Little petunia has mange and winter is coming

[Petunia_the_squirrel]

Hi everyone,
I found this site while looking for information on mange. I have a few squirrels that regularly come around the house, which is an old house in Toronto, so sometimes they fall down the chimney (but are usually fine). Petunia is one squirrel I especially love, and after she fell/crawled down into the living room in the summer, she's been coming up to me and sitting close to me while she eats her peanuts. Now, she's lost half the fur on her body and head, as well as her tail. I noticed a spot on her back about a month ago, and now her skin is pink and scabbed, and you can see red scratch marks where she's been itching. The fur on her neck is now starting to grow back, but she losing it on other parts of her body. It is currently 8 degrees Celsius in Toronto but is descends to below zero in the night (Celsius) and it will be getting vey cold in the next few weeks. I'm worried about her surviving the winter. I noticed there is a liquid medication I can give her, but I don't know if it will arrive soon enough or if it will help her in time for the winter. Sometimes she doesn't come around for several days (I think she has other places she visits). I called the humane society, as they have a wildlife rehabilitation program, and they suggested trapping her and bringing her over there for the winter. I'm worried about that, because I don't know if she'll be able to reintegrate into the wild and survive after being kept in a cage for several months. I was thinking about keeping her in the house until her fur grows back, but I think that would create the same problem, and then she would have to find a place to hibernate. Today I tried trapping her. Since there are so many squirrels around, I had to coax her into a cage. I ended up grabbing her with gloves, gently but firmly, and her sad little noises of fear just broke my heart. I got her into the cage but I was too slow closing the door and she leaped out. I followed her into the nearby tree cluster, but she was afraid of me, and wouldn't even come to the peanuts I offered. Now I am afraid she's lost my trust and I won't be able to help her. I hope she will forget, but I'm not so sure. I feel so badly, and I don't know what to do. Can anyone help me?

[PBluejay2]

I have successfully treated wilds with Ivermectin--putting a couple of tiny drops on a pecan half. You can get Ivermectin at Chris's squirrelsandmore.com.

[Petunia_the_squirrel]

Yes, that's the one I read about. But how long will it take for the fur to grow back?
There will be snow in only a few weeks...
If you still think that's the best idea, what dosage do I give and how often?

[JLM27]

It works pretty quickly. Fur will grow back in about two weeks. You can get it over night from Chris. Dosage is REAL important. The strength solution that I got from Chris calls for only 1 drop about the size of a hole in a piece of notebook paper to be placed on a pecan or walnut half. Please be sure you know the strength you receive and come back on the Board to check with a rehabber. Too much can kill them by frying their liver.

I'm so sorry she's afraid of you now. I only had one or two little ones that would actually sit next to my hands while eating, and most will not take a nut from me until they have checked to make sure that I do not have another hand hidden somewhere along side the fence to grab them. The squirrels are wise to us, and they know that we are essentially grabby apes, no matter what higher opinion we have of ourselves. (They are extremely cautious about letting even each other too close once they are adults.) You will have to work to regain her trust.

I suggest you withdraw at least 10 feet from her, but continue putting out the treats. Stand there and talk gently while she takes them and eats. After about a week come a foot closer, but stay very still. Do this as long as it takes to get within 5 or 6 feet, each week getting just a little closer to her. Finally, just sit down near where you put the goodies and start holding some out to her by slowly and fully stretching your arm out. They know when you are sitting down that you can't move fast and that when your arm is totally stretched out, you can't suddenly dart it forward any farther toward them. I also suggest verbally apologizing, since (I swear) they can read our minds even if they do not know English. And who is to say me wrong?

[Petunia_the_squirrel]

Thank you so much for the advice! It is so helpful to me. I've ordered the treatment and I'll start giving it to her as soon as it arrives. I'll check back to get more details about dosage. Should I treat the other ones that have more mild mange? A few are losing fur on their necks...
I saw little Petunia again today (she is by far the worst affected) and tried what you said. She came within a few feet of me but was a bit wary. As long as she gets better, it's fine with me if she wants to keep her distance.
Thanks again for the help, it's great!

[JLM27]

OK. I have had more than one with mange at a time and the problem is that you MUST NOT overdose them! One of my guys gave me a fit because I had already given him his loaded walnut half and was trying to give one to another when he ran in and snatched it! So, you need to have a plan so that each gets one and only one medicated nut.

And yes, the sooner you catch the mange the better. It is a mite infestation. "Sarcoptic mite mange". Sarcoptic means "secret" or "hidden" (and -optic means eye), like a sarcophagus hides a mummy. It means that the mites are so small you cannot see them with the naked eye. But if they have ANY mange, it means they are infested with teensy weensy arachnids.

[Petunia_the_squirrel]

That sounds very unpleasant. I wasn't thinking of it in terms of microscopic insects; I'll need to be careful because I have a cat in the house and he could probably catch it.

I am wondering if you can help me with some other things; I ordered the invermectin from Chris and I hope it comes "over night" but it wasn't here today so I guess I'll have to wait until Monday. Petunia is even worse today than she was yesterday; now she's completely bald on half of her body and the entire top of her head. Her skin is very pink and scratched. I just got home now, 7pm, and it's dark outside. And she was outside! I heard something rustling around in the leaves and this little balding squirrel came out. I thought black squirrels were diurnal...could the mange affect her sense of time? And since their predators are birds of prey, I don't think it's safe for her to be running around at night. I also noticed that when I gave her peanuts she was very hungry and had trouble seeing them. Is mange a progressive disease? Could she go blind?

