My beloved friend loosing her sight? (long)

[Stretch]

I've been honored by the almost daily visits to my window ledge over the past 3 years by a lady squirrel which I called “J-Lo”. J-Lo is a wild squirrel and was approximately 2-3 years old (guesstimate based oh her size then and now) when we first met but now she is so comfortable with me she will sit on one hand and eat filberts, pecans and walnuts from the palm of my other incredibly gracefully and slowly. She picks the treats and crumbs even between my fingers delicately never using her teeth, caring not to bite or hurt me.

I first noticed the problem I wanted to share with you about a month ago, J-Lo would look at me by lifting her head high as if she was looking through glasses on the end of her nose. I thought it odd but thought nothing more of it until the past week when I noticed she was having difficulty walking to me as her head was skewed excessively to one side as she walked which made her walk as if she had a limp. I realized as I watched her actions that she was skewing her head so that she could see me, basically I think she has suddenly lost sight in one of her eyes. As I fed her I examined her eye and ‘could see no damage to the pupil. She appears to be trying to look through the other (good?) eye as she turns her head around to see birds and other sound making sources around her.

The fact that in the time span of one month she could have lost her sight in one eye makes me think that maybe she was injured from a fight or fall as large male has moved into the area in the past few months and they seemed to fight a lot.

Can someone tell me do squirrels naturally loose their site as they age ( I think she is now between 5 and 7 years old) or is this likely an injury (given the apparent rapid time it deteriorated) and is there anything at all I can do to help her? Has the food I have been feeding her caused or aggravated her condition and is there any other food I could give her to help her recover? She eats what nature provides her when I'm not around.

Many… MANY… thanks for your words of advice. The ability for me to simply share this debilitating inability to help my little friend with other people who share the same love of these beautiful creatures is extremely cathartic in itself and even if you can't help I thank you for listening.

[squirrelfriend]

Don't know if they lose their sight at any cetain age. At least I have never heard of that. If she is always turning to one side to look at you then she might have lost sight in the other. My squirrel Mr. Tilty does that. He has only one eye. He also has a tilty problem hence the name. I have another Grumblebee that has serious ballance problems. I suspect that he may have vision problems. He is not an old squirrel. Tilty is though. Then there is also Weebles. I am sure you can guess by the name that she has ballance problems too. She is older and has one eye. She has a wavery walk like she is drunk and has a ballance problem.

If you can get a close look at J-Lo's bad eye see if you can see any cataracts (sp?). I dout that it is anything that you are feeding her unless you are feeding her household cleansers.:eek: what are you feeding her?

Does she still get around fine and can she still fend for herself?

[4skwerlz]

:Welcome to The Squirrel Board. I also care for a group of wild squirrels. It is amazing how dear a wild creature can become. Your best bet will be to take J-Lo to a vet, preferably an exotic vet who knows something about squirrels. I know this is daunting, but they usually tolerate the whole procedure quite well. They seem to know you are helping them. I would locate a vet first. Then you can capture or trap her. We can help you with this. It really isn't difficult. Thank you so much for caring for this wild critter. :Love_Icon

[Stretch]

Thank you for your speedy and thoughtful replies...:thankyou
To answer your questions; I am feeding her pecans, filberts and walnuts exclusively. Nothing with salt and I often see her sitting in the tree next to my office eating the acorns from it so what I'm giving her is a part but not all her diet.
Next time I feed her which will be likely this afternoon I will examine her 'bad' eye and see if I can detect anything. Yes she does walk like she is loosing balance, she looks almost 'tipsy' but she does seem to get around climbing the trees and coming over to me when I call. The problem seemed to happen so fast which is surprising. 1 month ago I detected nothing.

Regarding capturing her I have no problem doing that if it helps her, are you referring to using a light blanket over her and picking her up or a humane trap?
Also, I live in the San Francisco Bay area if there is an exotic animal vet who can help with squirrels that someone knows of please do let me know.

Many thanks again.

[Stretch]

Thank you for your suggestion. Yes I can capture her she is actually very trusting of me (remember she sits or stands on my hand when I feed her). I can lure her into a cage quite easily.
My worry is that I would need to get her to the exotic vet quite quickly. Because she is a wild animal I'm concerned holding her in a cage (no matter how large) for more than a day or two will be traumatic for her. I'm convinced the problem is not likely to be chronic with her eye because she deteriorated so quickly, I suspect it's trauma or a cataract... presumably the vet can treat the later. If she deteriorated further and lost more of her sight I would most definitely take her in to protect her as long as was necessary.

