Chipmunk Spinning in Circles

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Hi all,

Husband sent me a video while I'm at work and he's worried for this chippy. He's spinning in circles, and flipping around with his head tilted to the side and poor balance. My husband got close to it and it didn't try to run. I'll try to upload the video.

Without much detail quite yet, is this a neurological issue? Can we help or try to get it to a rehabber? I want to try to get home to get more details.

Thanks!!

[TubeDriver]

Sounds like head trauma or poisoning of some type. I would bring him in and see how he does over the next 48 hours or so.



Hi all,

Husband sent me a video while I'm at work and he's worried for this chippy. He's spinning in circles, and flipping around with his head tilted to the side and poor balance. My husband got close to it and it didn't try to run. I'll try to upload the video.

Without much detail quite yet, is this a neurological issue? Can we help or try to get it to a rehabber? I want to try to get home to get more details.

Thanks!!

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Okay, I told him to grab clean fleece, gloves, and one of Lulu-Bean's travel cages. Anything else he can grab in the meantime? Working on the video

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

I'm not sure this video will work?
file:///C:/Users/apaulesc/Downloads/chippy.mp4

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Help!!!! He's cold and barely responsive

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

He's got a tiny cut on his left cheek too, but that's the only visible thing?

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Here was the video. Poor thing is hardly moving now. I'll do anything to try to help it but I am at a loss. I'm going to try to find someone in my are I could take it to since I'm by no means a professional. In the meantime...Help?

https://youtu.be/6cMIhg6-6gM

[Spanky]

I moved this thread to life threatening.

I have never seen anything like this.. I hope someone that might have better ideas checks in soon.

Is that a cut or a puncture? Are you certain there is not another puncture on the other side of his head like maybe a cat had him, or a hawk?

He may be subdued now going into shock.. dark, warm and quiet. Maybe try some molasses, honey or syrup (in that order of preference) on his gums

[Spanky]

I reached out to a member in SE Wisconsin, I am hoping she can help...

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thank you!

I checked his other cheek and all around his body. No other noticeable cuts or punctures. Its tail, when touched, does not flick. but it definitely has movement in all of its paws and even curled its fingers around mine.

Its body is getting a little warmer, I have a heating pad (on LOW). Breathing is slow, but steady. Moves a little bit.

I'm trying not to touch it too much because I don't want to induce any more stress. He's alone in a dark, quiet room with me. I'll look for molasses. I know we have honey in the house, but not natural honey (it's the sugary bear stuff) so I don't think that's a great choice.


I moved this thread to life threatening.

I have never seen anything like this.. I hope someone that might have better ideas checks in soon.

Is that a cut or a puncture? Are you certain there is not another puncture on the other side of his head like maybe a cat had him, or a hawk?

He may be subdued now going into shock.. dark, warm and quiet. Maybe try some molasses, honey or syrup (in that order of preference) on his gums

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Had molasses. He definitely didn't like it and even had a little spunk back.

He's enjoying laying under the heating pad (not sure why he's under it?), but still feels a little cold to me. There's also fleece. I have water and food at the ready if he perks up.

Warm, dark, quiet, and just tried some molasses on the gums. Anything else I can do right now? Waiting is so hard.

[stepnstone]

Especially with the head tilt I would say head trauma of some sort, obviously pain.
Do you have any type pain meds, anti- inflammatory around?
Predisone would be ideal but can work with other's if it's suitable.

[TubeDriver]

Sent you a PM. DIY pedialyte, a heating pad on low under half his container. Normally, possible head injury would rule out extra heat but if he is getting cold you have no choice. Hydrate him. Chips can bite so be careful.

That cut on his face could almost be self inflicted due to his rolling? Not sure what is going on?

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thank you!! I'll get the pedialyte going now and will report back.



Sent you a PM. DIY pedialyte, a heating pad on low under half his container. Normally, possible head injury would rule out extra heat but if he is getting cold you have no choice. Hydrate him. Chips can bite so be careful.

