Wild squirrel with nasty tail injury

[lennysmom]

The wild lame tailed squirrel that I feed in my yard just showed up today with a nasty tail injury near the base of his tail.:( The injury looks fairy fresh and I think he will loose his tail, although it wasn't functional anyway so I'm sure he can adapt without his tail.

But my concern is infection. The flies were already starting to land on it while he was eating treats.:eek I'm thinking he may very well chew it off at some point, but since it's so very close to the base of his tail, that is concerning to me. I'm wondering if I should intervene and perhaps try to medicate him to guard against infection or just keep a close eye on him?

The biggest issue I have is that he usually only visits about once a week. I gave him the spare boo ball I keep for Lenny, so at least I know he got a good meal with some extra nutrients today. Has anyone ever dealt with an injury like this on a squirrel? If so, was intervention required? With him already being lame in the tail, my biggest concern is that since he doesn't have any feeling in it anyway, he might not chew it off even if infection does set in. Needless to say, I'm very concerned about the little guy. He's fought so hard just to survive this long out there with a lame tail and it would break my heart to see anything happen to him.:sniff

Naturally it would be pouring rain here today, so these are the best photos I could get of little LT, who I'm pretty sure is Minnie's sibling.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-rQQbRsm/0/6cf986d6/XL/i-rQQbRsm-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-q7p2gZK/0/4dbe2034/XL/i-q7p2gZK-XL.jpg

[niapet]

Can you catch the little guy? You could examine to see if the skin is intact or if the tail has been degloved. We had a squirrel with a degloved tail and I amputated the the affected part; this was easy since she was paralyzed, it will be a more difficult proposition for a non-paralyzed critter. I hope someone with a broader range of experience with these injuries comes along to weigh in. I would still recommend catching the little one for a closer examination and determination of the best course of action.

[lennysmom]

Can you catch the little guy? You could examine to see if the skin is intact or if the tail has been degloved. We had a squirrel with a degloved tail and I amputated the the affected part; this was easy since she was paralyzed, it will be a more difficult proposition for a non-paralyzed critter. I hope someone with a broader range of experience with these injuries comes along to weigh in. I would still recommend catching the little one for a closer examination and determination of the best course of action.

Thanks for your input niapet. I can defiantly try to trap him, he seems fairly comfortable around me. But I'm not sure how long it will be until he shows up again as he usually only visits about once a week and he's already left for the day.:( But I can have a trap ready just in case he does show. If I am able to trap, I may just put him in the RC for observation as I think that might be less stressful then being indoors for a wild squirrel.

[TubeDriver]

That looks pretty bad IMHO. In that second photo, it appears bone may be showing?

If you only see him ~1x per week, I can't see how much treatment you can provide? I think I would try to trap him and try a course of ABs for 7-10 days.

But at least I would try to keep an eye on him, unfortunate that he only appears occasionally. :(

[lennysmom]

That looks pretty bad IMHO. In that second photo, it appears bone may be showing?

If you only see him ~1x per week, I can't see how much treatment you can provide? I think I would try to trap him and try a course of ABs for 7-10 days.

But at least I would try to keep an eye on him, unfortunate that he only appears occasionally. :(

Yeah I thought it looked pretty bad too.:( It did look like a little bone was showing. I'm hoping since he got a taste of one of Lenny's special boo balls, that maybe he'll come back sooner wanting more. I'll be ready to trap if he does. Unfortunately, we're expecting thunderstorms for the next few days here, so I'm hoping that won't keep him away. I appreciate your input TD.

[Nancy in New York]

Poor little stinker.
Yeah, that looks bad enough for intervention.
Like TD said, him showing up so sporadically, isn't good.
I think the only option is to trap and treat.
I'm not too sure about the RC for observation though, if
he already has flies on that wound, you may want to bring him
inside rather than leaving him out.
You know how to dose Clavamox, correct?
I would guesstimate his weight at 400 grams.
That may even be on the high side.
Is he a spring baby or from last fall?
Thanks for watching out for all these little "broken" ones. :( :Love_Icon

[lukaslolamaus]

Poor little guy :sadness, he's quite the fighter. I'll be praying for your little friend LT:Love_Icon.
I had a girl squirrel in my yard about 2 years ago and she had lost her tail. I don't know how it happened, she came to the feeder for a long time. At first I thought that it might was Clara (Risu's sister) but it wasn't.

