Released squirrel- broken leg

[b_chaney]

No since I broke it down with water, you will have to burrito him, and dose the amount that way, right into his mouth.
Do you think you can do that?
I can break it down further so the amount doesn't have to be so much, but it will be the exact same strength, do you want me to do that?

No it's okay. I will just have to work up the nerve to touch him. Is there a technique that works best, like getting him into burrito and not getting my face clawed off? How do yall do it with the real wild ones that have never been touched?? I am scared of my own little baby, I would be terrified to attempt anything with a "regular" squirrel.

[Nancy in New York]

I can break this down more, if you think that he would take a little bit of apple juice from a syringe?
IF he does, than that would be an easy way to hide the medicine in.
Let me know if he will take a syringe without you burritoing him.

[Nancy in New York]

I can do a video now with one of my squirrels.
My husband isn't home to film, so I hope it comes out
alright.
Give me at least 15 minutes.

[b_chaney]

I can break this down more, if you think that he would take a little bit of apple juice from a syringe?
IF he does, than that would be an easy way to hide the medicine in.
Let me know if he will take a syringe without you burritoing him.

I don't think he will take the syringe. So far if I open the door he seems like he will jump out and when I put my hand in this morning he jumped at it to attack.

[b_chaney]

I can do a video now with one of my squirrels.
My husband isn't home to film, so I hope it comes out
alright.
Give me at least 15 minutes.

That would be very helpful! I'm not sure about getting it in his mouth without him biting me.

[b_chaney]

Well I called the police station to get the actual laws cleared up and unfortunately, it is legal for him to shoot "rodents and nuisance animals" is his own backyard with a BB or pellet gun. Grrrr, good ole Texas and their guns. I even told him the squirrels were coming into my yard bleeding and dying- may have exaggerated a little- and he said although it's inhumane, it is legal as long as he isn't shooting them in my yard.

[Nancy in New York]

That would be very helpful! I'm not sure about getting it in his mouth without him biting me.

OK I am putting it on photobucket now, so this will take a while.
It didn't come out well at all, as I set the camera and started recording so
that I could have two hands while burritoing, but I think you will get the idea.
OR I can redo when hubby gets home.

[b_chaney]

OK I am putting it on photobucket now, so this will take a while.
It didn't come out well at all, as I set the camera and started recording so
that I could have two hands while burritoing, but I think you will get the idea.
OR I can redo when hubby gets home.

I'm sure it will be sufficient. I get the idea of it, just now quite sure how to grab him before he bites me. Getting him out of his hammock could be a problem too, I'd have to reach up under the cage ledge then back down in the hammock. Probably need to lure him to the bottom of the cage so I can be above him. I know as soon as I open the cage door he will jump towards it, I don't want him jumping out and me having to chase him through the house!


I did put a small hole in a Henry's block while it was still cold and soft, and managed to get some medicine soaked in it. I fed that to him earlier and he ate it without noticing.

[Nancy in New York]

We don't want you upsetting him and getting him more hurt by him jumping out.
I'm not sure how to tell you to dose this, but I do know the smaller the amount the
better, of course it may taste worse then.

This is a pain reliever. Ordinarily I wouldn't suggest dosing a squirrel this way as
we never are sure how much they actually are getting.....but if you pull up the correct dose, and
give it to him anyway you think he will take it, you are fine. The only problem is that
he may NOT get as much relief if he doesn't get it all in.

[b_chaney]

We don't want you upsetting him and getting him more hurt by him jumping out.
I'm not sure how to tell you to dose this, but I do know the smaller the amount the
better, of course it may taste worse then.

This is a pain reliever. Ordinarily I wouldn't suggest dosing a squirrel this way as
we never are sure how much they actually are getting.....but if you pull up the correct dose, and
give it to him anyway you think he will take it, you are fine. The only problem is that
he may NOT get as much relief if he doesn't get it all in.

True, I just wanted to try to get a little in him first. I did less in the block than the amount you told me, I didn't think he would even eat it. For now some relief is better than none. After I watch the burrito video and talk myself up, I will start doing it the other way. Is it hard to get them to open their mouths?
'
I tried petting him with my jacket sleeve earlier before feeding him and he gave me the warning "vvrrrrrttt" twice. I did start rubbing the underside of his hammock and talking to him while he was sleeping to kind of warm him up to movement/touch. He didn't seem to mind that. I even lifted pushed up a little to make sure he was feeling it. His foot looks swollen but he has been off of it almost the entire day. I have stayed on the other side of the house quiet to get him to stay sleeping and it worked so far. I can hear him when he climbs down the hammock and it's only been about 3 times so far today.

[Nancy in New York]

True, I just wanted to try to get a little in him first. I did less in the block than the amount you told me, I didn't think he would even eat it. For now some relief is better than none. After I watch the burrito video and talk myself up, I will start doing it the other way. Is it hard to get them to open their mouths?
'
I tried petting him with my jacket sleeve earlier before feeding him and he gave me the warning "vvrrrrrttt" twice. I did start rubbing the underside of his hammock and talking to him while he was sleeping to kind of warm him up to movement/touch. He didn't seem to mind that. I even lifted pushed up a little to make sure he was feeling it. His foot looks swollen but he has been off of it almost the entire day. I have stayed on the other side of the house quiet to get him to stay sleeping and it worked so far. I can hear him when he climbs down the hammock and it's only been about 3 times so far today.

