top half of the cage and a solid "ground" to stand on. And he already is trying to come up with a plan for "handi-cap" squirrel stuff to help rehab her and help her get around without getting hurt. (I think she stole his heart worse than mine LOL) I will have to post a pic - it is totally adorable - big tattooed biker guy with teeny tiny 3 legged girl squirrel :grin3

[Shewhosweptforest]

:grin3 I love that! Big tattooed biker guy with 3-legged squirrel girl :hug I'm glad she's doing so well:thumbsup I have a paralyzed squirrel and Chickenlegs and I have made her fleece ramps, really just skinny hammocks that are strung all around for falls...and help pulling herself around:thumbsup

[riefderrico]

So here is that pic....Isn't it just adorable???

[riefderrico]

Nubbins is doing well after her surgery. But we are fighting infections right now. There is a very good possibility that it was a animal that got her in the beginning. There is a place on her back between her shoulders, a place where her arm was broken and a pocket at her amputation site. Doc drained the one between her shoulders about 9 days ago and put her on Clavomox. It got somewhat smaller but nothing was going on with the one on her arm and the one at her amp site began to appear. So we went back yesterday and doc put her out, drained them, lanced the one on her arm and leg and cleaned em up. She is back on the Clavomox for another 14 days. So hopefully she will kick this.

As far as her spirits go - she is doing awesome and adapting w/o that back leg well. She is eating all kinds of fresh veggies (out of the garden) and fruits. Of course she likes her treats (a cracked hickory before bed). Still taking formula every other day or so depending her mood. She is gaining weight, looking healthy and running around like a squirrel!:thumbsup

[riefderrico]

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[solarx10]

:Love_Icon:Love_IconNubbins:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[Duckman]

Oh goodness!! I didn't see this until now! What a sweetie and you can see in her eyes that she is a fighter. What AB's are you using on her?

[riefderrico]

Oh my - she is such a fighter!!! She was so banged up when I got her - doc said injuries were a week to ten days old and the lady who found her had her on cow's milk for 4 days :eek And she is a such a sweety - love her :Love_Icon !!!

Doc had her on Batryl before/after surgery. She developed the puss pocket between her shoulders after surgery and also had one where her arm was broken. He drained the one between the shoulders and put her on Clavomox. That one finally started to get smaller, the one on her arm was a little smaller but not much and she developed one at her amputation sight. So yesterday he put her under and lanced/drained and cleaned them.
She is on another round of Clavomox and will be getting rechecked mid week. :grin3

When we got back yesterday and back in her room she kept growling at me - soooo funny!!! She does not like car rides and it was like she was mad at me and made sure I knew it. Today she got a mini-cat tree for exercise and after she got familiar with it she'd get on top and give me kisses. What a stinker!!! I think I'm gonna have a little Diva on my hands LOL!

[TubeDriver]

What a tough little squirrel! Hopefully now she is over the worst and can just enjoy being a squirrel!:thumbsup

[Shewhosweptforest]

Oh poor Lil Nubbins :( she's been through so much and now an infection :dono the sweet baby needs a break...as do you :grouphug anyway, I love the pics ....she has so much spunk...her personality shines through in her pics :Love_Icon oh and tattooed guy with three legged squirrel girl :eek he's one tough dude to be holding a squirrel "shirtless" :eek :facepalm that's definitely a scary thought :rofl4

Did the vet mention whether this was a widespread infection or just three different infections confined to their own sites :dono it just worries me that she's got something going on systemically :thinking the experts here may have more ideas and whether Clavamox would be the go to drug in either situation :bowdown

[riefderrico]

Shockingly she doesn't act like she feels bad. She is eating like a little piggy - has gained nearly 100+g since I got her. Her amputation site has healed great - she doesn't even know she only has 3 legs! And she is fast!!! She runs all over at play time and climbs up and down the cat tree like crazy. The only thing she doesn't do is jump - understandably.

Vet thinks that it was that it is compartmentalized at 3 separate sights and stemmed from a cat or other predator bite. Each one is where she was injured before and each area was a bubble/pocket - so it should be localized [crossing fingers]. If anyone has any experience on this with different drugs that would be more effective please let me know. When drained it the first time - it was milky/off white/yellow-green (like a mucus color from a child with a really bad cold but milky - gross I know - sorry [:yuck] )

[riefderrico]

2nd round of abx did the trick. Little Nubbins is all better and getting around beautifully! She moves so fast you can't even tell she is missing a leg. We moved her to the big ferret cage in Missy's room about a week or so ago and she is adjusting nicely and adapting to not having that back leg. The front one that was broken is a little shorter than the other one so that has presented a little bit of challenge too - but she is adapting well. Here is a picture of how she eat - on her couch balancing with her tail and sticking that back leg up :grin3 Look at those ears and those paddies - if she grows into them, she is gonna be a big girl! Spoiled rotten baby!!!

[riefderrico]

Shewhosweptforest - here is an updated shot w/ shirt on. She's starting to run and climb and Mike is finding out that she's a little sharp :eek :grin3

She is finally healthy and doing so good now. What a little fighter!

[SammysMom]

She's a beauty! Love those big ol' "listening earsies"!!!:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[Spanky]

I am so glad she is doing better!! :dance

[TubeDriver]

So cute, look at her sitting like that while eating!:serene

Great update!:thumbsup