How do you tame a wild squirrel with malocollusion????

[Zabbo1]

About a month and a half ago I became a member on squirrel board seeking help for my backyard fur friend that took residence in a squirrel house I had built. Her name is Dezzy. One day, i noticed a big lump on her neck. I also noticed she was having difficulty eating. She became less and less active and starting sleeping more in the squirrel house. She was very malnourished as eating became increasingly difficult for her. I finally trapped her. The vet lanced her lump, gave her a preventative deworm shot, and filed her teeth down. Turns out her teeth were crooked and grew so long the bottom inscisors were growing into her upper gum line. i have to take her back in a week to have teeth filed again and to determine whether she has maloccolluision. If so, she cannot be released or she will eventually die slowly. So, my question is... how do you tame a wild squirrel? Ive got her eating. She looks a 1000x better. But she is extremely skiddish. Im concerned that i will not be able to get her in a crate when its time to go to the vet. If, i have to give her continued care for the rest of her life id like to be able to handle her eventually. the vet i have is 2.5 hrs away. thatll be difficult to do every 2 weeks when her teeth will need to be filed. any suggestions?

thank you,
jamie

[SammysMom]

So glad to see a Dezzy update! It does seem like her tooth issue would have likely been caused by an accident or injury. Maybe her teeth will straighten out with a few regular clippings. I have now had 3 who had bad malocclusions and their teeth have begun to line up and wear down properly.
Time is the only thing that will help your friendship grow. Be patient and gentle and she may come around. The best way to get her into a crate is to wait until she is in her nestbox the night before you are leaving and stuff a cloth into the hole, hold the lid closed if it opens and move her to the crate in that.

[Shewhosweptforest]

So glad to see a Dezzy update! It does seem like her tooth issue would have likely been caused by an accident or injury. Maybe her teeth will straighten out with a few regular clippings. I have now had 3 who had bad malocclusions and their teeth have begun to line up and wear down properly.
Time is the only thing that will help your friendship grow. Be patient and gentle and she may come around. The best way to get her into a crate is to wait until she is in her nestbox the night before you are leaving and stuff a cloth into the hole, hold the lid closed if it opens and move her to the crate in that.

:goodpost :great

That's exactly what I was going to say :grin3 my husband and I were in the same boat...we were brought a wild...3 to 4 year old female ....she was petrified at first...we put one of our outside style nest boxes in her cage....of course that is where she would hide....my husband took the top off and drilled out the screw holes, so the lid could be taken off and then slid back on. We also drilled two holes on either side of the entrance hole...then we had a piece of wood with pre drilled holes so when she was inside we'd just put the wooden piece over the hole and screw the screws in...by hand so it wouldn't frighten her more. This is how we caught her to take her to the vet...twice...then when we realized the vet was not cutting her teeth short enough we decided to do it ourselves...I held her....while my husband clipped the teeth. I would take the lid off and have a blanket ready....I'd stuff the blanket in and then scoop her up...I had to hold her tightly...or she would get away :facepalm then I would slowly work around the blanket till I got her face to an opening. This was traumatic for us all :eek but she survived and so did we :grin3 she has become so docile and relaxed we decided not to release her...she's happy :dono not all squirrels respond this way...we were just lucky :Love_Icon we started by rolling her cage into the living room in the evenings while watching tv...we would just sit quietly watching tv with the cage right by the couch...when she'd peek out..we'd offer her a nut...and talk quietly to her....it took a long time...with no expectations on our part...we didn't immediately start talking to her and offering things...that happened after she got comfortable enough to lay out in the open:Love_Icon here are some pics I just took yesterday and the last two at the end of Dec....we really do love our Momma Squirrel she's 5 or 6 now and very happy little squirrel girl :Love_Icon I hope your little one will adapt and if she can't be fixed that she'll come to love living with her new family. Momma's malocclusion was caused by a cyst on her jaw....and after about 10 mos of trimming...first every three weeks...then a tune up every once in awhile she's fine....we haven't trimmed in 16 mos :great it can be done..it just takes time and patience :Love_Icon

[Zabbo1]

So glad to see a Dezzy update! It does seem like her tooth issue would have likely been caused by an accident or injury. Maybe her teeth will straighten out with a few regular clippings. I have now had 3 who had bad malocclusions and their teeth have begun to line up and wear down properly.
Time is the only thing that will help your friendship grow. Be patient and gentle and she may come around. The best way to get her into a crate is to wait until she is in her nestbox the night before you are leaving and stuff a cloth into the hole, hold the lid closed if it opens and move her to the crate in that.

great idea!!!! thank you!! inch by inch she is getting better and better. a couple days ago she started to take boo balls from my hand. that was a huge breakthrough.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BB5EzjNxxv6/?taken-by=zabbo1

still want to get her neck checked though. it still sticks out funny. im hoping its stretched out skin.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBu0lLcRxrp/?taken-by=zabbo1

figured time was the key. lol. nothing is as simple as becoming bffs over night.