That cut on his face could almost be self inflicted due to his rolling? Not sure what is going on?

[stepnstone]

That baby needs something for inflammation and pain!

[TubeDriver]

As Step said, something for pain would help. Metacam or Infant strength Ibuprofen could be used. If you have these or can get one, we can help with dosing. Infant Ibuprofen can be found at drugstores.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

That baby needs something for inflammation and pain!

I have some meds that I was given when Lulu-Bean had some inflammation. How much? I'm not sure of its weight. It's very tiny and fits in my hand, but I don't know how big they're supposed to get. I think it's an adult though (fully furry tail, nothing not developed).

I have 1 mg prednisone, 15 mg meloxicam, and 100mg gabapentin.

I just gave some homemade pedialyte...he drank a whole eyedropper and even opened his eyes some more. Very receptive. His tail fluffed up a bit too and wanted as much as I would give. Think he (she? I haven't tried to sex it yet since I'm trying to not handle it too much) understands that I'm here to help.

[TubeDriver]

I will PM dosing for the Meloxacam. Estimating weight at 75-85g.

I think we need a more accurate weight before adding any additional meds! Do you have any type of digital scale?

[stepnstone]

I will PM dosing for the Meloxacam. Estimating weight at 75-85g.
I think we need a more accurate weight before adding any additional meds! Do you have any type of digital scale?

With head trauma prednisone would have been the better choice IMO....

[TubeDriver]

I think she only has 1mg of prednisone, not enough for a decent trial? However, if LLBean can get more we could always stop the meloxicam and start the pred?



With head trauma prednisone would have been the better choice IMO....

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Good morning,

Our little ward has survived the night. I got up at 2:30am to administer .05 ml of a meloxicam solution (3mg + 2ml water). The chippy took it like a champ, drank some more pedialyte, and drank some plain water. Then, it pottied a good amount. Nothing scary with it or out of the norm.

I also noted a warmer body temperature. The heating pad had been off for 3 hours. I turned it back on for about 20 minutes before I went back to bed.

I didn't see the note about the other medication thought for head trauma until this morning, but, willing to give it a go if there's a consensus.

At 7:30 this morning, our little ward was willing to be a little spunky again, and even pottied on my hand. It didn't smell good (not that urine ever does) and was pretty yellow. I gave it some more pedialyte and some regular water.

I took its weight, which was a little difficult as it squirmed around. Looks like about 70g. But, and I thought this could be a good thing, there was a big ol' poop on the scale when we were done. I noticed other poops in the cage. So its passing things through its system. Should I offer any food today? We have healthy foods on deck in the fridge for Lulu-Bean, and rodent blocks.

Lastly, while its eyes are much more alert and it's a little squirmier than yesterday, it still will not move with its head off the ground, and flops around. Not as aggressive as that first video but still not normal.

Help on day 2 is still appreciated and needed. Could it be head trauma or poisoning? I know we have a wildlife sanctuary in Oconomowoc (about 20 minutes from me) that I can try to get a hold of. Even if our little ward does bounce back, I'd be too nervous to release it back into our backyard because whatever happened to it happened around here.

THANK YOU!!

[TubeDriver]

I would definitely hydrate as much as possible. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I would also offer food. Try some block, veggies and a nut or two.


How much prednisone do you have? Number of pills and the strength of each?


You are doing a good job with your little chippie.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thank you :)

I'll put a small dish of some food in right now. 303966I have 1mg of Prednisone, but looks like what was 12 pills.

Trying to work from home today so I can be nearby. As much as I trust the husband, I don't want too many people handling the chippy since it still needs a shot at being wild again.

[Mel1959]

I can send prednisone if she wants to start it. I have 1 mg. tablets.

Never mind it looks like LLBean already has some of my pills. I can easily send more if needed.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Mel1959--you have been a lifesaver!!

