Is it normal for a hurt leg to look like this?

[nature's helper]

This squirrel has been limping for 4 days; he is still able to climb (although he is wobbling quite a bit when walking on branches), but he is walking faster today. I am concerned, because it looks like his hip is significantly different on his injured (right hind leg) side, and I am unsure whether it is due to him positioning the leg to keep off of it, or if he may need more care. I am truly hoping that this injury will heal properly on his own. Here is the video of his fluffy end: :grin2

https://youtu.be/-4bjz6zACzI

[Charley Chuckles]

When he got up that leg kinda dangled🤷
It looks broken to me 😞
Maybe just an injury and he's favoring it🙏
If there is any way to provide him water and food for now if he will let you that would be helpful to this sweet boy.

[Mel1959]

Can you capture him with a havahart trap? There is a mobile wildlife vet in the Los Angeles area that comes highly recommended. His contact info is Dr. Cauble 818-242-5576.

[Diggie's Friend]

At the very end of the video I see he's favoring his left back foot; yet though tenderly, he is standing on it.

Save he can't jump and land, this kind of injury usually heals on its own.

If the Vet can view this video, perhaps they could determine whether the squirrel needs intervention to support care.

[Chirps]

Thanks for caring for this sweet boy. As has been said, if you can support him with food and water so he doesn't have to work too hard while healing, that might be best. Capture might put too much stress on him. Always so hard to see our friends hurting, we run all the options through our heads over and over.

[nature's helper]

When he got up that leg kinda dangled🤷
It looks broken to me 😞
Maybe just an injury and he's favoring it🙏
If there is any way to provide him water and food for now if he will let you that would be helpful to this sweet boy.

There are currently snacks and water placed out for the little guy, and yesterday he was also up on the branches where he has been eating snacks for over a year, so he has some options. He usually only accepts approximately 2 nuts per day, but now he has raw coconut oil and peanut butter spread on them, and he managed to eat 4 yesterday! :) I haven't seen him get into the water bowl the past 2 days, but he is very well acquainted with it (he's been using it when needed for over a year now). It is rather noisy in my neighborhood at the moment, so he hasn't visited yet today, but I am waiting for him with snack refills. :)

[nature's helper]

Can you capture him with a havahart trap? There is a mobile wildlife vet in the Los Angeles area that comes highly recommended. His contact info is Dr. Cauble 818-242-5576.

I don't have a Havahart trap, but I did call the number, and they are unable to take any more patients until next month. It is sadly also a bit out of my budget at this point. Thank you so much for the number, though! I will definitely keep it on hand, and I will start making a squirrel fund, because I am a squirrel girl for life! :)

[nature's helper]

At the very end of the video I see he's favoring his left back foot; yet though tenderly, he is standing on it.

Save he can't jump and land, this kind of injury usually heals on its own.

If the Vet can view this video, perhaps they could determine whether the squirrel needs intervention to support care.

Thank you soooooo much! It has been my hope that it will heal properly on its own. I have only had squirrels outside for over a year now, so it has been eye-opening and a bit frightening to see one in this state. I can tell that it hurts him, and it's just very painful to watch. I also worry about a neighborhood kitty meeting him while he is moving slower, but this little guy is one of the more cautious ones around here, and I definitely think he has the skills to get through this. :)

[nature's helper]

Thanks for caring for this sweet boy. As has been said, if you can support him with food and water so he doesn't have to work too hard while healing, that might be best. Capture might put too much stress on him. Always so hard to see our friends hurting, we run all the options through our heads over and over.

He has plenty of snacks and water out at the moment, and he has been visiting for over a year, so he thankfully knows where to come to if he needs anything. :) He has always been more of a forager than a bowl-eater, so in the past, he has only eaten about 2 nuts per day. However, since his injury, I have been putting raw coconut oil and peanut butter on the nuts, and I got him to eat 4 yesterday! Although he has visited here for a while, he is still rather cautious of me (even though he identifies me as a food source). So I also think that he would be under a lot of stress (perhaps more than the other squirrels around here) if he was to be trapped. And it's so true how we run through options to help our fuzzy, scurrying friends! :)