Broken leg

[arfrcchic]

I have been raising a squirrel for over a month now. He has been with me since he was 4 wks old. He is now 9 wks. I have followed every bit of the guidlines on the squirreltales website and he's been doing great! Happy and energetic and healthy. However, this morning he leaped from my shoulder when i got him out to feed him (which he has never done before). He hurt his leg and Im pretty sure it is broken. It dangles when i hold him and he won't walk on it. He just drags it behind him. He seems OK under the circumstances, eating and drinking fine, still moving around (albeit alot less considering) and he is very much alert and inquisitive still. He cries out if I touch his leg at all just above the ankle. When I compare the two legs it seems broken there but I'm not sure. It's not oddly shaped or anything but he's definitely not using it at all. He bends the leg at the hip and knee...just not at the ankle. I spent all morning trying to connect with a wildlife rehabber but I got no return calls and noone answered. I called many vets but most either weren't opened , being that it is a Sunday on memorial day weekend, or they couldn't see wildlife. I found one that would be willing to see him on Tues but said they would "see what they could do and release him to a wildlife rehabilitator if one was available." They legally can't release him back to me because they have to follow protocol, so I'm not sure what may happen to him. But I'm concerned he may need a vet to look at the leg in case it is broke. I was told by quite a few individuals that they heal fast and if I keep him in an area where he can't climb and keep him warm and make sure he rests with good nutrition he should be ok. Any advice?

[SammysMom]

Okay, I am not sure which site squirrel tales is so can you tell us what you are feeding? Which formula did or is he eating? Be sure he is in a very well padded area. Can you post a picture of him and of his leg?

[arfrcchic]

The website I've followed mostly is: http://www.squirreltales.org/

He has been getting esbilac formula since I got him. I introduced solids around 5 1/2 wks. He started with a cacao and grapes. Then started introducing other soft fruits like berries, then watermelon etc. Ive tried broccoli, carrots, lettuce but he has no interesst in vegetables. Once he started getting molars I started giving him dog food. Zupreme primate chow was suggested but it's not available in my area. I bought Henry's squirrel blocks but almost immediately found criticisms regarding the nut content so Ive fed him those only a few times as treats. Science diet puppy food was recommended as an alternative but I feed my dogs 4health which is rated a better dogfood by dogfood advisor so I opted for that for the time being until I found the most appropriate solid food. Seems to be a lot of controversy over that. Next post will have pics if his leg.

[arfrcchic]

That was supposed to be avacado and grapes in that last message.

I'm having trouble uploading a picture of his leg from my phone.

[SammysMom]

Not trying to be a jerk, but dog food is NOT what we need to feed squirrels. The puppy formula is good, but not the dry dog food. HHBs are what he needs. The nut content is not an issue at all. I think that you may have some nutritional issues going on with your little one. Fruits are to be treats only and rodent block is what you need to be the basis of his diet. Please consider giving him at least one block per day and start with leafy greens to go with that. Here is the link to the healthy diet for squirrels.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?39275-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-%28Revised-2-13%29

[arfrcchic]

I'm not trying to argue point because you may very well be right. But to my defense I have been doing TONS of research and there is so much conflicting information it's hard to know what is right. What I've done so far has been consistent things I've found throughout...avacado, fruits veggies, esbilac...but the dry food has so much controversy it's unreal. One site says zupreme the next criticizes saying no they aren't primates. They should be eating squirrel food. I buy the squirrel food(Henry's blocks) and then I see a bunch of criticism on the nut content and MBD. Another says dog food has all the nutrients with the right ratio of calcium/phosphorous...a lot of these sites are "backed by licensed rehabilitators"...so who's right?

[SammysMom]

I have successfully raised enough squirrels that I am confident in saying that HHBs are good. Not saying that monkey chow is not usable, but HHBs are made for squirrels needs. Dog diet and squirrel diet once they are weaned go in totally different directions nutritionally. I won't argue, I will just state what I know from my experience.

[arfrcchic]

Besides....he's just been eating (and actually injesting not just crumbling) the hard food for about 3 -4 days now. It hasn't been a staple in his diet for too long as he's just barely 9 weeks. Might even be closer to 8 weeks based on him just barely starting to eat the dry food which means he JUST got his molars. The biggest issue is his leg.

[SammysMom]

It is just odd that his leg broke so easily is why I am asking nutritional questions. I totally understand if he is still really on formula and just having these things added. Can you post a pic of his leg so that we can see if that helps us to guide you?

[arfrcchic]

I'm not trying to argue point. Just trying to what's right. I'll definitely look into the HHB...for now though I need to figure out what to do about his leg.

[arfrcchic]

I'm having trouble posting a picture from my phone. It won't bring up any pictures that I have taken as an option to upload.

[SammysMom]

It is just odd that his leg broke so easily is why I am asking nutritional questions. I totally understand if he is still really on formula and just having these things added. Can you post a pic of his leg so that we can see if that helps us to guide you?