One item of detail was about 6 months ago she badly damaged the ear next to the eye that she has the problem with, it looked like she had almost ripped it off (it looked like a predator had attacked her).. her head swelled badly on that side and she looked in a very bad way, a couple of months later she healed completely but now her eyesight appears to have fail in that eye.

Please let me know if you think I should attempt capture her to protect her and bring her to a vet given the above?

Again, many many thanks for your generous support.:grouphug

[Mars]

That sounds like there could possibly be an abcess from the ealier wound behind the eye or putting pressure on the optical nerve. We have a member with a squirrel with a similar problem. I'll point her in this direction. :)

[Stretch]

I will go out today to buy a large enough cage to put her in that isn't claustraphobic for her. I just came in from the garden and I fed her there, she is able to get around, branch to branch on the trees although she's much more cautious with her jumps as I guess she's timing/calculating them with only one eye. I cannot see any clouding of the bad eye, nor is it damaged which may suggest the problem Mars mentioned... If it's an absces is that something that goes away on its own? ..
I'll let you know once I have the cage, presumably I'll need bedding of some sort in it?
I will also take a picture of the her face and eye as closely as I can and post it here.
Thank you for your guidance and support.

[Pam]

:wave123 Stretch. It sounds like your squirrel friend might have an abscess. It could have developed from an infection that might have gotten into the ear wound. It would be a good idea to let a vet look at J-Lo. My pet squirrel, Roxy, has been fighting an abscess for about 5 months. She had been sick for about 5 months before it actually developed. I took her to the vet. He opened and drained the abscess and put her on an antibiotic called Sulfa-Trim. I had to keep the wound opened because it has to heal from the inside to the outside, or another abscess will form in it's place. Roxy started to feel better as soon as the place was opened. She still has a tiny pin size place that drains. Over the last couple of weeks, the infection reoccurred and the drainage got thicker. We went back to the vet for another round of Sulfa-Trim. This time it looks like she is going to heal completely. :)

[Stretch]

Progress! - I have an appointment for J-Lo at a Vision Specialist clinic for animals for next Tuesday. The clinic normally takes referrals from normal vets but they have agreed to see J-Lo when I explained her situation.
I have bought the Bach Rescue Remedy and 'will pick up the cage this evening.
I will probably need the weekend to be sure I can catch her without trauma.

Can you tell me whether waiting for next Tuesday for the appointment is too long or not, is this something I need to treat as an emergency? (assuming it is an abscess). They also offered me a possible appointment on Friday however they couldn't gaurantee that the doctor that day could treat a squirrel. Also, can you advise on what food to put in the cage for her?

I'm sorry that I do not have a basic understanding of how to take care for a squirrel, I'm sure this is common knowledge for everyone on this board. Your support is extremely beneficial, I would have thoughts twice about trying to find help for her with it (just in case I caused some other issue for her).

[Pam]

:thinking If it is an abscess putting pressure on the optic nerve...could it cause her to lose sight in both eyes? Roxy's abscess progressed fast once it appeared. Her head was distorted from the swelling. I just don't know about waiting until next Tuesday.

[Pam]

:wave123 Did you find your private message from me?

[4skwerlz]

Stretch, You are a HERO in my book! :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown

[Stretch]

Thanks Pam, I got your message and have replied...
... I also have just purchased the most GY-NORMOUS cage I could get, it looks like it could keep a small horse comfortable. But it's still a reasonably manageable size for me to lift into the SUV to get her to the vet.

I have already started to get her accustomed to it. I opened the doors (front/back/roof) and placed food for her in there, I then put my hand in the roof and slightly out the front door (holding a walnut) to tease her over to the door... she came to the cage quite comfortably. I will leave nuts in it for her and leave it open over the next few days so that when I need to capture her it won't be an ordeal for her (or me!)...

We're getting there, we'll get her better again. I have attached an earlier picture of her from 3 years ago... if anyone would like to see her. In it she is sitting just outside my office window as she has every day for the past 3 years. ...you'd move heaven and earth to help her too :Love_Icon .

