Back of neck injury

[The Nut Lady]

Hi, everyone.

One of our regulars, Stripesy, who hadn't been seen for about 5 days showed up today with injuries around the back of his head near his ears. The wounds do not look fresh, so we have no idea how he would have gotten them, although there has been a cat roaming around the area lately. He's eating fine and moving mostly fine, if not maybe a little sluggish.

Can someone please guide us in how best to help him? We have Amoxicillin / Clav 875-125mg, Baytril 10%, and Betadine. It may be tricky to get two doses of something in him per day, but we will certainly try.

Thank you in advance.

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[The Nut Lady]

Hi all. If dosing could be provided for the Augmentin (Amoxicillin - Clav 875-125mg tab), that would be greatly appreciated. I believe that's more appropriate than the Baytril 10% liquid, considering this injury very possibly came from a cat attack. I don't have a weight, but would say he's on the average (maybe slightly smaller) size for our backyard grey males, here in the Chicago area. Also, he's a regular but often only once a day (although his current situation may change that, as we are an easy source of food). I know this is not ideal, but is there any chance of getting dosing for once/day treatment, along w/ twice/day, so we can adjust accordingly? Appreciate any help here, as this little guy is very loved (he's "Lefty's" son and is such a special guy. You all helped me with "Lefty" when she had an abscess on her face while nursing Stripesy and his siblings. She is still well and we see her everyday like clockwork :)

Thanks!

[Spanky]

Dosing sent in PM.

"Average" size squirrel is relative to the locale. For example, a typical FL grey will weigh only 2/3 of an average MN grey.

[The Nut Lady]

Thank you so much, Spanky! Since he's wild, I can't weigh him, and I'm horrible w/ guessing weights. I did Google weights of eastern greys in Illinois and it seems to be 1.25lbs. Thanks for your help and hopefully this li'l guy will heal up well.


Dosing sent in PM.

"Average" size squirrel is relative to the locale. For example, a typical FL grey will weigh only 2/3 of an average MN grey.

[The Nut Lady]

Stripesy took a bit of a turn for the worse today. All this time we thought his ear had been torn off and healing, but in fact it was only stuck back on his head. Well, he dislodged it today, taking a lot of fur and flesh with it. The back portion of his head from ear to ear and the back of his neck is missing its fur and skin and some amount of flesh below it. We’re very much concerned about infection and an inability to heal beyond the care we can provide.

Is it time to catch him and take him to a rehabber? Kane Area Rehabilitation and Education for Wildlife (KARE for Wildlife) in St Charles, Illinois has said they’ll take him, but it’s 45 minutes away. If anyone has a contact for a rehabber closer by — in Du Page County — it would be greatly appreciated. I contacted pretty much everyone in Du Page on the rehabber list at illinois.gov, but only one person got back to me and their suggestion was that we take him to Willowbrook Wildlife Center. We would prefer not to do this, as Willowbrook has said he wouldn’t be released back in this area.

Or is this still a wound that we can manage on our own? We’ve gotten 4 days of amoxicillin / clav into him thus far and feel we can continue dosing him for the full 10 days. We also have dosing for ibuprofen, which we could start ASAP. And if anyone has other suggestions for treatments, we will do our absolute best to get and administer them.

Thank you all so much for your care and support; this community is truly the best!

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[Spanky]

I doubt this is closer but this is at least a known / vetted rahabber:

2nd Hand Ranch
25375 1150 N Ave, Princeton, IL 61356

[lukaslolamaus]

Oh poor baby that looks painful.
Hopefully you will be able to catch him and get himb to treatment :grouphug

[TheNutGuy]

Well, day 2 of trying to catch Stripesy was a bust.

Any tips for trapping? We feel that is necessary to get him to a place that can provide the care needed to overcome this type of injury. The trap is on the porch, which is where he normally eats, and he is comfortable being near it, and even takes an interest in the unshelled nuts that are at the end, but we have not been able to get him to enter the opening on the other side of the trap, despite leaving a trail of walnut pieces into it. It’s a larger Havahart-style one door trap. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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[Spanky]

Were you successful in dosing the antibiotics today?

I assume you have a full plan in place if you are attempting to trap him... a cage prepped, or already know where you are taking him, etc. That is most important, the preparation before the trapping.

That being said, only put the nuts inside the trap and he'll eventually go inside. As long as there are nuts outside, he has lessor reason to enter the trap. Good Luck!

