Injured Flyer!

[ConkerChild]

Came home from work tonight and noticed while giving her supper that my female flyer has ripped open the skin right where her wing membrane and the side of her body meets. I have torn the cage apart and I still can't figure out how this could've happened, but she is in a small travel cage currently. She is eating and able to move around, and has water available but I haven't seen her drink anything yet. I know that she will, at the very least, need stitches, but I am no longer in FL and currently in a state where it is illegal to own them. I'm only out here for a little over a year, and she is otherwise in very good health. I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but I am desperate to know what the best way to handle this is. Please don't judge or be too cruel in your replies; I'm feeling pretty damn terrible about it.

Obviously, she is going to a vet. I don't know what will happen if I take her to a local exotics vet. I'n terrified they will forcibly take her away from me and put her to sleep or something. I don't know how they handle situations like this. We have several bordering states where they are legal that are not too far, so I'm thinking that will be my best option.

Any advice or knowledge appreciated.

It's been a very long time since I frequented this forum, but thank you THANK YOU TSB for always being there for us.

[BCChins]

I would make the drive to a legal state just to be safe. Do some research first and find out who can see her safely. PLEASE update when you can.

[island rehabber]

ConkerChild -- welcome back my friend! So sorry it is under emergency circumstances. Can you PM me your actual location and I will see what vets we might know of that are safe for you?

[Mel1959]

Came home from work tonight and noticed while giving her supper that my female flyer has ripped open the skin right where her wing membrane and the side of her body meets. I have torn the cage apart and I still can't figure out how this could've happened, but she is in a small travel cage currently. She is eating and able to move around, and has water available but I haven't seen her drink anything yet. I know that she will, at the very least, need stitches, but I am no longer in FL and currently in a state where it is illegal to own them. I'm only out here for a little over a year, and she is otherwise in very good health. I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but I am desperate to know what the best way to handle this is. Please don't judge or be too cruel in your replies; I'm feeling pretty damn terrible about it.

Obviously, she is going to a vet. I don't know what will happen if I take her to a local exotics vet. I'n terrified they will forcibly take her away from me and put her to sleep or something. I don't know how they handle situations like this. We have several bordering states where they are legal that are not too far, so I'm thinking that will be my best option.


Any advice or knowledge appreciated.

It's been a very long time since I frequented this forum, but thank you THANK YOU TSB for always being there for us.

We’re are you located? Maybe there’s a safe vet we can recommend.

[ConkerChild]

I just checked on her and offered a piece of a pecan, she took it eagerly! I will be changing her bedding shortly to try and keep her as clean as possible.

Mel, I just PM'd IslandRehabber with my location. I can PM you a well if you may have different contacts? Not super comfortable posting my state publicly.

[ConkerChild]

I am going to head into work. My boyfriend will be right next to the computer the whole time and will call me if a safe vet is found, in which case I will immediately leave work. If not, I will probably leave tonight for a neighboring state. Please send good vibes or prayers. I have her travel supplies and food all packed and ready, and will leave a little early to gas up my truck before work. I just really want to get my little girl help.

Thank you all for the help thus far. :Love_Icon:grouphug:Love_Icon

[island rehabber]

Just sent you the name of a safe vet who has treated at least one NR squirrel mom's baby successfully! Check your PMs.

[ConkerChild]

I have an alarm set on my phone and will be calling their office as soon as it opens tomorrow.

I fed her and changed her bedding. Still has a very good appetite, and looks like she drank some water.

Once I have everything figured out in the morning, I will update you all. Fingers crossed for very good luck!

[ConkerChild]

I called the IR recommended vet and left him a voicemail; his voicemail said to call the front desk if it was an emergency, so I did. I guess they can see his voicemails, and they said they didn't have one on file from my number so I left the info with them, but I said she's a sugar glider as those are legal to own here. (Go figure, and animal from Australia is legal, but one from three states away is not.) The call ended with her saying they are extremely booked and giving me a number for another exotics vet.