[Pam]

Stretch, J-Lo is beautiful! :Love_Icon

[Buddy'sMom]

Stretch, you are doing a great job!! :thumbsup And seeing your adorable J-Lo :Love_Icon , we can all see why you want to help her. You are getting great advice and guidance here -- keep asking all the questions you have. Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in on a couple of questions:

Vet Visit - Sooner is better, especially if it is an abcess. However, it is most critical that she is seen by a vet that can/will treat her. If the "Friday vet(s)" will not look at her or treat her, it won't help to capture her for Friday, and then have to hold her til Tuesday. However, if the Friday vet is willing, they could be in contact with someone here who is knowledgeable about abcesses in squirrels -- to share that knowledge. Would it be possible to talk with the Friday vet now, to see what the possibilities are?

Cage: She may also appreciate if you add a small cardboard box inside, on its side, with tshirts in it -- this will give her a place to hide if she chooses, and a comfy little nest to curl up in and go to sleep (like a nest in a treetop). Also, after she is inside with the door closed, if you put a sheet or very light blanket over the top and 3 sides, that may make her feel more secure/less exposed. Keeping her cage in a dark(ish) and quiet place will also be calming, at least until you see how she takes to being caged. Some wild squirrels are surprisingly accepting -- as if they know that they are being helped.

Kudos for your efforts in getting help for her and in wanting to make the experience as stress-free as you can!! :thumbsup Good luck!!!

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[4skwerlz]

Excellent advice, Buddy's Mom! :thumbsup

[Stretch]

Thanks Buddy's Mom that is very good advice. I'll get to work on the 'furnishings' of her temporary new home.
I will also speak with the vet this morning and see if they would benefit from speaking with someone here about dealing with abcesses in squirrels - assuming that's what it is. I'll then jump back on here to let you know.

One question at this stage, what do squirrels eat? - What food should I buy at the grocery to give her, I'd like to have that ready to go before she 'moves in'...presumably not just nuts? And also do I attach a water dispenser to the side of the cage, the ones you see at pet stores or just a bowl of water?

btw. 'Buddy' was the name I gave to J-Lo's mate! When I first met her she had a male companion who was very calm and not threatening or territorial with her, I would feed them both for a few months and then I guess he was kicked out of the nest as he came by once or twice on his own and then I didn't see him again.

Thanks for the support you are all giving me on this. :grouphug :thankyou

[Buddy'sMom]

All the foods GB listed are excellent squirrel foods. Our wild squirrels are pretty picky and won't always try the veggies, although our females seem a bit more willing than the males. :D Your food list will depend whether she is being held just for a short time (and you can be more flexible) or for a long period (and you will need to be much more concerned about nutrition and stick more closely to GB's list -- we can deal with that if it comes to it). Also, if she's hungry, she'll try it.

You can try any/all of them -- Apple and fresh corn are favored here. Sometimes tomato, grape and watermelon. Several nuts a day will keep her happy and provide protein and fat. Anything that you know they eat outside -- pine cones, twigs with leaves and buds, other vegetation you notice in your yard as being squirrel-nibbled. Our wilds love pumpkin seeds (sold alone or in a mix at pet stores under the Chuck-A-Nut brand) -- I know it says at the end of GB's list to avoid these, but the list was originally generated for squirrels being treated for a calcium-deficient diet (and to make sure "inside squirrels" don't become deficient). They are OK in moderation for outside squirrels, and a small amount should be fine for J-Lo if she is going to be released soon after treatment. Again, if you will be holding her for an extended period, the food selection will matter a lot more -- and she will need a full spectrum light.

Water - she is used to drinking from puddles so a small dish may be easiest, but they are quick learners and she may take to the bottle. If you try that, just check it frequently to make sure the ball is not stuck and that she can get water if she tries --- and that she learns how.

:grouphug

[Stretch]

The diet that you recommended for J-Lo while she is in 'recovery' sounds like something I would benefit from! :)

I agree I do not want to 'entrap' her any longer than is necessary and as soon as the doctor says I can let her back out into the wild then of course I will do so. I will attempt to catch her the day before the appointment.

I spoke with the vision vet clinic again today; we may have a slight challenge here as I believe they are expecting that I hold J-lo while they examine her - for some reason I thought they would anesthetize her but apparently not. Although she has sat on my hand I have never literally picked her up and held her against her will, I would imagine she will likely go ballistic. Any tips on how to do this without hurting her?

Also, do you feel a vision vet is where I should be taking her? I spoke with the assistant there and she said that they do not differentiate between a dog/cat or squirrel as all have the same eye challenges... however if J-Lo's problem is an abscess behind the ear am I likely to be wasting my time at a vision specialist? Any one have thoughts on this? ... If I need to take her somewhere else I will do.

