Hello from Huntington Beach, CA

[gonerogue]

Good morning_

Introducing myself as I am new to the squirrel board, & thank you to those that run this forum. Your work is much appreciated. Also, a big thank you to the rehabbers who give assistance.

I want to provide a little background for my future situations I will be posting for.

I live very close to the ocean in Huntington Beach, California. The boardwalk has several miles where California Ground Squirrels colonize & live. They are very valued here in HB by many but they are also unvalued (unfortunately) by many dog owners so I have already attempted to save many squirrels from attacks, dog bites & crow attacks. The majority of my postings will be about these squirrels who have been-or may have been-fatally wounded by these attacks. I am obviously familiar with having read many threads by this point a year in, of stabilizing their body temperature, keeping them warm, & in a quiet, dark place in a box covered with a dark towel & not to feed them.

The primary goal of mine is always to keep them alive til the next morning for when the facility that takes wounded wildlife with rehabbers opens but so far I am saddened to report that the majority of the dog & crow attacks that I have attempted to save are done early evening when dog owners walk their dogs after work&leave the squirrel to die after the dog has bitten it & the wildlife center closes at 5pm. I contacted the director this week as I am on the boardwalk daily and would like to get these squirrels immediately to a rehabber & so had hoped for the director to provide names of rehabbers who would want to take the squirrels immediately however she said what I was doing was the right thing but I just want to get these squirrels help quicker to suffer less.

I have purchased a heating pad without the auto off function so I can use the lowest setting & am familiar with allowing a portion of the box bottom to not be covered with the heating pad so that the squirrel can crawl off if too warm overnight. However the problem I have is the squirrels are using all their strength to fight desperately for their lives that I worry they will not be able to crawl off the pad if I leave them overnight.

My objective is two fold with this post. One, I would like any advice for minimizing the physical suffering beyond what I have already mentioned above for future wounds from attacks by dogs & crows of the squirrels. They are suffering so massively afterwards that its brutally painful to be a witness for hours. In addition, I have stayed up some nights to warm rice continuously or water bottles but I need something beyond the heating pad, which can be next to the squirrel to help keep its body temperature warmed overnight that I don’t have to get up to reheat. Any solutions for this?

If you are a rehabber, please include any medicines that I can give these adults or babies who are suffering internal wounds (or punctures from dog bites) so that the many many hours of pain they have can be lessened in intensity. Its truly heartbreaking to see the squirrels daily being completely disregarded & losing their lives while attempting to eat by heartless dog owners.

Another thing I really need to learn is how to identify broken bones. That may seem really silly but how do I actually know if a squirrel’s back is broken? Or ribs, etc. The reason I ask is a small boy intervened in a crow attack on a 6-8 week baby squirrel & I attempted to save it but I presume this crow dropped it as the area where these squirrels live is on a high cliff area, & the crows are known to drop them from high distances to injure it to prevent it from running away. It did not make it, I was unable to successfully stabilize its body temperature. I saw the small boy pick up the squirrel after the (presumed from his words) crow attack and it was limp like a rag doll. The squirrels are never like this so its very possible its back was broken, it was shaped differently but how to tell or know for sure? If you can provide any information on how to identify broken bones & also - is this necessary information to know when I am stabilizing their-or attempting to-body temperature? Why & how is this useful? What should I do or not do?

Remember - the two main wounds are coming from crows dropping form a height & dog bites. Generally the dog bites are to adults, and the crow traumatizing attacks to the babies. Most are 6 weeks or older now.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Also, if you are a rehabber in Orange County, please message me directly. I have interest in speaking to learn if this is something I should pursue to assist these beautiful beings lives.

[McCarthy]

Thanks for looking out for wilds! I do the same on my local beach, check out my "Time for a grey" thread in the same sub forum. Luckily, dogs are not allowed at the beach and in the park, so I haven't seen a dog attack yet, but we do have a raccoon living in the trees and I put him on notice. Maybe you can push for no-dog regulations at your beach with the city or county?

[CritterMom]

If I was in your situation and wanted the things that bring the most help for the money, this is what I would have on hand.

