Now deceased - Found this post - injury or disease?

[Huntreiter3]

Saw a post on a local pets page on Facebook. By time I saw the ad the poster said this squirrel died but I thought maybe I could use it as a learning experience. She said she found it in her yard, thought it was a baby that feel from a tree. It kept stretching out like this, making a "rattling" noise, was bleeding out of its mouth then shortly after died before a rescue could be found. I know we can't tell for certain what happened to this poor little one, but what would be your best guess and was there likely anything anyone could have done to save it? It was less then 30 minutes between when she found it and when it died. The obvious problem people say is finding a rehabber that's close and willing to take animals. What advice can you give people that have no idea what their doing, until they can find someone to come get it. Which unfortunately usually seems to be someone else with no experience that thinks their getting a cool new pet. Kinda frustrated. (Hope photo uploads) Heading to bed now but will look fwd. to amy responses when I can get back on. Thanks Squirrel Friends!

[HRT4SQRLS]

Hi Hintreiter3,
This is not a baby squirrel. It's hard to tell without a size reference but I suspect it is an adult. The bushy tail and the grownup face lead me to think it's an adult. There is no way to know for sure but I suspect a fall or possible even hit by a car. The bleeding from the mouth does suggest trauma. The stretching out like that is possibly to make breathing easier. Maybe there is a broken rib that has punctured a lung. This would cause the lung to collapse. The rattling breath sounds might even be from blood IN the lungs.

In cases like this there is little that can be done. If a vet is available that would be the best course but I realize finding a vet in most cases is nearly impossible. :shakehead I would treat for shock by putting the animal in a dark, quiet bin or box (with air of course). If the animal is cold I would warm it but I would be careful if it's still bleeding. Protecting them from predators is the first thing that needs to be done. A seriously injured squirrels has virtually no chance of surviving in nature without intervention. Depending on the extent of the injuries, they might stabilize or they will pass like in this case. Even if they pass you can know that you did the right thing by offering a safe, comfortable place to pass instead of laying on the ground and being taken by a predator.

Thank you for caring. :grouphug

[redwuff]

Wonder if the poor baby might have ingested some rat poison. Breaks my heart to see this little one. Makes me think that it was having convulsions with the stretching out like that. Thanks for caring

Trysh

[DaSquirrelMom]

The rattling sound was blood in its mouth, laryngopharynx, trachea, and lungs. The squirrel was drowning in its own blood. It is possible that it could have been saved if someone took an appropriately-sized tracheal suction catheter attached to a suction machine and went down its airway and repeatedly suctioned until the airway was clear and the bleeding stopped (if the bleeding ever stopped). If the squirrel had a traumatic bleeding traumatic injury to it's neck, mouth, trachea or lungs just suctioning the blood out of its airway would not have saved this squirrel. If the bleeding was coming from the squirrel coughing up blood r/t rat poison (I don't know at what stage rat poison can be reversed in a squirrel), this would have a poor prognosis. The way the squirrel is positioned makes me think he might be vomitting blood (another rat poison symptom).

[TubeDriver]

:(