16 week old squirrel shivering

[SquirrelMomuv++]

I have a 16 week old squirrel who was very small when I got him. Almost like he was the runt. I didn't have any other squirrels that he could be with at the time so he became a shirt baby. After a month he stopped needing to be in my shirt. Well he is starting it up again. He is shivering but he isn't scared. Nothing is different in our house. What could be wrong?

[Tuff]

I have a 16 week old squirrel who was very small when I got him. Almost like he was the runt. I didn't have any other squirrels that he could be with at the time so he became a shirt baby. After a month he stopped needing to be in my shirt. Well he is starting it up again. He is shivering but he isn't scared. Nothing is different in our house. What could be wrong?

Can you possibly post a video so we could see what he is actually doing?

[Diggie's Friend]

You mention his size was very small compared to other squirrels. How does that now compare with squirrels of the same age?

If smaller, he might be a dwarf. Dwarfs tend to have health issues associated with the malfunction of organs and glands.

The, 'hypothalmus' regulates body temperature of squirrels as it does all mammals.
Yet the, 'hypothalmus' can become impaired if a squirrel is temporarily deprived of sufficient oxygen.

To check his temperature (98 to 102) degrees F in tree squirrels. Taking a reading when the animal is quiet is needful;
for during periods high levels of activity,the body temperature will rise then drop back down after recovery.

Our last vet used the ear thermometer, and our girl was fine with it. She liked getting her ears scratched on the inside. Ear thermometers calibrated for a pet would be easier on a squirrel. Our girl loved to have inside her outer ear scratched. I would start by doing a picky rub inside the outer ear; then switch to using just the cone head to gently run the just inside the outer ear. Once that is accepted, switch to the full ear thermometer to take a reading. Otherwise you will need to restrain the squirrel to take a reading.

https://www.revivalanimal.com/product/pet-temp-instant-ear-thermometer/all-dog-and-cat-supplies


For, 'palliative care' for shivering; here are two easy ways to provide a safe heat source:

Place a heating pad on low under the cage with a blanket on the floor of the cage over the heating pad.
This way if the squirrel gets too warm it can crawl off the warm spot

To make a, 'body buddy' fill a men's tube sock, up to and including the heal, with uncooked rice;
then knot the ankle portion to secure the contents. Place the 'body buddy' into the microwave on 5 power
(half power) for about a minute. If hot, let it cool down to where it warm before placing it next to the squirrel in its cage.