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Thread: Wild squirrel in poor health

  1. #21
    webld4u2 Guest

    Default Re: Wild squirrel in poor health

    SO how long has he actually had this abcess??? I am trying to figure something out in my head, (and thats not so easy these days)....

  2. #22
    acorniv Guest

    Default Re: Wild squirrel in poor health

    Quote Originally Posted by squirrelfriend
    Poor little dude. If your husband is going to build an aviary why can't Bob and possibly Nurse stay in there too? That would be great for Bob. He would be safe from predators there but still have his sunshine and large area to move around in.
    That would work for me. We have a big porch and can handle all three ( plus my parrot, who thinks MH is the cutest thing on the planet)

    I did not see BB&N today though. I hope they show tomorrow!

  3. #23
    acorniv Guest

    Default Re: Wild squirrel in poor health

    Quote Originally Posted by webld4u2
    SO how long has he actually had this abcess??? I am trying to figure something out in my head, (and thats not so easy these days)....
    I first saw him about a week ago, after we changed our feeder - plus I was gone for a week. We got very few squirrels this year until then, and then suddenly we got a bunch.

  4. #24
    Pam Guest

    Default Re: Wild squirrel in poor health

    If you can catch the squirrel, the abscess needs to be lanced. Roxy was very sick when she had her abscess. She ached all over and cried if I touched her. As soon as the abscess was opened, she felt so much better.

    She was sick for about five months before the abscess formed. I thought she had MBD back in January. I asked my DH to end her suffering. He refused and found the abscess that day. She is now 100% better and acting like a her old self.

  5. #25
    acorniv Guest

    Default Re: Wild squirrel in poor health

    Quote Originally Posted by pam
    If you can catch the squirrel, the abscess needs to be lanced. Roxy was very sick when she had her abscess. She ached all over and cried if I touched her. As soon as the abscess was opened, she felt so much better.

    She was sick for about five months before the abscess formed. I thought she had MBD back in January. I asked my DH to end her suffering. He refused and found the abscess that day. She is now 100% better and acting like a her old self.
    Well, he did come today, and the swelling was larger, but his tummy was clean for the first time and he looked pretty chipper. I didn't have a chance to try to catch him though, because Nurse was on high alert over a squirrel in a nearby tree. On days when he comes and seems to feel well enough, they visit the feeder several times, so I will keep trying. That lump looks like it would burst if anything touched it, but you never know. It is very much on the left side now, over that bad eye.

    He was well enough that Nurse ate too. When he feels poorly she gives it a pass. She eats somewhere though - she's is a round little thing,m and her tummy is always freshly laundered. She really looks like a nurse, LOL Today he looked well enough that we wondered if they might be litter mates. I'd always assumed he was much older before.

    DH is really not pleased that I am thinking of taking on another squirrel, so I will have a double battle if I catch him :-(. I know his main concern is the heartbreak that might occur. It's why he doesn't like having pets - can't handle their deaths.

  6. #26
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    Default Re: Wild squirrel in poor health

    I too am the self-appointed "guardian angel" for a large group of wildies. It's heartbreaking sometimes. He sounds like an old squirrel who has had a near-miss with a predator. The fact that he has a "nurse" would be hard to believe, except that I've seen squirrels do so many incredible things! We know so little about these amazing little creatures.

    For what it's worth, this is what I would do. Most sick and injured squirrels starve to death, so here's where you can make a difference. Personally feed him peanuts and walnuts (shelled so he can eat them easily), and make sure water is available in a dish on the ground. If he were one of my "regulars," an otherwise young healthy squirrel, I'd try dosing with amoxy in peanut butter smeared on a nut.

    If the squirrel isn't old, just injured, and you can keep him fed, he may surprise you. Squirrels IMO rely surprisingly little on eyesight. And I've seen my wildies recover from broken hind legs, mange, hawk attacks, and car encounters. But if this is truly an old squirrel, then the poor guy may be near the end of his natural life. Some nice nuts, some kind words, and some compassion (which I believe they can sense) is probably the best and only thing you can do. Good luck.
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