Questions about a special needs squirrel

[Eugene Peterson]

Back in August I found a 2 week old baby squirrel that had fallen about 50 feet from the tree in my front yard. Something had gotten into the nest and 2 other babies didn't survive. "Eugene" the smallest of the 3. He was really dehydrated and had some scratches and puncture wounds. His ear was full of fly eggs. I got him all cleaned up and cared for him for a few days. I was worried that I would get too attached so I took him to a really great wildlife rehabber with the stipulation that if Eugene couldn't be released, I would come get him. He called last week and said that Eugene would last long on his own, so I went to get him. I don't think he can see very well. How can I tell if he's blind? He doesn't bump into stuff, he's just uncoordinated. He doesn't jump or climb either. He kind of just putters around. He isn't nearly as active as other squirrels his age. I'm not an expert but I don't think he would last 5 minutes in the wild. Until that changes, he can live with me. I'm turning a 4x8 room in my basement into a squirrel castle. He will have access to a small, glassed-in atrium outside as well. I'm trying to educate myself as much as possible so I can provide him with an excellent home. I ordered him squirrel food from Henry's Pets. Any advice on how I can get him to bond to me? He hasn't bitten me but he has put his teeth on me when I picked him up. I'm prepared to handle him as much or as little as he likes but life will be much easier if he likes me. He seems to have lukewarm feelings for me now. Also, I was wondering if anyone knows of a vet in Missouri or Northern Arkansas that will see squirrels? Will he be ok by himself or does he need a friend? Can I give him something for fleas? Any advice welcome!

[CritterMom]

Aw, we would love to see a picture of this little guy! It sounds like you are well on the way to providing wonderfully for him.

They don't really like being picked up. They are, at heart, wild animals and I am betting that being picked up is a little too reminiscent of being grabbed by a hawk. I have always provided my squirrel with tons of stuffed toys from small to huge - they are all over his big enclosure and his playroom, and I prefer to use them as "taxi's" for my guy. I hold one out and he hops right on the stuffy and off we go. You can also offer him your forearm to jump up onto. When my guy is doing something he shouldn't I usually pick him up and move him away but for fun we usually let him think it is his idea to hop on board.

Try just sitting with him, talking to him, being in his area without grabbing him and I bet he will be investigating you very soon on his own - they can't help themselves. You be the one to dole out goodies to him. Don't let him have enough to stash though - they will get quite nasty defending a nut!

They do love stuffed animals though - get the ones that don't have glued on plastic eyes that can be chewed off and eaten, and also check to make sure they don't have polystyrene beads inside - squeeze the toy all over - you can feel them; they add weight and are sometimes in the ends of arms and legs to make them "hang" better. You can use the toys to wrestle with him and play.

If he has balance issues he is still going to want to do squirrel things so I suggest you pad the bottom of the cage well - he will likely take some tumbles and it is better to be prepared for that in advance.

[SammysMom]

Welcome to TSB! The first thing that will help us to help you are pictures. We need to see his size and physical condition. Does he seem smaller than usual squirrels?
He does NOT need a friend. For the most part, squirrels are solitary creatures who have "company" in the wild due to food sources being shared. Although in the colder months they do sometimes seem to live together, probably for warmth.
Are you near Little Rock, AR? There is a vet there who is wonderful with squirrels.

[stepnstone]

Welcome to TSB! The first thing that will help us to help you are pictures. We need to see his size and physical condition. Does he seem smaller than usual squirrels?
He does NOT need a friend. For the most part, squirrels are solitary creatures who have "company" in the wild due to food sources being shared. Although in the colder months they do sometimes seem to live together, probably for warmth.
U[Are you near Little Rock, AR? There is a vet there who is wonderful with squirrels.[/U]

:thumbsup

You can use a warm damp wash cloth with original unscented Dawn dish soap to help rid the fleas.
Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade is another safe product you could use.
There are other products like Revolution (1 drop) that can be used but wouldn't suggest it without
knowing more about age, size and condition of this baby.

