Indiana URGENT help needed Squirrel With Cleft Palate

[Kimmer4444]

Hi,
I have a feral squirrel that is showing up at my feeders that appears to have a cleft palate. He attempts to eat peanuts in the shell but can't fit them in his mouth nor bite down on them. I've fed him shelled sunflower seeds and he will eat them very slowly. He also has difficulty drinking due to his mouth. I have to guard him while he eats so the other squirrels don't take away his food.

This squirrel is very thin and may be malnourished. Is there something smaller and more nourishing than sunflower seeds? I'm not sure that he will eat supplements that I add to his pile of seeds.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kim

[TubeDriver]

Poor little guy. Can you post up a picture of his mouth?

In the meantime, you could buy some Henries block (my first choice) or Kaytee rodent block and make boo balls out of them. Take the block and grind up in blender, then add some unsalted almonds or pecans and grind them up. Finally, mix together and use unsweetened apple sauce as a binder. You can make up a soft ball sized boo ball and place in fridge in a Tupperware. You scoop out a ice cube sized bit, roll into ball and that will be easier for him to eat and also contain nutrition that he needs.

Thanks for helping him.



Hi,
I have a feral squirrel that is showing up at my feeders that appears to have a cleft palate. He attempts to eat peanuts in the shell but can't fit them in his mouth nor bite down on them. I've fed him shelled sunflower seeds and he will eat them very slowly. He also has difficulty drinking due to his mouth. I have to guard him while he eats so the other squirrels don't take away his food.

This squirrel is very thin and may be malnourished. Is there something smaller and more nourishing than sunflower seeds? I'm not sure that he will eat supplements that I add to his pile of seeds.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kim

[stepnstone]

Hi,
I have a feral squirrel that is showing up at my feeders that appears to have a cleft palate. He attempts to eat peanuts in the shell but can't fit them in his mouth nor bite down on them. I've fed him shelled sunflower seeds and he will eat them very slowly. He also has difficulty drinking due to his mouth. I have to guard him while he eats so the other squirrels don't take away his food.

This squirrel is very thin and may be malnourished. Is there something smaller and more nourishing than sunflower seeds? I'm not sure that he will eat supplements that I add to his pile of seeds.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kim
Does it's appearance make you suspect a cleft palate or is it just it's difficulty with eating?

[Kimmer4444]

Does it's appearance make you suspect a cleft palate or is it just it's difficulty with eating?

His appearance and his difficulty eating both lead me to suspect he has a cleft palate. His lip draws up near the middle and exposes his teeth, just right of center. I don't know that much about rodents, in fact I'm allergic to them, but I'm also concerned that his teeth won't get the abrasion they need to remain short. Am I correct on that?

I'll attempt to get either a photo or video of him in the coming days. He's already eaten today.

Thanks for your help.

Kim

[Kimmer4444]

Poor little guy. Can you post up a picture of his mouth?

In the meantime, you could buy some Henries block (my first choice) or Kaytee rodent block and make boo balls out of them. Take the block and grind up in blender, then add some unsalted almonds or pecans and grind them up. Finally, mix together and use unsweetened apple sauce as a binder. You can make up a soft ball sized boo ball and place in fridge in a Tupperware. You scoop out a ice cube sized bit, roll into ball and that will be easier for him to eat and also contain nutrition that he needs.

Thanks for helping him.

Thanks for the advice. im going to attempt to get a photo of him in the coming days.

[stepnstone]

His appearance and his difficulty eating both lead me to suspect he has a cleft palate. His lip draws up near the middle and exposes his teeth, just right of center. I don't know that much about rodents, in fact I'm allergic to them, but I'm also concerned that his teeth won't get the abrasion they need to remain short. Am I correct on that?
I'll attempt to get either a photo or video of him in the coming days. He's already eaten today.
Thanks for your help.
Kim

Would it look similar to this one or is it more pronounced?

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275817&stc=1

[CritterMom]

I can't see the pics here at work but this sounds like a squirrel that took a face first fall, perhaps as a baby. Think of what Stosh's Cruiser looks like.

[Daisey007]

Would it look similar to this one or is it more pronounced?

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275817&stc=1

I'm not sure about this photo.... but it may be a slight cleft lip... which may or may not extend into the mouth to be a cleft palate. :dono I believe one of mine had something like in the photo and it did not slow his eating one bit.