The little ward has been given a bit of romaine, a small tomato, snap peas, one blueberry, and one peanut/one pistachio (both unsalted). Like Lulu-Bean, the chippy got all wide-eyed for the pistachio. Guess he/she has a favorite. I'm going in once in a while to get it some water.

Also, guessing its a "she". The genitalia looks similar to Lulu's...at least when it was peeing on me. :flush


I can send prednisone if she wants to start it. I have 1 mg. tablets.

Never mind it looks like LLBean already has some of my pills. I can easily send more if needed.

[TubeDriver]

Ok, I would stop the Meloxicam now. Wait till tomorrow morning and then start prednisone. I will PM dosing direction for 70g chip.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Will do! I'll hang tight on any further medication until I hear further.


Ok, I would stop the Meloxicam now. Wait till tomorrow morning and then start prednisone. I will PM dosing direction for 70g chip.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

A mid-day report:

the little ward has eaten: 1 pistachio, 1/2 a peanut, 1 cherry tomato, and 1 blueberry. Avoiding her greens, I see. I'll keep offering just greens? She drank 3 eyedroppers' worth of water today, but when I went back in just now to see if she wanted any more, she turned away. Trying not to worry too much about that, since she may just not be thirsty, but I don't want her to get dehydrated again.

Noticed that she really enjoys the heating pad. I don't keep it on all the time; I'm worried she'll overheat. But when I turn it on, she scooches over to it. Otherwise, just sleeps under the fleece. Definitely alert when I wake her for water, but really just wants to sleep.

Thoughts on where she is in the recovery process? It's been about 24 hours since husband found her and I know she's made huge strides but not out of the woods yet.

[Mel1959]

It’s hard to say until you start the prednisone. My squirrel required several weeks of prednisone before she fully recovered. She had a head tilt from a fall.

Have you offered any HHBs or boo balls?

[Spanky]

Maybe keep a shallow dish of water in with her so she has the option of drinking. Placing clean pebbles or marbles in their can help stabilize the dish as well as providing a great water source for her.

Thank you for your dedication in helping her...

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thank you both! She's eating the HHB, and I put the water next to her. I'm willing to help her as long as she needs, but I've also got my feelers out for professionals in the area.

Noticing that she won't eat food unless I put it in front of her, or right by her mouth and the she grabs it and gobbles it down. While her eyes are mostly open (not in this picture...I woke her up) I wonder if there's some vision problems as a result of what's going on? Or (I don't know chipmunks much at all) is that normal for a chipmunk? She usually lays and eats...the right side of her body is where we notice the head tilting/dragging. Watched her eat a tomato attempting to sit up though.

[TubeDriver]

Will send PM with pred dosing. However, please make sure she has been off the meloxacam for at least 24 hours bebore starting the pred.


She certainly has room for improvement but a good appitite, and staying hydrated are all good signs!

Can you place the heating pad under her cage/container? That way, the heat will be more diffuse.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thank you! I've received the dosing. I will move the heating pad after she gets some solid sleep. It's currently off, but she seems like she's catching up on some needed Z's. I'll start the Prednisone in the morning; the meloxicam will be completely out of her system them.

[Scooterzmom]

I would make sure the heat does stay on for her... it may wake her up for you to do so but you don't want her body temp to go down then up again etc. ;) It's important to keep her body temperature even.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Good morning,

Day 3 update. Our little ward did NOT want to get up this morning, but I don't think in a bad way. Seemed the same way LLB will crawl back to bed when she needs "5 more minutes". Took the prednisone well enough but I could tell it didn't taste good. She got that about 7:30. For the 2nd dose tonight, should I look at 12 hour increments?

I got a video of her taking a little bath and walking around, still favoring her right side of her head. I'll post that in a bit.

Cleaned the cage (lots of potty and poops) and took out the heating pad, but it's now on low under 1/2 the cage. Told husband to monitor the temperature of the cage, and to MAKE SURE she's drinking water today.