[Mel1959]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, and wanted to join because I also have a special needs squirrel. My squirrel is really bonded to me and because he is so dependent, he enjoys being held and cuddled. Given a choice of being loose to run around or be on my shoulder or in my pocket, 95% of the time he will choose to be with me. My advice is to see how he responds to being handled by you after some time has passed and you have been caring for him for a while. My squirrel likes to be in the pocket of my housecoat at night while I watch TV and I recently got a pouch that is typically used for sugar gliders, so I can carry him around securely. He is still adjusting to it. I have noticed that he likes to remain hidden while he is on my person, so I've stuck an additional fleece blanket in the pouch so he can snuggle and stay buried.

I got Joey, my squirrel, from someone who had found him at the base of an oak tree on his property. I have raised and released 2 sets of squirrels in the past and was concerned about Joeys well being, so I convinced the man to let me take Joey home. That was in the middle of Oct. We have made two trips to two different vets and this last vet affirmed my suspicions that Joey is indeed "special" needs. He has not grown at a normal rate and is still uncoordinated. He also doesn't act like a typical squirrel because he doesn't climb or jump everything in sight. I am relieved to know that I am caring for him correctly and that he will just need to be cared for by me instead of being released. It's reassuring to know that I'm not depriving him of another life.

[DarkLies212]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, and wanted to join because I also have a special needs squirrel. My squirrel is really bonded to me and because he is so dependent, he enjoys being held and cuddled. Given a choice of being loose to run around or be on my shoulder or in my pocket, 95% of the time he will choose to be with me. My advice is to see how he responds to being handled by you after some time has passed and you have been caring for him for a while. My squirrel likes to be in the pocket of my housecoat at night while I watch TV and I recently got a pouch that is typically used for sugar gliders, so I can carry him around securely. He is still adjusting to it. I have noticed that he likes to remain hidden while he is on my person, so I've stuck an additional fleece blanket in the pouch so he can snuggle and stay buried.

I got Joey, my squirrel, from someone who had found him at the base of an oak tree on his property. I have raised and released 2 sets of squirrels in the past and was concerned about Joeys well being, so I convinced the man to let me take Joey home. That was in the middle of Oct. We have made two trips to two different vets and this last vet affirmed my suspicions that Joey is indeed "special" needs. He has not grown at a normal rate and is still uncoordinated. He also doesn't act like a typical squirrel because he doesn't climb or jump everything in sight. I am relieved to know that I am caring for him correctly and that he will just need to be cared for by me instead of being released. It's reassuring to know that I'm not depriving him of another life.

Thank you so much for rescuing little Joey! Please make a thread and introduce us to him and post some pictures!! Welcome to TSB! :hug

[Mel1959]

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These are some pictures of Joey. I have had him since mid Oct. When I got him his eyes were open and he had hair. He developed pneumonia so I took him to the vet and he was on Baytril for 7 days. He weighed 80 gr. He is still eating formula 2 to 3 times a day. (Fox Valley and Esbilac) i put pro-bios in it and sometimes a little whipping cream or full fat vanilla yogurt. I have Zupreem monkey biscuits and rodent blocks that I offer, as well as vegetables, fruits and nuts. He doesn't readily eat much of any of it. He sleeps a lot. When he is out of his cage he will wander around my screened patio, but prefers to be on my shoulder or in my lap. He doesn't use his claws well enough to hold on tightly so I keep a hand close by to catch him if he feels like he will fall. I had him to a vet who is familiar with squirrels last week and she agreed that physically he doesn't look or act like a normal squirrel. She thought his hind quarters looked odd when he walked. She advised to continue feeding him formula since he hasn't wanted to wean himself yet, but didn't offer any other suggestions on how to get him to eat better. So my questions are: Should I get another type of formula to see if he likes it better? Should I push pedialyte? I wake him to feed him, should I continue to do so? I am concerned because he does sleep so much and doesn't seem to have a lot of energy. I read on this forum that someone was feeding their squirrel some baby food sweet potatoes and apples. Does this seem like something I should try? He is super sweet and cuddly. He sleeps in the pocket of my housecoat every night while I watch TV and enjoys being carried n a critter carrier. He now weighs 160 gr. but is quite small with very thin hair. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have successfully raised and released 2 sets of squirrels in the past. I'm glad I got some reassurance from the vet that Joey is different and that the mother had probably pushed him out of the nest and that his slow growth was not the result of something I had done.