Again your advice is priceless, I am delighted to have found this board. :bowdown

[4skwerlz]

Also, do you feel a vision vet is where I should be taking her?

It's so hard to say, without even a pic to go by. Stretch, have you talked to LynninIN yet? She has GREAT diagnostic skills. I see she hasn't posted in this thread yet. I strongly suggest you PM her and get her advice. :grouphug

About holding her. With proper technique, you can restrain her. See info on "squirrelito," but it would probably be better for J-Lo if she's "out." I wonder why they won't do that?

[sparky]

Hi,

I know how you feel. I've had a number of wild squirrels that I became very close to. One was B T. He had bad lower teeth. He was starving when we first noticed him, so we made an extra attempt to make sure he got something to eat. We had a rug on the back porch that was shredded along the edges. We never culd figure out what happened to it. Then one day we saw B T biting into the rug, and then pulling hard trying to break off his teeth.

His teeth had grown so long at one time that they curled around, and would poke him in the eye. I knew that I had to help him. I had a vet that would help me, but I knew that this was something that would have to be repeated. So I had a door that had wire mesh over it. I took a pair of diagnal pliers, and laid them in an opening of the mesh, and then held a pecan halve over it. When B T came to get the pecan, I nipped his teeth off at the gu line. He was like a new squirrel after that. He never let the other squirrels bully him anymore.

I miss B T. I have a photo of him included.

Sparky

[4skwerlz]

Awww, the poor little guy! When Mother Nature (that b!@$h) fails, ANGELS like you step in.... :Love_Icon

[Pam]

Stretch, if J-Lo does have an abscess or an ear infection, is the vision vet going to treat those problems, or do they only treat eyes? They are probably not going to sedate her because they are going to be doing an eye exam.

[Stretch]

I spoke to the vision vet again today... the good news is that they are willing to work with me even though they now say they have never treated a wild animal, only pets. :shakehead
They said if they need to call another doctor on sedating her they will do :shakehead :shakehead
I did mention that I thought (with all the disclaimers that I'm not a vet) the problem could have stemmed from an abscess forming as a result of a traunma to the ear with associated swelling and infection...
that (fortunately) didn't seem to bother them :tilt

To be honest I think they are now super curious that a) it's a squirrel I'm bringing to them b) it's wild and c) it's a new challenge.

With all that in mind I am willing to bring J-Lo and see what they say (given that we know it's her sight), however I must say I'm concerned that they are talking about me restraining her or calling someone on how to sedate a squirrel.

By the way, I'm concerned she may be loosing her appetite, I tried to feed her this morning her favorite nut (filbert) and she graciously too one and then waddled away, head skewed to the right, normally she would sit and take several.... Tuesday can't some quick enough for me (or her I guess).

[Pam]

The vet uses a little gas anesthesia to sedate Roxy for teeth trimmings. He also sedated her to lance her abscess. She tolerated it well. :thumbsup She always wakes up fast and has no side effects.

[philomycus]

For Rocky's surgery, they used gas, but also did some pre-meds for the surgery.

Gas is one quick option....Domitor & ketamine combo. the other. My vet used
0.08 cc of domitor plus 0.08 cc of ketamine for sedation. My squirrel weighed 13 ounces at the time. Just another option. Reverse the squirrel with 0.08cc antisedan (but not imediately...you don't want to knock them out and then 'dupe' 'em back up!)

Gas is much eaiser and probably the way you'll want to go for a non-invasive physical exam.

[Stretch]

I will print and bring your recommendations with me to the vet.

Thank you! :thankyou

[Pam]

I will print and bring your recommendations with me to the vet.

Thank you! :thankyou

:thumbsup Great idea!!

[4skwerlz]

You could always call the vet again and tell them J-Lo has stopped eating. Since they're eager to see her, maybe they can make room in their schedule a little early. I think it's great that they look upon it as a challenge! Sounds like they're willing to call in extra help and advice if needed.

[Stretch]

I took some pictures of JLo today to show you all so you could see her situation.

All the pics of her with he head skewed to one side shows how she is trying to compensate for the loss of site in that eye... I tried to take a picture of her 'bad' eye but she was out of focus however if you look at her 'right' ear (left as you look at the photo's) that's the ear that was torn badly and was swollen with pus coming from it about 6 months ago... as you can see it's healed almost perfectly (it's pointing in a slightly different direction to the other ear but at least it healed)...