[stepnstone]

I'm not sure about this photo.... but it may be a slight cleft lip... which may or may not extend into the mouth to be a cleft palate. :dono I believe one of mine had something like in the photo and it did not slow his eating one bit.

This is the point I was going to make. This little dude was suspected to have a CP, he doesn't!
He eats well now but he could never suckle, he lapped his formula like a kitten all the way to
weaning himself.
I suspect the same as Crit, a fall on his face with concern of teeth and jaw.

[Kimmer4444]

This is the point I was going to make. This little dude was suspected to have a CP, he doesn't!
He eats well now but he could never suckle, he lapped his formula like a kitten all the way to
weaning himself.
I suspect the same as Crit, a fall on his face with concern of teeth and jaw.

I attempted to attach a photo. (I'm using an iPad and it doesn't appear the same as Word).

You can see that his lip draws up higher than the picture you included. His goes all the way up to his nose. He has to continually clean the seeds off of his face and chokes while drinking water. Also, you can't see any gums at all, just exposed teeth.

This is the first I've seen him in 3 days. I had to take this shot from far away and the zoom took the detail away. I'll try to coax him near my patio door so I can take an up close photo.

Also, I ordered some sort of Squirrel Veggie Squares from The Squirrel Man in Ohio. It contains rice cereal, ground pecans, sesame flour, Brewers yeast, dolomite calcium, vitamin C, alfalfa powder, salt, cod liver oil, and raw organic coconut oil. I made them according to directions with half a banana and not one squirrel will even touch them.

Has anyone ever used this product before?

Thanks

[Grinderhead]

Also, I ordered some sort of Squirrel Veggie Squares from The Squirrel Man in Ohio. It contains rice cereal, ground pecans, sesame flour, Brewers yeast, dolomite calcium, vitamin C, alfalfa powder, salt, cod liver oil, and raw organic coconut oil. I made them according to directions with half a banana and not one squirrel will even touch them.

Has anyone ever used this product before?

Thanks

Here is a site you want to order blocks for your friend.
They have everything he needs. The Wild Bites or picky
would be my choice.
http://www.henryspets.com/

[Kimmer4444]

Here is a site you want to order blocks for your friend.
They have everything he needs. The Wild Bites or picky
would be my choice.
http://www.henryspets.com/

Thank you so much. I ordered both the Picky Bites and the Wild Bites. I just hope he's able to get them in his mouth. If not, I'll just cut them as small as I can until he does.

[Kimmer4444]

This is the point I was going to make. This little dude was suspected to have a CP, he doesn't!
He eats well now but he could never suckle, he lapped his formula like a kitten all the way to
weaning himself.
I suspect the same as Crit, a fall on his face with concern of teeth and jaw.

This little guy isn't cooperating on the photo idea but I was able to observe him up close and his gums are split underneath his lip. He eats slowly and uses his tongue often to push out the seeds that get stuck on his face and lip, with the tongue moving sideways at the gap.

The good news is that I saw him lapping water without choking today so he's at least able to stay hydrated. I've taken the advice of others and ordered some Henry's Picky Bites to see if I can get him some extra nutrition.

If you have any other advice, I'd appreciate it. I'm amazed at the community you all have built on these forums and the love for these mischievous animals.

I guess I need to find this one a name. I'm not even certain of the gender yet.

[Sara in NW MS]

:thinking It's hard to tell but his bottom teeth look really long. Are they growing to the side? What if his teeth are too long and causing his mouth to look the way it does??

[DarkLies212]

:thinking It's hard to tell but his bottom teeth look really long. Are they growing to the side? What if his teeth are too long and causing his mouth to look the way it does??

That was my thought as I saw the pictures as well. They look to be growing similar to the 'saber tooth' squirrel pictures that float around on the internet.

[Daisey007]

I think I've seen this before, and if I'm right... his lower incisors look to be growing into his uppers and pushing them to one side. He can't chew because his incisors are keeping his mouth open and his back teeth aren't meeting to chew. He needs his teeth trimmed, and unless something is done, and done soon - he will starve to death.


You can't fix what you don't acknowledge. Dr. Phil

[TubeDriver]

I am pretty sure that his front teeth need to be trimmed and hopefully that will "reset" them and allow proper alignment and wear.