*1ml syringes with clear markings for dosing meds

*lb to kg electronic scale to weigh animals for dosing - buy at Walmart/Bed Bath & Beyond in kitchen area approx $20

*Infant Ibuprophen - it is a fruit flavored liquid that is normally taken pretty enthusiastically. It is an excellent pain reliever for anything caused by inflammation which is pretty much everything. It is dosed by weight.

*For anything like internal wounds, bites, abscesses, etc., if I had to choose one antibiotic it would probably be amoxicillin clavulanate.

*Capstar: https://henryspets.com/capstar-11-4-mg-tablets-kills-fleas-and-maggots/ 1/4 pill crushed and mixed with 1ml water and given orally will make fleas and maggots RACE off the animal. The mixture can also be used externally in wounds.

Last but certainly not least would be a bottle of Betadyne 10% povidone iodine or store brand version: https://www.target.com/p/povidone-iodine-solution-8oz-up-38-up-8482/-/A-11454825?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000049305059&CPNG=PLA_Health%2BShopping%7CHealth_Ecomm_Essentia ls&adgroup=SC_Health&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=9002578&targetid=pla-616407303065&ds_rl=1246978&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIovecuaSD-AIVjcGzCh0suANwEAQYBCABEgJyXfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Dilute 1/4 teaspoon iodine in 1/4 cup water for external wound and rash care - antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral and in the dilution given doesn't burn or sting at all.



Infant ibuprophen can be bought at the drug or grocery store, amoxicillin clavulanate can be purchased online. I can steer you there if you wish.





A "dream" drug that you can't just buy is prednisone or prednisolone. A shocking number of "paralyzed" babies are roaming through the trees now because they were lucky enough to be treated with it shortly after injury. A fair number of them have internal injuries that have swollen up and are interfering with the nerves in question. The steroids bring the swelling down so quickly often the nerves can recover. Basically you need to know someone who takes the drug for some other condition who can spare them. But for your crow caught and dropped ones it might be a handy thing to have on hand.

If you decide to obtain some of these meds so you can begin treatment on these poor little ones right away, I will be happy to give you some sources and also some easy formulas so you can properly calculate the meds you have.

[Charley Chuckles]

Good morning_

Introducing myself as I am new to the squirrel board, & thank you to those that run this forum. Your work is much appreciated. Also, a big thank you to the rehabbers who give assistance.

I want to provide a little background for my future situations I will be posting for.

I live very close to the ocean in Huntington Beach, California. The boardwalk has several miles where California Ground Squirrels colonize & live. They are very valued here in HB by many but they are also unvalued (unfortunately) by many dog owners so I have already attempted to save many squirrels from attacks, dog bites & crow attacks. The majority of my postings will be about these squirrels who have been-or may have been-fatally wounded by these attacks. I am obviously familiar with having read many threads by this point a year in, of stabilizing their body temperature, keeping them warm, & in a quiet, dark place in a box covered with a dark towel & not to feed them.

The primary goal of mine is always to keep them alive til the next morning for when the facility that takes wounded wildlife with rehabbers opens but so far I am saddened to report that the majority of the dog & crow attacks that I have attempted to save are done early evening when dog owners walk their dogs after work&leave the squirrel to die after the dog has bitten it & the wildlife center closes at 5pm. I contacted the director this week as I am on the boardwalk daily and would like to get these squirrels immediately to a rehabber & so had hoped for the director to provide names of rehabbers who would want to take the squirrels immediately however she said what I was doing was the right thing but I just want to get these squirrels help quicker to suffer less.

I have purchased a heating pad without the auto off function so I can use the lowest setting & am familiar with allowing a portion of the box bottom to not be covered with the heating pad so that the squirrel can crawl off if too warm overnight. However the problem I have is the squirrels are using all their strength to fight desperately for their lives that I worry they will not be able to crawl off the pad if I leave them overnight.

