Injured Young Wild Squirrel

[Treecat]

Hi,
Yesterday one of my clients called me-we'd had a storm the night before & in the morning, she found a young squirrel on the driveway. He looks to me to be about 3-4 months old, male, undeveloped. We dont know what happened to him.
At first we didnt know if he could walk. The client was holding him & gave him some sugar water with a little bottle.\
I took him home & put him into a cage lined with towels & a heating pad on one half. Then he started climbing the walls. This was good in that we knew he could run & walk, but he would make a hoarse breathing sound sometimes.
He drank some Esbilac & curled up into a ball & slept. At 11 am today he was still curled up into a ball. I tried to feed him Esbilac again but he doesnt want to swallow it. Just wants to stay curled up in a ball. I gave him some peach nectar with honey & salt in some warm water by mouth & he drank about 3 swallows of it, and wants to stay curled up in a ball.
Is it better I burrito wrap him & force feed him? Or do I need to leave him alone in his ball to sleep & heal right now? And wait for him to get thirsty/hungry when he's ready & just keep checking with him if he wants anything?
Thanks for your experienced advise.
Treecat

[Sara in NW MS]

Do you have any pics of this baby? That helps a lot to have a pic.
Did your friend by any chance accidentally aspirate him? Do you hear a clicking type sound with each breath? Just hold him up to your ear and check.

[Treecat]

Thanks for caring & responding!
I went to see him to take pictures of him for you & he was alert, sitting up!
When I stared taking the pictures he started switching his tail & going around the edges of the cage, digging at the corners to find a way out. His eyes are bright & big now instead of dull & small looking like they were last night.
Maybe the peach nectar this morning gave him strength to drink the milk a couple hours later & now he thinks he's ready to go already! Amazing & so encouraging! Praise YAHWEH~!
I think if he will start eating on his own now, he will be able to be released back to his home soon.
Anyway, he looks to be acting like a squirrel again, switching his tail & digging in the corners of the cage to find a way out. Just hoping he will eat now.
Thank again so much!

[Sara in NW MS]

He can't be released too soon. He needs time to grow up. I've heard some people say they release at 14 - 16 weeks but you can't just let him go.
Search "soft release" on this site and do some reading. If you don't want to hand the baby off to a rehabber then you will need to provide everything he needs until he's ready to get acclimated to the outside and has a safe release cage to spend a few weeks in to wild up.

I'm glad he's looking better! Make sure he stays hydrated!

[Treecat]

Hi Sara,
I finally got my pictures to transfer so you can see he's not a baby.
Although he is a young squirrel he is used to being free & is desperate to be free again.
How long do you think he should be kept in captivity?
Also, he was living in a neighborhood about a block from a busy street.
Do you think it's better to release him back to his home, in the neighborhood he's familiar with & has friends/family in?
Or a larger area with water, a variety of trees & squirrels away from the main road?

[Sara in NW MS]

Sorry about that, I was confused about his age. I'm not an expert so I'm not sure what you should do. If he seems fine now and has no injuries then I don't see why he can't be put back out?? I'd suggest taking him back where he came from. Others will chime in.

[CritterMom]

Oh, he is a young teenager. Release him right where you found him - his home is there. And thank you for giving him a helping hand!

[HRT4SQRLS]

Yes, release and also be careful. He's a recovered wild squirrel and he will bite you like nothing you've ever felt before. I brought a wild in for a day that needed a helping hand. When he got his second wind he was less than happy. I STILL carry the scar of that encounter.

[Treecat]

Thanks, guys!
Yes, he was able to be fed milk with a syringe the first 2 days, but now he has his second wind & I don't think I dare try to touch him. He's beautiful, & has sweet eyes. But watches the door constantly for any opportunity to escape.
He's eaten some corn on the cob & papaya the last couple days, but he's desperate to be out & wont be happy until he is. I havent seen that he's eaten his corn today. Just sits quietly watching & looking afraid.
We've been having a rainy spell & I'm wondering if I need to wait until its past.
Today has been beautiful but its starting to cloud up & may rain again by this afternoon.
Today is his 4th day in captivity. My mother thinks we should let him out today, even if there is a 50% chance for rain.
Treecat

[Treecat]

By the way, re getting bit-he is in a portable cage-approx 2-1/2 foot square' that I can put in the back of my van & take to his home without handling him.

[stepnstone]

He's been out in rain before, rain or not I'd set him free in
his "home" area. You wouldn't want to keep him too long and
break his spirit or alienate him from all he knows.