6 week old grey Parkinson’s like tremor help!

[Snacks]

Hi, everyone- I’ve been caring for a western grey baby for just over two weeks now, after my Tom cat alerted me to him at 11:30pm on a cold, windy night (the cat wasn’t doing anything to him, just sitting by looking concerned); I suspect he fell from his nest earlier that day. There was no getting him back to his mom at that time of night, so I took him in, and discovered this incredible resource. He’s doing really well (eyes opened two weeks ago, 160g, no respiratory issues, gaining about 10g a day this week, eager eater, clear urine), but I’m concerned about his movement. He shakes when he walks, and topples easily. I am planning on getting him to the point that he can go out and live on his own, and want to be sure that if prednisone is something that will help him at this juncture, that it’s considered and administered timely and accurately. I’m attaching a YouTube link for anyone to take a look at and offer feedback. Thank you!

https://youtu.be/JiXaR-QW57c?feature=shared

[Diggie's Friend]

Welcome; haven't seen a W. gray in sometime!

I leave the med recommendations to the rehabbers here.

To lend support to this baby in addition to any meds recommended by the rehabbers; the bio-identical forms of Vitamin B-12 (Methylcobalamin and Adenocobalamin that have been found to improve nerve damage in rats and mice.

Using this exact source below from, "Virmegy", add (1) needle droplet using a (1 ml needle syringe) not the dropper the bottle comes with. Add the single needle droplet to formula.

https://www.amazon.com/Vimergy-USDA-Organic-B-12/dp/B07HS2T8FS/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=vimergy+b12+liquid&qid=1697429227&sr=8-5

[Snacks]

I forgot to mention, he’s been on esbilac, which I’m making 1esb: 2 water: 1/2 heavy whipping cream:1/4 whole cream goats yogurt. Should I be concerned about calcium? Seems like the esbilac has it covered.

[CritterMom]

He is fine as far as calcium is concerned.

Have his movements been like this since he became ambulatory? The wee babies all have parkinsonian-looking issues mostly due to the difficulty they have holding up their huge heads so it may be difficult to figure out exactly what happened.

He looks like a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia, ("wobbly cat syndrome"). He may have a cranial injury from his fall from the nest unless he has also fallen while with you, OR, this is a from birth issue and he didn't fall; he was pitched out by his mom.

Are you able to keep him? There is no way this baby will ever be able to be released and if taken to a rehab he will be euthanized. If this is a birth defect similar to CH he could lead a perfectly healthy life. And while it is heartbreaking to watch, you have to understand that he doesn't know anything is wrong - this is how he is! I have seen wild squirrels that took obvious head strikes use all sorts of artificial means to help with their symptoms, from using stationary objects to prop up food so they can eat, to the "neuro shelf" on my squirrel cafe. It is a flip up door I put there to close the thing at night, during the day it is open and forms a small horizontal shelf above the opening. Many neuro squirrels have what is called stargazing behavior - they get on their haunches eating and their head begins to rise up and up and causes them get up like a meercat with the head continuing to rise until they overbalance and fall over backward. Those squirrels eat under that shelf, and when it touches their head it snaps them out of the behavior and they can continue eating. I was amazed when I saw it the first time but it was not an anomaly - I have seen a half dozen squirrels ding this over the years. And if your idea of giving him walls to keep him going straight may not help, the interaction with you would likely be rewarding for him.

Can you get a bright light and strong glasses and look into his ears and see if there is any dirt/clutter in there? It COULD be bad mites or an ear infection...

[Snacks]

I assume he fell or was pitched out. He did fall from the counter once, so that is also a possibility. Initially it didn’t seem like there was an issue, but I wasn’t looking for it, because, as you say, it didn’t seem odd for a young animal to be uncoordinated. When he first arrived he seemed totally healthy- good fur and coverage, not boney, no wounds, no blood, no fleas. I can check the ears, I’ve seen some scratching but nothing that raised my eyebrows.

Would gabapentin or prednisone be options here?326148

[CritterMom]

I want to point some people to this thread and hopefully they can answer the gabapentin question - I have little experience with it. I am a big fan of prednisone when a baby comes in and has paralysis, especially in the hind end, because swelling from blunt force along the spine can compress it causing it to compress things that shouldn't be squeezed. The prednisone knocks down inflammation REALLY fast and needless to say you want to do that ASAP. Sometimes it is just compression and once you get rid of the swelling it slowly goes away and the feeling comes back and everything is great. Obviously that doesn't happen every time.

