Squirrel stung by red wasp...

[RascallyJack]

My squirrel who is about nine months old was playing on my screened in porch and was stung by a red wasp on his right rear paw. He freaked out and was chattering and growing while jumping around like a lunatic. We were about eight feet away when it happened. We kept our distance because he gets aggressive when hurt and just talked soothingly to him. He finally climbed on top of the dove's cage and was inspecting his foot. At first he couldn't sit up because he wouldn't put weight on his paw but after a bit he stretched out on his belly and just lay really still.

We finished cleaning his cage and water bowl, then put his evening snacks in and thank goodness he put himself in his cage when we walked away. He was jumping, climbing and sitting up to eat, but he's definitely still in pain. When I try to look in his wire windows he jumps right at my face. His paw looks swollen but I can't tell how bad because he won't sit still long enough for me to see and it was getting dark.

I don't know what to do for him since I can't touch him. Will he be okay? If he was going to have a reaction it would have happened already right? It's been about an hour. I wish he would let me put something on it, but that's not going to happen. I'm guessing there is no way to dose a squirrel with Benadryl or aspirin? I know animals definitely can't have Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Would you guys just leave him alone to sleep it off? Will he be okay? This is the first time he's ever really been hurt aside from mildly squished toes or tail.... Seeing him in pain is killing me.

Also because I know you guys always ask he is getting a healthy diet. He gets two Henry blocks a day, free choice oxbow rat food, veggies and then small snacks of fruit, nuts or sunflower seeds.

I've read a lot on this forum over the last eight months but this is the first time I've posted. Not exactly a fun reason to be posting, but it is what it is. Thanks guys.

[Nancy in New York]

My squirrel who is about nine months old was playing on my screened in porch and was stung by a red wasp on his right rear paw. He freaked out and was chattering and growing while jumping around like a lunatic. We were about eight feet away when it happened. We kept our distance because he gets aggressive when hurt and just talked soothingly to him. He finally climbed on top of the dove's cage and was inspecting his foot. At first he couldn't sit up because he wouldn't put weight on his paw but after a bit he stretched out on his belly and just lay really still.

We finished cleaning his cage and water bowl, then put his evening snacks in and thank goodness he put himself in his cage when we walked away. He was jumping, climbing and sitting up to eat, but he's definitely still in pain. When I try to look in his wire windows he jumps right at my face. His paw looks swollen but I can't tell how bad because he won't sit still long enough for me to see and it was getting dark.

I don't know what to do for him since I can't touch him. Will he be okay? If he was going to have a reaction it would have happened already right? It's been about an hour. I wish he would let me put something on it, but that's not going to happen. I'm guessing there is no way to dose a squirrel with Benadryl or aspirin? I know animals definitely can't have Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Would you guys just leave him alone to sleep it off? Will he be okay? This is the first time he's ever really been hurt aside from mildly squished toes or tail.... Seeing him in pain is killing me.

Also because I know you guys always ask he is getting a healthy diet. He gets two Henry blocks a day, free choice oxbow rat food, veggies and then small snacks of fruit, nuts or sunflower seeds.

I've read a lot on this forum over the last eight months but this is the first time I've posted. Not exactly a fun reason to be posting, but it is what it is. Thanks guys.


Your squirrel COULD take children's Benadryl and he can have infant ibuprophen as well.
We would need a weight to dose him. You could put this on a pecan out of the shell, let
it dry, and offer it to him.
We will either need a weight, or a picture to "guesstimate" his weight.
What state do you live in, and what kind of squirrel is this?

[RascallyJack]

I'm not comfortable posting my state, but it's legal to have him here. He is a gray squirrel, eight months old. I'll find a recent picture.

[Nancy in New York]

I'm not comfortable posting my state, but it's legal to have him here. He is a gray squirrel, eight months old. I'll find a recent picture.

I only ask about the state because down south they run considerably smaller than up here in New York.

[RascallyJack]

Really? I had no idea! Yes I'm in the southeast. Here is a picture of him with a Kumquat sitting next to hardware cloth. Hubby is going to try to weigh him on the kitchen scale because he's always cuddly when he's sleepy, but I hope he doesn't accidentally bump his paw and get bit......... he's braver than I am!!

286159

[RascallyJack]

Wow! My husband is the squirrel whisperer. He actually managed to put him in a bowl on the kitchen scale and he weighs 1.9 pounds with the bowl included. It was a regular paper bowl. How much should I give him? He's still acting okay. He leaped out of the bowl no problem lol.

[Nancy in New York]

Really? I had no idea! Yes I'm in the southeast. Here is a picture of him with a Kumquat sitting next to hardware cloth. Hubby is going to try to weigh him on the kitchen scale because he's always cuddly when he's sleepy, but I hope he doesn't accidentally bump his paw and get bit......... he's braver than I am!!

