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Scrappy Doo
05-13-2021, 01:43 PM
Hi everyone!
There is a squirrel that comes to my yard that just doesn't look great. His fur is scraggly and unkempt. He is incredibly docile and will sometimes put his paws up on my shoe or pant leg to ask for a peanut. I call him Sweet Boy. He has looked this way for as long as he has been coming (since February.) A few times I have noticed him sitting in a sun patch in the yard completely still for long periods of time. It makes me worry. Today I noticed that he appeared to be having more trouble walking than usual. I also watched him try to climb a tree and he had a really hard time with it. When he came back down (from about 2 feet up the trunk) he climbed backward/in reverse instead of turning around.

What is his deal? Is he just elderly? Could it be a cognitive disability? This is a video I took today of him walking in a neighbor's yard. I think he has a hobble.


https://youtu.be/G4JICRkxKYk

Here is a photo of him.

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CritterMom
05-13-2021, 02:23 PM
Aw. He is so sweet. It does look like his hind end is "wrong" - almost like he is stiff and his mobility is somewhat impaired because of it. It is hard to tell what the problem might be - they aren't easy to "age" by look...
Scrappy Doo
05-14-2021, 08:27 PM
Thank you for your reply, CritterMom! I appreciate it!
TubeDriver
05-14-2021, 09:57 PM
He looks pretty thin too. Can you make up a boo ball (a mixture of ground up rodent block and ground nuts with apple sauce as a binder)? It would give him some vits and nutrients that might help him.
Scrappy Doo
06-25-2021, 04:27 PM
He looks pretty thin too. Can you make up a boo ball (a mixture of ground up rodent block and ground nuts with apple sauce as a binder)? It would give him some vits and nutrients that might help him.

I am just seeing your reply. Thank you for the advice! I will try making a boo ball.
I have tried giving him walnuts thinking they might be better for him, but he pushes them aside and keeps looking for peanuts. Is that just his personal preference, do you think? I had used walnuts to treat another squirrel for mange and she loved them.
CritterMom
06-25-2021, 05:45 PM
If he likes peanuts, sub peanut butter for the applesauce in the recipe and they will have that peanutty smell that he likes.
Scrappy Doo
06-27-2021, 10:49 AM
If he likes peanuts, sub peanut butter for the applesauce in the recipe and they will have that peanutty smell that he likes.

Thanks! I will do that.
Scrappy Doo
06-29-2021, 11:08 AM
Is it normal for a squirrel to spend most of the day hanging out in the crooks of trees like in these photos? I'm worried he might be lethargic. I thought I might have seen a puncture in his shoulder area but I'm not sure.

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Thank you
sundoesshine
06-30-2021, 11:23 AM
Is it normal for a squirrel to spend most of the day hanging out in the crooks of trees like in these photos? I'm worried he might be lethargic. I thought I might have seen a puncture in his shoulder area but I'm not sure.

I don't think it's unusual, some days I see our squirrels doing the same. I've caught our rescue napping during the height of the day, then waking for dinner and hanging out til the sun sets.