thank you for quick reply

[SammysMom]

The relationship with a wild is so precious because it takes such trust and love...:Love_Icon

[Zabbo1]

:goodpost :great

That's exactly what I was going to say :grin3 my husband and I were in the same boat...we were brought a wild...3 to 4 year old female ....she was petrified at first...we put one of our outside style nest boxes in her cage....of course that is where she would hide....my husband took the top off and drilled out the screw holes, so the lid could be taken off and then slid back on. We also drilled two holes on either side of the entrance hole...then we had a piece of wood with pre drilled holes so when she was inside we'd just put the wooden piece over the hole and screw the screws in...by hand so it wouldn't frighten her more. This is how we caught her to take her to the vet...twice...then when we realized the vet was not cutting her teeth short enough we decided to do it ourselves...I held her....while my husband clipped the teeth. I would take the lid off and have a blanket ready....I'd stuff the blanket in and then scoop her up...I had to hold her tightly...or she would get away :facepalm then I would slowly work around the blanket till I got her face to an opening. This was traumatic for us all :eek but she survived and so did we :grin3 she has become so docile and relaxed we decided not to release her...she's happy :dono not all squirrels respond this way...we were just lucky :Love_Icon we started by rolling her cage into the living room in the evenings while watching tv...we would just sit quietly watching tv with the cage right by the couch...when she'd peek out..we'd offer her a nut...and talk quietly to her....it took a long time...with no expectations on our part...we didn't immediately start talking to her and offering things...that happened after she got comfortable enough to lay out in the open:Love_Icon here are some pics I just took yesterday and the last two at the end of Dec....we really do love our Momma Squirrel she's 5 or 6 now and very happy little squirrel girl :Love_Icon I hope your little one will adapt and if she can't be fixed that she'll come to love living with her new family. Momma's malocclusion was caused by a cyst on her jaw....and after about 10 mos of trimming...first every three weeks...then a tune up every once in awhile she's fine....we haven't trimmed in 16 mos :great it can be done..it just takes time and patience :Love_Icon


thank you so much for responding. this is just what i needed to hear! i feel more motivated. less helpless. luckily for me i have a friend who knows how to trim teeth so im hoping with all of your helpful advice she and i can team up and do them ourselves down the road.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BB5EzjNxxv6/?taken-by=zabbo1

this was our huge break through. it took a week to get to this. i sit in the room with her every am at feeding time and talk to her. i stick my hand in the cage just so she gets used to my hand not being a threat. i try to make the same noise every am too when i bring the food so she associated me as 'the hand that feeds her' baby steps

[Shewhosweptforest]

Oh she looks great :great and she's doing much better around you than our Momma Squirrel did in the beginning :grin3 she's a love:Love_Icon I'm so glad you were able to save her...it's a miracle story :Love_Icon keep up the good work...and you know if you have any questions...you only need to ask :grin3

[Zabbo1]

Oh she looks great :great and she's doing much better around you than our Momma Squirrel did in the beginning :grin3 she's a love:Love_Icon I'm so glad you were able to save her...it's a miracle story :Love_Icon keep up the good work...and you know if you have any questions...you only need to ask :grin3

i just wheeled her in the living room where im watching tv. i really like that idea so she gets used to both myself and the dogs. before i had her in my bedroom. ive been sleeping on the couch so she can feel safe and have her own space. but, in order to establish a relationship i decided to take your advice and have her with us. im happy i have you to refer to since you have gone through this before.. thank you.

[Shewhosweptforest]

I'm glad to help....we learned through trial and error....first it was a necessity to roll her out of the squirrel room so I could let Baby run :dono but soon we realized she liked it....she actually watches TV ...it's a hoot :facepalm during those times she was sitting in there with my husband...and she's closer to him then anyone :grin3 she will jump right on him....me she's a little more shy....but she will come right to me....just not too sure about hopping on :Love_Icon we all love her very much :grin3 your girl is already taking things from your hand and sitting out with you there...that is a very positive sign:great

[SammysMom]

What kind of dogs do you have? It would really be better to not let her get used to them on the chance that she ends up being releaseable. I know it seems unlikely now, but when she is feeling better she may tell you she needs to be free. You wouldn't want her to lose her fear of dogs, as in the wild they will be very dangerous for her.

[Nancy in New York]

In the video, it appears that the abscess is back, when does she go to the vets again?
Please read this, it's a lesson this member learned the hard way. :(

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?28790-Squirrels-and-Domestic-Pets-Warning&highlight=Warning

[stepnstone]

In the video, it appears that the abscess is back, when does she go to the vets again?


