Urgent Help Needed - Squirrel with Hurt Arm/Shoudler

[HarleyV]

We have a wild squirrel who has been visiting us every day for 4+ years and we adore her! She's a member of the family now. About 10 days ago she showed up with an injured arm/shoulder. We determined it isn't her paw because she can still hold nuts etc and doesn't react when we touch her paw. But she does not put weight at all on the right arm now and instead just holds her paw up and hobbles. She still seems able to climb and she has been visiting us as normal for the 10 days despite the injury, eating and splooting on our deck as usual. We think it might be a dislocated or sprained arm/shoulder? Possibly a fracture? But these are just guesses.

This seems like an urgent situation because she is hobbling on 3 legs and as a result is moving much slower than she usually does, which we know can be dangerous in the wild. We can't tell if she's in pain - she is eating and visiting as normal and doesn't freak out when we pet her around the arm/shoulder, so hopefully she isn't? We don't know what to do - should we try to take her in to a vet somewhere for an xray or will trapping her and taking her in create too much stress and trauma for her? Do these kind of arm/shoulder injuries heal on their own?

Any advice ASAP would be so appreciated. We love her so much and want to do whatever is best for her. We have more videos of the injury I just cant figure out how to post them on here!

Link to Video we uploaded to reddit showing her injury:
https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/comments/1f7eaka/help_needed_injured_squirrel/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

327888

[supersquirrelgirl]

Hi There,

I'm in CA/SF Bay Area/East Bay/Trivalley and my yard is full of wild foxes. You can read more about my special Ms Mo.

Looking at video, sure looks like right shoulder is dislocated upwards as the arm is much shorter than the left. Sounds like its been 10 days like this ?? Normally, a dislocation would draw back in and be sore within a few days. I suspect you need a Vet to help at this point.

Are you NorCal or SoCaol ?? Know any squireel friendly Vets ?? Ca is strict on squirrel Vets. Capturing a wild is very stressful and dangerous. I went through similar issue with my wild Fox Ms Mo on left shoulder for large abscess.

Please get close-up picture and video tomorrow if possible and folks on TSB can review.

Get INFANTS Ibuprofen at CVS if you do not have it. (small 15ml bottle is good) Dislocation is painful. I will chaeck back in morning.

Mr.SSG

[HarleyV]

Thank you so much for your response. I will post more photos/images when I figure out how to do that here! I'm glad that there's even the possibility that a dislocated shoulder can sort of fall back into place on its own. Otherwise does a vet have to reset it?

For the ibuprofen, how much do we try to give her? She's probably around 5/6 years old.

[supersquirrelgirl]

Assuming its a dislocation, its been 10 days with shoulder out so that concerns me. Normally it takes less time to slide back in. Yes send close-up pictures when you can. I can't see it clearly but also looks like wrist and hand are rotated from normal position.

TSB does not allow videos so they need to be uploaded elsewhere and the link can be posted here.

Do you have access to any squirrel-friendly Vet ?? What's your feeling on trapping the squirrel ?? In my case, there was no way.

For ibuprofen dosing, need to make sure its either INFANTS type (50mg/1.25ml) or CHILDRENS type (100mg/5ml). Please confirm which type and I will send you dose information by private message (PM).

Need squirrel weight; since its a wild foxer at 4yrs old, we will estimate about 650 grams. (my 6 yrs old foxer here, Ms. Mo is big girl at 850 grams)

[supersquirrelgirl]

Thinking more about this injury, its been 10 days so guessing the pain is less now.

Do you have any pictures when she splooting flat ??

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Thank you so much for your response. I will post more photos/images when I figure out how to do that here! I'm glad that there's even the possibility that a dislocated shoulder can sort of fall back into place on its own. Otherwise does a vet have to reset it?

For the ibuprofen, how much do we try to give her? She's probably around 5/6 years old.

Hi HarleyV:
This is just based upon my experiences and opinions and in light of my usual disclaimer of my not being a Veterinarian; a dislocation is only one of quite a number of possibilities. While some dislocations are easier to reduce than others, most are not inclined to spontaneously reduce because there are forces of tension applied to both ends of bone at a joint (a dislocation is where the joint alignment has become disturbed and the ends of the bones are no longer in normal alignment) to keep the joint stable and help prevent spontaneous DISlocation! When a dislocation does occur, these forces are still present at least potentially and the then tend to hold the ends of the bones in the misaligned position. An x-ray study would be very important in determining if there truly is a dislocation and/or a fracture and an evaluation by Veterinarian is essential for clinching a diagnosis! Other possible musculoskeletal conditions besides dislocations and fractures that may be the cause of this Squirrel's favoring her right forelimb include a sprain or strain are also in the differential. A sprain involves an injury or complete tear of one or more ligament at the joint site and is usually quite painful. Ligaments hold the joint together so to speak and serve to keep the joint stable. A strain a similar type of injury that involves muscles and/or the tendons that connect a muscle to a bone to provide the mechanism of movement at the particular joint.

Other possibilities are a wound or an abscess (like Ms Mo) or even a tumor that impacts functionality of that limb.

Ibuprofen is ok, in principle, to use to help with pain but there are some potential issues with interference with healing of fractures, sprains or strains BUT minimal effective dosing with maximal effective dosing intervals would in my non-vet opinion be an option to consider anyway as pain may be decreased. The other side of this is that while pain is unlikely to be completely eliminated by Ibuprofen (or any pain medication for that matter), it may provide enough relief to permit the Squirrel to use this limb and possibly worsen or prolong the affects of the problem. It is also difficult to define a dose without a weight or at least a very good estimate of the Squirrel's weight! I will PM a dosing chart that for Ibuprofen (Motrin is a brand name) Infant Drops (50mg/1.25ml). I have modified this chart from the original in tat it was originally dosing every 4 hours and would recommend dosing this medication no more often than every 8 hours and every 10 or 12 hours would be fine. None of the NSAIDs (Ibuprofen is in the Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs or NSAIDs family of medications).

