Lake Gypsy
09-08-2019, 01:06 PM
Has comeanyone encountered a baby squirrel with bones so fragile they seem to break with no real reason??? Warning, long read ahead!
Some background-7.5 wk old, 120 g, male Eastern grey, found very shortly after birth, possibly even same day. One of a litter of three, the two other squirrels in the litter appear completely normal. Currently eating esbilac formula and sampling Harlan teklad rodent blocks.
Two weeks ago was the first incidence of a potential break. Went to feed and right hind leg, between knee and hock, had a bulge. Careful palpation revealed the leg is very slightly mobile between the joints. The squirrel didn't seem bothered by my moving the leg at all.
Babies were bedded on fleece in a very small tote. Removed fleece and replaced with t shirts because maybe a toenail had gotten stuck and leg twisted somehow? Seemed unlikely, but have seen animals hurt themselves in unexpected ways before
About four days after that right front leg has a bulge between elbow and wrist. Again leg seems slightly mobile when gently manipulated. Again squirrel is very unconcerned by me touching the leg. Only time the baby squirrel, named Ash, complains is when litter mates run over him or jostle him. Litter mates are graduated to larger tote, Ash stays in smaller tote where he can rest and not be a chew toy.
This morning when I took Ash out his tail was at a weird angle. Feels like it too may be broken. Nobody else has handled this squirrel, he's in a box by himself unless he's with me, I know he's not being mishandled or dropped. What the heck is going on here???
Edit: originally I had ruled out mbd as a potential cause because Ash is eating primarily formula still, but have just read that there's been some trouble with esbilac this year. I had an issue with the last can I had. It made the babies stool really "gummy" and they were constipated. I replaced it and stools are more normal again. Now I'm concerned with mbd. Though the two other litter mates are normal, so could it just effect one squirrel out of three that way?
Some background-7.5 wk old, 120 g, male Eastern grey, found very shortly after birth, possibly even same day. One of a litter of three, the two other squirrels in the litter appear completely normal. Currently eating esbilac formula and sampling Harlan teklad rodent blocks.
Two weeks ago was the first incidence of a potential break. Went to feed and right hind leg, between knee and hock, had a bulge. Careful palpation revealed the leg is very slightly mobile between the joints. The squirrel didn't seem bothered by my moving the leg at all.
Babies were bedded on fleece in a very small tote. Removed fleece and replaced with t shirts because maybe a toenail had gotten stuck and leg twisted somehow? Seemed unlikely, but have seen animals hurt themselves in unexpected ways before
About four days after that right front leg has a bulge between elbow and wrist. Again leg seems slightly mobile when gently manipulated. Again squirrel is very unconcerned by me touching the leg. Only time the baby squirrel, named Ash, complains is when litter mates run over him or jostle him. Litter mates are graduated to larger tote, Ash stays in smaller tote where he can rest and not be a chew toy.
This morning when I took Ash out his tail was at a weird angle. Feels like it too may be broken. Nobody else has handled this squirrel, he's in a box by himself unless he's with me, I know he's not being mishandled or dropped. What the heck is going on here???
Edit: originally I had ruled out mbd as a potential cause because Ash is eating primarily formula still, but have just read that there's been some trouble with esbilac this year. I had an issue with the last can I had. It made the babies stool really "gummy" and they were constipated. I replaced it and stools are more normal again. Now I'm concerned with mbd. Though the two other litter mates are normal, so could it just effect one squirrel out of three that way?