She grabbed a HHB to nibble this morning, and she's got more fresh food in with her. But she instantly found the pistachio I snuck in among the romaine ;)

[Mel1959]

Yes, I believe the prednisone is dosed in 12 hr increments, at least that’s what I do if a Rx says twice a day.

Chippies eyes still don’t look like he feels good, unless it’s the angle of the camera.

After pulling up the meds in the syringe stick the tip into a little honey. If the Rx had come from a vet the pill would have been dissolved in suspension which would have made it sweeter.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

It could be a bad picture (I had just woke her) but I agree, she doesn't seem like she's 100% yet. She's alert, but worn out, if that makes sense.

I just sent a message to the Wildlife in Need Center, which is in Oconomowoc, WI, about 20 minutes from me. It was such a hard message to write. But, this gal's quality of life and best chance at survival/re-release is with the professionals, so it was necessary. Like I said, I'll keep her for as long as makes sense but unlike LLB (who was raised indoors from a baby), this chippy has survived outside and that's where she wants to be. Maybe they'll let me apprentice and help her. Maybe I'll get to bring her back home ;)

2nd dose of prednisone will be around 7:30 tonight. Husband has noted today that she's flipped over her food bowl of the fresh veggies, but hasn't eaten anything. I did watch her nibble a HHB this morning, so she has some appetite. She's near her water dish, but would not take it from the eyedropper when he offered. She takes water from me (must love me more haha).


Yes, I believe the prednisone is dosed in 12 hr increments, at least that’s what I do if a Rx says twice a day.

Chippies eyes still don’t look like he feels good, unless it’s the angle of the camera.

After pulling up the meds in the syringe stick the tip into a little honey. If the Rx had come from a vet the pill would have been dissolved in suspension which would have made it sweeter.

[TubeDriver]

Try to follow the directions for the 18 day dosing that I sent you as closely as possible. It starts with daily dose BID (split) and then changes to SID (1x/day) and then tapers at every other day.

I don't like the sound of this increased lethargy and loss of appetite. :( But hopefully the pred will start to help. Lots of wildlife centers will euthanize a head trauma squirrel or chippie so unless you know this center well, I would be somewhat hesitant to hand her over. I am not saying don't but I would hate for them to take her and then quickly decide to euthanize her. Many places just will not allocate the resources and time needed for this.

I think that if she makes it through this pred trial and there is no improvement then you will have to decide how much time can she have with you? If you start to see improvement then hopefully you can give her the time to recover as much as possible before making any decisions.

Keeping my fingers crossed for her. :grouphug BTW, has her name come to you yet? :grin2

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

That's a valid point, and a worry of mine as well. I've definitely heard of this place and they have great reviews, but I haven't worked with them personally. Maybe they won't respond and I'll have to keep her ;)

I will keep her on the medication regiment as closely as possible. She definitely had some spunk this morning and did not want to be held for her medication. But she hasn't eaten too much to begin with. She seems to like tomatoes and blueberries, but I know that's because they're more delicious than romaine and broccoli. The fact that she will still grab and nibble the HHB is encouraging to me too, although she has yet to finish one.

No name for her yet; I'm trying to keep that level of familiarity out of the equation so I don't get too attached. But believe me, we've tossed around some names (Splinter is my husband's favorite...I thought of Bertie because she's our ward (BURT WARD) or Robin (because we're like Batman and she's our ward :grin2)).

I have the time and energy to help her as long as she'll let me.


Try to follow the directions for the 18 day dosing that I sent you as closely as possible. It starts with daily dose BID (split) and then changes to SID (1x/day) and then tapers at every other day.

I don't like the sound of this increased lethargy and loss of appetite. :( But hopefully the pred will start to help. Lots of wildlife centers will euthanize a head trauma squirrel or chippie so unless you know this center well, I would be somewhat hesitant to hand her over. I am not saying don't but I would hate for them to take her and then quickly decide to euthanize her. Many places just will not allocate the resources and time needed for this.

