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Thread: Is this Mange or molting?

  1. #1
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Is this Mange or molting?

    Hi,

    This is a wild squirrel that loves to harass my bird feeder. I can't get too angry with him since he's so cute, and feed him too. A couple of weeks ago I saw that he was losing hair in patches and his shoulder area looked pink. Today, I was alarmed to see bigger patches of hair fallen off of him, and he was rolling on the ground repeatedly in an effort to scratch himself. He's very active and has a voracious appetite as usual.

    I feed the squirels peanuts and sometimes leftover piecrust and oatmeal squares cereal. I hope it's a healthy diet for them?

    https://picasaweb.google.com/chaitanyavs/Squirrel?authuser=0&feat=directlink

    Sorry for the grainy pic, I'll try to take a better one tomorrow if he visits.

    There are several squirrels that visit the feeder so I don't want him to infect them.

    In case this is Mange, where do I get the Ivermectin, and is it safe for healthy squirrels to ingest it? We also have some little birds and Steller Jays eating out of the squirrel feeder, so I wonder if it's safe for them.

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    I am sorry but those are not good foods for squirrels, not even the peanuts, neither is cattle corn good for them either. Look for the link here on this board for healthy diet for them, mostly vegetables and some fruits, few nuts and seeds sparingly as those are like candy for them.

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    I am not sure what fur loss looks like when squirrels are suffering metobolic bone disease, that is an insufficiency of calcium in their diet caused from a bad diet. I would elliminate what you are feeding this one immediatly and give him tums, I don't know how many/how often, someone else will have to answer that one but feed him a diet high in calcium low in phophate, ie., artichokes, avocado's removing skins and pit as they are toxic, cabbage, chinese cabbage, mustard greens, turnip greens. Avoid the following for now, parsnips, radish, apricots, plums, beets (beet greens are good), iceburg lettuce, cherries, sweet potatoes, califlower, pumkin, cucumbers, broccoli flowers, grapes and peaches, these are higher in phosphate and lower in calcium but are okay on occassion as long as they do not have MBD medibolic bone disease.

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    Monipenny is right about the diet .... but that is for squirrels in captivity. I'm sorry Monipenny, I would not want to create confusion here but it should be specified that squirrels in the wild do know where to get their proper diet and it is almost unheard of to find a wild with MBD.

    Peanuts are not the best for the wilds either, true, but they have the advantage of finding other sources of food that is good for them. Chances are that a wild will not want or accept veggies However some nuts are better for them than others: almonds, pecans, even walnuts are a better treat.

    It would be best to have pics in order to know what kind of fur loss this may be. At this time of year there's a lot of molting going on, preparing for their spring coat, but it could also be mange. Some nests get damp and infested by the end of the season and some get mange. Can you post a pic?
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  5. #5
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    Thanks for the nutrition guide. The squirrels in my yard seem to love their junk food. I tried putting raw and cooked vegetables out and it went untouched- they just attacked my hanging birdfeeder with more gusto. So I just put smaller servings of peanuts so they don't binge on them.

    Scooterzmom, I did post a link to the pic- were you able to access it?

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    That pic isn't good enough for me to tell. Usually the skin will look irritated and even scaly if it's mange. Ivermectin is easily found at livestock stores, stores that sell horse stuff, and Tractor Supply Company. You'd be surprised how often you find stores like that where you'd least expect them. You can also get it online. You'd want the gel, ideally the apple flavored kind. But don't get it until we know. And if you do end up getting it, we'll tell you how to dose it. It's actually quite poisonous, so any more than a dab the size of an UNCOOKED piece of rice could have terrible repercussions. Please try for a clearer picture tomorrow.

  7. #7
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    I'll try to get a better picture the next time he visits the yard, hopefully he returns tomorrow.

  8. #8
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    OK, pics are up on my original link. I took a short video too, where I captured 360 deg of his skin problem. Hope this helps to figure out the problem.

    I observed that his skin didn't look bright pink (so it's not irritated?), and there seemed to be no scaly skin, like I've seen on dogs having scabies.

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    The pics here don't look like molting to me, at least not like any I've seen on here before. Anyone else have an opinion?

    https://picasaweb.google.com/chaitan...eat=directlink

  10. #10
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    So should I give him the ivermectin? I hope I don't need a prescription for it.

