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Fenchurch
06-17-2016, 07:31 PM
Hi!

My friendliest wild squirrel has been having problems for about 6 months, but things seem to be getting really dire and I can't figure out what's going on. Really hoping someone might have an idea, even if it's just a hail mary. :/

She has significant fur loss on her back legs and her tail is almost bare, and she has become very thin and frail.

Problems started about 6-9 months ago--all squirrels in the area (about 30 at the time--about 50 now with the crop of babies) had terrible mange. She didn't have it like the others, just a small bald patch at the base of her tail. She was the most dominant female of the area and I think she had her own nest maybe. I dosed other wilds w/ ivermectin and the whole population bounced back fantastically. She refused the ivermectin each time, and her bald spot remained, I didn't think it was mange for her though, so I didn't worry too much. But shortly after then she started to decline. At first she seemed to have problems eating, and I thought there was a dental issue. I brought her soft foods 2x a day (ground nuts, avocado, watermelon) and she was able to eat those, and was hungry. She started eating solid foods after about a week (and was even able to crack nuts), and I thought she was on the mend. Then the cycle repeated about a month later, slow decline in ability to eat solids, soft food for about 10 days, then back on solids slowly. Now for the last month or two she's been mostly burying all of her food, but will eat a nut every now and then, but is total skin and bones--just a steady weight loss (despite there def being plenty of food in the area from people feeding them, and the summer vegetation).

Her current weight looks TERRIBLE. All other squirrels in the population look great, but she's just frail and balding and no longer the alpha. I can't get her to eat very much (she just wants to hoard) and I dust her nuts with calcium carbonate powder, on the off chance it is MBD (I know rare for wilds, but in a NYC park, so maybe?). Tried HHB picky and wild, as well as homemade versions, veggies, etc--they are all non-starters. She will only take small bites of avocado, bites of watermelon, and then in-shell hazelnuts for burying.

Any ideas, even long-shots, on how to help her would be SO appreciated--it's so horrible to watch her go through this and I'm really concerned that she doesn't have a ton of time if the weight loss continues. Could it be parasites or worms? Anything I should try?

Thank you SO much!!!!

astra
06-17-2016, 07:44 PM
mange is not just hair loss.
If left untreated (or if a sq doesn't recover on his/her own), mange significantly weakens immune system and that results in secondary problems that can range from infections to more serious problems.

It is possible this sq has something else other than mange, but since you never got to treat her for mange - that needs to be ruled out first b/c that's something you can do yourself.

By now it is possible that on top of mange and/or as a result of mange, she may have coccidia overgrowth or any other parasite overgrowth which would affect digestion and result in weight loss and further weakening.

It's hard to diagnose a wild like that b/c it could be many things.

Unless you can take her in and treat her inside until she gets better, what you can do:
1) do treat her for mange. Get her to take a nut with ivermectin. Don't know how you put a dose, but if you take a good walnut half (or pecan), EVER SO SLIGHTLY carve a little indent and put your dose in that indent, or at least partially in that indent, what you can do next is this:
Get a jar of natural nut butter - any kind will do.
You know how oil separates and usually the very bottom of the jar is much drier than the top.
So, get a little bit of that drier butter and cover your dose with it. You can use your fingers.
Don't put too much, or your dose will fall off with the excess.
Just enough to cover the dose.
If you can, try not to toss the nut, but give it to her, or at least put it on the ground for her to pick up - it's just tossing often results in nuts cracking and falling apart.
BUT if you can gently toss it - that's fine, too.
The goal - is to mask ivermecin and get her to take it.

You can also supplement her with good food.
www.henryspets.com - get her wild bites, at least while she is recovering.
if she doesn't get wild bites as is - grind them, add some unsweetened baby food (or even plain water will do) just enough to make it slightly most, add some nut butter - just enough to make it into homogeneous mass and shape into balls. Feed.

got to go.
Others will chime in.

P.S. hair loss can result from other problems, parasites, immune and nutritional deficiencies etc.
But if you treat her for mange and it doesn't clear up - will be clear that it's not mange, at least.

astra
06-17-2016, 08:27 PM
even if she refuses blocks - try what I suggested and use some natural nut butter - almond butter is always a hit. Put a bit extra nut butter to make them more "nut buttery".
DOn't know what brands you have available, but if you have Maranatha - their raw almond butter usually works well for the wilds.

Fenchurch
06-18-2016, 10:55 AM
Thank you! I will try the almond butter today and if I can get her to take it I'll make one with a dose of ivermectin. Do you think the ivermectin is still safe even though she's frail? Should I reduce the usual dose? Thank you!!!

Laurie

astra
06-18-2016, 05:04 PM
Thank you! I will try the almond butter today and if I can get her to take it I'll make one with a dose of ivermectin. Do you think the ivermectin is still safe even though she's frail? Should I reduce the usual dose? Thank you!!!

Laurie

Not sure about reducing the dose... When the dose is smaller than recommended, it is not effective. She may not have lost as much weight as might seem - without fur they can look very thin because they are little creatures in general. It's the fur that makes them look puffier and bigger than they really are.

So don't know. Maybe just a milimeter smaller, but not a lot. Because like I said - smaller dose can be simply ineffective.