Injured squirrel

[Danny78]

Hello all, my cat brought a squirrel into the house today. He was motionless not blinking but breathing heavy.

I put the squirrel into a cat carrier and after about 20 minutes he started to move around to the cage. I assumed he had been suffering from shock.

I took the cage outside and put it onto my garden shed. I then opened the cage to let him out. He tried jumping onto the fence at the back of the shed but he fell to the concrete floor.

He then ran into a corner by my fencing. He is currently hiding in-between the fence and has been there now for about 8 hours. I can see him moving around when I come over, but he's made no attempts to go go away.

I've put him some nuts and water down.

Anyone got any ideas? He had no blood on him and seemed to be moving around ok in the cage.

I've just checked on him now 3.20am UK time and he's still there.

Thanks all.

[island rehabber]

Danny78, bless you for caring about this poor squirrel. Unfortunately, cat attacks are a major nightmare to rodents as their mouths and claws are full of bacteria. If there is even the slightest puncture wound from the cat, this can blow up an infection within a few hours and begin to kill the squirrel.

Can you get him and bring him back inside? Can you get either enrofloxacin (Baytril) or ciprofloxacin (Cipro) or even Clavamox? A preventative course of antibiotics for 5-7 days is the only thing that will keep this little one from a slow, painful death.

[Danny78]

Thanks for your reply, I'm really upset over this. I'm not sure if I'll be able to catch him again. He's wedged inbetween the fence and can move to the back of it.

I'm not even sure if I can get hold of those drugs. From what I'm reading as well a UK vet will want to put him to sleep. Grey squirrels are not a native species to the UK and I'm pretty sure they aren't allowed to re-release them into the wild.

Not sure what I'll be able to do. I'm pretty sure I'll need a prescription for those drugs.