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    When my squirrel Rosie was about 2 months she had mange. She started loosing hair around her ears then by her lower legs, her skin was flakey looking. I didnt know what it was but a couple weeks after her balding spot I started to get these little red bumps on my stomach that itched SO BAD, so I went to the doctors and they said I had scabies. I was the only one that held Rosie and I was also the only one that got scabies in my house. I used revolution for Rosie and it took the mange away. I didnt need a prescription. I just called a vet office and said that my cat had mange and they told me to come pick up the dose tubes. I think the tubes were for up to a 5LBS cat, dog but I don't think your squirrel buddy is going to let you put the revolution mange treatment on him because you have to put it on the skin on the back of his neck.

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    I do not think it looks like mange, but I do not think it's molting. With Mange the ears are usually all crusty looking and your guy has ears that look fine.

    It can be some other sort of infestation though and Ivermectin will help. You do not need a prescription for it...most farm supply stores carry it. It is under the name Ivomec and it is made for swine.

    To dose it...he will need 1 small drop between his shoulder blades.

    I think it also comes in a "paste" for horses. I am not sure of this process exactly, but I do know that it comes in two separate pastes and you have to mix them together VERY well, then hide an amount like the size of a piece of uncooked rice in the crease of a shelled walnut or hide it in the middle of some sort of food that the squirrel cannot resist. I think this must be done a couple times like a week or two apart.

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  13. #13
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    Thanks. Milo's mom, do the ears turn scaly in extreme cases of Mange only, or does it always happen? I don't want to endanger his health by giving him medicine for Mange when he may not have it.
    Also, I'll try my very best to make sure only this guy gets the medicine, but what if another healthy squirrel or jay snatches it up before him? Would it be harmful for them?

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    Ivermectin can come in a paste, but it's best to get the apple flavored gel. You put a dab the size of an UNCOOKED piece of rice on a nut and rub it into the groves of a pecan or something. You should do three doses one week apart. It is better to be late with a dose than early. I don't think that it would hurt another squirrel without mange, but I can't speak about what it would do to a bird.

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    Quote Originally Posted by cvs666
    Thanks. Milo's mom, do the ears turn scaly in extreme cases of Mange only, or does it always happen? I don't want to endanger his health by giving him medicine for Mange when he may not have it.
    Also, I'll try my very best to make sure only this guy gets the medicine, but what if another healthy squirrel or jay snatches it up before him? Would it be harmful for them?
    I do not know about when the ears get scaly and crusty, I just know that they do.

    The beauty with Ivermectin is that not only does it treat mange mites, but it also treats for fleas, red mites, lice, black mites, ticks and internal parasites too. (even if dosed externally)

    If you are going to dose a squirrel with meds, it is best for you to MAKE SURE that specific squirrel gets the medicated food.

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  16. #16
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    Thank you so much for your help and advice. I'll pick up the meds and give him the dosage as soon as he returns to my yard. I haven't seen him the past few days but I'm hoping I don't need to worry.
    Will update you in case I see any changes in his appearance or behavior.
    Thanks again, and have a great weekend!

  17. #17
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    One last question, guys. What concentration Ivermectine should I buy? I saw some 1% and 1.87% at online pet stores.

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    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    The one I've always seen used is the 1.87% apple flavored gel.

  19. #19
    cvs666 Guest

    Default Re: Is this Mange or molting?

    OK, so I almost gave him the ivermectin, and then realized I didn't know if my squirrel is a male or a female. Sorry about this, but all this while we had assumed it's a male. 'He' was too furry for me to figure out the gender.
    This is spring, so I'm guessing the female squirrels may be nursing their babies. I read the other forum post here on nursing mothers and ivermectin and the opinion seemed to be divided.
    Since I'm going to be giving the medicine orally, is it a good idea if it's really a female squirrel?
    Meanwhile, my squirrel has lost a little more fur and is starting to look a little more scraggly, but still no sign of irritated skin or scaly skin/ears. I saw another squirrel rolling on the ground to scratch himself, but I'm going to wait till he shows some bald patches to start worrying. That one looks healthy as of now.

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