nose bleeding

[federica]

I have just found a squirrel injured. His nose was lightly bleeding, now it stopped. He is weak and his left ear has crusted blood. Tomorrow we will take him to the vet. Any suggestion to help him survive the night? Thank you.

[Tammy]

Hi- thank goodness you found the liitle one. I'm not a rehabber but I suggest to definetly keep him warm. I'd get a box, line it with flannel and put a wool
hat in it with some flannel pieces. If the squirrel is very young you might want to put a heating pad under half of it. The little one might be dehydrated-try pedialyte or espilac if the little one is not dehydrated. You can also keep him warm by getting an old sock and putting some cooked rice inside of it. The little one can snuggle into the warmth. I hope he makes it to the morning- my prayers are with him. Good luck.

[island rehabber]

Federica, first of all thank you for rescuing this poor squirrel. It's hard to know whether he was injured in a fall or a fight, but it's good that the nosebleed has stopped. If he looks like an adult, you want to be very careful handling him...even if he appears weak he can bite right thru your finger to the bone. Use leather gloves if possible....place him on some old tee shirts or fleece in a container with a top that stays on, or place a screen over a box and weight it down. Put the container with the squirrel in a dark, warm place and leave him be. You can offer him a little water in a shallow dish or jar lid, but I would not try to feed him anything before the vet sees him. Warmth and quiet is most important. I hope your vet is experienced with wildlife and willing to treat them....a dog & cat vet will usually not want to get involved. Is there a wildlife rehabber in your area? He or she may know which vets are willing to treat squirrels. Please keep us posted as to how it goes tomorrow, OK?

[federica]

I tried to call the local rehabber many times and even left a message but she didn't call back yet. The squirrel is an young/adult male. He let me touch him and had some water. Thanks God he didn't bite me...I didn't know he could do it...I come from a country where squirrels are very rare!!! Now he looks fine. He's moving around the box. Anyway I want him checked by a vet o rehabber ... then he will be free to go back to his tree :peace THANK YOU FOR PRECIOUS HELP!

[Snoopi77]

Tammy,
I was told to fill a sock 1 /3 of the way with uncooked rice. You then tie the end in a knot and fold over the top part of the sock to again cover the sock with rice. Heat in the microwave for 45 - 50 seconds.
I used to put it in Leia's cage after she ate and she would actually lay across it with all four legs hanging around it. She also used to rub her face into it. It probably felt good on her tummy and may have reminded her of her mommy's warm body.
This was one of my favorite memories!

The sock is also good to put on sore muscles for ourselves. It feels good!!

[thundersquirrel]

uncooked rice, uncooked! you heat it in the microwave, but it's dry rice!

we should have a sock buddy thread, giving exact directions on how to make sock buddies....or even heating devices in general....

thanks for taking in the squirrel. i'm sure he appreciates it. definitely give him a box to hide in, cause it'll reduce stress. if you want to make him extra happy, you could hang the box on the side of the cage. for squirrels going upwards is a habit of safety. just make sure he's easy to remove from the box, in case you need to take him somewhere or something.

keep us updated!

[federica]

Our vet does not treat wild animals ... and the local rehabber is not calling back :skwredup So I have to help him myself. Please ISLAND REHABBER give me some guide lines about his diet and if I can use some medications such as baby tylenol drops to help him with pain. Today he is breathing better than yesterday and he has no swollen parts. He is really sleepy and I wonder if it's ok. I gave him some pedialyte and some water. I live in Statesboro GA. If you know somebody here that can help please let me know. Thanks!!!

[CliffordandDaisy'sDad]

federica, how did you give him the pedialyte? in a dish or syringe?
I'm asking because we're not sure on the age and if he will still need to be on some Esbilac, which is syringe, or maybe on some solid food - or both.

Here's a excellent site for telling their age:
Read the whole site if you can.

http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/category.cfm?Category=39

and also read this thread and all the links in it:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56

[federica]

I used a syringe. He is older than 18 weeks. I believe he is the one that lives in my front yard ... maybe that's why he let me take care of him!?

