Skin Affliction

[vol4wild]

Hello Everyone!

I am am a licensed rehabber on Long Island, NY where I supervise a wildlife hospital. We currently have about 80 juveniles in our care. I have seen a few concerning skin lesions pop up and I did not know what they were. I am beginning to think they are a staph infection, but perhaps you can give better insight.

The lesions are starting as small crusty scab like patches on the legs, side of belly and neck. The scabs do come off revealing a very small amount of pus on some lesions. I have seven squirrels (from three different unrelated groups of singles that I made into groups) that have shown sign at some point over the last few weeks. They don't seem to get worse and some appear to have dried up. I would not describe the lesions as wart like. I do have all affected isolated. I have treated with chlorhexidine washes and application of heal-x. When I was first concerned I may be dealing with a pox issue, all received several doses of famciclovir. At this point, all squirrels are active, warm, and have good appetites for approx 7 week old squirrels. I did lose two from one of these group after I noted acute swelling in the feet on one side of their body. It was strange and very sudden (swelling noted and deceased within 24 hours :( )

This photo is what most of the lesions look like. Do we think this is staph? Any thoughts on the two with the sudden swelling?

Thanks!
263612

[Milo's Mom]

How long have these babies been in house?
Did any of them come in with these "patches"?
Are they all as fully furred as the one in the pic?
Have you noticed any bumps under the fur prior to seeing the scabby stuff?
Have you noted any "pneumonia" like symptoms?

Have they all been treated for parasites....such as with Ivermectin or Revolution?

Sorry for all the questions in response to your question. I experienced something kind of similar this year with 2 of my kids.

[vol4wild]

Hi!
Thanks for your reply.
Squirrels have been in house ranging from about two weeks to some since they were tiny pinkies. Nothing noted on skin on admission, no bumps.

All squirrels are as furry as the one pictured, they are all about seven weeks old now.

One of the squirrels has mild sniffly symptoms from time to time which I have treated with Baytril. However, we have had a large number coming in with respiratory ailments certainly more than ever before and some straight from wild not fed by public prior to admission.

No itching or anything noted. Some squirrels were deflead on admission but no other parasited noted. Nothing administered beyond possibly capstar for a few.

[Milo's Mom]

Hi :wave123 and you're welcome!

Hmmm, ok, blows my first theory.

My kids were diagnosed with ant bites and I treated with Clavamox. I had 4, I lost 2 due to ant venom being a hemotoxin. One just died within a few hours of intake, another developed "pneumonia" like I've never seen before (fine to awful in 2 hours) and died shortly thereafter and the other 2 are big strong eating machines today.

The reason I was thinking ant bites.....and I just learned this. Ant bites are, for the most part, usually confined to one "side" of the body...belly, back, left side, right side. Staph would not necessarily be this way, to the best of my knowledge. In addition, ant bites take between 7-14 days to fully "come about" and they start as pustuals with a teeny tiny black dot in the center. That dot is necrotic tissue They burst and the scabbing looks very much like the picture you posted. Since the venom is a hemotoxin the babies usually bleed out internally, usually in the gut or lungs (which is where the pneumonia like symptoms come from) and death is fast.

Anyway, I don't think you're dealing with ant bites. If it were me, I'd treat with Ivermectin topically to rule out any possible parasites (there is a kind of mite that causes that weird crusty scabbing...but it's usually in the moist areas...armpits, groin, leg creases) and since it's a skin issue with small amounts of pus I'd also get them on Clavamox. If it's staph the Clavamox will also help.

[Milo's Mom]

Oh and the respiratory issues this year....OMG! Let's not even go there! I've got 15 kids on Doxy right now since Baytril wasn't touching it. The vet and I both think it's Bordetella...it's moving fast and every time I turn around another one has it. (and my protocol for cross contamination is pretty strict, like anally strict)

[Mommaluvy]

I had 8 with Staph this year from different backgrounds.

Some were confirmed by a vet cultures . After the third I just gave them the baths and the Clavamox


Ours started as flat barely raised pustules. Then progressed to a scale and flat lesions sometimes with more pus. Some developed accesses . I did clorhex topical skin baths . But it was not stopping it

Clavamox cured 4 ( per vet)

Three were treated with Keflin injectable per vet - ONE DIED but it had been fed a horrible mixture of egg and raw milk for 3 weeks before I got it. ( rehabbed thought it was a flyer and it needed more protein.)

And one was a nest mate that feel 2 weeks after her sibling was in my care. She came in with healed lesions. And was not treated with meds.

This picture looks to me to be staph. But without seeing in person...

You might try the Clavamox. It will stop progression with in a few doses. But DO watch for abscesses. Again two of mine developed big abscesses under one or two of the lesions .

could the swellings have been abscesses?

I have pictures of mine on the board here if you would like links to compare.