Yum Yum legs and back

[Hmt]

Hello
I am new here. I have a squirrel that I took away from a cat. Unfortunately I wS unaware of u all. She had no use of her back legs and her spine is twisted. Any ideas? She scoots around like a zigzag?

[SammysMom]

Welcome to TSB! Can you tell us when you found your little one?

[Chickenlegs]

There are a number of little squirrels who have paralysis issues. My boy is Scooter. Then there’s Ruby and Jake and Ana and and and— Please tell us everything about your baby. How old is she? Has she seen a vet? Pictures pleeeeeeze! TSB is a great resource to help you give your sweetie a happy fullfilling life. Our paralyzed guys have no idea they aren’t normal. Our job and joy is proving them right!

[LR]

What's her name? How old is she now? I'm Ruby and Jake's mom. Glad you found TSB!
Yes, please send pictures.....

[Hmt]

Hello
I am new here. I have a squirrel that I took away from a cat. Unfortunately I wS unaware of u all. She had no use of her back legs and her spine is twisted. Any ideas? She scoots around like a zigzag?

I found her in October. She is still under a year. She has no idea that she is diffrent. She looks as if she is always sitting on her left hip. I am having trouble uploading the pictures of her. I will as soon as I figure it all out. She is happy and spoiled.

[SammysMom]

Can't wait to see her! Tell us all about her diet and what she enjoys doing most!

[Chickenlegs]

I found her in October. She is still under a year. She has no idea that she is diffrent. She looks as if she is always sitting on her left hip. I am having trouble uploading the pictures of her. I will as soon as I figure it all out. She is happy and spoiled.

As she should be! Does she have any issues with drag sores or incontinence? So happy to see another little miracle.

[Hmt]

What's her name? How old is she now? I'm Ruby and Jake's mom. Glad you found TSB!
Yes, please send pictures.....

Trying to figure out how to load her pictures. I have made every mistake u can make with her. The biggest one is she has never been in a cage. Her diet is fruit, veggies, yogart, walnuts, shelled, she refuses to open the ones with shells. She is not a great eater. She gets a calcium supplement. I want to post her picture so badly. I just know she is the most beautiful girl in the world. Lol. Just like a mother.

[Hmt]

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Trying to figure out how to load her pictures. I have made every mistake u can make with her. The biggest one is she has never been in a cage. Her diet is fruit, veggies, yogart, walnuts, shelled, she refuses to open the ones with shells. She is not a great eater. She gets a calcium supplement. I want to post her picture so badly. I just know she is the most beautiful girl in the world. Lol. Just like a mother.

[Hmt]

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[Hmt]

As she should be! Does she have any issues with drag sores or incontinence? So happy to see another little miracle.

Not really. Once in a while she gets a sore on one leg. I don’t think it from dragging. She is really busy. She may bump herself. She has no other issues. So happy to know we are not alone.

[LR]

Yay, you did it! You know, it only took me three weeks to figure it on my cell phone?! She's a cutie girl. Top pic is Ruby. Bottom is Jake.

[lennysmom]

Welcome to TSB!:wave123 Little Yum Yum is precious!:Love_Icon Sounds like her diet will need some adjustment though if she's not eating any kind of rodent block. She needs to be on a good rodent block in order to stay healthy. There are several options - I feed my babies the Henry's Healtly Blocks that you can purchase here : www.henryspets.com Most of my babies have liked the picky blocks best. They are a bit pricey, but all of my squirrels eat it well. Several members here also feed the Harlan Teklad blocks which are another healthy option.
I have bought them off Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0EPSLO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BuyyAbGQY6KFJ

And here is a link to the healthy diet chart for squirrels :
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

[Hmt]

Welcome to TSB!:wave123 Little Yum Yum is precious!:Love_Icon Sounds like her diet will need some adjustment though if she's not eating any kind of rodent block. She needs to be on a good rodent block in order to stay healthy. There are several options - I feed my babies the Henry's Healtly Blocks that you can purchase here : www.henryspets.com Most of my babies have liked the picky blocks best. They are a bit pricey, but all of my squirrels eat it well. Several members here also feed the Harlan Teklad blocks which are another healthy option.
I have bought them off Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0EPSLO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BuyyAbGQY6KFJ

And here is a link to the healthy diet chart for squirrels :
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels
Thank u. I will order in the morning.