[Mel1959]

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[Penelope]

I think this baby sounds exactly like my dwarf baby.I might be off but from this post sounds like this could be one.Hoping chickenlegs will chime in and give her opinion!I private messaged her to check this out.

[Penelope]

I have read this post again and again.This is my experience exactly!I would be happy to help you with any questions you might have about this special baby.

[SammysMom]

Oh he is so cute!!! If ever you need a vet and are anywhere near Port Orange, there is a vet there named Dr. Emerson who is VERY experienced with these little special squirrels. I know she would be very happy to meet him!:Love_Icon

[Chickenlegs]

You are blessed with one of the sweetest creatures on the planet. Your Joey is like Peanut and my Punkin. He's a dwarf--a baby with the squirrel equivalent of Downs Syndrome. Like many human abnormalities, the condition isn't cut and dried. There is a spectrum and any individual squirrel can be very high functioning or very low functioning. They are special needs squirrels, require a LOT of attention and can be really picky about food and drinking enough. I've been blessed twice. My first was Kensington. He was a low functioning little guy and to my sorrow only lived 8/9 months. Punkin seems to be very high functioning and I have high hopes she will live an almost normal life span. Where are you located? If in Florida you are in spittin distance from the best squirrel vet ever who loves dwarfs--Dr. Emerson. (Oops--sorry Gayle--you're ahead of me) Joey needs formula--give it to him as long as he'll take it. I sometimes put some vanilla full fat vogurt or babyfood in Punkin's formula. Sometimes I give her a little rice cereal in formula. Have you tried avocado? Cooked sweet potato? Cheerios? Rice Chex? Punkin LOVES cheesy eggs. She also loves orange cranberry muffins. She will eat "wild bites"--an HHB for outside squirrels. She won't touch any others. I cut them up, dribble a little formula on them to soften them up and put them on her plate when I put her to bed. I hear her crunching on them about 5:30 in the morning. She will NOT touch a bit of lettuce tho I think she nibbled a tiny bit of snap pea cut into tiny pieces. A dwarf is the pickiest eater on the planet. Make sure he drinks. He doesn't need pedialyte. If he won't drink, put some sugar, honey, molasses, something in the water. Punkin drinks from a waterbottle. I offer her water a number of times throughout the day and first thing in the morning as well as last thing at night. My first baby, Kensington, just wouldn't drink. Even tho he would get a good subQing, he was always borderline dehydrated. I think he would have lived longer if he would have just taken water. Joey is going to be a challenge. If he'll eat it, he gets it. Just make sure he gets formula. That's your ace in the hole nutrition wise. Be VERY careful letting him sit on your shoulder unsupported. You noticed they don't have much of a grip. They fall easily and when they do they drop like a squishy rock. These little guys get cold so I keep a heating pad under Punkin's bin. She doesn't have a cage. She likes running around the house but sleeps in a bin. She has a little bird cage tricked out with a cube and ramps so she can't fall. I don't leave her there unless I'm close. She navigates it pretty well but it's too easy for her to fall or catch her claws. Any and all info about him, PLEASE document so anyone else who finds themselves with one of these special gifts doesn't have to guess. Kensington and Punkin are both in the Nursery. Anything I can do to help with Joey, let me know--or ask Sue, Peanut's mom. Joey looks like Kensington, AND Punkin, ANd Peanut. Give him a kiss on his sweet head from me. You Have been gifted with a realio trulio angel!

[Mel1959]

THANK YOU ALL for your help understanding Joey. I feel my biggest challenge is getting him to eat. I will continue with formula as long as he will take it. He's on Fox Valley 20/50, but I wonder if I should get him some of the formula that is for younger squirrels as it might have more nutrients for him? I also want to order some Henry blocks but don't know which type would be best since he is such a picky eater, but is also so low in weight? Any Advice? He does have a large cage inside the house and can navigate an oak branch to climb and get to his critter house, but I have blankets all over so if he falls it will be cushioned. I haven't seen him fall yet. I will definitely take him to see Dr Emerson after the holidays and get some much needed advice. Thank you, again, for taking the time to share your knowledge.

[Chickenlegs]

Punkin gets FV 20-50. Have you tried yogurt? Cheese? Orange cranberry muffins? (I put formula on everything. She will eat wild bites but none of the other HHB. just gotta offer anything. You're really lucky to have Dr. Emerson close!