[CliffordandDaisy'sDad]

Have you tried any of his "favorite" foods just yet?

Pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds?

To see how he's eating. Fattening him up on high energy foods won't hurt him at all in the short term and will probably do him a lot of good.

[federica]

He shows no interest in food. today he is just sleeping and sleeping. Can I feed him baby cereals flakes mixed with water?

[CliffordandDaisy'sDad]

Since you can handle him and you've already syringed.

Esbilac puppy formula powder. One part Esbilac, two parts very warm water. Their body temps are higher than ours, so you want it feeling good and warm - not hot - on your wrist.
EDIT: I think I would start with one part Esbilac and three parts water. Just to see how he does on it for a day.
Take a min and read the threads and links I posted. They cover everything.

Watch since he's sleeping so much and go real slow with the formula. Be sure he's actively sucking and taking it in.

[island rehabber]

Federica, sorry for the delay in answering you but you have been given excellent advice by everyone here! Since his nose was bleeding it is possible he had some type of fall or head trauma and may not feel like chewing anything hard. Definitely give him the Esbilac formula as C&D's Dad explained, but don't give him any human painkillers not even Tylenol. I have about 20 rehabbers in my National Wildlife Rehabber's Assoc book who are in Georgia. What part of the state are you in? I will send you the names & numbers for the closest ones. In the meantime, warmth and quiet are essential since this squirrel may be coming out of shock.

[CliffordandDaisy'sDad]

Maura, Statesboro, Georgia

[island rehabber]

Thanks C&DD :) I know, I got the Statesboro part but not sure whether she's near Atlanta, or wherever....I don't want to copy out all 20 Georgia names....
Federica -- what are the area codes near you? That would help too.

[federica]

I live in Statesboro, Bulloch county (40 minutes from Savannah). Right now my husband is on the phone with someone that will help !!! Gotta go take him to the doc! Lots of blessing to all of you. :wahoo

[island rehabber]

Great news!! Good luck and PLEASE keep us in the loop!!

[federica]

We just got back from the rehabber. Our little guy has head trauma and some swelling around one eye and his front legs. That's why today he was not moving around but just sleeping. He's gonna have some shots and we will know in a week how he's doing. The rehabber from our town (that we've been calling all yesterday and today) doesn't do the job any more. I just wish she would have called us back and reffered to someone else :nono ... I will keep you all updated. :thankyou

[island rehabber]

Federica, I am so happy you found someone to take care of him....no wonder he didn't want to eat, poor baby. Here's hoping and praying that everything works out, and here's a kick in the butt to the rehabber who never called you back! :frustratedx

[Momma Squirrel]

Federica that is great news that you got some help, we will all be waiting to hear his progress and keeping good thoughts. Thanks for being there for him, he is a lucky fellow. Please remember to keep us posted, all these guys become part of our lives even though we haven't met them.

[muffinsquirrel]

I just can not understand how a rehabber suddenly "doesn't do that any more". I mean, rehab work is something that you are 'called' to do, not something you do for fun. I know that things change, and you may not be able to take in as many as you once did, but the compassion and concern is still in you. How do you turn your back on a baby that desperately needs you? How do you live with yourself after you have possibly condemned a wild baby to death just because you wouldn't pick up the phone and say 'I can't help, but call so-and-so and they will help you".

I guess it's probably for the best that she got out - that's better than taking in a baby and then not caring for it correctly!

OK - I could rant and rave for hours about this, but I'll get off my soap box now. But she couldn't have been much of a rehabber in the first place, to refuse a call for help, so the critters are better off without her!

muffinsquirrel

[sparkysmom]

AMEN! Very well put.:bowdown

[federica]

Good news from our so much loved Robin (nose bleeding) !!! He is doing really good and will come back in a couple of days ... then he will be set free. A big :thankyou to all of you and to Cindy (rehabber): a wonderful woman with a great gift and neverending love for animals.

[Momma Squirrel]

That is great news on Robin, if you can, take pictures before the release.