[SophieSquirrel]

The Henry's blocks need to be refrigerated or frozen as soon as they arrive.

I will be in the Fernandina area shortly and can give you some Teklad blocks to try also as I have a 33 Lb bag.

Check your PM (Private Message)

[Chickenlegs]

Are her back toes curled? A really good vet I took Scooter to said these spine injured guys often have circulation problems. She suggested massaging legs daily. Scooter gets his feet, legs and back massaged every single day. Ohohoh—give her lots of ear scratches. She can’t scratch her own ears and will be soooooo grateful if you do! She is a lucky lucky little girl and you are blessed to belong to her.

[Hmt]

Are her back toes curled? A really good vet I took Scooter to said these spine injured guys often have circulation problems. She suggested massaging legs daily. Scooter gets his feet, legs and back massaged every single day. Ohohoh—give her lots of ear scratches. She can’t scratch her own ears and will be soooooo grateful if you do! She is a lucky lucky little girl and you are blessed to belong to her.

I am the lucky one. She make me laugh everyday. She is not interested in a leg massage. Funny because I am a neuromuscular Therapist. I had said that she is not incontnent. I don’t know a squirrels potty behavior. Maybe she is. I scratch her ears all the time. A problem I have is, she has to be bathed and when she gets a bath it’s traumatic for us both. She becomes scared then nasty. Really nasty. My hand are scared. She bites and she means it. She stinkes if u don’t wash her. I try to soak her back end with warm water and a little dial soap. It bath time today and I dread ever second. Any suggestions?

[Hmt]

I am the lucky one. She make me laugh everyday. She is not interested in a leg massage. Funny because I am a neuromuscular Therapist. I had said that she is not incontnent. I don’t know a squirrels potty behavior. Maybe she is. I scratch her ears all the time. A problem I have is, she has to be bathed and when she gets a bath it’s traumatic for us both. She becomes scared then nasty. Really nasty. My hand are scared. She bites and she means it. She stinkes if u don’t wash her. I try to soak her back end with warm water and a little dial soap. It bath time today and I dread ever second. Any suggestions?

Also. Did u see the pictures I posted of her? U can see in one how her leg is upside down. When I find her I will try to take another.

[Hmt]

Yay, you did it! You know, it only took me three weeks to figure it on my cell phone?! She's a cutie girl. Top pic is Ruby. Bottom is Jake.

OMG, They are beautiful

[Chickenlegs]

Also. Did u see the pictures I posted of her? U can see in one how her leg is upside down. When I find her I will try to take another.

I guess that’s why I asked if her foot was twisted.

OK—Maybe I can help with the bath issue. She drags sidesaddle. Scooter does too tho he can also drag spraddle legged. I am assuming she has a degree if incontinance. Even if not she can’t lift herself out of her pee puddles. A normal squirrel squats (or honors you with a shower if caged). She can’t squat so pee gets into folds and creases. Scooter too. Scooter has to have a bath every other day or he gets scalded. In his case, urine plus a tiny scratch equals a nasty ulcer. A dragsore has to be treated and possibly bandaged. A bath is absolutely essential for him. It’s a ritual He HATES. The sacrificial blood loss can be minimized. Hope I describe it well enough to help you try the Scooter soak with Miss Yum.