My challenge now is catching her as she is SUPER cautious now that she can't see too well... I almost had her closed into her new cage yesterday (in the pics) but the sound of the plastic floor with her feet frightened her and she bolted before I could close it. I've since put old t-shirts in it however I have my work cut out for me to get her before Tuesday.

The pic of her eating from my fingers (the above shot) shows how she is trying to stand on my hand (you can see her left paw on my finger) however I don't want to just 'grab' her as I feel I could hurt her. So I'm sticking with attempting to coax her into the cage.

Still not eating much but she does come to me when I call her.

I'll let you know when I've managed to put her in the cage.

p.s. I made the pics small in file size so hopefully its within guidelines.

[LynninIN]

Does JLo have something in her mouth in this picture or is that her tooth?

[LynninIN]

The picture I posted above is not JLo. It was BT another wild squirrel Stretch cared for. Yes, I read the post but not very well. Sorry Stretch.

[4skwerlz]

Hey Lynn, That's not J-Lo, it's another squirrel with a badly overgrown tooth that Sparky was able to help.

[Pam]

BT was Sparky's friend.

[LynninIN]

BT was Sparky's friend.
You forgot the :poke smilie. I deserve it. I'm blaming it on a rough week, lots of sugar, too much caffeine and not enough sleep.

[Stretch]

The T-shirts were fresh laundered... but good point... I'll wear one this evening and put it in the cage in the morning. Let's hope she cooperates in the morning as I have one and a half days to catch her before the vision vet appointment.
I'll post an update with a picture as soon as I can 'persuade' her to enter her new hacienda.

[4skwerlz]

Any way you can reverse that side door so it closes "down" intead of "up"? Also, I would put some kind of platform outside the cage at the height of the door so she doesn't have to climb UP to get inside. Maybe something inside too. Then you can prop the door open with a stick tied to a string. Put some peanuts inside, sit nearby holding the string, and when she goes in, pull the string. Down comes the door.

[Stretch]

Well the moment of truth came... and went ... and I blew it on catching JLo... :shakehead

I could not coax her into the cage having tried several times. She has become super cautious because she can only see with one eye and now approaches me very carefully but not when I'm next to the cage.

So I tried a net... I made a catch net out of plant netting and tied string to 6 sides then laid the net on the ground and held all the strands of string in one hand while calling JLo and showing her food with the other hand...
... she VERY cautiously approached me sniffing at the net, I waited until she got to the center and then stood up pulling the net up as I went.

I thought I had her as she was at the bottom of the net however she shot up the inside of the net before I could close the top and jumped out the top landing in a fish pond directly behind me!!! :sanp3 thankfully there was a similar net over the pond to protect the fish from birds which she ran across (it looked like she was running on water) and then shot up the closest tree.

Now she is spooked there is no way I'm going to be able to coax her back with a net and besides I would not be able to shut it in time.

So now I'm left with the humane trap option which I have set in the garden but the chances of catching her with that are remote as I've seen her sniff around it but not enter it.

The only option I can now think of is to feed her from my hand (if she'll trust me again after the net thing) and close me fingers around her but that scares the hell out of me as I know she'll go ballistic. I'm also going to need to cancel the vision vet this afternoon... :shakehead

Overall I'm very disappointed I could not catch her but I won't give up. Thanks for all the sound advice, it won't go to waste as we will catch her sooner or later. As soon as I do I will post the pic and get her to the vet.

[Buddy'sMom]

So sorry -- they are pretty resourceful! I've been watching for news, but this wasn't what I'd hoped for. :shakehead

I guess, just be patient -- it may take her a bit to get used to the trap so that she will go inside for food. They HATE "new things" -- we had one that was scared to death to cross the garden hose. I hope you can convince the vision vet to work with you on scheduling the appointment.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[4skwerlz]

So sorry Stretch. Catching a squirrel really isn't that hard though. A Hav-a-hart trap will work every time. Squirrels are always afraid of something new, but they're also curious. When you get the trap, let us know. I can help you get it set up. I am, unfortunately, an expert on the bloody things! :grouphug

[Stretch]

It's the 'hav-a-heart' trap that I'm using. The long rectangular cage with a spring door and a pressure pad down one end, right? I put her treats in one end and a few crumbs at the door to tease her. She eats the crumbs but avoids going in. I've already caught another squirrel with it since setting it this morning but not JLo. Should I be camouflaging the trap with leaves so it isn't obvious it's a cage?