Sorry about all the questions; I've never dealt with mange before and I'm worried about the little creatures. It's really very sad, and I think she must be in a lot of pain.

[Petunia_the_squirrel]

P.S.
I live in the Toronto area and I am wondering if there is anywhere I can buy invermectin or any other treatment that may help mange? I think this is an emergency...

[Pointy Tale]

P.S.
I live in the Toronto area and I am wondering if there is anywhere I can buy invermectin or any other treatment that may help mange? I think this is an emergency...

Chris’s Squirrels & More—awesome person, can really help you too. www.squirrelsandmore.com

Please try to post a picture and please do wait for a rehabber to explain how to dose.
Good luck.

[mindy65]

Squirrels are very easy to trap. They love peanut butter. If you think maybe you should trap her and then keep her until spring or until her fur goes back. But be sure she is acclimated to the cold weather before being set free. Just use a save a Hart Trap. They can be found at lowes between 20-30 dollars. I have had to trap one of mine that got away and caught him back successfully and then of course was set free in the spring. Sure she won't like be kept, but its whats best for the squirrel. I think its great that your concerned for her. min

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

putting a couple of tiny drops on a pecan half. You can get Ivermectin at Chris's squirrelsandmore.com.

I respectfully request that the prior directions on dosing ivermectin be removed. A couple drops of ivermectin is enough to kill a squirrel. I dont believe dosages should even be posted on the board.

[JLM27]

The only suggestion that I have is to get some nestboxes (go to Audubon.com or Google squirrel nestbox for sale) and put them up and put some CUT UP old wool socks in them and maybe some CUT UP microfleece or some pet bedding from the pet store or some sawdust. I have some nestboxes, and I just cleaned out my winter sock drawer for socks that had holes in them, cut them up lengthwise into 3" strips, climbed up there with my trusty ladder and stuffed them in. She needs to have some protection from the cold or she may die from hypothermia.

Put them up as soon as possible.

The ivermectin should have come to you overnight. If you send me your address on a PM tonight, I will send you by overnight mail tomorrow what is left of a bottle that I have from Chris.

If she is as bald as you say, a havaheart trap may be your only option, even if she hates you forever for it. They sell them at Home Depot. Home Depot may also have some clean sawdust for you.

[PBluejay2]

I respectfully request that the prior directions on dosing ivermectin be removed. A couple drops of ivermectin is enough to kill a squirrel. I dont believe dosages should even be posted on the board.

I don't that's correct. The dosage for sarcoptic mange is .14 mg/lb according to my med book, and Wild Mammal Babies calls for approximately 1.2 ml/lb of diluted 1% Ivermectin to 99 parts propylene glycol, which, if I'm not mistaken, would equate to administering .012 ml/lb of undiluted 1% solution The "tiny drops" I use are from the end of the hypodermic I use to draw the stuff from the bottle, which I don't think would even near .012 ml.

JLM27 said "The strength solution that I got from Chris calls for only 1 drop about the size of a hole in a piece of notebook paper to be placed on a pecan or walnut half." I don't think the size drops I use would equal that. I apologize for not being clearer.

[JLM27]

I was going to say that maybe we should dig up the thread we have on this subject from last year, but on second thought, I think it is better that Petunia's Mom PM or have a phone conversation with a qualified person after she gets the ivermectin in her hand. I am not such a qualified person. I do not think I have killed anyone yet with the ivermection, but I want only the best information myself, so I would want to defer to one of you licensed folks.

[PBluejay2]

I was going to say that maybe we should dig up the thread we have on this subject from last year, but on second thought, I think it is better that Petunia's Mom PM or have a phone conversation with a qualified person after she gets the ivermectin in her hand. I am not such a qualified person. I do not think I have killed anyone yet with the ivermection, but I want only the best information myself, so I would want to defer to one of you licensed folks.

I want the best information myself! I hope/think we all do! But I've treated a few wilds this way, and it worked, and I recognize a couple locally that are still around. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong! And I'll thank anyone for showing the error of my ways!

[JLM27]

Yes, my idea is just that we want to avoid confusing directions as has sometimes happened before; so Petunia's Mom should work with just one licensed rehabber from the Board in a private exchange, so that we do not get anyone confused. You could be that one licensed rehabber

[Petunia_the_squirrel]

This is a lot to think about. I heard from Chris that they don't ship invermectin to Canada due to regulations and its potency. I don't know what is available here that I can give her (Toronto). I will post a picture I took last week. She is worse now, so I am going to try and put out a wintering box. The problem with trapping is that there are about 10 squirrels that live here and are always foraging around the house, and she is more timid so I think I would catch them before I catch her. I can try it, though.
Does anyone have any ideas??

[Petunia_the_squirrel]

Here are the pictures from last week

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I pm'd Pet. about the dosage. I dont believe any dosage about ivermectin should be posted here period. End of subject.

[PBluejay2]

I pm'd Pet. about the dosage. I dont believe any dosage about ivermectin should be posted here period. End of subject.

I respect your opinion and the fact that it's the "end of subject" for you.