Injured/Missing Eye - Wild(friendly) squirrel

[edeniel]

Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out what to do with a wild Fox squirrel I've befriended and been feeding/handling for the last two years.
This happened within the last week and I don't know if his eye is missing or is scabbed over/held shut.
I've called all my local vets and no one will help me. The wildlife shelters near me (Oregon) will euthanize him.
Is there an ointment or OTC medication I can use to treat him? The only sanctuary that handles squirrels near me is in Washington state and they told me they don't handle wild adult squirrels.
I assume this could be considered life threatening if it becomes infected, but I wasn't sure if it technically qualified as so.

https://imgur.com/IKrc67I


Thank you so much.
This dude brings me so much joy, I really don't want anything to happen to him.

[edeniel]

My image code didnt work, so you can access it here: https://imgur.com/IKrc67I



Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out what to do with a wild Fox squirrel I've befriended and been feeding/handling for the last two years.
This happened within the last week and I don't know if his eye is missing or is scabbed over/held shut.
I've called all my local vets and no one will help me. The wildlife shelters near me (Oregon) will euthanize him.
Is there an ointment or OTC medication I can use to treat him? The only sanctuary that handles squirrels near me is in Washington state and they told me they don't handle wild adult squirrels.
I assume this could be considered life threatening if it becomes infected, but I wasn't sure if it technically qualified as so.

https://imgur.com/IKrc67I


Thank you so much.
This dude brings me so much joy, I really don't want anything to happen to him.

[CritterMom]

Unfortunately, anything for the eye that would actually do anything but lubricate requires a prescription, for humans OR animals.

You say he is friendly and allows you to handle him. Can you get a good look at that eye, perhaps in strong light? In the pic it looks as though there is still an eye under all of the mess. I have had squirrels show up to my feeder looking just like that and then when they eye looked just ghastly they would show up one day and the gunk was gone and the eye looked good.

The fluid in the eye, aqueous and vitreous humor, leaks from the eye after injury. It is gel-like and sticky and the area quickly becomes plastered over by dirt, leaves, and various muck - that is what you are seeing. As bizarre as it sounds, I think the mess that is plastered over the eye forms almost a cast that protects it from more damage and may actually allow it to heal. I am sure that antibiotic eye gel and a bandage would work a lot better, but that is what they have.

Try to get a good, close look without disturbing the eye and see if it is all flattened and deflating or if there is relatively normal ete under there.

And try to stuff him with food every time he comes to your house. If they are full they go home and sleep until they get hungry again, and the more time he is snoozing and the less time he is negotiating his environment newly one-eyed, the safer.

[edeniel]

Thank you so much! Next time he comes down, I'll try to shine a light and see. I'm really hoping its plastered over and protecting it
His eye socket isnt deflated. Here is a photo from the front:
327222. (in case that doesnt attach: https://imgur.com/a/EzdT84m)
Do you think it would be ok for me to administer an antibiotic eye gel for him? I was looking at something like vetericyn's antimicrobial eye gel. Or is it best I just keep watch and stuff him with food. He ate a ton this morning, so hopefully he went to sleep!


Unfortunately, anything for the eye that would actually do anything but lubricate requires a prescription, for humans OR animals.

You say he is friendly and allows you to handle him. Can you get a good look at that eye, perhaps in strong light? In the pic it looks as though there is still an eye under all of the mess. I have had squirrels show up to my feeder looking just like that and then when they eye looked just ghastly they would show up one day and the gunk was gone and the eye looked good.

The fluid in the eye, aqueous and vitreous humor, leaks from the eye after injury. It is gel-like and sticky and the area quickly becomes plastered over by dirt, leaves, and various muck - that is what you are seeing. As bizarre as it sounds, I think the mess that is plastered over the eye forms almost a cast that protects it from more damage and may actually allow it to heal. I am sure that antibiotic eye gel and a bandage would work a lot better, but that is what they have.

Try to get a good, close look without disturbing the eye and see if it is all flattened and deflating or if there is relatively normal ete under there.

And try to stuff him with food every time he comes to your house. If they are full they go home and sleep until they get hungry again, and the more time he is snoozing and the less time he is negotiating his environment newly one-eyed, the safer.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Thank you so much! Next time he comes down, I'll try to shine a light and see. I'm really hoping its plastered over and protecting it
His eye socket isnt deflated. Here is a photo from the front:
327222. (in case that doesnt attach: https://imgur.com/a/EzdT84m)
Do you think it would be ok for me to administer an antibiotic eye gel for him? I was looking at something like vetericyn's antimicrobial eye gel. Or is it best I just keep watch and stuff him with food. He ate a ton this morning, so hopefully he went to sleep!

Hi Edeniel:
Thank you for finding TSB and for your love of this poor little Squirrel! Ideally, eye issues would best be evaluated by a Veterinary Ophthalmologist (a Veterinarian who specializes in animal eye conditions). That is usually far easier for me to say than for anyone to go about making this happen, but, if possible, this would really be great! I am not a Veterinarian and of course, I am not a Veterinary Ophthalmologist but I will make a few comments from my limited perspective, if I may.

First of all, in you photos, I do NOT see any clear evidence that the right eye still remains although I certainly hope so. Oftentimes, photos can be very misleading however. Do you see any evidence of eyelids and if so, are they closed and remaining closed or do they open. If the eyelids open, the obvious next question would be whether or not you can see anything definitive between the open eyelids that might be the eye? I suspect some sort of injury but as CritterMom points out, the eyelid area should be cleaned as best as possible if for no other reason than to possibly permit better viewing of the eye region!

The Vetericyn; IMHO, would be a very good choice to apply over the eye region (around and a little beyond the eyelid region and over the what hopefully are the eyelid as well) as it contain Hypochlorous acid which is an excellent antimicrobial substance that most mammals actually make naturally but can be manufactured easily in a laboratory as well. It is a superb adjunct to general wound treatment and is used in wound dressings! Hypochlorous acid is used extensively in the wound care of both animals and humans and its use usually poses little if any risk!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel