Downs baby

[Bravo]

Outwardly almost perfect... and the very definition of unreleasable.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww! He definetely looks like a keeper.

[Lady Squirrelly]

Thanks for the pictures. He is so cute.

[4skwerlz]

Are you sure he's 12 weeks old? He's adorable.

[island rehabber]

I'm no expert but I think he is a dwarf. An adorable, huggable one, too.

[susanw]

No we are not sure he is 12 weeks old, we only got him about 3 weeks ago so it's more or less a guess. My rehabber fell in love with him and he is now her permanent squirrel, I am squirrel sitting while she is out of town. I am making him a little pouch that you can wear against your chest, kind of like a baby carrier you see where the mother has the baby hanging from the front of her.

[susanw]

I'm no expert but I think he is a dwarf. An adorable, huggable one, too.

Wouldn't a dwarf act like a normal squirrel, just shorter like people dwarf's?

[TexanSquirrel]

[scoobysnack]

Omygoodness is he adorable or what?

[island rehabber]

Wouldn't a dwarf act like a normal squirrel, just shorter like people dwarf's?

I'm working on the answer to that one, susanw...not certain.

[4skwerlz]

Kin I trade you two monsterish squirrellies for your little guy???

[susanw]

Kin I trade you two monsterish squirrellies for your little guy???

Ha, you would have to fight my rehabber over that one! My guess would be no, since she has plenty of the monster kind most of the year.

[Novelle]

I'm sorry but I keep coming back to this thread with questions.

I read that animals can't have Downs syndrome, or exactly that, as it is trisomy 21 in humans and even if it has the same characteristics it can't be called technically because the abnormality may not be in the 21st chromosome.

Second, how many chromosomes to squirrels even have? I have found one source that says "2n = 40, FNa =76 (North America)", but also "In Sciuridae a range of 48 to 62 has been found in different species."

How does one even tell if it's Downs/trisomy that's causing it? Can you have the DNA tested? If so, how?

Sorry for all the questions, it's just interesting because many of the symptoms described are ones my baby exhibits, and I've always assumed she just bumped her head on the way out of the tree. Which of course is vastly more probable than a genetic disorder but it's still interesting.

[TexanSquirrel]

[susanw]

I'm sorry but I keep coming back to this thread with questions.

I read that animals can't have Downs syndrome, or exactly that, as it is trisomy 21 in humans and even if it has the same characteristics it can't be called technically because the abnormality may not be in the 21st chromosome.

Second, how many chromosomes to squirrels even have? I have found one source that says "2n = 40, FNa =76 (North America)", but also "In Sciuridae a range of 48 to 62 has been found in different species."

How does one even tell if it's Downs/trisomy that's causing it? Can you have the DNA tested? If so, how?

Sorry for all the questions, it's just interesting because many of the symptoms described are ones my baby exhibits, and I've always assumed she just bumped her head on the way out of the tree. Which of course is vastly more probable than a genetic disorder but it's still interesting.

I don't know about DNA testing for animals, never heard of it. If you look at Billy compared to a healthy grey squirrel, there is a big difference. Hair is different texture, face is round, limbs are shorter and eyes are strange looking. I don't think you can get that from a bump on the head.

[Gabe]

Even though they are not actually tested for DNA and chromosones there is still something very physically different. They are extremely loving, have a balance issue, different physical features and have somewhere along the line in the animal veterinarian community been dubbed as down's babies. I don't think the term is meant to be taken quite so literally. Max was diagnosed as such by a vet after takining just a quick look at him. I was floored, I had no idea there was such a thing. Must be something that happens in animals now and again and the vet recoginized it as such.
Human downs babies have very specific features that leads us to follow up with the appropriate blood work to make a diagnosis. Apparently animals also are very specific in their presentation but being animals there is not the pressing need to follow through with the blood work. Only humans need to be labeled in society so that they may receive social security and the proper schooling to be a functioning member in our society. In the wild they are left to die.

[scoobysnack]

Human downs babies have very specific features that leads us to follow up with the appropriate blood work to make a diagnosis. Apparently animals also are very specific in their presentation but being animals there is not the pressing need to follow through with the blood work. Only humans need to be labeled in society so that they may receive social security and the proper schooling to be a functioning member in our society. In the wild they are left to die.

And humans used to be left to die, institutionalized, locked in closets or worse. In some societies they still are.

In answer to the question about DNA testing on animals. YES! It's quite common. We test horses for parentage, color, genetic diseases and all sorts of stuff. Almost daily they come up with more markers for identifying things from color traits to genetic deformities. I would think a chromosomal test would be available.

I would also think that downs could surely exist in any species. It may not be the same chromosome or number of them, but it could certainly exist. As Gabe mentioned the diagnosis may not be literal but based on a series of indicators like the lack of balance, shortened limbs, gentle demeanor and odd facial features.

I will say... they are very cute. They look a bit like animated characters or extremely cutesy drawings of squirrels.

[Novelle]

Ok, thanks for the info, that was very helpful.

And yeah, I know you DNA test pedigreed horses, dogs, etc. and that you can have birds, and I assume snakes and other reptiles (?), DNA tested by companies (I've seen ads for them). Not to mention the companies that do like paternity testing and stuff. Just wondering if there was a specific place that would test some DNA from any animal for you if you paid them enough.

[TexanSquirrel]

I still think they are the most precious babies.

[susanw]

Ok, thanks for the info, that was very helpful.

And yeah, I know you DNA test pedigreed horses, dogs, etc. and that you can have birds, and I assume snakes and other reptiles (?), DNA tested by companies (I've seen ads for them). Not to mention the companies that do like paternity testing and stuff. Just wondering if there was a specific place that would test some DNA from any animal for you if you paid them enough.

That would be a good research project, see if DNA testing was ever done
on squirrels.