Advise

[Mommas Munchkins]

It looks like one of my friendly outdoor squirrels was attacked by possibly a hawk. He came down from his tree for his normal evening nut feeding and has three wound’s on his side and underarm. He still seems fine and eating drinking and active going on a few days now but I’m wondering if there is anything I can do or give him to help keep it from getting infected. The first day we noticed the wounds they were not this swollen or even that big they are not bleeding but some liquid is still coming out of the what looks like scabs now..

Little dude is what we named him after my husband rescued him on a work call underneath a house. He has lived in the woods/trees in our back yard for months now doing great up until a couple days ago. Any advice for our little dude is appreciated.

[Beecheykeen]

Dang, they almost look like bot fly holes.

[Diggie's Friend]

Though possible the lumps and wounds are from a hawk attack; most likely they are from botfly infestation.

For though as yet the shapes aren't as yet typically well defined like that of grapes; the multi-lobed appearance of

each lump could indicate there is more than one bot per lump area. If so, then more than just the two holes showing in the photo will form.

Just in case there might be something else also going on; keep a close watch out for changes.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Dang, they almost look like bot fly holes.

Hi Mommas Munchkins:
Kinda looks that way to me also! Do you interact with Little Dude on a daily basis as it seem by your post that you do; and if so, did these three wound show up "suddenly" one day and the day before your Squirrel's skin was normal. These sure look "botish" but if the wound showed up suddenly, that supports some sort of injury. If these wounds are due to an injury, there appears to be a significant amount of swelling that has developed surrounding the actual breaks in the skin and the likely problems are an abscess (pus pocket), hematoma (blood collected in the skin), serom (fluid collection in the skin), a cellulitis (inflammation/infection of the skin) or even a combination of one or more of these conditions. If these are abscesses, oftentimes they will spontaneously drain or they may ordinarily require a procedure called an Incision & Drainage where an incision is made into the skin over the abscess to drain the pus and hopefully to permit irrigation of the pus pocked with water or saline to clean it out. Warbles (bot fly lava skin "homes") can also become infected oftentimes from the animal licking it as they can be very irritating. I would recommend beginning antibiotics if at all possible. I know that Little Dude is wild but it can still be possible to give antibiotics. If these are abscesses, antibiotics do not penetrated into an abscess very well and hopefully they will drain but, I would still recommend the antibiotics. Do you have any antibiotics available? It would also be be nice to have a weight for Little Dude but that may be pushing luck. An approximate weight based upon size may be all we can get.
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Mommas Munchkins]

Yes he comes down and sees us everyday. He gets nuts and water daily from us and lets us pet and hold him.. I unfortunately can’t get a weight on him and what type of antibiotics would be best I may have so old cipro but not really sure. One day he was fine the next day he had the three small marks two on the back and one under his leg shoulder area. Then yesterday when he came by it was way way swollen and the marks looked bigger. This pic is from today what they were looking like.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Yes he comes down and sees us everyday. He gets nuts and water daily from us and lets us pet and hold him.. I unfortunately can’t get a weight on him and what type of antibiotics would be best I may have so old cipro but not really sure. One day he was fine the next day he had the three small marks two on the back and one under his leg shoulder area. Then yesterday when he came by it was way way swollen and the marks looked bigger. This pic is from today what they were looking like.

Cipro would be fine if that is all you have available. Other antibiotics that I would prefer would be doxycycline or Augmentin. Possibly a friend or other family member might have one of these other antibiotics but again, it would be best to get Little Dude started on an antibiotic ASAP and Cipro will do if you do find some. Please let us know what antibiotics you are able to locate and their specific strengths in (usually in milligrams).
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Just a quick correction of a typo: "serom" in my post above should have been seroma."
StS

[Mommas Munchkins]

Just a quick correction of a typo: "serom" in my post above should have been seroma."
StS

Unfortunately all I have is cipro 500mg and it is expired. I don’t have anyone close around me that has either of the other antibiotics you prefer I use. I would be willing to use those if I could get someone to send them to me but idk how long that could take. Also what’s gonna be the best way to feed this to him after it water down of course.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Unfortunately all I have is cipro 500mg and it is expired. I don’t have anyone close around me that has either of the other antibiotics you prefer I use. I would be willing to use those if I could get someone to send them to me but idk how long that could take. Also what’s gonna be the best way to feed this to him after it water down of course.

