When is it safe to reintroduce "mangey" squirrel?

[squirrelena]

Hi guys, I've been wondering how to resolve this problem and then I remembered this wonderful resource - The Squirrel Board! I have an 8-10 week male baby fox squirrel that presented about 2 1/2 weeks ago dehydrated, slightly malnourished and very visible mange and tons of fleas. I warmed, de-flead(sp?) pedialyte with a tiny bit of Esbilac added in. Next morning, another rehabber provided a first dose of Ivemectin (sp) and subcued with warm distilled water. Over the first weekend I saw an increased appetite - I was thickening the formula and offering apple and peeled grapes, walnut. He slowly began eating and by the next time I weighed him for his second dose of Ivemectin (ten days later), he was more than double his initial weight. The grey crust on ears was gone, the swelling around his eyes was gone and hair was already growing back. He got his second dose last Thursday, Oct. 11. Ok, now for the question. There are no other fox squirrel babies his age coming in. I have five fox babies about two weeks older in my pre-release cage outside. I have been taking "mangy" outside and leaving him outside for the day right next to the cage with the five in it. They do communicate with him. I want to add him to the five on the weekend so he can have buddies for a couple weeks and then release them all before all the leaves are gone. Will his mange be totally gone by Sunday (ten days after his second dose)? Do you think it would be safe for the others to add him? Thanks, in advance, for the help.:http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/images/smilies/bty.gif
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[thundersquirrel]

hey mom,

how the heck did your :thankyou turn into a URL? haha :rotfl

anyway, i think mangy needs the company very badly. does he still itch much at his mange? i think any presence of mites would be implicated by itching more than usual.

in the meantime, make sure you don't handle him anymore....:poke

does he have a nestbox in his current cage? if not, you may want to get him one, and then introduce him to the new guys by hanging his nest box (with him inside) in the big cage.

[Gabe]

He should be mite free shortly after his initial dose of Ivermectin. The second dose is to catch any hatching eggs. The third dose is for good measure. I think he would be fine around other squirrels now.

[squirrelena]

I don't know how I url'd the thank you! Anyway, your idea of a dedicated nestbox is a good one. The other five are occupying the large three wood boxes in the cage and it would give mangey his own space. I also appreciate the info on the medicine - big concern over giving mange to the others so it is great to know the parasites are dead. Now the only remaining concern is the age difference but there is nothing I can do about that. I don't want to release mangey alone, leaves are falling and it is getting colder here in Michigan. Thanks for the info and I will try to post a picture tonight (with thundersquirrels help over the phone) - grin.

[thundersquirrel]

thanks GB. :D

does mangy have a nestbox yet?

[squirrelena]

Mangey does not have a nestbox yet. I think I'm going to have to buy one. The ones I have left are for red squirrels. Maybe you can help me with this project this weekend, Thundersquirrel. grin.:sanp3

[squirrelena]

Thank you Gammas Baby. It is great to have your information to refer to. The trouble I'm having now is taking the pics. It is getting dark here by the time I get home from work so it will probably be Saturday before I can get a good one. When I use the flash, it just focuses on the mesh cage wire. argh. Thanks again for the instructions, I appreciate it.

[squirrelena]

Hello everyone! :wave123

This is TS AND squirrelena. TS is helping me post pictures on the board. :D

So here they are!

This is mangey. Notice the stripe around his middle? We believe that early in his development, something was wrapped around his middle that hindered his growth in that area.

What do you guys think?