[redwuff]

Besides infection, maggots are also quite a concern. Praying the boy comes back for some tasty homemade boo balls:grouphug

[lennysmom]

Poor little stinker.
Yeah, that looks bad enough for intervention.
Like TD said, him showing up so sporadically, isn't good.
I think the only option is to trap and treat.
I'm not too sure about the RC for observation though, if
he already has flies on that wound, you may want to bring him
inside rather than leaving him out.
You know how to dose Clavamox, correct?
I would guesstimate his weight at 400 grams.
That may even be on the high side.
Is he a spring baby or from last fall?
Thanks for watching out for all these little "broken" ones. :( :Love_Icon

Thanks for your input Nancy, that's a good point about the flies being an issue in the RC. I will set up a cage for him inside and have it ready for him in case I am able to trap. I think I still have the dosing info for the Clavamox, I'll have to look. He's from last fall - his mama had him and Minnie in one of my nest boxes and I watched them grow up. Pretty sure these are Lenny's offspring as he and the mama were engaged in several heated chases (some romancing right in front of me actually) and then she was pregnant. At some point as a juvie he was injured and lost use of his tail. Since then he has seemed to adapt well, although sometimes I do think he also has some vision issues as well. I am praying he will be ok and I will indeed be able to trap him.:Love_Icon

[TubeDriver]

If you can't capture him, you still might be able to get a dose of Ivermectin 1.87% paste in him? That would help to control the maggots that RedWuff mentioned. An amount about half the size of a piece of uncooked white rice would do it. Repeat every 8-9 days for 2-3 total doses.

[lennysmom]

Poor little guy :sadness, he's quite the fighter. I'll be praying for your little friend LT:Love_Icon.
I had a girl squirrel in my yard about 2 years ago and she had lost her tail. I don't know how it happened, she came to the feeder for a long time. At first I thought that it might was Clara (Risu's sister) but it wasn't.

Thank you Sandra, the poor little guy needs all the prayers he can get right now.:Love_Icon It does give me encouragement to know that other wild squirrels have lost their tails in the wild and ended up ok. I really hope that will be the case with little LT too.

[lennysmom]

Besides infection, maggots are also quite a concern. Praying the boy comes back for some tasty homemade boo balls:grouphug

Yes I was worried about maggots as soon as I saw the flies on his tail.:(
Thank you redwuff - I too pray he will come back for some boo balls.:Love_Icon

[lennysmom]

If you can't capture him, you still might be able to get a dose of Ivermectin 1.87% paste in him? That would help to control the maggots that RedWuff mentioned. An amount about half the size of a piece of uncooked white rice would do it. Repeat every 8-9 days for 2-3 total doses.

Yes that is a great idea TD and I can defiantly do that next time I see him.. which I hope will be VERY soon. I'll pick up some ivermectin paste tomorrow assuming they still carry it at our local seed and feed store as the only thing I have on hand is the injectable ivermectin.

[lennysmom]

Just wanted to give a quick update on little LT - unfortunately I did not see him at all this weekend and was not able to trap him either.:( Of course it didn't help that the chipmunks kept stealing the treats out of the trap.:shakehead I have ivermectin ready if he shows. I hope he's ok out there and not suffering infection in his tail. Could use some TSB prayers for this little guy.:Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

Prayers going up for an appearance from this poor guy. God bless you, Lindsay...you are always on their side...:grouphug

[lennysmom]

Prayers going up for an appearance from this poor guy. God bless you, Lindsay...you are always on their side...:grouphug

Thank you for the prayers Gayle.:hug He's such a sweet little guy that has fougt so hard to make it out there. I believe he may have vision issues too - we've almost come nose to nose on a couple of different occasions, I think before he really saw me. I hope he indeed will show soon so I am able to do what I can to help him.:Love_Icon

[Nancy in New York]

Prayers for this little one that he's doing ok, and
that he shows up soon. :Love_Icon
I echo what SammysMom said! :hug

[lennysmom]

Prayers for this little one that he's doing ok, and
that he shows up soon. :Love_Icon
I echo what SammysMom said! :hug

Thank you Nancy.:hug I appreciate the prayers for poor little LT. He took my heart from the first time I saw him as a young juvie struggling on the branches towards me - he has such a sweet nature and I see some of Lenny's sweet and gentle ways in him.:Love_Icon

[lennysmom]

I'm SO relieved to report that I FINALLY saw little LT this evening!:w00t Unfortunately I was unable to catch him, but at least I know he is ok. Overall he looked good and still had a decent energy level, so I'm praying for now he is ok. The flies were still landing on his tail, but I am happy to say he ate the entire nut with the ivermectin dose on it so hopefully that will keep any maggot issues at bay.

