Maybe mites?

[ozadelic]

So, I found a baby squirrel this morning. He was really really cold. I'm trying my best to keep him hydrated and warm, and in doing so I actually held him up to my stomach for skin to skin contact so that he could get warm on a regulated pace because I do not have a heating pad at the moment.

While I have been feeding him and keeping him warm I've noticed these tiny little bugs crawling all over him, and now unfortunately all over me. I -can- see them so I don't think it's scabies or anything that would hurt me in the long run...

But they don't jump. However they ARE tiny.

What are these guys? What can I do to treat him?

I washed him a little and tried to pick some of them off, and I am sort of stuck with this guy until Thursday when a professional can pick him up so he has better care.

What until then?

I'm itchy, so I'm sure he is! Thanks a bundle.

I live in Seattle if that helps anything..



-Laura

[Pointy Tale]

So, I found a baby squirrel this morning. He was really really cold. I'm trying my best to keep him hydrated and warm, and in doing so I actually held him up to my stomach for skin to skin contact so that he could get warm on a regulated pace because I do not have a heating pad at the moment.

While I have been feeding him and keeping him warm I've noticed these tiny little bugs crawling all over him, and now unfortunately all over me. I -can- see them so I don't think it's scabies or anything that would hurt me in the long run...

But they don't jump. However they ARE tiny.

What are these guys? What can I do to treat him?

I washed him a little and tried to pick some of them off, and I am sort of stuck with this guy until Thursday when a professional can pick him up so he has better care.

What until then?

I'm itchy, so I'm sure he is! Thanks a bundle.

I live in Seattle if that helps anything..
-Laura

Hi Laura—I'm not a rehabber and not sure what kind of buggies are on your little guy, probably not that unusual either. So until a rehabber can help you, there was a great thread recently by Fireweed about external parasites on Fireweed’s Shaky, some of the suggestions included:

1. Adams kitten flea powder—tree squirrels
2. two drops of original blue Dawn dishwashing liquid in a quart container of warm water....smoosh it around, then dip the squirrel into the container up to her neck and gently rub the water into her fur— That kills external parasites as well
3. Zodiac flea and tick spray for cats and kittens

here is where you can find the thread: The Squirrel Board > Help Needed! > Non Life Threatening Help Needed > Need help. Shaky has parasites
There were other suggestions and great feedback from everyone, so please check it out yourself.

[PBluejay2]

If you can see them, they're probably not mites but lice, fleas, or chiggers. The Adams should work with them all. You may want to bathe him with the Dawn, however, and let him dry completely before applying the Adams spray. Don't overdo the spray--just a spritz on a cotton ball and rub it in.