But this isn't paralysis. So I want to hold off until we can get some other people pondering this.

He is so gorgeous - look at that silver fur!

[Snacks]

If anyone has further thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them! His tremor seems to be improving, and I haven't seen any stargazing behaviors, but he does do some fishmouthing when eating.
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[CritterMom]

The fish mouth thing is VERY common in perfectly "normal" babies, so I wouldn't lump that symptom in with the rest.

So far, everyone I have spoken to is stumped at his movements. I suppose you could "try" either the prednisone or the gabapentin to see if it has any effects on his issue. If you have some and have his weight, post it here and someone will help you to dose it PROPERLY.

If you look at this video (and the 500 others youtube will hand you if you do) I think you will see why I thought it was something similar - in fact, given that this syndrome is caused by incomplete brain development in utero, there is no reason at all that squirrels couldn't develop it. Mom would absolutely pitch it and many people would even be frightened of it so not try to rescue.

If this baby is non releasable, what are your plans? If you do not want him, I would bet that someone would be willing to devote all of their time to him.

[Snacks]

Thanks so much for sharing. I’ve had my fair share of baby animal rearing in all sorts of species and am also a little stumped. My gut suggests that it’s either brain trauma or mild CH. He was just under 4 weeks when I found him, and the day of was windy, so it’s a toss up.

His weight is 180g, and I have 5mg prednisone tablets. I think it could be worth a try.

As far as long term plans, I’m assessing that. One thing at a time for now?

[CritterMom]

Dosing sent in a PM. Dosing prednisone is different than most since the schedule is all over the place. If you have any questions, please ask. Also, if there are any difficulties reading a syringe, ask before you do anything. He is so sweet.

[Snacks]

Update for anyone following: Snacks is now finishing his 6th week, weighing in at 210g, exploring the possibility of litter training, and has finished a total of 6 doses of prednisone, as directed from the experts here. Here is a link to a video of what I believe to be progression, and a pic of him enjoying his morning meal.

https://youtu.be/iYRK_SxI8ko?feature=shared

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[CritterMom]

Wow! This is exciting! He is much better! I don't know if he will ever get all the way better but he is going to enjoy all of the regular squirrel things, I think, if with a bit of a tremor. I can't wait to see how he continues to improve!

As he is getting to be a big boy, it is time to start thinking about beginning to introduce him to some squirrel blocks. I strongly recommend starting him on the Henry's blocks: https://henryspets.com/squirrel-blocks/ They are both a food and a nutritional supplement, and unless the entire rest of the diet is junk food, they are sort of an insurance policy against MBD (metabolic bone disease). At 6 or 7 weeks, start putting a half a block in his area and let him discover it and try eating it on his own. You want them eating blocks reliably before introducing other foods. And definitely continue formula - let him decide when he has weaned. The Henry's should be stored in the freezer as they have no preservatives. As adults, 2 to 3 a day is the right amount, fed with a variety of fresh veggies and occasional fruit and very, very sparing amount of nuts. "Snacks" needs to be his name, not his diet!

He is so freaking cute!

[Snacks]

Fingers crossed! I’ll continue to post progress. I have a bag of Henry’s blocks in the freezer for a week now, and have already been leaving slices of them in his den. He’s figured out the water bottle and mineral block, but isn’t sold on the blocks just yet. I’m definitely waiting until he starts eating them to introduce anything else.

[Tashahaven]

What a CUTE little bugger! Oh my!

What a great improvement and joyous update to see the progress he has made! Yay!

Thanks for the video and photo as well! He seems incredibly sweet! I wanna wuv on his widdle face wif sum scritchins! 🥰

One thing I did notice in the video, and I’m not sure if it’s an optical illusion, or appears this way because the fur is potentially wet from being wiped down after eating…

But it appears as though the inner part of both front legs is red/raw. This can very easily occur on the front legs, paws or around the mouth/neck and is caused by formula drying on those areas. It’s similar to urine scald. And can become painful or possibly infected if it gets too bad without treatment. Baby squirrels are EXTREMELY messy wessy little eaters! They slip their formula ALL OVER!