It started pouring rain when he finally showed, so the video and picture quality isn't all that great, but I did the best I could. His bulk of his tail looks to just be dangling now so I'm thinking it may be gone soon. The wound still looks very raw, but from what I could tell, I couldn't see any glaring signs of infection.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-SkqnPf5/0/714e6287/XL/i-SkqnPf5-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9vGq7SD/0/b3480e3f/XL/i-9vGq7SD-XL.jpg

Here is a short video I took:
http://youtu.be/yQ3Y8T_06e8

You can see several of my other forest friends in the background too.:) Actually I was almost ready to leave when the storm started blowing in, but I'm so glad I waited.. I may have gotten soaked in the rain, but it was TOTALLY worth it to see LT and at least get some ivermectin and a nutritious meal in him. I'm thanking God for answered prayers thus far for little LT.:Love_Icon

[Jen413]

So glad you saw him. I've been hoping you would. Praying the ivermectin works, he drops that tail and heals up quickly. :Love_Icon

[lennysmom]

So glad you saw him. I've been hoping you would. Praying the ivermectin works, he drops that tail and heals up quickly. :Love_Icon

Thank you jlee, I appreciate the prayers.:hug I too was just so very glad to see him and know he is ok. My biggest concern besides infection was maggots, so I am very thankful I was able to see him get a dose of the ivermectin today.:) Hopefully the dangling part of his tail will indeed fall off soon so he can start to heal.:Love_Icon

[TubeDriver]

The Ivermectin should help prevent maggot infestation, dose him again in 7 days if possible.

That tail looks barely attached, I bet it will just be a stump the next time you see it. He will probably chew it off. Just keep a close eye on him, try to watch for infection.

He is very cute, I hope he heals alright.:grouphug

[lennysmom]

The Ivermectin should help prevent maggot infestation, dose him again in 7 days if possible.

That tail looks barely attached, I bet it will just be a stump the next time you see it. He will probably chew it off. Just keep a close eye on him, try to watch for infection.

He is very cute, I hope he heals alright.:grouphug

Thanks Pete, I will defiantly try to dose again in seven days. I really wish he would visit more frequently so I could keep a closer eye on him, but I think because of his struggles, he avoids encounters with other squirrels to a certain extent, not wanting to get into territorial fights. Poor little guy has a rough time, but he is a fighter and smart like his dad - and he has the same cute smile.:Love_Icon But I will defiantly keep as close of an eye on him as I can.

[lennysmom]

Saw little LT again this evening and I was so happy to see him looking well and the dangling part of his tail gone!:w00t I hate that he had to lose so much of his tail, but it was a lame already, so really he just got in his way anyway.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-8PN9S23/0/14b04e79/L/i-8PN9S23-L.jpg

There were no signs of infection that I could see and it looks like it's already starting to heal a little.:dance The little piece of white sticking out is the tail bone.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-q7SfMGw/0/8c824a50/L/i-q7SfMGw-L.jpg

He was so sweet too - came right up to me within a couple of feet just looking up at me and waiting for a treat.:Love_Icon I gave him the spare boo ball and he was on his way back up the tree. He can move so much better now without that dead weight of a tail hanging. I'm thanking God once again for answered prayers.:)
I think little LT is going to be just fine - thank you all for your prayers and support as always!:hug

[Nancy in New York]

Oh precious little LT looks so much better.
That is a short tail, like Charley Chuckles had. :)
He's just precious.
Thinks look good, he's lucky to have you watching out
for him.:hug:Love_Icon:hug

[lennysmom]

Oh precious little LT looks so much better.
That is a short tail, like Charley Chuckles had. :)
He's just precious.
Thinks look good, he's lucky to have you watching out
for him.:hug:Love_Icon:hug

Thank you Nancy!:hug He is such a precious little guy, always been so mild mannered and trusting of me.:Love_Icon I still believe he has some vision issues as well, just from observing his behavior and him almost coming nose to nose with me on a few occasions coming down the tree.:tilt The fact that he has managed to survive as long as he has with his issues is simply amazing to me! Oh I forgot CC did have an adorable little short tail like that too.:) I'm just SO relieved to see sweet LT looking much better!:dance

[Jen413]

That's great news!! So glad he's doing well. :w00t what will happen with the bone poking out like that though?

