HELP! Squirrel dragging along legs without paralysis

[squirrel_love_germany]

Hello,

I am from Germany and are taking care for European squirrels (red and brown) since many years as a part of a wild squirrel association. Now I have a case that makes us all helpless - even our vets. I got a male baby (6 weeks) who felt out the nest (nose bleeding) - such cases we have every day a lot in Munich. He was fine so far. One day he jumped from my shoulder on the floor and had nose bleeding again. Yes my fault, I didn't expected this jumping :( But he was fine again.
After some days he dragged along his legs. But he could move them. Tweeking test between the toes positive. He got prednisolon, antibiotics (Pradofloxacin) and vecoxan (against coccidia which can cause these symptoms). I moved and stretched his legs several times a day. After three days he was fine again for weeks. Playing with his foster siblings etc. Then I put all together in a bigger aviary. After some days I wondered that I couldn't see him outside playing anymore. After checking his nest I recognized: he is dragging along his legs again. Same symptoms, same treatment (now Cotrimoxazol as AB) - no changing now. I tried different homeopathic meds (f.e. hypericum, opium etc.) and mykotherapy (Hericium erinaceus)

Do anyone know what this could be and give advice? That would be so great!
Thank you and best wishes
Julia

[redwuff]

Hi Julia, welcome to TSB :grouphug

Just to get a baseline could you give us the formula you use and when and how do you wean your babies? Did he have an X-ray after the jump when he was not using his legs?

[CritterMom]

Also, what is he eating right now? What is his normal daily diet?

[squirrel_love_germany]

Hi Julia, welcome to TSB :grouphug

Just to get a baseline could you give us the formula you use and when and how do you wean your babies? Did he have an X-ray after the jump when he was not using his legs?

Hello and thank you for answering. We use breeding milk for cats (Royal Canin) or goats. He got the breeding cat milk. We feed 1ml per 20g body weight - 5ml for 100 g f.e. he was 6 weeks old - so I started with 3 hours at the beginning and had a look how thirsty he was. 6 weeks squirrels we feed every 6 hours normally...because they begin to eat hazelnuts or walnuts withour shell or pine nuts.

He had no X-Ray after the jump. But one of our vets did examination....testing reflexes etc. Reflexes ok, no pain signs. it is like he doesn't want to move or doesn't have enough power.

Meanwhile I talked about this case with some US-squirrel-experts on Instagram. One of them said: lyme-disease. She knows all the symptoms. And it would explain the first betterment after pradofloxacin and the second one now - cotrimoxazol - isn't wotking against lyme. We live in Bavaria - a part of Germany, where lyme is very common. But for squirrels we have no experiences. So i got doxycycline for him for 4 weeks. we will see :) I know that you are more advanced in reasearch in USA than we are. On the other side: grey squirrels are different to European squirrels and not every research is transferable (look at GB).

[squirrel_love_germany]

Also, what is he eating right now? What is his normal daily diet?

But please be careful: he is not a grey squirrel. He is an European squirrel - they are different. They need special food (seeds of special trees and fruits or fungi, no animal proteins - only in emergerncy cases) and are not such versatilely like grey squirrels (that is the "problem" in GB, because the Britain cleared the woods and planted wrong trees. European squirrels need special trees ans their seeds. And grey squirrels are more versatilely in food and have another immune system (immune to parapox virus, the European is dying of it).

[Mel1959]

BUMP! This thread seemed to go dormant without the questions being answered.

When did this squirrel wean? Do you allow them to self wean or do you encourage it at a certain age? Do you provide any type of rodent block? Do you feed anything other than nuts, seeds etc? I’m not sure how pine nuts affect your squirrels, but they have a terrible calcium to phosphorous ratio, which is always a concern for leading to metabolic bone disease.

If you believe that the first antibiotic seemed to work, why wouldn’t you try that again? Has an X-ray been done yet?

Please let us know how your little one is doing.

[Diggie's Friend]

Hi, Sounds your squirrel may have developed Metabolic Bone Disease; lethargy is a sign of this occurring, that is directly related to feeding an insufficient level of calcium in the diet, with too many nuts.