Could you possibly dose while he is in the hammock?
I think the video is almost loaded, but honestly not sure it will be of much help.

[TubeDriver]

Well I did tell her I didn't want to get the cops involved, but I said the wildlife people were going to come get him and treat his wounds and that they might have to report it. I said that just to scare her that it still might happen, and kind of put it on the "wildlife people" so they won't vandalize my house or something. She apparently doesn't know much about how it all works, I even said that I had raised and released him through the wildlife program she doesn't have to know that never happened.

I wonder if I could tell them the "wildlife people" are going to charge him with animal cruelty unless they cover the costs, then find a vet that will treat him.

I think that trying to get money from these people will be about as effective as milking a stone. I would be happy if they would just stop shooting animals. Check with local state wildlife centers and or local police. Maybe that something can be done. Good luck with all this.

[b_chaney]

Could you possibly dose while he is in the hammock?
I think the video is almost loaded, but honestly not sure it will be of much help.

Not if he won't take the syringe on his own. I put my jacket sleeve in his hammock and he didn't like me reaching towards him. Of course he has to be difficult. It was much easier when he was this young and innocent

[b_chaney]

I think that trying to get money from these people will be about as effective as milking a stone. I would be happy if they would just stop shooting animals. Check with local state wildlife centers and or local police. Maybe that something can be done. Good luck with all this.

I called and it's actually legal here Texas loves guns and hunting. I wonder if there's any way he'd get used to living inside again and I won't have to worry about him getting shot again.

[TubeDriver]

I called and it's actually legal here Texas loves guns and hunting. I wonder if there's any way he'd get used to living inside again and I won't have to worry about him getting shot again.

I think you have two choices. One is to try and keep him inside as you suggested. The other is to release him again but in a different location. We can probably find a rehabber located not too far from you who could help. I think to release him where you are would be a death sentence (since the poor guy has already been shot twice).

I cant think of any other options. Both of those squirrels are super cute in that picture. Some squirrels can adapt and enjoy inside life, some do not like it and need to be released.

[farrelli]

Getting him happy inside, if you want to go that route, can be difficult and the success is based on hard work and the squirrel. He'd need a lot of enrichment, and especially seeing that he's been free, probably a lot of out of cage time, his own room if possible. But on the positive side, he was raised by you so this would be a lot easier and have a lot more chance of success than many of the wild ones brought inside on here due to injury.

[b_chaney]

I think you have two choices. One is to try and keep him inside as you suggested. The other is to release him again but in a different location. We can probably find a rehabber located not too far from you who could help. I think to release him where you are would be a death sentence (since the poor guy has already been shot twice).

I cant think of any other options. Both of those squirrels are super cute in that picture. Some squirrels can adapt and enjoy inside life, some do not like it and need to be released.

That was the only thing I could think of too. My concern with releasing him somewhere else would be if he could survive without my help. He was released in the backyard and still got fed blocks so I'm not sure how he'd manage completely on his own.

That picture is him and his sister. I released them together, they both came back for a couple of days then it was only him not sure if she just ran off and got a life or if something caught her. He was more attached to me than she was though. He would jump on me and play and she didn't care as much. Once when they were still tiny, she got lose and went up a tree some then started crying. Guess who had to climb a tree to help? And of course it started pouring rain.

[b_chaney]

Getting him happy inside, if you want to go that route, can be difficult and the success is based on hard work and the squirrel. He'd need a lot of enrichment, and especially seeing that he's been free, probably a lot of out of cage time, his own room if possible. But on the positive side, he was raised by you so this would be a lot easier and have a lot more chance of success than many of the wild ones brought inside on here due to injury.

That's what I figured. I don't think I can give him a whole room though. We just recently remodeled our house, got new carpet, painted, all of that.
So that would mean ripping out the new carpet. That was why I never intended to keep them when I found them, they were intended to be released and I never named them so I wouldn't get attached. Saw how well that worked lol if he would have ran off when first released, I could have accepted that but now it's been over a year of seeing him almost everyday tough decision to be made

[anniedancer]

People are so stupid! Giving a child a BB gun or pellet gun. What do they think the kids are going to shoot? Targets? Come on! And its certainly not just Texas. Happens everywhere in the USA. Shame on us!
Annie

[b_chaney]

Well my honey's bullet wound looks a little better today I believe. Less red and more of a pink- hopefully that means it is healing. Is there any human antibiotic I can give him to help the swelling and healing?

He is still sleeping a good amount of the day like I want. I also hand fed him 3 times and held the water bowl up to his bed so he could get a drink without getting out of his hammock- not a single growl. Also when he did get down and moving around, I noticed the top of his foot was not as swollen like before. Maybe staying off of it helped with that.

I did notice he is chattering his teeth? Sort of like a grinding but it's very quiet and he does it in short spurts. Not sure how to describe it.