I think that if she makes it through this pred trial and there is no improvement then you will have to decide how much time can she have with you? If you start to see improvement then hopefully you can give her the time to recover as much as possible before making any decisions.

Keeping my fingers crossed for her. :grouphug BTW, has her name come to you yet? :grin2

[Javarat]

I would not be overly concerned about chippy hogging the heating pad.
I have a non-releasable chippy... and he spends 95% of the time sleeping on his pad.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

She certainly likes the side of the cage that the heating pad is under, that's for sure!

I was really excited this morning. When I went in to check on her, she was awake and turned to look at me. Her eyes were still weary, but she kept turning to watch my hands as I cleaned the cage. Actually, it was hard to get a NON-blurry picture of her as she kept moving today. It's only Day 2 of prednisone (day 3 of meds altogether) but I'm feeling positive. She still leans her head to the right and isn't so steady, but she has propped herself up to clean and tries to get to her food herself.

A few questions:
1. Lulu-Bean loves so much food, most recently, avocado. I didn't give our ward avocado today, because I don't know what's appropriate. Is there anything that squirrels CAN eat that chipmunks CAN'T?
2. We can't tell how old she is. Is anyone able to guesstimate? Also, thinking long-term for her, how long do chipmunks typically live? We read 8 years?
3. What kind of chipmunk is she? They all look pretty similar to me, but I'm still doing a lot of learning.

Here are some (blurry) pictures and some videos of her scooching around this morning. Side-note: I have not heard back from the Wildlife in Need Center, but I have been in touch with JoanneInWis who has graciously offered her property if our little ward can be released. :Love_Icon:grouphug:Love_Icon

https://youtu.be/6OUnoTeXJ_8
https://youtu.be/6unLzMhkcsc



I would not be overly concerned about chippy hogging the heating pad.
I have a non-releasable chippy... and he spends 95% of the time sleeping on his pad.

[cava]

I like the name Robin a lot. She is so sweet, keep up the great work.

[TubeDriver]

I think she is an Eastern Chip (Tamias stratus) which means she will not hibernate during the winter.

She looks pretty healthy overall and I hope she continues to improve. Certainly the difference from the rolling behavior you first saw and her movement now is a BIG and rapid improvement which gives me hope for her!:great

I think anything safe for a squirrel is going to be fine for a chip. Chips might eat more bugs and worms, they are probably more like mice (omnivores). Avacado is fine (except for the toxic skin and pit!!!).

She looks like an adult to me. My guess is that she might live a couple more years?

She is cute little thing!


One more thing we might try is Dramamine if she seems dizzy? But for now, I would probably just stick with the pred since she is doing well on it. Keep her well hydrated.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thanks TubeDriver!
That makes sense about the lifespan. I'll definitely read up more on the Eastern Chip and try to get her moved more toward a diet she'll prefer when (fingers crossed) she is re-released.

I keep trying to make sure she's hydrated on the Prednisone, but she won't take water when I offer it. I keep water in the cage, but I'm not in there all the time to see if she is drinking. She WILL take the Prednisone willingly enough, but I can't guarantee that she's drinking water. Should I try to move her to a water bottle instead of a dish?

There is a lot of poop in the cage today. Doesn't look unhealthy, but just a lot. Does the Prednisone have that as a side effect?

She made her way up onto the second shelf of the cage yesterday and I was so proud of her, but she couldn't get back down (still a bit unsteady). I helped her down and she did try to bite my finger. I'm not upset by that, I figure it's a really good sign that she's of the opinion that she doesn't need help anymore. Sassy little girl :)

She's much more mobile even today, but still leans to the right and pushes the right side of her head along the floor as she walks. But I know it's still early.