She's so smart I actually think she'd be good at math and science! -

[Stretch]

If you can believe that a squirrel can make you suffer! - JLo is sitting on a branch outside my window eating acorns from the tree and giving me a dirty look. When I went out a few mins ago to tempt her with a peace offering she just sat on her branch looking at me but wouldn't come over.

The good news is that she is eating but clearly she's holding a grudge :nono over my failed attempt to catch her. It looks like I'll need to patiently work to build her trust back again. Regarding the catching and vet trip, it's all down to the 'hav-a-heart' trap now, if that doesn't get her then we'll use prayers and lots of love.

Thank you everyone for your support :grouphug

[4skwerlz]

If you can believe that a squirrel can make you suffer! - JLo is sitting on a branch outside my window eating acorns from the tree and giving me a dirty look. When I went out a few mins ago to tempt her with a peace offering she just sat on her branch looking at me but wouldn't come over.

The good news is that she is eating but clearly she's holding a grudge :nono over my failed attempt to catch her. It looks like I'll need to patiently work to build her trust back again. Regarding the catching and vet trip, it's all down to the 'hav-a-heart' trap now, if that doesn't get her then we'll use prayers and lots of love.

Thank you everyone for your support :grouphug

Okay, here's a few tips on the Hav-a-hart.

Place it underneath her favorite tree, flat on the ground, with the door facing away from the trunk. Put a pile of roasted unsalted peanuts, including a couple dipped in "natural" peanut butter, for bait. Make sure she can't reach in from the sides and get them! Do not give her any other food that morning. If she won't go near it after a day or two, then you'll have to backtrack a bit. Disable the mechanism, place peanuts all around the trap (and nowhere else!) including on top. When she's comfortable with the trap, you can re-set it as above.

Occasionally, a squirrel will develop a trap phobia as a result of one experience, and that's it: You won't be able to trap her. If that's the case, you'll have to use another method.

Good luck.

[Stretch]

An update and a question - The problem with JLo is almost certaintly an abscess. I fed her today (she has forgiven my attempts to 'net' her and accidentally dunk her in the pond!) I saw that she has a large abscess on her jaw below the eye that she has trouble seeing out of.

She has scratched the hair off of the abscess with her paw (poor thing is likely in a lot of pain and discomfort) and her skin is showing - it is swollen, reddish pink and has been bleeding from the center but not enough to drain it. I saw her two days ago and the abscess had not matured that much, it still had hair on it and was not as protruding.

The only thing to my knowledge which could help is antibiotics. If I caught her of course we could have a vet drain it which would give instant relief.

Given she is eating again from my hand, is it possible to mix some sort of antibiotic with the nuts and treat her that way (I can likely feed her daily or at least every other day) ? or do I need to go back to trapping her and bringing her to the vet, which is proving extremely tough. Can someone advise me on this? Many thanks again :thankyou -

[4skwerlz]

An update and a question - The problem with JLo is almost certaintly an abscess. I fed her today (she has forgiven my attempts to 'net' her and accidentally dunk her in the pond!) I saw that she has a large abscess on her jaw below the eye that she has trouble seeing out of.

She has scratched the hair off of the abscess with her paw (poor thing is likely in a lot of pain and discomfort) and her skin is showing - it is swollen, reddish pink and has been bleeding from the center but not enough to drain it. I saw her two days ago and the abscess had not matured that much, it still had hair on it and was not as protruding.

The only thing to my knowledge which could help is antibiotics. If I caught her of course we could have a vet drain it which would give instant relief.

Given she is eating again from my hand, is it possible to mix some sort of antibiotic with the nuts and treat her that way (I can likely feed her daily or at least every other day) ? or do I need to go back to trapping her and bringing her to the vet, which is proving extremely tough. Can someone advise me on this? Many thanks again :thankyou -

Could this be a bot? Can you get a pic? How big is the swelling? The size of a pea, a lima bean, etc.? Does it look like this?
(1)New bot fly wound on squirrel. (2)Bot fly at 1 week. (3)Maturing bot fly (the dark area is pus and discharge from the bot).
147661476714768

[Stretch]

The swelling is the size of a largish lima bean and is more ballon shaped (and raised off the face) than the pics you posted. The color is uniformly pink (less red than in your pics although that may be a camera characteristic) and there are no distinct dark spots. The opening (blood seepage area) is very small as if pricked with a pin and is flush with the rest of the swelling and not raised as in the pictures. The scab is limited to a >tiny< amount of dried blood at the seepage area and I did not detect pus on the surface or any discoloration beneath.