About ten years ago, I came across a book published circa 1915, that relates the story of man in Germany who raised Eurasian Red squirrels (eichhornchen) that sadly all passed all too soon from the malady that was known then to be related to the captive diet used at that time used to feed these tree squirrels. This same malady today is know as Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), that is caused when Phosphorus in the diet is higher than Calcium, which causes the bones to give up calcium to the bloodstream to support the rest of the body. Over time this depletes the bones of calcium and ends up resulting in fragile bones, and metabolic organ failure, that leads to premature mortality.

Using Rodent block diets that are formulated with Calcium to Phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio, (example: HT TG 2016 Rodent Diet) of (1.42 :1) in support of juvenile rodent growth and development, results in the this ratio being lowered when adding whole foods to is, especially nuts, as these diets are formulated to be used without any other foods source added to them, for including whole foods higher in phosphorus than calcium, it lowers the ratio to what is an unhealthy one closer to (1:1), or even lower, which instead of promoting health, promotes the development of Metabolic Bone Disease aka: (MBD).

One rodent block Diet, "Henry's Healthy Block" (made in the USA.), has been formulated with a higher Ca:P ratio as to not become too close, or inverted when whole foods are included with it daily, in support of the nutritional needs of juvenile tree squirrels raised in captivity..

I recommend you check out the Sticky thread on the board, on how to make Homemade HHB rodent block, for providing your own homemade block is considerably cheaper than purchasing the finished product; this especially with overseas shipping costs, and shipping time of his source that contains no preservatives which requires it be kept frozen because it is a perishable product.

https://www.henryspets.com/healthy-blocks-original-adult-formula/

[Diggie's Friend]

I hope a rehabber will be available to help later this morning to help you to further sort out the cause of these symptoms.


Besides the present status of what you are feeding possibly causing what are commonly related to MBD,

it is possible that these symptoms are due to some nerve damage from the fall. Vitamin B-12 is known to help heal nerve damage.

If you can get this source, add just 1 needle drop from a (ml) (1cc) needle syringe to the morning meal.

Do not use the dropper that is included with the bottle of this source as the measure is too high.

https://www.amazon.com/Trace-Minerals-Liquid-Ionic-Supplement/dp/B01MCYXPDB


This is the post I wrote of with the recipe for HHB Homemade block.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?58757-Homemade-squirrel-block-recipe&highlight=homemade+rodent+block+HHB

[stepnstone]

But please be careful: he is not a grey squirrel. He is an European squirrel - they are different. They need special food (seeds of special trees and fruits or fungi, no animal proteins - only in emergerncy cases) and are not such versatilely like grey squirrels (that is the "problem" in GB, because the Britain cleared the woods and planted wrong trees. European squirrels need special trees ans their seeds. And grey squirrels are more versatilely in food and have another immune system
(immune to parapox virus, the European is dying of it).

That's certinally not true with our greys in this part of the country, I could only wish it were.... :shakehead

[lukaslolamaus]

Hallo,
I'm originally from Germany, but live here in the US.
This is the Facebook to a Eichhörnchen rescue in Germany https://www.facebook.com/Eichh%C3%B6rnchen-Notruf-eV-117730838304399/
They might be able to help with diet and medical care or have a contact closer to you.
It would definitely be worth to give them a call.
Here is another Eichhörnchen page that raises babies for an Eichhörnchen rescue https://www.facebook.com/Mein-H%C3%B6rnchen-Kinderzimmer-1526629370945516/

[squirrel_love_germany]

Hello again, sorry that I didn't answer anymore. The case is solved with the help of a rehabber from Boston. He had lyme disease and got Doxycyclin for 4 weeks. He is finde now and back to freedom :) Nobody of the German rehabbers thought about lyme disease before - it is a new thought for us. I am so happy about the diagnosis :)

Best wishes
Julia

[TubeDriver]

Thanks for that update. Lyme is common around here, I have ever really considered Lyme as a possibility before.