[cava]

She is so darn sweet. I usually give a water bottle AND bowl to everyone, then they can choose.

Pred can increase appetite so may be that's why more poops.

You could make a tube sock covered book or piece of wood as a soft ramp so she can use her new shelf and get down by herself.

Again great job!

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thank you! I never thought about trying both a bowl and a bottle. Makes a lot of sense! Lulu has a lot of ramps (after all she has a whole room), so I'm sure I could take one and cut it down to fit within an sock to be nice and soft.


She is so darn sweet. I usually give a water bottle AND bowl to everyone, then they can choose.

Pred can increase appetite so may be that's why more poops.

You could make a tube sock covered book or piece of wood as a soft ramp so she can use her new shelf and get down by herself.

Again great job!

[TubeDriver]

Great job with her. Maybe some extra fleece under her ramp to cushion her in case she falls. Or restrict her to a single level for now untill she has more function.

[Javarat]

Great job, and wonderful to see the improvement.

Even the friendliest chippies are bitey.

The more you feed her, the more she poops.
Right now you are giving her unlimited food.. so you get unlimited poop.

When faced with unlimited food.. she should be trying to hide most of it in her nest (bedding).
So make sure you check that and clean it out frequently.

In the wild, they start a tunnel, fill it with food, and then close it off and start another one.
One chippy will stash enough food to feed hundreds... they are obsessive compulsive hoarders.
A squirrel will stash about 2000 nuts a year... a chipmunk can easily go over 10,000.
They make squirrels look like amateurs.

Squirrels are the gardeners of the forest (planting nuts at just the right depth to germinate),
but Chipmunks are the vaccum cleaners of the forest (putting thousands of nuts too deep to grow).
There is a direct connection between clearings in forests and large chipmunk populations.

[Javarat]

My chip eats the same things my squirrels do.
He is on formula (half fox valley/half esbilac) twice a day for fluids and calcium, as he cannot drink from a dish or bottle without falling over.
Obviously totally unreleasable.
And he has a little 'food stall' so he can lean against the sides while holding food.
His favorites are arugula, pecans, and walnuts.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thank you!

I was actually wondering if I should start the chipmunk on Tums, like I give to Lulu-Bean?

I had NO IDEA chippys were such hoarders! She definitely eats more than she stashes right now. I've cleaned the cage daily and found some stashes, but not a whole lot. She does try to sit up when she eats, but definitely leans.

A little more lethargic today, but she is starting on just one dose of Prednisone today, so I wonder if she's achy? Although it's thunderstorming today, and even Lulu-Bean and Arya (Arya is our dog) get a little more sleepy on these days. Probably just wants grilled cheese, soup, and Hallmark movies :)


My chip eats the same things my squirrels do.
He is on formula (half fox valley/half esbilac) twice a day for fluids and calcium, as he cannot drink from a dish or bottle without falling over.
Obviously totally unreleasable.
And he has a little 'food stall' so he can lean against the sides while holding food.
His favorites are arugula, pecans, and walnuts.

[Spanky]

Probably just wants grilled cheese, soup, and Hallmark movies :)

:laugh2

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Today the chippy seems a little more fearful of me. Which, I think is probably okay, since she's a wild animal and feeling a little better, right? Probably does NOT want to be by humans?

Plus I'm always doing something she doesn't like (icky medicine, cleaning, picking up her old food stashes...) but it does worry me that neither her water bowl nor her bottle look to have gone down a lot. So when I try to give her a drink via eyedropper she runs away or, at the least, refuses to drink it. Not sure if there's another route I can take?

[Javarat]

Give her some grapes so she can get fluids from them.
They drink very little.. only 2 to 6 ml of water per day.

[Mel1959]

I was wondering how Chippie was doing with the head tilt? When my girl had head trauma she was on prednisone for longer than the typical regimen. When it came time to start stepping down the dose the vet asked if I could see improvement. Because I could, she said to continue the treatment. For that reason she stayed on the full dosing until she was completely better and then I began the step down process. I actually followed this same process with my dwarf squirrel, as well. Both have completely recovered.

