Biting his hands

[StuartsMom]

While camping Labor Day weekend we came across a baby squirrel who we think was pushed from his nest (in the 4 days we were there mom never came looking for him). This poor guy has been through so much. He’s been slower on everything from moving to solid foods to his actual activity (he’s just now really jumping but still isn’t climbing). Biggest concern is gnawing on his right hand. He’s done it since we found him. Thought it was mites so treated him for mites but that didn’t help. Found a vet willing to see him who treated him for fleas, ticks, & a yeast infection plus ruled out ringworm. Hoping someone might have encountered a similar situation to provide us some additional guidance. He has chewed on it so much that it’s bled. Diet is 4 squirrel blocks a day (Henry’s Pets) plus we’ve tried & are still trying a multitude of fresh foods - he has not been a fan of any of the greens (we do keep trying) and the only food we have found he will consistently eat is a sweet potato. I was worried about MSD but he’s gets the squirrel blocks (which he loves) and he’s active. He has space in our home (my husband lost his man cave - it’s now Stuart’s room) to run around plus we bought a cage to help encourage the climbing. He doesn’t climb unless startled, he has just started holding the squirrel blocks but will drop those & eat from the floor & that's the only food he will hold. He doesn’t put much weight on the right front paw that he chews. But when we take him outside he will dig with both paws with no problem. He has an assortment of items to chew on - wood, pumice toys, nuts (which he gnaws but doesn’t crack nor does he like to eat the nuts when cracked for him). Just not sure what else we can do to help our little guy. Hoping someone on here might have some suggestions!!

I’ve tried to attach 2 pictures - one of his finger & one of the arm since he is now biting down the arm - more like scraping his bottom teeth against his arm.

[StuartsMom]

Pictures attached (I hope)

[Mel1959]

Can you get a full body shot of him? Some of the things you’re describing makes me question if he might be a dwarf squirrel. Dwarf squirrels have certain characteristics, besides their size. They have shorter arms, legs and tails. Their ears sit lower on their head and their eyes seem large in comparison to their face. They don’t usually climb well, can’t jump and some can’t sit up and hold food to eat. If none of these characteristics seem to fit your guy, he could just be a slow developer or have some other issue. Dwarf squirrels are usually pushed from the nest as moms know they’re not normal.

The chewing on his legs could be due to some type of neuropathy. He may have a tingling sensation in his legs. Folks have had good results with two different remedies to treat this. CBD oil has been used and the Rx drug Gabapentin has been successful.

A CBD brand that was recommended was Wholetreecbd.com 500mg. full spectrum. You would only use a few drops a couple of times a day. If you can get Gabapentin then you would need to post the strength of the medicine and the weight of your squirrel.

[StuartsMom]

Adding full body picture

[StuartsMom]

Thank you!

I have added the full body picture & will give the CBD oil a try. Does this get rubbed onto his arms or ingested?

[Mel1959]

Your little guy is adorable and looks like a dwarf to me. I hope others will chime in and give their opinion. He could just be a young squirrel, too. When got him on Labor Day were his eyes open? Did you feed him formula?

Dwarf squirrels are non releasable. The condition they suffer from is achondroplasia. There is a special section under Special Needs that addresses the condition with stories about some of the other dwarf squirrels folks have had on here. They have a shortened life span due to their medical anomalies.

A couple of other questions about your guy. Does he sort of bumble when he walks? Where he can’t move his rear legs with the same precision as other squirrels you see? Is his fur a little fluffier and maybe not as dense? Dwarf squirrels joints are not attached correctly. This is why they bumble when the walk. It doesn’t mean they can’t be fast, it’s just different than other squirrels. They suffer from endocrine issues which makes their fur different, too. Hair loss as they get older is very common.

The first dwarf I had was Joey. He lived to be just over 3.5 years old. I currently have another one who is about 5 months old named Joy.

The CBD would be 1 drop put in his mouth 1 time a day. Then increase to 1 drop 2 times a day. You can gradually increase to 2 drops 2 times a day after his body adjusts. You may find you only need the 1 drop a couple of times a day if his chewing subsides.

A dwarf squirrel can be compared to a downs syndrome child as they suffer from some of the same medical issues and physical attributes.

[island rehabber]

Mel1959, I am thinking "dwarf", high functioning.....but you know better than I.

NOTE: omg. :highfive StuartsMom, please listen to Mel. She knows dwarfs very, very well. :bowdown