It’s important to take a clean, damp, warm rag (SOFT) and wipe off any residual formula after each feeding. The formula dries rather quickly, and hardens a lot, so it’s best to do it as you go (for slow eaters) or immediately after, while it’s still moist.

If it is this, you can moisturize the “angry skin” by applying coconut oil. You can also use a very diluted solution of povidine iodine and warm water (should look like a weak tea. A few drops in a 1/4 cup of water) and dab it on these areas with a cotton swab or cotton ball. It will NOT sting, and won’t be toxic to him if he licks or chews the area. But it is an extremely powerful antibiotic/anti fungal (btw coconut oil also has these features as well. But nowhere near as powerfully). Dab it on, let it dry, that’s it. A few times a day. Perfectly safe. It will however dye anything and everything it touches varying shades of red depending on the strength, so wear gloves!

[Snacks]

Thanks, and you are correct- it is not an optical illusion. I was wiping him down with a damp, warm cotton pad, but it turned out that the wipe down wasn’t enough. Now I’m washing his hands in warm water after every meal. I don’t have any iodine, but I do have coconut oil. I also have hibiclens- if it’s rinsed off thoroughly enough, would that present a problem?

[Tashahaven]

I have ZERO experience with the product you mentioned, but my gut is saying NO, not to use it. Even though it is a relatively effective topical, anti microbial/antibiotic solution, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe for everyone, or every species, and I have no clue whether it’s toxic or not for squirrels.

There are MANY topical antibiotic/antimicrobials on the market (the industry in and of itself is EXTREMELY PROFITABLE!) but most of what is available out there is a combination of multiple drugs/chemicals, and can cause allergic reactions, or one of the components could be toxic. Hard to say. Hopefully others here can shed some light on the subject?

povidine iodine is extremely effective, extremely cheap, can be found at any drug store, most grocery stores, big box stores etc. and has been in use for EVER! (Wanted to say hundreds of years, but don’t actually know if that’s true! Lol)

A little bit goes a LONG ways, acts pretty quickly, and the incidence of allergic reaction to it is a minute/fractional number.

It is still used extensively in the medical field today, for surgical prep, wound treatment, field dressings, etc.

Apply some coconut oil to soothe the areas for tonight, and grab some iodine solution tomorrow (probably $8-12 for a store brand. And SO WORTH IT! I’ve even used it recently to heal a HORRIBLY painful, miserable rosacea breakout quite quickly!)

😬🥰🥰🥰🥰 🙂🙂

[Snacks]

Welcome; haven't seen a W. gray in sometime!

I leave the med recommendations to the rehabbers here.

To lend support to this baby in addition to any meds recommended by the rehabbers; the bio-identical forms of Vitamin B-12 (Methylcobalamin and Adenocobalamin that have been found to improve nerve damage in rats and mice.

Using this exact source below from, "Virmegy", add (1) needle droplet using a (1 ml needle syringe) not the dropper the bottle comes with. Add the single needle droplet to formula.

https://www.amazon.com/Vimergy-USDA-Organic-B-12/dp/B07HS2T8FS/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=vimergy+b12+liquid&qid=1697429227&sr=8-5
This stuff finally arrived, and I’m confused about the dosage- how much would I put in 10ml?

[Diggie's Friend]

Using the smaller (1 ml ) needle syringe, you will see ten major marks that divide the syringe into tenth portions. The first major mark is closest to the tip of the syringe, which is noted as (0.1 ml.). The smaller hash marks between the larger ones, are each one hundredth of (1 ml). What you would be adding is just one hundredth equal to one needle drop to the food.

First try pulling up just up a few hash marks of the liquid to initially practice pushing slowly out one needle droplet at a time over a napkin where you can see the droplet emerging and slowly drop from the needle. Once you get a feel for doing this, drop one droplet onto his food.

[Snacks]

Happy update! Snacks’ tremor is really reduced and he’s getting ready for his big boi condo, I think. Here’s a new video of him today:
https://youtu.be/ViECJ81MSbs?feature=shared

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[Tashahaven]

He looks like he is doing a lot better! I still don’t believe he will be releasable…are you planning to care for him for the rest of his life? Or do you need help potentially finding a loving forever home for him?