For liquid hydration you might try offering watermelon since it’s mainly water. Glad to hear Chippie is feeling better. :w00t

[TubeDriver]

Try sweetening the water with a bit of suger or honey. Grapes as Jav mentioned are basically sweet water as is watermelon or even apple slices.



Today the chippy seems a little more fearful of me. Which, I think is probably okay, since she's a wild animal and feeling a little better, right? Probably does NOT want to be by humans?

Plus I'm always doing something she doesn't like (icky medicine, cleaning, picking up her old food stashes...) but it does worry me that neither her water bowl nor her bottle look to have gone down a lot. So when I try to give her a drink via eyedropper she runs away or, at the least, refuses to drink it. Not sure if there's another route I can take?

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Thanks! Sorry for the delay in a response...things are so hectic and TODAY we found a baby bunny that's dragging its leg (another thread and another worry. What worries me most is what seems to be going on around here, and I'm not a rehabber and having trouble finding a center that will help:sadness).

Back to the chipmunk on this thread. I feel it's not life threatening anymore...would an admin feel this should get moved back to non-life threatening? I'm okay with that.

I went back to a bit of pedialyte last night for the chippy since her fur looked a little spikey and I hadn't seen the water levels go down still in the dish or bottle. She drank the pedialyte, but not very willingly.

She IS eating...the only things she'll touch is tomatoes, blueberries, the 1 grape last night, a little bit of HHB, and avocado. I stopped giving her avocado a couple of days ago because her poops looked a little green and mushy. Figured that was because of the avocado and how it would be a new thing in her diet? Plus, I don't want her demanding avocado toast from a hipster if she can get released. ;)

She is definitely NOT a fan of mine, which I'm okay with because she's a wild animal. She moves quickly away from me, head is NOT on the ground, but always turned right. She keeps climbing up and down in the cage...probably very antsy. Thinking that I should move her to under a window, and open it for her to get some fresh air?

Major question for her: assuming the medication continues as planned, and she is able to be re-released, we'd be looking at 2nd week of September in SE Wisconsin. It's already cooling down out here. Will she have enough time to gather food and get ready for the winter? Or should we look at wintering her? If we winter her, could she and Lulu be roommates? Right now she's in the guest room in a cage that is probably too small for long-term. Lulu has a 10x10 bedroom to herself. I could put in her spare cage (which is an old parrot cage).


Try sweetening the water with a bit of suger or honey. Grapes as Jav mentioned are basically sweet water as is watermelon or even apple slices.

[Javarat]

I don't think she would have time to build a winter stash in September (in Wisconsin).
Some might suggest supplementing her with food at the release point.. but she might never return there, and other animals would take the food.

If you are seeing head tilt right now I do not think she will be stable enough to release in 2 to 3 weeks.
She might be better in the spring... but damage from injuries like this are often permanent.

Adult chippies do not share and will try to kill each other if forced to share a space.
So she will probably also attack other species as well.
I have never seen a squirrel attack a chipmunk, but I see chipmunks attacking squirrels every day in my yard.
So I would definitely suggest you do NOT confine her in a space with Lulu.

[Mel1959]

I know nothing about chippies or their hoarding requirements, but I do know she can’t be released until you see no head tilt of any kind. It took months for my girl to completely recover and I overwintered her in Florida, which isn’t a necessity for winter temps. When is the prednisone regiment to be completed? You might have to extend it to achieve a full recovery, if possible.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Ahh, thank you both!

The prednisone is scheduled to end about 9/7. The head tilts are still occurring, but today while eat, she had it right up and her balance was fine. But unless she's eating, she is still tilting her head.