Bathtub. It REALLY makes life easier. If you have a shower only, a large plastic tub will have to do but it’s not nearly as easy. Turn on the hot shower and warm up the tub. A bath cools off fast and these little guys don’t need to get chilled. After the tub is warm to the touch run a tub of VERY warm water. Pour enough kosher salt into the tub to make the water taste slightly salty. An old bathtub is great because it is shallower in the back. You want about an inch/inch and a quarter of very warm salt water in the back part of the tub. It will get deeper towards the drain and that’s good because she’s gonna be pissed and scoot around trying to get out. You want her to skoot. It gets her clean without major blood loss on your part and the salt cleans, and disinfects her legs and girley parts.

Carry your darling into the bathroom. Bring a dishtowel with you. It will get her into the tub, claws and teeth contained. You will need a large fluffytowel to dry herafter her bath. Have a box of kleenex handy (not for sopping up blood. Kleenex is absorbant and will help dry creases)

Getting her in the tub: Sit on the edge of the tub. When she scoots onto your lap—or someplace grabbable, use the dishtowel and encircle her body, tucking in those claws. It’ll take some practice but the aim is to have a contained package you then plop into the shallow end of the tub which has very warm salt water in it. Don’t wrap her so tight you can’t lift the dishtowel off. It’s fine if that towel gets wet as long as isn’t covering her face. Keep your hands away from her when you get the dishtowel off. Squirrels are crazy fast and you might have a very unhappy squirrel clawing her way up your arm if you linger. Make sure the shower curtain is outside the tub or tossed over the curtain rod. You want her to stay in that tubuntil the water begins to cool—maybe 5 minutes or so.

Let the water all the way out

You now have a soggy squirrel in the bottom of the bathtub. Plop your bathtowel completely over YumYum. Scoop her up in the towel, rubbing and massaging as you dry her off. This is where you can turn her over and turning the towel back to expose her legs (keep ner upper body well burritoed) use kleenexes to dry the creases completely. Kleenexes are good for drying her tail too. After her parts are dry, put a little A&D ointment on creases and parts to keep moisture from irritating her.

A cage is good for drying. It’s also good for letting a freshly bathed squirrel cool down so she doesn’t want to kill and eat you. I put a hot hands under the shelf liner under Scooter’s cube. If she isn’t caged, she needs to have a place that’s extra warm. I’ve had squirrels that didn’t have a home cage. All of mine have cages now. They have their time out to run around, but they sleep in their cages and when anything potentially hazardous is going on (cooking, painting, cleaning, visitors, working with anything sharp) my babies are in their cages. I had some near disasters until I finally got smart.

If you have to use a plastic tub, let me know and I’ll write a book about that too. Good luck!

Scooter in the tub ready to get dried off. He is NOT happy!

[Chickenlegs]

This may help with the whole bath thing—at least the getting IN the tub. May need help showing how to get a soggy squirrel OUT.
https://youtu.be/xHrREDcnoOQ

Scooter in the tub
Share this video
https://youtu.be/d2hvS4hdfYE

More when I find a videographer. An iPad has limitations doncha know!

[Nancy in New York]

I lightened the photo a little so we can see the rotation of the foot a little clearer.
Does she have any nails on that foot?
You're right, she is a beauty.:Love_Icon
Let's fix that diet, you'll be happy you did, and so will she in the long run. :)

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-mqB6NQs/0/eca3df16/O/i-mqB6NQs.jpg

[Chickenlegs]

My friend helped video how I get Scooter out of the tub. Try this next time you need to give your sweetie a bath. YumYum will be fresh and clean and you won’t need stitches. Might put some A&D ointment on her parts while you have her burritoed. Helps delicate skin. I use Desitin. Scooter doesn’t lick himself so I don’t worry about him ingesting the zinc oxide in the ointment. A&D is absolutely safe.
https://youtu.be/M4-VKWwrMSE

Let me know if this makes bathtime a little easier—and hopefully less painful.


Also, when it’s bath day, be sure to play with her before and after so she doesn’t just associate you with the dreaded “BAF!”

[SophieSquirrel]

I received word from Michelle (hmt) that Yum Yum passed away. She had been to Dr. E and had serious injuries from the cat attack so the prognosis was not good. Poor little Yum Yum. :hug