Teeth don't match

[Virgil]

I rescued a Grey Squirrel over the winter months-obtained from an employee in October last year after falling out of a nest and local, feral cats were hovering. At any rate, when obtained, I noticed blood in the mouth and I have always felt there was a jaw fracture and displacement. This male was released on Easter Sunday and returns to our back door everyday. His teeth needed "trimming"--actually just the left mandibular canine well before releasing. Now, it looks as if multiple ones are not being "filed" down. Short of capturing, which would be reasonable easy, and getting him to a vet for anesthesia--I'm truly afraid of a bite now, what do you guys suggest. I don't mind the vet bill.

Virgil

[CritterMom]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-hermance/this-baby-squirrel-landed_b_5791862.html

The link above shows one of the most ingenious ways to hold the mouth open while trimming that I have run across. It would still be a two person job with heavy gloves for the holder...

It really is the only option though - they need to be trimmed, by you or a vet. The problem is that this may continue. Sometimes they will grow properly out from a trim but usually mallocluded squirrels will be that way for life.

[Virgil]

Thanks for the link. I agree with the "maintenance" probability. If it was one tooth, I considered getting the vet to just pull it, but now it appears to be about 4 for some reason or the other!

Virgil

[kcassidy]

The problem is that the teeth continue to grow for their entire lives. You may be able to catch him once or twice but after that I would be fairly certain you WON'T catch him again. They do not like having their teeth trimmed. IMO opinion and of course others might have a different thought, you need to catch him and make him a pet or catch him and have him euthanized.

I'm sorry.

[Virgil]

Kim, thanks, I thought about that too. I'm going to take a chance and plan on getting him trimmed and leave him as is. For now, he comes everyday. I've had multiple others rehabbed that have done the same thing and come each day for, well one came for seven years! He is easy to catch and actually still climbs all over whoever is at the back door. So, he may eventually be a pet. Right now I'd like to get him to the vet, get trimmed and a rabies shot.

Virgil

[CritterMom]

He doesn't need a rabies shot. Squirrels are not a vector species.

[Virgil]

Critter Mom,
Thanks. Do you know, however, if a patient has sustained a grey squirrel bite, that my Health Department in NC won't require rabies vaccination? Let's make that rhetorical. I'm a surgeon here in High Point, and we can call ourselves :). The patient is going to be me and I don't really want to go through it unless it's really necessary. Virgil

[TubeDriver]

Your local health department will not ask you to get a rabies vaccine. If you talk to your personal physician, they will not ask that you get a vaccine. If you feel extremely anxious about having been bitten by a squirrel, they may allow you to get the vaccine but will try to make you understand the potential risks associated with the vaccine vs the incredibly remote possibility of the squirrels having rabies.

There has been either 0 or 1 case documented in where a person rabies was transmitted to a human by a squirrel. I say this because I once found a fairly credible case but when I attempted to review it again, I could no longer locate the data. It is EXTREMELY unlikely (although not IMPOSSIBLE) for a squirrel to pass rabies by a bite. Squirrels are simply NOT considered a rabies vector species.

If a mammalian animal was behaving suspiciously (i.e. fearless and aggressive or lethargic, uncoordinated) and attacks and bites you, I would consider getting the rabies vaccine but even under these circumstances, it is unlikely that these symptoms in a squirrel are caused by rabies and MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more likely due to other causes.




Critter Mom,
Thanks. Do you know, however, if a patient has sustained a grey squirrel bite, that my Health Department in NC won't require rabies vaccination? Let's make that rhetorical. I'm a surgeon here in High Point, and we can call ourselves :). The patient is going to be me and I don't really want to go through it unless it's really necessary. Virgil

[kcassidy]

What Tube said. Per my research and my vets info (she too is a Wildlife Rehabber) Squirrels would die before being able to pass along Rabies.

Of course you have to do whatever you feel is best for you and we are only making recomendations. :)

Glad to hear you can catch this squirrel. I only made a comment because I have a squirrel in my house right now that is getting surgery to remove her incisors, due to malocclusion, it is a "hot" topic for me :D :D

[CritterMom]

The one thing you WILL want to do if you get nailed is update your tetanus innoculation - squirrel bites are the very definition of "puncture wounds." :eek

[TubeDriver]

The one thing you WILL want to do if you get nailed is update your tetanus innoculation - squirrel bites are the very definition of "puncture wounds." :eek

:goodpost