This would need to be done within a week or two, can you trap him?

[Kimmer4444]

I am pretty sure that his front teeth need to be trimmed and hopefully that will "reset" them and allow proper alignment and wear.

This would need to be done within a week or two, can you trap him?

Would the condition you're describing still cause a gap in his gums? If you look at my original post, I too was concerned about his teeth not lining up to wear properly. It was my guess that he had a cleft palate and because of the gap in his upper gums, his teeth wouldn't line up to wear down during eating.

Unfortunately I have approximately 30 different squirrels, including juveniles, that appear at my feeders. (I counted 26 different ones on a snowy day on my deck). I wouldn't even begin to know how to trap this one lone squirrel. I followed him today & I think I know which tree he lives in but it's a mostly dead tree that I've observed many squirrels inhabiting. If I set a trap under the tree, it would have to be divine luck that he is the squirrel that I catch. I also live near the neighborhood cat lady who feeds ferals and they hunt in my yard at all hours. My next door neighbor sets out a trap for a pesky raccoon & catches these cats, opossums, & squirrels.

There's also a matter of resources. I would have to be sure that he doesn't have a cleft palate because trimming his teeth alone will never fix the problem of teeth misalignment & he will die anyway.

HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF A SQUIRREL WITH A CLEFT PALATE SO I'D HAVE BETTER ODDS BEFORE I ATTEMPT TO TRAP HIM AND SPEND MONEY I DONT HAVE TO TAKE HIM TO THE VET??

Thanks for everyone's help. Kim

[TubeDriver]

Tooth alignment issues leading to overgrowth is common in squirrels. Regardless of the cause, those teeth are overgrown and this will lead to a slow, painful death either by starvation or injury/infection when the teeth pierce the jaw/sinus areas.

I dont see any specific midline dismorphic abnormality that would make me think of cleft palate, rather there appears to be sone issues with teeth and possibly jaw alignment.

If you can trap, burrito, examine and trim then that poor squirrel might have a chance.


Would the condition you're describing still cause a gap in his gums? If you look at my original post, I too was concerned about his teeth not lining up to wear properly. It was my guess that he had a cleft palate and because of the gap in his upper gums, his teeth wouldn't line up to wear down during eating.

Unfortunately I have approximately 30 different squirrels, including juveniles, that appear at my feeders. (I counted 26 different ones on a snowy day on my deck). I wouldn't even begin to know how to trap this one lone squirrel. I followed him today & I think I know which tree he lives in but it's a mostly dead tree that I've observed many squirrels inhabiting. If I set a trap under the tree, it would have to be divine luck that he is the squirrel that I catch. I also live near the neighborhood cat lady who feeds ferals and they hunt in my yard at all hours. My next door neighbor sets out a trap for a pesky raccoon & catches these cats, opossums, & squirrels.

There's also a matter of resources. I would have to be sure that he doesn't have a cleft palate because trimming his teeth alone will never fix the problem of teeth misalignment & he will die anyway.

HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF A SQUIRREL WITH A CLEFT PALATE SO I'D HAVE BETTER ODDS BEFORE I ATTEMPT TO TRAP HIM AND SPEND MONEY I DONT HAVE TO TAKE HIM TO THE VET??

Thanks for everyone's help. Kim

[Kimmer4444]

Tooth alignment issues leading to overgrowth is common in squirrels. Regardless of the cause, those teeth are overgrown and this will lead to a slow, painful death either by starvation or injury/infection when the teeth pierce the jaw/sinus areas.

I do not want to watch this little guy starve to death. I'll continue to watch him tomorrow to get an exact idea of where he lives and attempt to trap him.

IF I can get him into a trap, any suggestions on how to reach into a trap & grab out the squirrel and get him into a towel without getting my eyes clawed out? I assume you start with some heavy gloves but I'm lost from there. Can you grab them by the nape of the neck like a cat to immobilize them?

Can I give him something in his food to safely make him groggy?

One more thing, if he has a jaw alignment problem, is trimming his teeth going to be something that will have to be done for the rest of his life? Approximately how long does it take for the teeth to get too long between trimming?

[TubeDriver]

Not sure how hard he will be able to bite with those teeth?

You definitely are going to want heavy leather gloves. I use a hand fishing net and then wrap the squirrel up in a big fleece and/or old tee shirt. You want to burrito the body and it is always good to cover the head and eyes (they calm diwn more when they cant see).

