gloves when handling baby squirrels ??

[slimshayd]

hello, I saw something online saying you definitely should wear gloves when handling the baby squirrels, is that true?!

[Spanky]

Not necessary but do take common precautions like washing frequently and after handling. Especially when dealing with diarrhea... keep the cages clean as well.

Here is a good read on the subject:
https://squirrelrefuge.org/page52.html

[Javarat]

I do not wear gloves, as I like to feel their tummy during a feeding.
I do have like 100 small scratches on my hands though.

[HRT4SQRLS]

No, it’s not true. Of course you can wear gloves if you choose to but it’s not required when handling a HEALTHY baby squirrel. When you first get a baby squirrel into rehab they might have fleas and mites. A Dawn dishwashing soap bath would be needed to rid them of bugs. Other than that I can’t think of any ‘diseases’ you can get from squirrels. If they have mange, scaly skin, infection or other obvious problems you would want to wear gloves.

Of course, usual hand washing and good hygienic practices are needed after handling ANY animal. Actually, I wash my hands after petting a dog or cat and I do the same after handling squirrels.
When I had several larger babies they were ripping my hands to shreds with their claws so I purchased some fingerless gloves to protect my hands from scratches. They saved my hands a lot of abuse so I highly recommend them for older babies. :tilt
https://www.amazon.com/Loritta-Fingerless-Crochet-Thumbhole-Warmers/dp/B07GVM1NFZ/ref=pd_sbs_193_3/144-0966304-2197859?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07GVM1NFZ&pd_rd_r=b966799d-5bcb-11e9-9b68-7352981fda06&pd_rd_w=a70ZT&pd_rd_wg=ypHNv&pf_rd_p=763ccc93-bfa2-47be-85ae-0cdd7e00b3da&pf_rd_r=5T01ZC6GZTMYXCCPW78B&refRID=5T01ZC6GZTMYXCCPW78B

[island rehabber]

I'm old school; I can't imagine wearing gloves to handle my healthy babies. I want to learn from what my fingers tell me. Are my babies cooler than they should be? Warmer? Do I feel little bones under that fur and am I missing the fact that this baby is emaciated? Is the fur wiry and dry, or soft and silky? You cannot answer those questions wearing gloves.

Now with any suspicion of infection or communicable disease I will of course use gloves. But not in the course of a normal day with normal baby squirrels.

The one animal I always wear gloves to handle is any basic kitten, feral or otherwise. Darn things always have ringworm and they love to give it to others!