It doesn't really resemble any of the stages of the bot fly you have in your pics imho. I noticed she has been scratching at that area for 4-6 weeks (since before I noticed her sight problem) if the gestation period of the fly is 1-2 weeks it probably is not that.

I have my camera at the ready and 'will try for a pic at tomorrows feeding.

Many thanks.

[4skwerlz]

Actually it takes about 3-4 weeks for the whole bot process.

Here's a 2-week old warble:
14799
And a 3-week-old:
14800

Just want to make sure we eliminate bots as a possibility. It it's a non-bot abcess, she will certainly need a vet's care. The problem with a deep abcess is that even with antibiotics, a core of infective material often remains and the infection often recurrs, worse the second time around. A deep abcess should really be cleaned out surgically under anesthesia by a vet.

[Stretch]

No, definitely does not look like those pics. I'm leaning towards a deep abscess - unfortunately - as it would seem to better support the sight loss issue (it's below that eye and looks deep) it also looks how an abscess or boil would look on a human (if that is a reasonable comparison).

I will go for the pics tomorrow.

[4skwerlz]

No, definitely does not look like those pics. I'm leaning towards a deep abscess - unfortunately - as it would seem to better support the sight loss issue (it's below that eye and looks deep) it also looks how an abscess or boil would look on a human (if that is a reasonable comparison).

I will go for the pics tomorrow.

Okay, Stretch. But I think you're looking at a vet visit real soon, like tomorrow. Really, with a Hav-a-hart trap it's not that hard! And once you drape a towel over the trap so she feels less exposed, she should be fairly calm. If it's an abcess, not sure you need the vision vet--regular vet should be able to handle if it's not actually INVOLVING the eye. Sooner is better, Stretch, really. Deep infections in the eye area can quickly invade vital areas, even the brain.... I wish you lived closer to me--I'd come over there and get that squirrel for you!!

[Pam]

Stretch, a regular vet would probably be best to handle the abscess. They would be able to advise on the eye, too. If they think an eye specialist is needed, they will refer you to one.

[Stretch]

OK - I'm convinced. I put the hav-a-heart out today, and again caught the wrong squirrel... I will keep at it to get her.

Question to those in the San Francisco area - anyone recommend a vet in the Bay area that will treat squirrels? I've tried two and both said no, only the eye vet would take her. I'll make calls in the morning also.

Thank you.

[Pam]

If the eye vet is willing to see JLo, then go that route...he/she was a regular vet before specializing. :thumbsup

[Buddy'sMom]

I had been wondering how J-Lo was doing -- I'm sorry to hear this news. Several TSB squirrels with abcesses have been treated by a vet cleaning out the abcess and then antibiotics. It's harder, of course, with a wild squirrel that has to be caught first. I hope you have better luck with that tomorrow -- at least she is coming back to be fed. :thankyou for continuing to try to help her. Wish we could tell her how much better she would feel if she just walked into the Hav-a-Heart ....... :) :grouphug

[Stretch]

PICTURES!
These were taken this morning... can you make a guess as to whether this is an abscess or bot? - The dark streaks above the swelling is wet hair and not marks on the skin... The swelling overall is much less than yesterday, it must have drained significantly over night.
I have set the 'Hav-a-heart' trap again, I fed her a little from my hand to enable me to take the pics. Looking out the window I can already see another squirrel sniffing around it!

[Buddy'sMom]

Poor Sweetie. I thought someone would have come on that knew more what they were looking at -- hopefully soon. From the bot pictures I have seen, they seem to have a very distinct and large opening in the center, which J-Lo's doesn't. Too bad -- they are gross, but self-limiting.

Thoughts on trapping -- what if you sit next to the set trap, show her food in your hand and lure her to the cage, toss some inside? That may help to get her more used to it anyway, If her big friendly food source is sitting next to it, maybe it's not so scary??

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[susanw]

We have treated squirrels with bot, and I don't recall them draining. My guess would be infection.

[Mars]

From your pics and what you have told us I believe you are looking at an abcess. It is a good thing if it is draining.