Yea Nancy! I was just scrolling to the bottom to say the same.:great
Noticed it right off on the video. Teeth issues and abcess go right
in hand with each other. That ain't no loose skin. :nono

[Zabbo1]

What kind of dogs do you have? It would really be better to not let her get used to them on the chance that she ends up being releaseable. I know it seems unlikely now, but when she is feeling better she may tell you she needs to be free. You wouldn't want her to lose her fear of dogs, as in the wild they will be very dangerous for her.

i have 2 pit mixes..


https://www.instagram.com/p/83bF_wRxmf/?tagged=millythesquirrel

i raised milly the squirrel late august in 2014. she now lives outside. the dogs know the difference between milly and other squirrels. its really fascinating. theyre used to me bringing home small critters lol i have a ferret too named flower and the dogs get chased around the house by her all the time. its hilarious. but, yes you are right about not taking the fear of dogs serious. i have a vet appt for dezzy tomorrow. im hoping ill have a better idea of her prognosis. so i can begin planning long term if need be. for now, she is in the living room with us. the dogs show little interest in dezzy at all. so im not concerned.

https://www.instagram.com/p/x_LNoiRxiL/?tagged=millythesquirrel

https://www.instagram.com/p/uFCsK7Rxo4/?tagged=millythesquirrel

[Zabbo1]

Yea Nancy! I was just scrolling to the bottom to say the same.:great
Noticed it right off on the video. Teeth issues and abcess go right
in hand with each other. That ain't no loose skin. :nono


going to the vet again tomorrow. hopefully ill have better idea of long term prognosis. is this abscess something that will have to continue to be drained in addition to having her teeth trimmed?

[Zabbo1]

Yea Nancy! I was just scrolling to the bottom to say the same.:great
Noticed it right off on the video. Teeth issues and abcess go right
in hand with each other. That ain't no loose skin. :nono

we have an appt scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. road trip!

[Zabbo1]

after going to the vet a second time it was concluded that dezzy was most likely born with a jaw deformity. since dezzy has been in my care she has only eaten avocado and boo balls despite the many soft and solid food options i provided. the vet suggested she would not make it in the wild and would make a better pet. so i started pricing materials to build her an outdoor enclosure with spring right around the corner.

this was her teeth after almost a week and a half since the 1st vet visit. so she was due for another trimming.

270052

i was concerned she wasnt going to file her own teeth. the vet is 2.5 hours away and that would be difficult to manage twice a month.

but then she did this today!!!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCa3F5ZEAcW/?taken-by=dezzy_the_squirrel

i was ecstatic. if she continues with the chewing and filing then maybe there is hope she can be released in the future. its hard to believe i found her like this

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBSaqQCRxky/?taken-by=zabbo1

barely able to eat. struggling to chew. malnourished. and now...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCa1zTWEAaC/?taken-by=dezzy_the_squirrel

brighter days ahead...

[Zabbo1]

270053

feeling better:dance

[astra]

i have 2 pit mixes..


https://www.instagram.com/p/83bF_wRxmf/?tagged=millythesquirrel

i raised milly the squirrel late august in 2014. she now lives outside. the dogs know the difference between milly and other squirrels. its really fascinating. theyre used to me bringing home small critters lol i have a ferret too named flower and the dogs get chased around the house by her all the time. its hilarious. but, yes you are right about not taking the fear of dogs serious. i have a vet appt for dezzy tomorrow. im hoping ill have a better idea of her prognosis. so i can begin planning long term if need be. for now, she is in the living room with us. the dogs show little interest in dezzy at all. so im not concerned.

https://www.instagram.com/p/x_LNoiRxiL/?tagged=millythesquirrel

https://www.instagram.com/p/uFCsK7Rxo4/?tagged=millythesquirrel

Agree with Sammysmom. It's not only about your dogs not chasing her, but her fear of dogs. Even if your dogs can recognize her, she may assume that all dogs are safe - deadly if she ends up being releasable.

[astra]

after going to the vet a second time it was concluded that dezzy was most likely born with a jaw deformity. since dezzy has been in my care she has only eaten avocado and boo balls despite the many soft and solid food options i provided. the vet suggested she would not make it in the wild and would make a better pet. so i started pricing materials to build her an outdoor enclosure with spring right around the corner.

this was her teeth after almost a week and a half since the 1st vet visit. so she was due for another trimming.

270052

i was concerned she wasnt going to file her own teeth. the vet is 2.5 hours away and that would be difficult to manage twice a month.

but then she did this today!!!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCa3F5ZEAcW/?taken-by=dezzy_the_squirrel

i was ecstatic. if she continues with the chewing and filing then maybe there is hope she can be released in the future. its hard to believe i found her like this

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBSaqQCRxky/?taken-by=zabbo1

barely able to eat. struggling to chew. malnourished. and now...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCa1zTWEAaC/?taken-by=dezzy_the_squirrel

brighter days ahead...
Great! Maybe indeed she'll be able to file her teeth! :thumbsup

[DarkLies212]

:please
Hoping she'll make a full recovery!