Keep in mind “pet squirrels” can live up to 17 years in captivity. It is a very serious commitment to be able to provide them with the love, attention, mental stimulation and diet they need. Plus vet care and medical attention. (Think about not being able to go on vacation…as something to consider as well)

So glad he is getting around a lot better! Go baby go!

[Diggie's Friend]

He sure is a cutie, I've only seen a couple of this species from the west, yet not as yet in person.

Just a word to the wise; just incase you are unaware about leaving the lid of toilets open. Young squirrels are inquisitive, have been know to jump up and into toilets with the seat left up. Even adults have drown in toilets having succumb to the stress of unsuccessfully not being able to get out, which leads to exhaustion from panic like occurs in capture shock. Some with NR have provided little ladders that go down into the toilet and over the edge to give the squirrel something to cling to and help it to climb out. Young tree squirrels initially don't do well to land accurately at a young age. He is particularly challenged for the time being at least in this regard. Not allowing him in the bathroom is the best option along with providing him with his own habitat with safe toys, and for now a low ceiling to prevent falls.

Looking forward to seeing his new digs, that he will have all to himself. Be sure to include a nest box with fleece pieces.

Should he turn out to be not releasable, don't have him neutered. Neutering males prior to their reaching adulthood which in mammals follows puberty where the sex hormones gave reach their peak, and then are sustained for many months before they reach full bone density.

Please keep us posted on his progress; he is looking much better!

[Snacks]

Weekly update:
Snacks has moved to a larger space, and seems pleased. This was taken yesterday, but this morning I watched his first leap from one level to another, which was great. He is now 290g.

He still isn't sold on the Henry's blocks. I keep them in the freezer, and give him a new one every day, but he doesn't seem to want to eat them. Any thoughts? He's still happy with the formula, and I have him down to twice a day, unlimited, but he really only wants 14ml or so per feeding- sometimes he'll do 20.

Here's a video from yesterday. His pen is normally closed, but he likes to get out and romp when he can.

Also curious about others' experiences getting squirrels in the habit of using the litter box. I've been catching him when he pees and gently putting him in the designated box (it has oak shavings from recent tree work).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=9fVLGuhSIj8

[CritterMom]

Just hang in there with the blocks. I would cut them in half until he is eating them reliably to save some money. Keep giving him formula - as much as he wants as long as he wants. He WILL gradually start to turn away from it and at that point he will be hungry. If the Henry's are what is there, he will break down and try them!

[Snacks]

Weekly update for anyone following, or future readers dealing with similar issues:

Snacks is doing very well, climbing like a champ, and still not interested in HHBs. You can still see a slight tremor when he's trying to focus on something, but otherwise, he's great.

https://youtu.be/Smmbe7-S0Cs?feature=shared

and

https://youtu.be/znICA6GBYBI?feature=shared

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[supersquirrelgirl]

Mr. Snacks is so cute. Great improvements and surely a handful of energy!

LOVE that TAIL!

SSG

[Snacks]

10ish week snacks update:
Eating HH blocks, and still guzzling formula. Slowly getting introduced to wild foods (seasonally available hawthorn berries pictured here, his favorites). His movements have really smoothed out. I don’t think I’d ever know about his earlier stumbles. Posting a few videos to demonstrate- don’t judge too hard since he’s on hard wood floors :) the one of him in his condo he’s throwing a little tantrum because he wanted to be on my shoulder.

I think my earlier YouTube posts were all a week off, and should have been labeled as a week earlier than they say (eg 6 instead of 7, 7 instead of 8, etc.) curious to hear what others think based off these videos and if there are other bench marks I should be looking for.


https://youtu.be/Koif8IB2ywA?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/UJmnIi-ECCc?feature=shared
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[CritterMom]

He is so much better! I mean there is still something profoundly "off" about his movements - his jumps are big and bouncy and exaggerated rather than being smooth (not to mention being absolutely hilarious - I guess we all need to get a small carry on bag for our squirrels to play in because they are clearly the best). He is clumsy and off kilter a lot - he is sort of a furry wrecking ball, but compared to what he was, he is a miracle! And he is so freaking adorable.

[supersquirrelgirl]

In addition to loving his tail, he has some real jumper hind legs and can launch very high! Maybe a touch of rabbit in the jumper legs. He looks very noble when sitting up straight.

SSG