Help with sheeding on tail

[ayala83]

Hello, it's me again. I still havent released my baby Lucky, but I have a question. He is beginning to shed some hair on his tail. It looks all scraggily and kind of like he has a little bald spot forming. I know they are suppose to shed or something like that, but he has never done this before. Is this normal... he also has been smelling realling bad. I clean the cage twice a day and it still stinks. I dont know if the two issues relate, but can someone give me some advice? Thank you.

[island rehabber]

The bald patchy thing on his tail may be that he picked up a type of mange, treatable with Ivermectin from a wildlife vet. You could try a topical fungicide on the area as well -- it might clear it up. If he is losing hair on his tail that could be his diet -- what does he typically eat every day? As for the smell, if he is an adult squirrel (6 mos or older) and has achieved sexual maturity, his male squirrel urine will be pretty stinky....just like male cats.

[Secret Squirrel]

Can you post a pic of Luckys tail? It would help to see what you are talking about, and I wouldn't release him until his tail gets better.
Good luck......with Lucky!

[ayala83]

Yes he is older than 6 mos. He is almost a year now. How can he get Mange? He never leaves the house unless it is to go to the vet, which hasnt been for quite some time.

Also, if you are just in city island is it possible for you and I to meet or something because I am not sure if I can do this release thing by myself... I mean I called the squirrel sanctuary like someone suggested about five times and no one has gotten back to me. The closes I have come to getting ready is feeding other squirrels in the area I am going to get him wild in so that he sees them and gets use to having others around. Aside from that... I dont have a large enough cage and I am not sure how to make a nesting box..... Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

p.s. I give him zupreem monkey biscuits, some corn, carrots, grapes, kiwi, pears, broccoli and other veggies. But mainly monkey biscuits and corn. I have a vitamin supplement I bought him which goes in his water... I give him some peanut butter sometimes....

[Bunky05]

Twigsie has also has a lot of shedding on her tail(hair falling out)...no bald spots. I know she was stressed when we took her to St Louis, MO Thanksgiving any other reason for this? We also put cranberry capsules in her botteled water.

We feed her
monkey biscuits
rodent block
pumpkin seeds

sweet potato
greens
brocolli
cauliflower
apple
watermelon
cantaloupe
butternut squash
mushrooms..and of course pecans & other nuts all FRESH DAILY.

cuttlebone, mineral block and ordered some Prime.

This is quite an interesting subject.

[squirrelfriend]

Does he have any dry crusty areas? It sounds like one that I had recently. She smelled real bad all of the time. she reeked of really bad poo, clean or not. she had dry skin areas that were kind of crusty. I never did find out what was wrong with her. She was very infested with just about every parasite when I found her. does any of this sound familiar? Are there any sores on him? If you have any douts on whether or not he is healthy do not release him.