Growth on ankle

[CJC]

Hi there-so a while back I noticed this odd growth on one of my squirrel’s ankle-it has a bare spot (almost looks like a wart or callus, but then there is a larger amount of a mass underneath it-hard to tell in pic-but I would say it’s like the size of a grape in diameter if you cut a grape into a 1/4-basically when looking at pic there is a larger circular mass double size of bare spot under hair/skin. It’s not hot, it’s not oozing anything and when I first noticed it I treated it as if it was an abscess by doing warm compresses and applying ointment on it after…time went on and it didn’t do much of anything and then I had an emergency with my other squirrel so it got put on back burner -but it was always on my mind. It doesn’t bother her at all and doesn’t hinder her-she is happy and health otherwise. It’s weird as it has the bare spot and at one point it seemed to have a very fine ring of blood around it -the bare spot, (when I first was treating it) but other than that it really it doesn’t do much at all! It’s very odd. Anyone have any clue what it could be? I can try to get another pic but she’s 11wks now so I know I’m out of time with getting anyone to mess with it �� she does let me touch it and squeeze it and all that and doesn’t care at least. I just worry that she’s going to be going out there in the world with something that may cause her issues and I missed my window to get it dealt with

[Tiniest]

I could be mistaken, but it looks like a botfly. How long has it been there? (You don’t squeeze them btw)

[CJC]

It’s been there for weeks now 😔 so I don’t think that’s what it is -heres another pic-but the red ring isn’t there majority of time

[CJC]

I could be mistaken, but it looks like a botfly. How long has it been there? (You don’t squeeze them btw)

Also, I’m on the west coast -not sure we have them here with the grey squirrels

[Diggie's Friend]

It is possible.

Scroll down on page to photo listing #754; click on photo for more information.

https://www.insectidentification.org/insects-by-state.php?thisState=California

[TubeDriver]

It does not really look like a botfly, especially if it has been there for several weeks. If its a botfly, you can actually see an opening that moves a bit as the bot breaths, pretty gross. There is also usually some hair loss in the surrounding area and often some discharge. I think the common rule-outs are abscess, cyst, botfly. I would figure out what this is before releasing. Maybe a cyst that he is messing/nibbling on a bit which leading to the blood?





Also, I’m on the west coast -not sure we have them here with the grey squirrels