FOUND young squirrel with terrible skin condition, major problems

[Shadow & Arthur]

My wife and I found a young squirrel (looks to be about 7-8 weeks old) on the side of the road, whimpering and barely moving. We brought him home (currently in a comfy box in our shed) and gave him some formula and are basically just trying to give him some comfort before what seems to be his inevitable end. But, I'm wondering if anyone has seen anything like this and/or knows what it is??
(He did take the formula and seemed to like it, so perhaps all is not lost?)303597

[Chickenlegs]

Are those bite marks? Burns? Doesn’t look like pox. I’ve pm’d Sophie Squirrel. He may know a vet or rehabber you can take the poor baby to. Meanwhile, give him a tshirt or fleece to snuggle into and he looks old enough to nibble a piece of apple—tho not likely to want to.

[Mel1959]

Yes, please give him something soft to lay on and hide under. I think they do sorta look like pox, but mainly because I can’t think of what else it could be that would cover his body like that.

Can you get a weight on him, or maybe someone can estimate so he could be given some infant ibuprofen, if you have some? Offer some water or more formula as he could also be thirsty.

Poor thing, I hope you can get him some help. :sniff:sniff

[HRT4SQRLS]

Very sad. It might not look like ‘traditional’ pox but I do think it’s pox.
It’s not contagious to people. Please offer supportive care and maybe someone has an idea regarding a rehabber.
Thank you for caring. :grouphug

[TubeDriver]

How is he doing? Can he walk?

[Chickenlegs]

Anything? I sure am glad someone knowledgable about what pox can look like chimed in. Squirrels have recovered from pox so if you’re supporting him with good nutrition he has a better chance.

[Scooterzmom]

No doubt about it, it is pox. An advanced case of it - we had one baby in our backyard who looked just like that. :Cry

Any news on the little one??? If he was whimpering and by the side of the road he may have been hit by a car too. Poor little treasure.

That poor baby needs ABs, acyclovir and a good bath in water with Epsom salt to clean his lesions; then cornstarch all over the lesions to keep them dry.

[SophieSquirrel]

Same here looks like advanced Squirrel Pox. Nothing to worry about - you or your pets can't catch it. Bring him inside where it's warm and put him in a cat/dog carrier with a blanket and some water.

Here is some good information about successful treatment: http://fourwandswildlife.com/squirrel-pox

What part of Michigan are you in?

PM send (check under notifications at top of forum.

[JLM27]

Some on FB are reporting success with abx, antivirals and Epsom salt baths.

[Shadow & Arthur]

Thanks so much for the responses -

After a bit of research, we determined that yes, definitely pox. We kept him as comfortable as possible and gave him some yummy formula for a couple of hours, then he passed. As mentioned, he was nearly gone when we found him, AND a cat nearby that may have been toying with him as well. So hopefully we were able to give him some comfort in his last hours. Will definitely keep our eyes out for any signs of this nasty disease in our back yard, now that we know what it looks like and that it can be treated.

Thanks so much again everybody.