If texting pics is easier than posting them, you can ext them to me. Even an older pic from when you got him as well as one including his leg from now might be a good judge of age etc. You can text to 203 214-7427 and I will post for you here.

[arfrcchic]

Thank you. I sent some pictures. The first few took awhile to upload. Let me know if you get them ok.

[SammysMom]

I am posting the pics, but if you could tell which is which it would be great. He is really adorable! :Love_Icon Do you have any infant ibuprofen or meticam?

[arfrcchic]

The first three pictures are of him when I first got him. Between 4 and 5 weeks. The next two are of him out getting some exercise just before he hurt his leg. The last four are of his leg now. The left leg in the pics is the one that is hurt. It drops a little more than the other one. The last is of him sitting. When he sits he can get it I'm the right position but sometimes he has his toes curled under. But when I walks he drags it. I will be getting ibuprofen first thing in the morning as per our conversation.

[redwuff]

I struggled with the horrible conflicting information concerning diets when I found my first squirrel five years ago. Like you said, everyone says that they are the expert and every other site does not know what they are talking about.

My squirrel was in horrible shape until I started following the guidance here on TSB. There are many experienced and knowledgable people here. Many are also licensed rehabilitators. But believe me, being licensed does not necessarily mean knowledge.

Please listen to the info you get here.

As far as your little ones leg, l picked up a 5.5 wk baby a few weeks ago and he had a leg that was dangling. I was sure it was broken. I took him to the vet I work with, and an X-ray later said it was not broken. He is fine now. I like to know from a vet if there is a break or not. If I had just wrapped it then I don't believe it would have healed as well. See if you can get it looked at but do be careful. Many vets will confiscate. It would help your baby to take some infant ibuprofen as he is in pain if he is not using it. What is the weight on your baby?

The concern with the diet is that bones are not as strong and can easily break on the wrong diet. I would never feed a squirrel dog food other than the Esbilac puppy formula.

[arfrcchic]

I'm on board with you. I talked with Sammy mom last night and she's extremely knowledgable. I connected on Facebook and saw a bunch of squirrels she has taken care of. Clearly she knows what she's doing with the volume of squirrels she releases. I'm glad I found this site! I try to be objective and weed out information. I was torn because I was talking to a rehabber on the phone from Georgia. The second I mentioned Henry's blocks she lost it. Said that it's the worst on the market and they should be arrested for selling it. Her argument was that it has pecans as the first ingredient. That the dry food should be 80% of their diet. So a food that is primarily nuts that should be 80% of the diet is way to much nuts. That seemed logical so I stopped feeding them to him. He had only had one at that point anyhow. She was adamant they were junk. I like this site cause you can get a collective opinion, not just one. It seems the HHBS aren't as bad as she made them out to be...although her reasoning was rather sound I thought.

I'm glad your baby with the hurt leg is ok. I hope that's the case for the one im caring for. I would really like to get him checked but no matter what vet I take him to he will be confiscated. I'm studying to get licensed now. Got all the info and am reading the study guide (book). The next test isn't till Aug. Nothing I can do atm. The only vet I found will take him tues and won't give me much info beyond that. No guarantees he won't be euthanized and I have no control once I take him. I hope I can find someone here who can give advice on care for him without losing him. Ive got a nest box all built. He's getting the hhbs. I tried him on veggies last night and he actually ate a few. Prior to his teeth coming in he snubbed all veggies. But I see they are very important so I'll give the blocks and veggies...with fruit as a snack after he eats them. Thanks for all the help! Going to get ibuprofen right now for him!

[Spanky]

I talked with Sammy mom last night and she's extremely knowledgeable.

SammysMom is super fantastic! On top of the squirrels she cares for personally, she helps hundreds more on the boards and the phone, etc. She rocks!


I was torn because I was talking to a rehabber on the phone from Georgia. The second I mentioned Henry's blocks she lost it. Said that it's the worst on the market and they should be arrested for selling it. Her argument was that it has pecans as the first ingredient. That the dry food should be 80% of their diet. So a food that is primarily nuts that should be 80% of the diet is way to much nuts. That seemed logical so I stopped feeding them to him.

I'd guess the rahabber did not read the instructions on Henry's. You only feed 2 blocks (3 at most) daily and it is NOT intended to be the bulk (by volume) of their diet. Lots of veggies, a bit of fruit... and Henry's.

I took in a squirrel about your baby's age that had been being fed dry dog food for few weeks. This was a grey and her belly was orange, almost like a fox squirrel. After switching her diet (following SammyMom/TSB guidelines) by the time she was released her belly was snow white like a grey's should be (and a nice fluffy tail!).

[HRT4SQRLS]

The second I mentioned Henry's blocks she lost it. Said that it's the worst on the market and they should be arrested for selling it. Her argument was that it has pecans as the first ingredient. That the dry food should be 80% of their diet. So a food that is primarily nuts that should be 80% of the diet is way to much nuts. That seemed logical so I stopped feeding them to him. He had only had one at that point anyhow. She was adamant they were junk. I like this site cause you can get a collective opinion, not just one. It seems the HHBS aren't as bad as she made them out to be...although her reasoning was rather sound I thought.