Hello again:
One of the Admins will review this thread and send you a PM with dosing instructions if fhey agree. It is a little more dicey without an accurate weight. Do you think that considering your Squirrel will let you pet him; would he let you put him on a scale even for a moment get him weighed?
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Mommas Munchkins]

I can try whenever I see him today idk if he will come by today with it raining or not but could try but more then likely he won’t stay out still long enough for the scale to read his weight.

[Mommas Munchkins]

Little dude came by this morning but would not let me pick him up. I will try again this evening if he stops by after the storm.. His wounds are looking the same but he doesn’t seem to be in pain or showing any signs of injury. He seems completely unbothered by the wounds. He drank lots of water and had some broccoli carrots and nuts this morning then got a few pets stretched yawned and went back to his nest to ride out the storm coming. Will try to get another picture this evening of the wounds. I appreciate all of the advise and help and would also love to get him started on meds if need be to get a jump start on any possibly infection.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Little dude came by this morning but would not let me pick him up. I will try again this evening if he stops by after the storm.. His wounds are looking the same but he doesn’t seem to be in pain or showing any signs of injury. He seems completely unbothered by the wounds. He drank lots of water and had some broccoli carrots and nuts this morning then got a few pets stretched yawned and went back to his nest to ride out the storm coming. Will try to get another picture this evening of the wounds. I appreciate all of the advise and help and would also love to get him started on meds if need be to get a jump start on any possibly infection.

I believe that starting an antibiotic would be a very valid option! How "expired" is your Cipro?
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Mommas Munchkins]

I believe that starting an antibiotic would be a very valid option! How "expired" is your Cipro?
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

They are about a year out of date. I think they should still work just maybe won’t be as strong. Yes antibiotics I think would be just as a extra precaution just in case. He seems to be doing ok but I would hate to wait until it’s to late should infection start. I haven’t yet received dosing info and still wasn’t able to get his weight this evening.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

They are about a year out of date. I think they should still work just maybe won’t be as strong. Yes antibiotics I think would be just as a extra precaution just in case. He seems to be doing ok but I would hate to wait until it’s to late should infection start. I haven’t yet received dosing info and still wasn’t able to get his weight this evening.

How is Little Dude doing? Is there any evidence of improvement or worsening? With this post I also want to "bump" your thread back up in line for an Admin to see and determine if he or she feels that mixing and dosing instructions for your Cipro can be based upon an estimated weight of your Squirrel.
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Mommas Munchkins]

How is Little Dude doing? Is there any evidence of improvement or worsening? With this post I also want to "bump" your thread back up in line for an Admin to see and determine if he or she feels that mixing and dosing instructions for your Cipro can be based upon an estimated weight of your Squirrel.
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

So I believe these are in fact botfly’s as I have seen one of the wounds no longer there and closed up. The other one on his shoulder looks like the worm is fixing to leave any day as I can see if coming in and out in the hole. He’s fine not bothered by them and still eating drinking and not showing any signs of sickness.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

So I believe these are in fact botfly’s as I have seen one of the wounds no longer there and closed up. The other one on his shoulder looks like the worm is fixing to leave any day as I can see if coming in and out in the hole. He’s fine not bothered by them and still eating drinking and not showing any signs of sickness.

Bots are disgusting but if that is what is going on (and the original photos appeared classic for Botfly "warbles"), it's a lot better than the other alternatives that have been mentioned.
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[TubeDriver]

Definitely bots, just leave them alone and they should soon be gone!:great

I would not treat with ABs, they seldom become infected. If a bot dies in situ, ABs can be used to prevent secondary infection.