Grabbing the nape of the neck will not immobilize them but will allow the squirrel to twist around to bite you. You can sometime get your index and thumb around the back of their neck and under their jaw, you need to be firm but not squeeze too hard.

Two pairs of hands DEFINITELY make this task easier. If you have a brave friend who can help, then one person can hold the squirrels body while the other person does the inspection and trim.

I can send you directions on how to trim teeth. It only takes about 30 seconds. It may allow the mouth and teeth alignment to reset. Generally, squirrels teeth will overgrow in about a month if the alignment is off.




I do not want to watch this little guy starve to death. I'll continue to watch him tomorrow to get an exact idea of where he lives and attempt to trap him.

IF I can get him into a trap, any suggestions on how to reach into a trap & grab out the squirrel and get him into a towel without getting my eyes clawed out? I assume you start with some heavy gloves but I'm lost from there. Can you grab them by the nape of the neck like a cat to immobilize them?

Can I give him something in his food to safely make him groggy?

One more thing, if he has a jaw alignment problem, is trimming his teeth going to be something that will have to be done for the rest of his life? Approximately how long does it take for the teeth to get too long between trimming?

[Daisey007]

Hi Kim,

Thank you so much for trying to help this little guy! Has anyone tried to find a licensed rehabber in your area? Perhaps you can trap this little one that needs help and hand it off to a rehabber in your area. That's one thing these wonderful people are really good at doing - finding help!

It takes a good bit of experience with squirrels to trim teeth properly without either you or the squirrel being injured. Also, there could something else going on that you may not see, or not prepared to deal with. So, all in all, an experienced rehabber would sure be a blessing right now.

Let's see if someone comes on that can find someone in your area...

Pam

[stepnstone]

Hi Kim,
Thank you so much for trying to help this little guy! Has anyone tried to find a licensed rehabber in your area? Perhaps you can trap this little one that needs help and hand it off to a rehabber in your area. That's one thing these wonderful people are really good at doing - finding help!

It takes a good bit of experience with squirrels to trim teeth properly without either you or the squirrel being injured. Also, there could something else going on that you may not see, or not prepared to deal with. So, all in all, an experienced rehabber would sure be a blessing right now.
Let's see if someone comes on that can find someone in your area...
Pam

Man those pictures!!...
He's in serious trouble, his teeth are really dangerously jacked up! I agree with the above.
They would be hard enough for someone experienced, I can't imagine going at them never having cut teeth.
I encourage you to try and trap him, first step. Try not think too far ahead, if possible a rehabber or a wildlife
facility can be found.

[Nancy in New York]

Reach out to these two members via pm. They are both licensed rehabbers
in Indiana. Hopefully they can guide you to a safe vet that can help you.
This little one needs professional help fast.
Thank you for helping him.

skwerl mama
ilvanimals

[Kimmer4444]

Reach out to these two members via pm. They are both licensed rehabbers
in Indiana. Hopefully they can guide you to a safe vet that can help you.
This little one needs professional help fast.
Thank you for helping him.

skwerl mama
ilvanimals

Thanks! I've sent PM's to both hoping they can help. I have to admit I wasn't feeling good about trying to trim his teeth myself. He's probably also in pain and I didn't want to aggravate him more.

I really hope someone can help him soon. His time is running out.

[Nancy in New York]

Thanks! I've sent PM's to both hoping they can help. I have to admit I wasn't feeling good about trying to trim his teeth myself. He's probably also in pain and I didn't want to aggravate him more.

I really hope someone can help him soon. His time is running out.

I hope that something works out soon.
I typically don't like posting a list, since we never
know who is good.
BUT I wonder if you call some of the places listed
if they could guide you to a safe vet. :dono

http://wildlife.rescueshelter.com/Indiana

[Shewhosweptforest]

Yes....he's definitely short on time...those teeth will grow right into the roof of his mouth :shakehead a long and painful death....a squirrel we have had her teeth like this...she had a cyst on her cheek that swelled up and caused her teeth to misalign .....then when the cyst burst...the teeth were already too long...it took a few months of trimming to get her jaw and teeth to realign.....and she's great now :great I do think he will need a rehabber who can keep him to make sure they realign on the first try and if not they can continue to trim until they do:great