Here's the part she doesn't understand. As Spanky said, the Henry's block is a supplement block. 1-2 blocks per day contains all of the vitamins and minerals that are needed. The concentrated minerals and vitamins MORE than make up for the poor calcium: phosphorus ratio of the pecans in the block. The different is, squirrels will actually EAT the Henry's block because of the pecans. Unless a squirrel was raised on the extruded rodent block like Mazuri, Oxbow, HarlanTeklad, etc, squirrels will NOT eat them. They look at you like you're crazy. The HHB is a supplement. They can have all the extruded block they want... problem is they don't really want any.

We do understand calcium: phosphorus ratios of foods. We also completely understand what a poor diet does to squirrels. We get it that nuts, seeds and corn kills squirrels. We see MBD on this board EVERY day from the general public. They have found misinformation on the internet. Some we are able to turn around with calcium supplementation... others we watch die in the hands of their 'human' because of a mistake THEY made. It is pretty agonizing watching it so YES, WE DO GET IT!!!
Even last night, I watched a flyer struggling from MBD. I don't know the outcome yet but I fear the worst. I am still affected by this even today. Yes, we get it.

Edit:
By the way, you do seem very invested in your baby. I would not turn the baby over to anyone. It will be euthanized.. no doubt in my mind. I would give it time to see if it will heal. The ibuprofen is a good idea BUT maybe the baby needs a little pain to limit the activity so the limb will heal. If after you give the ibuprofen, you see the baby's start zooming around the cage you might want to reconsider because the limb could be further injured by too much activity. Just something to consider.

[UDoWhat]

IMHO, in this case, I would go with the ibuprofen to reduce pain and any swelling and then just reduce the space he has to limit excessive movement. We are learning more and more in rehab that pain management can help promote healing through the reduction of stress. If the leg is broken, then he should also be put on a course of Baytril to prevent any infection. HOWEVER, I would strongly advise a visit to a Vet to determine if the leg is broken or severely sprained. Having the full picture would better guide the course of treatment needed. I see you are in NY. We have many members from NY and depending where you are in that state perhaps one of those members could suggest a SAFE Vet for you. As H4S has suggested, please do not take your squirrel to any Vet. They WILL confiscate and euthanize him. No doubt at all!!

[Nancy in New York]

You're about 5 hours away from Albany, correct?
Not sure what members we have out your way, but
I will see what I can do.

[arfrcchic]

Thank you and I've been told that. I was told by the vet I spoke to who would take him that he would be confiscated and wouldn't guarantee he wouldn't be euthenized. I have been giving him ibuprofen every 4 hrs and I wrapped it last night. Prior to wrapping it he had all sorts of energy. Except for the bumb leg you wouldn't know there was anything wrong. I put him in a 20 gallon glass aquarium to keep him from climbing, which helped, but I still found him jumping to the top and hanging off the mesh top. So he didn't act like he was in pain. I wrapped it last night. He hasn't been digging at the wrap to much but it definitely limited his mobility. He still walks around but not much at all. My concern is whether the wrap is right. I took extra care to make sure it was aligned properly and I have about 2 wraps of the self adhesive (nonsticky) tape on it. Looks like a mini cast. So now he doesn't want to hardly move. It's much harder for him to. I'm not sure if it's pain, stress, or the awkwardness that is stopping him from moving now. Last night and now all morning he only moved when I fed him and gave him ibuprofen. He's awake and alert but just sits there like he did the day it happened. This is day 3. Day 1 he didn't move around to much but when he did he dragged his foot. Day 2 he was all over the place (even before I started the meds). Now day 3 he's back to being docile again (with the wrap on). It kills me to see him like this. I pray it works!

[arfrcchic]

Yes I'm NY. An hour north of Syracuse. I'm willing to drive a few hours if need be. I'm 3 hrs from Albany. 1 1/2 hrs from Utica. 2 1/2 hrs from Ithaca. 3 hrs from Binghamton and 5 from NYC.

[arfrcchic]

Here is another picture of his wrap.

[island rehabber]

At his age, baby squirrels heal very very fast. You've been getting excellent advice from everyone here so I won't gild the lily, but I do want to clarify what many of us mean by "primate chow": these are the Zupreem 'monkey biscuits' and they are a block, not really like dog or cat chow. Many of us offer them as a baby squirrel's first food because they take to them easily, and they are large and less of a choking hazard than other dry foods. Later on I use Mazuri Rodent Blocks with SUPPLEMENTAL Henrry's Healthy Blocks (HHB's) -- two per day per squirrel until release. I get really strong, healthy babies and I have never had a case of MBD in this house in 12 years, 250+ squirrels. Just putting your mind at ease. :)