286159
Oh he's a big boy!
I know in Florida there grey squirrels are considerably smaller than ours up here.
Your little guy looks about the size of ours. :)

[Nancy in New York]

Wow! My husband is the squirrel whisperer. He actually managed to put him in a bowl on the kitchen scale and he weighs 1.9 pounds with the bowl included. It was a regular paper bowl. How much should I give him? He's still acting okay. He leaped out of the bowl no problem lol.

NOW weigh the paper bowl and deduct it from the 1.9 pounds.
Does your scale weigh in grams?
Your squirrel weighs 862 grams without the bowl. He IS a big boy!

[RascallyJack]

Yeah he's pretty big. He looks fatter in that photo than he is because he was all fluffed up. I managed to get his weight at 1.9lbs. Unfortunately I just realized my baby liquid benedryl expired 12/16. Will it still work? It is children's benedryl liquid 12.5mg/5ml.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Yes Jack, I'm in FL and adult grey squirrels are about a pound. Up north the squirrels can be 2 pounds or even more.
We have runts in FL. :tilt


:Welcome to TheSquirrelBoard
I guess you've been here in a 'stealthy' sorta way. :grin2

[Nancy in New York]

Make sure that the Benadryl that you have is 12.5mg/5mL
And that the infant ibuprohen that you have is 50mg/1.25mL

[RascallyJack]

The bowl is 18 grams.

Is that big for a gray squirrel? He's the same size as all of our wild ones. We have a TON of wild squirrels and they eat well because everyone in this area feeds them. They live like kings.

[RascallyJack]

I don't have any infant ibuprofen unfortunately. Yes the benadryl is 12.5mg/5ml.

[Nancy in New York]

Yeah he's pretty big. He looks fatter in that photo than he is because he was all fluffed up. I managed to get his weight at 1.9lbs. Unfortunately I just realized my baby liquid benedryl expired 12/16. Will it still work? It is children's benedryl liquid 12.5mg/5ml.

Yes it is 12.5/5mL
I think that we are still safe dosing this even
with an expiration of 12/16, that's just 3 months off.
Did you weigh the bowl so we can deduct?

Edit: OK sending you a pm now with dosing for Benadryl
for a squirrel that weighs 844 grams.

[RascallyJack]

Yes the bowl is 18 grams.

I have used out of date benadryl on myself with no problems lol.

[RascallyJack]

Thank you. He's not going to know what he did to earn a pecan tonight lol. I hope he will eat it with the benadryl dried on it. I bet he will because he's a greedy gut. Thank you so much for the help. I can get some infant ibuprofen tomorrow. Hubby is off work tomorrow so he'll be able to keep an eye on him. Dosage for the infant ibuprofen would be very much appreciated as well. You guys are life savers.

[Nancy in New York]

Thank you. He's not going to know what he did to earn a pecan tonight lol. I hope he will eat it with the benadryl dried on it. I bet he will because he's a greedy gut. Thank you so much for the help. I can get some infant ibuprofen tomorrow. Hubby is off work tomorrow so he'll be able to keep an eye on him. Dosage for the infant ibuprofen would be very much appreciated as well. You guys are life savers.

Dosage for the infant ibuprophen is on the chart that I sent in a pm.
ANY questions please let us know.

You may need two pecans for the Benadryl dose, that amount is quite high
to fit on one I think. :thinking

[RascallyJack]

Yes I ended up putting it on two. I'm about to take it to him to see what he thinks of it. If I dose him again in the morning is that going to be too many pecans? I normally wouldn't give him that many!

[Nancy in New York]

Yes I ended up putting it on two. I'm about to take it to him to see what he thinks of it. If I dose him again in the morning is that going to be too many pecans? I normally wouldn't give him that many!
Well we are weighing the benefits of the meds against the pecans. :)
These pecans won't be harmful to your little one since we aren't going
to have to dose him for too long.

[RascallyJack]

That's true. He gobbled them up and is one happy squirrel. He's acting normal and doesn't seem overly concerned with his paw anymore although you can obviously tell it's still sore. Hopefully this will make him feel better. Can I put the ibuprofen and bendryl on the same pecan tomorrow?

[Nancy in New York]

That's true. He gobbled them up and is one happy squirrel. He's acting normal and doesn't seem overly concerned with his paw anymore although you can obviously tell it's still sore. Hopefully this will make him feel better. Can I put the ibuprofen and bendryl on the same pecan tomorrow?
WOW see what one little pecan can do for a hurt paw? :)
Yes you can put them on the same pecan tomorrow.

[RascallyJack]

Awesome! Thanks!

[RascallyJack]

Quick update before I go to work. Jack is doing great. He's happily bouncing around his cage and eating his breakfast. Thank you for your help!

[Nancy in New York]

Quick update before I go to work. Jack is doing great. He's happily bouncing around his cage and eating his breakfast. Thank you for your help!

GREAT update.
Glad your feeling better Jack! :w00t