My objective is two fold with this post. One, I would like any advice for minimizing the physical suffering beyond what I have already mentioned above for future wounds from attacks by dogs & crows of the squirrels. They are suffering so massively afterwards that its brutally painful to be a witness for hours. In addition, I have stayed up some nights to warm rice continuously or water bottles but I need something beyond the heating pad, which can be next to the squirrel to help keep its body temperature warmed overnight that I don’t have to get up to reheat. Any solutions for this?

If you are a rehabber, please include any medicines that I can give these adults or babies who are suffering internal wounds (or punctures from dog bites) so that the many many hours of pain they have can be lessened in intensity. Its truly heartbreaking to see the squirrels daily being completely disregarded & losing their lives while attempting to eat by heartless dog owners.

Another thing I really need to learn is how to identify broken bones. That may seem really silly but how do I actually know if a squirrel’s back is broken? Or ribs, etc. The reason I ask is a small boy intervened in a crow attack on a 6-8 week baby squirrel & I attempted to save it but I presume this crow dropped it as the area where these squirrels live is on a high cliff area, & the crows are known to drop them from high distances to injure it to prevent it from running away. It did not make it, I was unable to successfully stabilize its body temperature. I saw the small boy pick up the squirrel after the (presumed from his words) crow attack and it was limp like a rag doll. The squirrels are never like this so its very possible its back was broken, it was shaped differently but how to tell or know for sure? If you can provide any information on how to identify broken bones & also - is this necessary information to know when I am stabilizing their-or attempting to-body temperature? Why & how is this useful? What should I do or not do?

Remember - the two main wounds are coming from crows dropping form a height & dog bites. Generally the dog bites are to adults, and the crow traumatizing attacks to the babies. Most are 6 weeks or older now.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Also, if you are a rehabber in Orange County, please message me directly. I have interest in speaking to learn if this is something I should pursue to assist these beautiful beings lives.
:Welcome it did my heart good reading your post 💞
THANK you isn't good enough.
Your now amongst the ones who truly love squirrels and most other fuzzers 😍

[Randy14]

Hi GoneRogue,

My name is Randy and I also live in HB-CA. I'm an avid squirrel enthusiast and relate to what you're doing. I love watching those ground squirrels foraging near the beach. There is also a good population of squirrels in Central Park (near library). I've rehabbed some fox squirrels in the past. My first was almost seven years ago. Roxy still visits me regularly and has babies twice per year. I've been a board member since I first found Roxy. Roxy also inspired me to create a squirrel board game. My email is randy@moxy-roxy.com Hope you're enjoying the Memorial Day weekend !

[gonerogue]

Thanks for looking out for wilds! I do the same on my local beach, check out my "Time for a grey" thread in the same sub forum. Luckily, dogs are not allowed at the beach and in the park, so I haven't seen a dog attack yet, but we do have a raccoon living in the trees and I put him on notice. Maybe you can push for no-dog regulations at your beach with the city or county?

Unfortunately one of the beaches in question is named Dog Beach where the dogs are allowed to roam unleashed and the boardwalk is the only way to access the beach. There are rocks just next to the dog beach which is where these precious ones live, the same place where I tried to help save the baby from the crow. Long term that is a great solution but the amount of change that will take is likely decades before that will happen.

The best bet we have now is enforcement of the leash law(did I mention its 6 ft. in HB as soon as a dog owner steps off their property) yet many dog owners violate this law with long retractable leashes which aren’t much good in keeping the squirrels safe. I was reading that there are increasing fines up to-I believe-6 offenses in one year. The problem is its just not enforced. I am thinking working with the city to get it enforced is the best solution since the laws are already in place.

However its not even the worst issue right now unfortunately. The city has removed all grass from the area so the entire stretch of squirrel populations are at high risk for not surviving. We have also been told by other residents that the city puts pipes in the holes to gas the squirrels for death to avoid overpopulation. We are horrified. We who have been working together on solving the immediate squirrel starvation issue are horrified at the city’s choice.

This was also one thing I wanted to post about.
We are obviously going to work with the city on the issue but to change the city officials to caring about not gassing the squirrels seems a daunting task at the moment.

Anyone who has faced similar situations (city removing grass -the only source of food for the squirrels) in their city with success, please give what provided the change. I will create a separate thread on the grass & gassing issue.