I'm really worried about her hydration. Pictures I took today show very spikey fur. I can't seem to get her to drink water (both a bottle and a dish, tried putting sugar in the dish, and she will NOT take water from an eyedropper). She's got a lot of fight in her, and squirms out of my hand. She hates when I open the cage and runs as far as she can from me.

Also, I moved her under a window. She seems to love sunning herself and watching the neighbors.

I don't mind AT ALL overwintering her if that gives her the best chance, I'm just not sure where to keep her aside from the guest room. Would moving her to a larger cage be good (I assume?)? I have two other sizes than what she's in. Given that she's fiesty, I'm not going to risk having her and Lulu in the same room, even if she stays in a cage.

I want the best life and best chance for her if she can be released, but if she can't...anyone think she would warm up to me?

[cava]

OMGosh she she is so cute!

I noticed the corners of your cage aren't wrapped in cloth. Where they gape a bit can be pinch points and we've seen some pretty injured fingers and toes due to getting caught in them. Not sure how much she's at risk with her activity level, but wanted to make you aware. Strips of fabric, wound around and through bars secure the seams.

Keep up the great work!

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Husband sent me a video yesterday of the chippy because I wanted to see how her head was tilting. Definitely much better than before!

https://youtu.be/LrXQKufP9Gs

We discussed and will be overwintering her. I'll touch base with @JoanneInWis to see if we can release her on her property in the spring. Just need some opinions on cages? @cava, thank you for the tip on wrapping the edges! Certainly don't want to add to her health woes, so we'll certainly take care of that issue.

Also, thought I'd share the hipster chippy...she loves her meds in avocado toast! :gigg So of course...Lulu got her Tums on avocado toast as well ;)

[Mel1959]

If you are seeing marked improvement I don’t think you should discontinue the prednisone yet.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

If you are seeing marked improvement I don’t think you should discontinue the prednisone yet.

Absolutely! She's right on track with her dosages and should (in theory) be done with her meds around the 7th. Assuming, of course, that she doesn't need to go longer than that.

But because that'd be a risky time to release her even if she were 100%, we were going to move her into a larger cage and chippy-proof it (no pinched toes allowed). It measures about 36x23x25 inches (LxWxH) and it was Lulu's nighttime cage until she was about 1 year. I was wondering if anyone thought this is a good idea? And, if we did, I thought about getting some crinkle tunnels or those hamster tunnels and fill it with bedding for her to recreate tunneling in while she's stuck indoors for the winter. Does anyone think that would be a safe idea for enrichment?

Thanks!

[cava]

I love enrichment stuff! I think they can squeeze through some small places, how far are the bars spaced apart?

I think things you would give a hamster would be fun as far as "stuff" goes. Stick to the squirrel healthy diet as far as diet goes, though.

Also, you could do some research on natural chippie habitats and emulate that. Or search for chipmunk cage set up ideas. You may get some hits.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

I love enrichment stuff! I think they can squeeze through some small places, how far are the bars spaced apart?

I think things you would give a hamster would be fun as far as "stuff" goes. Stick to the squirrel healthy diet as far as diet goes, though.

Also, you could do some research on natural chippie habitats and emulate that. Or search for chipmunk cage set up ideas. You may get some hits.

Oh, thanks! I'll dig around. Not sure why that didn't pop into my head before! I'm slowly learning about chipmunks haha.

I like to rearrange the tree branches in Lulu's room every so often, for some of her enrichment. I do it so she stays sharp and has to figure out new ways to get around. So if I'm doing that for my own baby, I want to figure out ways to keep my foster baby sharp so she has a better release (if possible).

This morning, when I went to give our little ward her breakfast, she ALMOST looked like her head WASN'T tilting! :w00t She was super skiddish and very on edge that my hand was in the cage, so I didn't want to stress her out too bad and come back with my phone to take a picture. We'll keep her on the Prednisone through the prescribed regiment, but fingers crossed that she won't need to continue it past the 7th! :dance

[Mel1959]

Great news!