Thinking maybe this was a sign to go out of state, I called the closest vets office out of state and asked if they saw sugar gliders. (I really really hate lying! :embar ) They said their exotics vet does not do sugar gliders.

Okay, next on the list... I called the second office that the booked office had suggested. Straight to voicemail.

:boohoo:frustratedx:hissyfit

Going to give it an hour or two and hope someone calls me back. I'm currently just googling "Sugar glider vets near me". My flyer girl still has a great appetite, but I've called out of work today and I AM going to get her help if it kills me. At this point, I'm annoyed that I haven't already made the two day drive home and just gone to our awesome family vet.

Well. That's the story so far. I'm sorry I don't have better news for everyone. Will continue to update this thread.

[ConkerChild]

Okay! I kept calling vets and many of them were booked or wouldn't take "sugar gliders", but one of them gave me a number for another office to try and they were able to take her in as an emergency patient! I'm just sitting and crying in my car right now. They said she may be here all day, since they are booked they are going to visit with her between patients. I'm just so glad she's with people who can help her.

I'll let y'all know any new information when I know.

[BCChins]

You are dojnggodd Momma :hug

[ConkerChild]

SHE IS HOME AND RESTING. :bliss

She had to undergo anesthesia for them to put in the stitches and she's still pretty starry eyed, but I'm just glad we can start on the road to recovery. It looks like they did use actual stitches, so I'm gonna be hyper paranoid about her trying to get at those for the next weeks, but at least it's a start. (Any tips or tricks on keeping a squirrel away from a stitched wound are welcome!)

They sent her home with an antibiotic, Enrofloxacin, and a pain reliever, Meloxicam.

A mod may want to move this thread to the Infirmary? Or leave here, whichever works. I will do my best to continue to update until there is nothing further to report on. Like I said, I'll be on high alert with her wound until it's truly healed, so maybe a post after she gets her medications in the morning and another post after her medications at night.

I forgot to ask, but I wanted to inquire before we left the office on how many people she bit. :shark:grin2

I can't thank you all enough for the wisdom and the moral support, but here's a few more:

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

[ConkerChild]

My boyfriend, Josh, helped me administer her medication last night. We had to wrap her into a shirt like a burrito, but it worked. I did it by myself this morning, and I'm not sure if it's because I didn't have extra hands or if she is feeling a little better, but she put up much more of a fight. It must have a pretty bad taste because she was rubbing her mouth on her bedding afterwards. I gave her a tiny piece of pecan to help get the taste out of her mouth.

Doesn't look like she ate much last night. I keep baby food on hand in case of emergencies where I can get their usual array of food, so I put out a little bit of that in case it was more appetizing or even just easier to eat. Hopefully she will be a bit more hungry tonight.

She may have drank some water, but it could have also evaporated or been soaked up by her bedding if spilled. She's a little fighter though, so I'm trying to stay optimistic.

Please pray for Josh. I couldn't sleep much last night because I was too worried about her, and I got up to check on her a lot. I doubt he got much sleep last night, and that's probably how it'll be for the next two weeks, at least. :crazy1

[ConkerChild]

I wish I was posting with good news.

I took my girl back to the vets today because she did a number on her stitches. They redid it, gave her a third medication to try and make her more out of it so she'd leave them alone, and added a cone of shame.

It's absurdly adorable and our last option before we try "open wound healing". She is absolutely miserable, frantically tries to get it off when I wake her for her medication, and was not even interested in a piece of pecan. I doubt she will eat or drink tonight. Tomorrow when I give her her medications, I will fill up a syringe with water to at least try and keep her hydrated.

My heart is just broken at how much torture I am putting her through to save her life. At no point during having this wound has she acted anything other than normal, but with the cone, it's like her spirit is broken. She has only had it on for a couple hours, so I am hoping and praying that she will just adapt to it and relax so that she can heal.

