I have a baby squirrel named Nuts. She has a gimpy rear leg, just wondering if it's normal?
I have a baby squirrel named Nuts. She has a gimpy rear leg, just wondering if it's normal?
Gimps aren't normal. Can you describe the gimp? Pix? Even better, a YouTube video?
Do you know how old she is? How long have you had her? Did she have the bad leg when you found her? What do you have her eating?
I feed her Esbilac puppy formula, she is approx 6 weeks. I have had her for a month, and yes the leg has been gimpy since the beginning. She can run and climb with no problem at all. It just looks funny that she keeps it tucked under sometimes. She also has problems scratching with it lol.
LR (12-11-2017)
The video can be uploaded to YouTube and the link pasted here in a reply. Is it the right rear leg that is having problems? Do you have her cage on a eating pad still? Just thinking that if the leg is still hurting her some extra warmth ight feel good to her. Is the Esilac the powdered puppy formula with pre and pro biotics?
cava (10-23-2017)
Do you do any therapy on her leg? Looks like she uses it but maybe it needs some PT to help it strengthen and straighten. Might take her to a vet to make sure there's no dislocation or something along those lines.
Is it ok to put my 13week old girl outside into the cold. She has a safe cage and a squirrel house, but I'm not sure she will survive.....help
No, it's too late to do that now, winter is upon us; especially in your neck of the woods!
To put them outside the diet has to be really beefed up first, so that they get enough fat on them to withstand the cold, as it acts as insulation. Even so tree squirrels don't hybernate like chipmunks do, they will sleep for days through cold periods. If they don't have enough stored fat they may not make it through to spring.
LR (12-11-2017), Mel1959 (12-11-2017), Nancy in New York (12-11-2017), SophieSquirrel (12-11-2017)
In addition she would have learned skills from mother and a fall litter usually stays with mother over the winter. As stated in the other thread she will need to over-winter with you for a spring release. You will have to determine if her leg issues make her non-releasable at that time. Based on what I am seeing with the leg and the winter issue she is not releasable at present but that may change come spring.
cava (12-11-2017), Chickenlegs (12-12-2017), Diggie's Friend (12-11-2017), LR (12-11-2017), Mel1959 (12-11-2017), Nancy in New York (12-11-2017)