Oh and thank you, thank you :bowdown for watching out and caring for your little neighbors :Love_Icon

[Kimmer4444]

I hope that something works out soon.
I typically don't like posting a list, since we never
know who is good.
BUT I wonder if you call some of the places listed
if they could guide you to a safe vet. :dono

http://wildlife.rescueshelter.com/Indiana

Thanks Nancy. There were only a few rehabbers available for Indy. One has moved, one has disconnected phone, & one only helps turtles. Still trying and waiting on one to call me back. My little guy is here right now eating. Getting ready to follow him home. :)

[Kimmer4444]

Thanks Nancy. There were only a few rehabbers available for Indy. One has moved, one has disconnected phone, & one only helps turtles. Still trying and waiting on one to call me back. My little guy is here right now eating. Getting ready to follow him home. :)

Here's an update: I have had no luck so far in getting help with either someone to attempt to trap him or in getting a rehab person to take custody of him once he is trapped to help him.

Believe it or not, 3 of our local rehabbers are in the process of moving, at least one out of state, & can't help. The people & numbers they passed along to me are either disconnected, animal specific, or not returning my calls.

I've spent no less than 3 hours today running down people and waiting for calls. Is there a way to turn this thread into an emergency thread to reach out for a state wide request for help. If I can trap him myself I'm willing to drive him anywhere in the state to get him help. I didn't realize that licensed rehabbers are not allowed to trap animals according to one person I spoke with. Is that truly the case?

[HRT4SQRLS]

What about LindaR in Fort Wayne Indiana?
She hasn't been on in a while but she did have a vet. :dono

[Nancy in New York]

I just renamed your thread and moved it to the emergency section.

[Kimmer4444]

What about LindaR in Fort Wayne Indiana?
She hasn't been on in a while but she did have a vet. :dono

Thanks. I'm sending her a PM now.

[Milo's Mom]

Here's an update: I have had no luck so far in getting help with either someone to attempt to trap him or in getting a rehab person to take custody of him once he is trapped to help him.

Believe it or not, 3 of our local rehabbers are in the process of moving, at least one out of state, & can't help. The people & numbers they passed along to me are either disconnected, animal specific, or not returning my calls.

I've spent no less than 3 hours today running down people and waiting for calls. Is there a way to turn this thread into an emergency thread to reach out for a state wide request for help. If I can trap him myself I'm willing to drive him anywhere in the state to get him help. I didn't realize that licensed rehabbers are not allowed to trap animals according to one person I spoke with. Is that truly the case?

This depends on the rules of each state. But I know for a fact it IS indeed an accurate statement for my state. We are NOT permitted to trap, assist in the act of trapping, or even perform an exclusion. So, if a rehabber told you that, it may also be accurate for your state.

[Daisey007]

Kim -

Not sure how far from the nearest state you are located but.... try running a search for wildlife rehabbers in the next closest state. :Phone

Yeah, yeah... I know the rules but squirrels cross state lines all the time. Besides, it doesn't have to be a permanent move... the most important thing is getting help for this little guy who has no one but us to help him.




"Rules are somebody's idea of what must be done by everybody... who is somebody?"

[Kimmer4444]

Kim -

Not sure how far from the nearest state you are located but.... try running a search for wildlife rehabbers in the next closest state. :Phone

Yeah, yeah... I know the rules but squirrels cross state lines all the time. Besides, it doesn't have to be a permanent move... the most important thing is getting help for this little guy who has no one but us to help him.

UPDATE for our squirrel. I was able to locate a vet in the city that is able & willing to take a look at him. ( She's had a death in be family & wont be back in the office until Wednesday). I also found a licensed wildlife rehabilitator north of Indy who has agreed to take him once he leaves the vet. All of this is great news.

Now, the not so great news. The rehabber looked at the photos & in her opinion he has a fractured jaw that causes his problem & if that's the case, it can't be repaired. There's also the problem of him not showing up to eat for the past 3 days (unless I've missed him but the other squirrels would have chased him off ).

I want to thank all of you so much for what you do and the big hearts that you all have for nature's animals.

I have secured a trap & am waiting on the opportunity to trap him. I wanted to wait until as close to Wednesday as possible so as not to stress him out in a cage that long. I'll update you all regardless of the outcome.

Thanks again. Kim