[lennysmom]

That's great news!! So glad he's doing well. :w00t what will happen with the bone poking out like that though?

Thanks jlee, I was so happy to have some good news to share.:Love_Icon:)
I'm not sure exactly what will happen with the little piece of bone sticking out, but I would think that perhaps the skin would just heal over it in time. I'm still going to be keeping as close an eye on him as I can in case he ends up having issues with it. But I have seen squirrels before in the wild with very short tails or no tail at all, so I assume that they do pretty well at healing on their own. Hopefully that will be the case with LT too.

[island rehabber]

Lindsay, the bone will turn black and then eventually just fall off....fur will sometimes grow over the stump. There is a bunny-tailed wild I see all the time when I'm walking around my neighborhood, and he's been around for at least three years that I know of. He runs the wires above the street as fast and sure-footed as any squirrel with a tail. :grin2

[lennysmom]

Lindsay, the bone will turn black and then eventually just fall off....fur will sometimes grow over the stump. There is a bunny-tailed wild I see all the time when I'm walking around my neighborhood, and he's been around for at least three years that I know of. He runs the wires above the street as fast and sure-footed as any squirrel with a tail. :grin2

Thanks Maura, that's good to know.:thumbsup I'm glad to hear that the bunny tailed wild in your neighborhood is thriving in spite of being almost tailless.:) Honestly, I think it will turn out to be a blessing that this little guy has lost the lame tail he's been dragging around for months now. He already seems to move much faster without it.:great

[Jen413]

I figured it'd probably fall off but I wasn't sure if it was at risk for infection or something. That's good to know that he should be okay. He's got a whole fan club cheering him on without ever even knowing.:grin2

[lennysmom]

I figured it'd probably fall off but I wasn't sure if it was at risk for infection or something. That's good to know that he should be okay. He's got a whole fan club cheering him on without ever even knowing.:grin2

Thanks jlee, I am definitely still keeping an eye out for signs of infection. It's so nice to know my friends on TSB care about the little LT too!:hug

[lennysmom]

Little LT finally came for a visit again yesterday evening and I was so happy to see his tail seems to be healing up well with no signs of infection!:w00t Since it was almost dusk, the lighting outside wasn't very conducive to getting good pics, so I took a short video of him.:)
http://youtu.be/rH4oCHmFIqs

Here is the best pic I could manage of his tail stub.
290552

I gave him one of Lenny's famous boo balls and a couple of nuts and he was off. It really did my heart good to see him healing and doing well.:Love_Icon
That handsome Lenny smile runs in the family!:blowkiss
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Z7spCJH/0/fa11ed08/XL/i-Z7spCJH-XL.jpg

[Mel1959]

He looks terrific! When he turned around and did his little hop he looked just like a bunny! Too cute! :Love_Icon

[lennysmom]

He looks terrific! When he turned around and did his little hop he looked just like a bunny! Too cute! :Love_Icon

Thanks Mel, I too think he looks cute with his little bunny tail.:Love_Icon:) I was just thrilled with how great he looks!:dance And he moves so much better now without that dead weight of a tail hanging behind him too.:w00t

[Jen413]

So glad he's doing well!:Love_Icon

[stosh2010]

HOOT-----------HOOT-------------------
Great Up-Date...
Glad that the tail is not infected.... Hope you have daily sightings......

[lennysmom]

So glad he's doing well!:Love_Icon

Thanks jlee.:) I'm so thankful little LT is staying safe out there and healing well. I'm always amazed at their healing abilities and resourcefulness.

[lennysmom]

HOOT-----------HOOT-------------------
Great Up-Date...
Glad that the tail is not infected.... Hope you have daily sightings......

Thanks Stosh.:) It was such a relief that his tail did not get infected. Unfortunately, he usually only visits about once or twice a week. I think he is intimidated by the other squirrels and may even get bullied by them and so when he does come, it's usually right before dark. He such a sweet little guy though and Lenny never seems to mind him being around .:Love_Icon