I was laid off from my bartending job March 16th due to this whole Covid-19 madness. I have been working at a big shopping chain since, and got a job at a nearby restuarant helping do to-go orders. Between the two jobs I'm working at least 8 hours every day, and I am exhausted. I can't sleep and I don't feel like eating. Even the new Jimmy Buffett isn't helping. I am mentally and emotionally in the pit.

Please keep the prayers and good vibes coming, 'cause I need to be strong to save my flyer, and things are just pretty tough right now.

[Mel1959]

I’m sorry things are so difficult right now. :grouphug. Hold on to the belief that this will pass....your situation, as well as with your baby girl. If she can tolerate the cone just long enough to let her body heal I believe her spirit will recover. Sometimes we have to make the tough decisions, but it’s always with their best interest at heart. Hang in there. :hug

[CritterMom]

I wish more vets would think to do this. I saw an exotic animal vet do it on one of the Animal Planet shows and it is a wonderful idea.

Give her something else to pick at. The vet I saw did this while the animal was still under anesthesia. Blobs of glue were placed in the fur all over the place but far from the incision site, and little "bracelets" of vet wrap were placed around the wrists both front and rear. The animals are so obsessed with getting the gunk out of their fur and getting the vet wrap off that the incision site was left alone.

I would use glue from a hot glue gun if you have one. Heat it up and squirt it onto a plate or piece of cardboard and stir it with a toothpick for a few seconds. Ehen it has cooled enough that it is thickening up, put bits of it in the fur (don't touch the skin) and wait until it cools before you release the squirrel. She will undoubtedly end up pulling some fur out but that is a heck of a lot better than pulling stitches. Then cut some tiny strips of vet wrap and put it around her forearms and legs. You want it to be loose enough that you can spin it and it isn't constricting but tight enough that it doesn't fall off over the paws. So now she has weird things around her arms and legs and gunk messing up her fur - plenty of things that need to be taken care of besides the incision. Take the collar off and watch her closely.

Vets CAN do internal stitches that don't stick out where they can be grabbed - it just takes a little longer. It is something to ask for - along with all of the glue bits and bracelets - before surgery.

[BCChins]

In the glider community we have made these E-Jacket's for them. Here is a link to making a
"McGuyver E Jacket". There is a lad y who makes them so thay can be re used I will try to find her information for you if you a=want to purchase one. In the mean time here is the link to a disposable one.
these are less resticting and they do not seem to mind them as much as a e-collar. I hope it helps.

http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=mcguyver_ejacket%5C

If you want to order a real E-Jacket this is Denises email to do so. Deniserainwaters@gmail.com

[ConkerChild]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions, support, and kind words. She is still pretty pissed and I'm quite sure I'm at the top of her list of most evil people in the world right now, but she has a great appetite as always.

I'm doing much better, just seeing that she hasn't been able to get to her stitches has made a world of difference. Sorry I popped off the other night; it's weird being in a different time zone than family. Gotta really schedule your venting calls, lol.

Today is deep clean day for all my critters. My little hurt girl has been getting fresh bedding once a day, and today I switched her over to the boys' travel cage so I can wash the other one.

That's what happening here today. Things are stable. Happy happy happy!

[Ozzy2019]

I have an awesome vet in s.c. p.m. me if u still need name and ohonenunber. If u live close to sc with in 3 hours I can come help transport. They usually charge 130 for exam but dont quote me. I have used them for 2 of mine.

[ConkerChild]

Update on flyer: we were able to take her cone off on the 25th! It was a very good day, especially for her. I had been holding food for her so she could eat more easily, she wasn't quite able to get her front paws up to her face over the cone, so she couldn't really hold food for herself. As soon as the cone came off I gave her a piece of pecan and she was a little surprised that she could really hold her own food again. It was very rewarding.

Thank you all again for your support, help, and kind words. I don't think I could've gone through this without knowing some squirrel friends had my back.

[island rehabber]

Beautiful update! Thank goodness she's on the way to full recovery and :bowdown to her mamma!! :grouphug