Again, I would recommend having this Squirrel seen by a Veterinarian but there are very real risks to this which include further injury during trapping or in the holding and transport phase and there is also the risk of Capture Myopathy which is a serious stress reaction and this can even culminate in death or other major complications so it is really a matter of my finding it easier to make this recommendation than to actually have it come to be!

Please keep on with the updates and the PM is on its way to you!

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[HarleyV]

Here is another video of her from yesterday - she really is letting us feel around which makes me think hopefully the pain is not too severe?

https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/comments/1f85uhc/help_needed_injured_squirrel_follow_up_video/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[HarleyV]

327894

Here is the sploot with the injury!

[HarleyV]

Sploot:

https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/comments/1f7eaka/comment/llc5gti/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[supersquirrelgirl]

Here is another video of her from yesterday - she really is letting us feel around which makes me think hopefully the pain is not too severe?

Wow! real trust there! She is a beautiful fox girl. This is great video to watch!

You touched shoulder and forearm everywhere and she didn't even flinch. Agree, pain must be very low. Since 10 days have passed, I would hold off on ibuprofen. Video also doesn't look like shoulder and elbow joints are swollen. You are right where she is using wrist and hand to hold nuts when eating.

[supersquirrelgirl]

As Sam noted, I'm not a Vet either but do have some medical knowledge and experience. (ok, disclaimer out of the way.)

Being a 6 year old wild foxer, I'm not confidence your trust level would be extended for a passive capture and transport to a Vet. Only you can judge that option. Then the next issue will be finding a squirrel-friendly Vet or Wildlife Center that would give an urgent care visit with x-ray. (I assume you are not licensed Rehabber ??) CA has strict animal laws.

Squirrel is mobile and hobbles 3-legged but is slower than normal. As you said, she still climbs. She has lots of trust in you and comes every day for food. That's really special for a wild squirrel.

Looking at the close-up video (you touching all over right arm) and the sploot picture, its looks like the right wrist not the shoulder or elbow is the concern. She is holding nuts in right hand but does not look like she is grabbing hard with fingers. Certainly, for walking, she is not using right arm for weight bearing.

I have seen foxes in my yard with wrist injuries. Recovery took 2-3 weeks to get back to normal. Nursing the wrist was difficult since they were wild but would come everyday and simply lay around in a safe place. We provided food and water so they could rest during the daylight. We gave ibuprofen early on and tapered off after a few days.

Mr.SSG

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

I just saw where I entered only a sentence fragment ("None of the NSAIDs (Ibuprofen is in the Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs or NSAIDs family of medications)" and did not complete what I intended to say and that was that; None of the NSAIDs (Ibuprofen is in the Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs or NSAIDs family of medications) should be used for an extended period of time except possibly under certain particular circumstances and I would suggest that IF you elect to use the Ibuprofen; that you limits its use to 3-4 days at the very most! It appears from viewing the videos that the situation is as MrSSG has stated and that is that pain may very well be minimal or even non-existent and what remains (or all that there ever was) is "only" a functional limitation and in which case; NSAIDs would not be warranted, recommended or potentially beneficial! While the actual diagnosis is uncertain and maybe even unobtainable under the circumstances; the disability may resolve spontaneously and I am certain that we would all like to see that occur!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[HarleyV]

Just an update here - Earl visited today (she didn't come for two days which really scared us), the injury does not seem to have improved or worsened. She is definitely still getting around and eating as usual, just slower moving. Adding some new videos here in case anyone sees any clues re: the injury that might reveal what this injury is...


NEW VIDEOS:
https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/comments/1f9yqf6/help_needed_injured_squirrel/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/comments/1f9yqyt/help_needed_injured_squirrel/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/comments/1f9ys4l/help_needed_injured_squirrel/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[supersquirrelgirl]

Watched the 3 new videos along with the original ones again and what noticed Ms. Earl doesn't flex her shoulder/arm very much and certainly the wrist is very straight. Your video where you rub her shoulders and arm doesn't cause her any discomfort. But when you get close to her hand, she pulls away. That's one reason I judged this to be a wrist injury. I'm surprised that after about 14 days, she is not putting some weight on her right arm. That concerns me a little.

Maybe give it a few more days to see if she starts touch the ground with a little weight.

[HarleyV]

Just a VERY happy update here - we continued to take care of Earl (nuts + water every day) and today she showed up with a seemingly totally healed arm and shoulder!! She is putting weight on the arm/paw again and is running around very quickly again. Seems to have no issue at all walking/climbing etc.

Here is a video:
https://v.redd.it/z69ijr98s9pd1

I am so grateful to everyone on here for their emotional support and advice - you were all right and she did heal by herself!! PHEW

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Just a VERY happy update here - we continued to take care of Earl (nuts + water every day) and today she showed up with a seemingly totally healed arm and shoulder!! She is putting weight on the arm/paw again and is running around very quickly again. Seems to have no issue at all walking/climbing etc.

Here is a video:
https://v.redd.it/z69ijr98s9pd1

I am so grateful to everyone on here for their emotional support and advice - you were all right and she did heal by herself!! PHEW

What GREAT NEWS, HarleyV! Thanks for the update and the video of beautiful Earl walking, running and even jumping normally!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[supersquirrelgirl]

So happy to get good news for Ms Earl. She looks good.

Mr.SSG