[The Nut Lady]

Hi all. Stripesy did get his 5th day of antibiotics today; along with his 1st dose of infant Motrin for pain. He comes to the yard twice a day when we call him for his meds (at dusk and dawn), and he surprisingly eats well and seems to move around OK, considering the severity of his wounds. Our plan: If we are able lure him into the trap, we would immediately drive to a rehab facility (w/ him in the trap). We reached out to 2nd Hand Ranch and Rescue earlier today and hopefully will connect with them soon (we got a text response that they are currently out of state). This would be our preferred place to take him, considering your recommendation, Spanky, and based on what we see on their website and their activity on this board. Seems a perfect fit and hoping it would work out. If it doesn’t work out, our second choice option would be the KARE facility in Saint Charles, who’ve said we can bring him in. Either choice, we are looking at a 45min or 1.5hr car ride. Other than covering the trap with fleece so it’s dark, and being quiet, I’m not sure what else to do so he’s not freaking out and possibly hurting himself further during the commute. Here’s a link to the trap we were able to get overnighted on Amazon :

https://www.amazon.com/Trapro-Collapsible-Raccoon-Groundhog-Armadillo/dp/B0748JJL35/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=36SSJDZJB4J6L&keywords=large+animal+trap&qid=1674529123&sprefix=large+trap+for+%2Caps%2C273&sr=8-5

I don’t think it’s perfect, as it’s a bit larger than needed, and there are some sharp edges that concern me if he’s trying to find a way out. We’ll take any suggestions on this, as we don’t want to cause undue trauma. We’ve been torn about how to help our little friend and only want to do what’s best for him. We are willing do whatever it takes. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas, we would appreciate the help. Pls feel free to PM if that works better. So grateful for this board! Thanks to all :)


Were you successful in dosing the antibiotics today?

I assume you have a full plan in place if you are attempting to trap him... a cage prepped, or already know where you are taking him, etc. That is most important, the preparation before the trapping.

That being said, only put the nuts inside the trap and he'll eventually go inside. As long as there are nuts outside, he has lessor reason to enter the trap. Good Luck!

[Spanky]

Dark, warm and quiet. Even the radio in the car can be upsetting, but ti also can drowned out road noise so there is balance.

Have some fleece or flannel strips of cloth to place in the cage with him to burrow into after his trapped.

Most importantly IMO, be certain that you have had a dialog and grilled which ever place you plan on taking him. Share the pictures you have and make sure they are not only prepared but committed. I know you'd hate to go through all this only to have Stripesy euthanized and not given a chance. You can even ask about releasing him back at you place after he is healed up. I would hold off trapping until and unless you have had these tough conversations with the facilities.

If he was injured the day (+/-) that he started not showing up for 5 in a row, he has managed for 10+ days now with your help. It would be great if you were able to get some pictures today of that wound for assessment.

Thanks for caring for Stripesy.

[The Nut Lady]

Hi all. We unfortunately have not yet seen Stripesy today. We will keep calling and walking around the yard, in hopes that he will come by for medicine, food, and we will try to trap him. We connected with Nancy at 2nd Hand Rescue today, and she gave us the name of another rehabber, since she is out of state currently. We spoke to this person and they will accept Stripesy if were able to trap him. We feel good about the recommendation. Hopefully we see him today and can get them there so he can get the help he needs. We will send updated pictures if we can. Thanks again for all the advice and support!


Dark, warm and quiet. Even the radio in the car can be upsetting, but ti also can drowned out road noise so there is balance.

Have some fleece or flannel strips of cloth to place in the cage with him to burrow into after his trapped.

Most importantly IMO, be certain that you have had a dialog and grilled which ever place you plan on taking him. Share the pictures you have and make sure they are not only prepared but committed. I know you'd hate to go through all this only to have Stripesy euthanized and not given a chance. You can even ask about releasing him back at you place after he is healed up. I would hold off trapping until and unless you have had these tough conversations with the facilities.

If he was injured the day (+/-) that he started not showing up for 5 in a row, he has managed for 10+ days now with your help. It would be great if you were able to get some pictures today of that wound for assessment.

Thanks for caring for Stripesy.

[The Nut Lady]

Update: he came around 3:30 and got his antibiotics and Motrin and we were able to trap him. We’re on our way to the rehabber now (about an hr to go) and he’s calm and quiet. Wish him luck!


Hi all. We unfortunately have not yet seen Stripesy today. We will keep calling and walking around the yard, in hopes that he will come by for medicine, food, and we will try to trap him. We connected with Nancy at 2nd Hand Rescue today, and she gave us the name of another rehabber, since she is out of state currently. We spoke to this person and they will accept Stripesy if were able to trap him. We feel good about the recommendation. Hopefully we see him today and can get them there so he can get the help he needs. We will send updated pictures if we can. Thanks again for all the advice and support!

[lukaslolamaus]

Good luck Stripesy:Love_Icon:grouphug
Safe travels to you and complete healing for the boy you have been caring for:Love_Icon

[The Nut Lady]

Thanks, lukaslolamaus! We are sending him love and well-wishes from afar now. He's such a special little guy to us and we hope he heals up soon so he can get back to his squirrelly self, up in the trees. Today was a LONG day . . . and it broke my heart to have to catch him and see his little face, looking at us from inside the trap, all scared and growling. It's been a rough day for him, but hopefully it's worth it and he can now rest and heal. I will keep you all posted on his progress and his future plans (relocation at the rehab place vs coming back to his "neck of the woods", etc.). Thanks, everybody, for all your support and guidance! We wouldn't be able to do this without you all!:grouphug

[lukaslolamaus]

Thanks, lukaslolamaus! We are sending him love and well-wishes from afar now. He's such a special little guy to us and we hope he heals up soon so he can get back to his squirrelly self, up in the trees. Today was a LONG day . . . and it broke my heart to have to catch him and see his little face, looking at us from inside the trap, all scared and growling. It's been a rough day for him, but hopefully it's worth it and he can now rest and heal. I will keep you all posted on his progress and his future plans (relocation at the rehab place vs coming back to his "neck of the woods", etc.). Thanks, everybody, for all your support and guidance! We wouldn't be able to do this without you all!:grouphug

I completely understand what a tough day this was for you guys and precious Stripesy, but the good news is that he will understand in time that all you guys did was help him and giving him a much better chance to live a long, healthy and happy life:Love_Icon.
He is a lucky guy to have you in his corner for sure!
:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

[Mel1959]

Update: he came around 3:30 and got his antibiotics and Motrin and we were able to trap him. We’re on our way to the rehabber now (about an hr to go) and he’s calm and quiet. Wish him luck!


Great job! :w00t:great They really do understand that you’re helping…I think there’s a different energy about it that they can sense. Please keep us updated so we know how Stripesy is doing.

[Charley Chuckles]

Praying hard for Stripesy heal sweetheart 🙏🙏🙏
Even though it's a long drive I hope he can come back home with y'all❤️

[The Nut Lady]

Hi all. Stripesy update and question: He's with the rehabber and we're trying not to be helicopter squammies and bug too much but here is the info we've gotten: he's eating (she gives him avocado, the HHB we gave her, and shelled nuts) and he hangs out under this dome-thing in the bird cage he's in. She said he gets upset when she's near and so she's trying to just leave him be (his cage is in a mud room area). I don't believe she's gotten eyes on the wound, as he hides under the dome thing and towel when she's near. So here is my question: If he is able to be released back here, will there be issues with his drey/territory being taken over (how soon does that happen)? And if so, what can we do? I would hate to have him go through all this just to have problems when/if he gets home. McCarthy recently posted about these types of questions on the "Gathering Round Table Topics" thread. Not sure how long it would be until he's able to be released; the rehabber said his would should be scarred over first. Any input is greatly appreciated.

[CritterMom]

Unfortunately, any nest would have been taken over long ago. Best bet, if you have trees and a way to get up them without killing yourself, is to put him in an enclosure for a bit at your home, close to the tree, and place a squirrel nest box in the enclosure with him so he knows it. Then on release day, you can move that box to the tree, which will likely be the first place he goes so he can rediscover it.

[The Nut Lady]

Ugh . . His nest would be taken over after only 4 days of being gone?! :( Shoot. We have thought about putting up a nest box, but we would have to hire someone, as we don't have a ladder tall enough or the skills to not kill ourselves lol. In terms of an enclosure first, we don't have that option. Any thoughts on how difficult it would be for him to find a nest if released back here in the morning (as to provide the whole day to figure it out)? I will say, that I've seen him in two different nests (1 of the 2 was more preferred for overnighting, as we saw him transfer from one to this other, higher up one, as it got dark). I would hope that this would increase his chances of having a home. It's just cold here in Illinois, so I'm concerned. If he's released at the rehabber's place, it would be unfamiliar and different (our suburbs vs rural). She says they have lots of squirrels there and nut trees so that sounds good, but again, rural, so way more owls, hawks and other predators than what we see here (infrequent hawk sighting and a couple cats that roam free). Taking the nest situation out of the equation, do people feel like some sort of soft-release is necessary (or after how long in captivity would it be necessary). I wouldn't think it would take too long for this injury to heal and thought he could get a hard release. I can't imagine he would be too happy about being outside but still in a cage. I will hopefully chat w/ the rehabber tomorrow, but would love to hear your (the boards) thoughts, too.

[Spanky]

Rehabbed, adult / mature squirrels are always better off being released in the area where they were found ("home territory) versus being forced to involuntarily establish themselves in a new territory. There are times when this is untrue, an obvious example would be a squirrel injured during a clear cut / tree harvesting operation that occurred in their territory. Consider that if his drey were taken over.... especially this time of year... then likely there is another drey that was abandoned. It may need some sprucing up, but even if starting from scratch he'll be back in a territory he is familiar

[Mel1959]

I agree that he should be released in his own territory. Doing so also eliminates the need for any soft release process as he’s already familiar with his territory. Fewer predators is always a bonus in my opinion.

[The Nut Lady]

Hi all. I just wanted to give an update on Stripesy. He's still with the rehabber, getting time to heal. He's in a bird cage, so limited space which limits too much movement. The rehabber said the wound is healing pretty well and currently there is a scab still, so he needs some more time to scar over. Hopefully when he's ready for release (thinking maybe next weekend), he will be able to come back to his home territory. Fingers crossed!!