groovy
08-11-2022, 10:28 AM
Hello, long time listener, first time caller :dance
On August 1, I witnessed a squirrel get hit by a car. I have been in contact with a few rehabbers and they say she is doing relatively good for her condition however I'm really starting to worry... She appears to be fully grown, I estimated ~14 weeks but the rehabbers think she is older. She has been pooping and peeing everyday and allows me to handle her with no biting or scratching. And she will fall asleep almost immediately if I hold her up to my chest. :Love_Icon
My worry is that I think she is losing weight... I can't tell if she's eating at all? I gave her pedialyte with a sprinkle of ibruprofen at first, then lukewarm pedialyte. I have left all sorts of stuff out: apples, lettuce, raisin bran, avocado, nuts, etc but it doesn't seem she is taking any of it. When I hold her and run my finger gently down her back I can feel her spine and her ribs, but I'm not sure if that's normal or if she was like that when I got her because I wasn't as brave to touch her at first. She absolutely has head trauma, as she will run around the room then suddenly stop and "fall asleep" for 30 seconds or so. When she is asleep it's almost impossible to wake her up. Like she is really groggy and I can even go as far as open her mouth to check her teeth and her jaw just stays agape. The rehabbers think she's eating but very minimally since she is still going potty but I don't think it's enough. Her teeth were quite long per the rehabber so I ordered Chris' Squirrel nippers and trimmed them just a little bit, but she absolutely hated it and I think her jaw may be in pain in general from the accident. I've ordered Henry's Blocks which come in today. I also have a scale coming in tomorrow to properly weigh her. Other things to note is she has no fear of me nor my cat. I assume this is odd behavior from the head trauma. If she is going to be like this for life or even for much longer what can I do to help her get the nutrients she needs? I hate to force feed her, she doesn't grab or suckle down anything like I've read on here. She just kind of pulls away and licks her mouth a bit until she stops then I give her a bit more. And her head shakes quite a bit at times especially if she's agitated from the force feeding, almost like it's a seizure but just in the head?
She is so strong and has brought me so much joy just watching her run around and living life. I am really scared I am going to lose her and would appreciate any and all advice!!
On August 1, I witnessed a squirrel get hit by a car. I have been in contact with a few rehabbers and they say she is doing relatively good for her condition however I'm really starting to worry... She appears to be fully grown, I estimated ~14 weeks but the rehabbers think she is older. She has been pooping and peeing everyday and allows me to handle her with no biting or scratching. And she will fall asleep almost immediately if I hold her up to my chest. :Love_Icon
My worry is that I think she is losing weight... I can't tell if she's eating at all? I gave her pedialyte with a sprinkle of ibruprofen at first, then lukewarm pedialyte. I have left all sorts of stuff out: apples, lettuce, raisin bran, avocado, nuts, etc but it doesn't seem she is taking any of it. When I hold her and run my finger gently down her back I can feel her spine and her ribs, but I'm not sure if that's normal or if she was like that when I got her because I wasn't as brave to touch her at first. She absolutely has head trauma, as she will run around the room then suddenly stop and "fall asleep" for 30 seconds or so. When she is asleep it's almost impossible to wake her up. Like she is really groggy and I can even go as far as open her mouth to check her teeth and her jaw just stays agape. The rehabbers think she's eating but very minimally since she is still going potty but I don't think it's enough. Her teeth were quite long per the rehabber so I ordered Chris' Squirrel nippers and trimmed them just a little bit, but she absolutely hated it and I think her jaw may be in pain in general from the accident. I've ordered Henry's Blocks which come in today. I also have a scale coming in tomorrow to properly weigh her. Other things to note is she has no fear of me nor my cat. I assume this is odd behavior from the head trauma. If she is going to be like this for life or even for much longer what can I do to help her get the nutrients she needs? I hate to force feed her, she doesn't grab or suckle down anything like I've read on here. She just kind of pulls away and licks her mouth a bit until she stops then I give her a bit more. And her head shakes quite a bit at times especially if she's agitated from the force feeding, almost like it's a seizure but just in the head?
She is so strong and has brought me so much joy just watching her run around and living life. I am really scared I am going to lose her and would appreciate any and all advice!!