[Abacat]

Any news on J-Lo ? Poor girl, I hope you can catch her and get her to the vet...Good Luck!

[4skwerlz]

Thanks for the pic. Not a bot. Stretch, there seems to be some dark crusty matter on the fur at the edge of her mouth. Does it look like it could be dried blood and pus? The abcess could be draining from inside the mouth.

Is she still holding her head cocked to one side?
When you first noticed the problem, did you see any other wounds at all anywhere on her? Also did she ever seem to be acting strangely or as though she were traumatized? This is largely academic at this point, as a vet visit is needed regardless. Stretch, if you're still having trouble catching her, maybe we can find someone nearby to help you?


:grouphug Good luck and please keep us posted.:grouphug

[Stretch]

Hi everyone - Well I have good news (finally) ... In addition to the photo's posted above I took an additional 6 high rez photo's of J-Lo from various angles while she was feeding from my hand.
I made 8x10 prints of the pictures and then off I went to the Vision Vet yesterday afternoon with my J-Lo photo album (I had caught another squirrel *twice* in the hav-a-heart but not J-Lo so I was getting frustrated at not making progress there).

The whole vet office was amazed at the J-Lo story, all the staff came to see the pics of J-Lo and then the doctor who I had made the original appointment with came out of surgery and sat with me.

She spent 30mins with me examining the photo's and concluded the following:

1. Her eye is not damaged! (this is fantastic news :thumbsup ) The size, coloration, compared to the other eye etc suggested no permanent damage.
2. That the swelling is an abscess and not a bot
3. That her 'skewed' walking was from the pain of the abscess (she was hanging her head to one side most likely to reduce the pressure of the swelling inside her jaw/mouth.
4. That mouth and jaw infections often affect vision (blurring the sight) on the side of the infection due to some sort of "channel" between the eye "bulb" and the mouth.
5. That the abscess was definitely draining! (more good news :thumbsup )
6. *** That I should not capture her at this stage ***
The vet said that the abscess erupting naturally was a very good sign and that "nature would most likely heal it completely given drainage was complete". That the trauma for the animal of being captured and treated at this stage was not merited (given she is now likely to be in little or no continued pain). The Doctor suggested I monitor J-Lo's progress in terms of the swelling, draining, hair regrowth and her 'walking'.

In the event the swelling returns that I should catch her for sure and bring her in to be treated however due to the maturation, coloration and draining of the abscess that it was not merited at this stage.

I fed J-Lo this morning and the swelling had greatly reduced (even from yesterday), the coloration was now less light pink (slightly greyed) and there was a larger scab in the center where it had looked like it had drained overnight.

I did not have my camera with me however I will make sure it is with me tomorrow and I will take more pics to show everyone so we can compare the earlier ones with how she is doing now.

The bottom line right now is that J-Lo is *not loosing her sight*, she is walking *almost* completely straight again and she is eating as much as I can give her. :D :thumbsup :) :tilt The bottom line is also that without this board I would not have had the confidence or knowledge to be proactive with diagnosing the problem with J-Lo and now with your support and the Vet's enthusiasm I am ready to nurse J-Lo should she need it going forward (patience with the hav-a-heart will undoubtedly achieve this).

I (and J-Lo) are deeply deeply grateful to everyone on this board for your sincere outpouring of support. :thankyou :grouphug :thankyou

I will post an update including pics most likely tomorrow.

[Abacat]

OMG ! What GREAT news! I'm so happy for you and J-Lo...:wahoo
What a nice Vet too! :)

[4skwerlz]

Great news! :wott The only possible way to celebrate this is with.......DANCING BANANAS!

:banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana


Stretch, you're a true hero! :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown

[Pam]

Stretch, that is great news. Good job taking the pictures to the vet!! :thumbsup I am so glad that J-Lo is going to be OK! :banana

[Buddy'sMom]

:flash3 :flash3 :flash3 :flash3 :flash3
Oh, it's so good to hear such good news!! That J-Lo is doing better AND that you found such a caring and helpful vet who gave you a consult even without the patient being present!! And that you thought to go in with pictures!! :bowdown :bowdown

Fingers and toes crossed here hoping that nature will take care of things -- the abcess draining on its own is very good news. Continue to watch her for signs that it is getting better (we hope!) or that it may be coming back again (:shakehead ) And maybe with her feeling better, she will learn to be less skittish of the trap (just in case)

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug