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Thread: Something going on with May

  1. #1
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    Default Something going on with May

    The last I posted on Mays thread was the end of April. Her two babies had ventured out of the nest box. I think she avoided getting pregnant after she weaned them, but they still sleep with her in a larger nest box.....and she seems fine with that.

    Last weekend May was in the garage hanging out so I thought maybe she was building a nest like before. She took some in shell pecans from me, didn’t eat them, but hid them in the garage. Monday and Tuesday I didn’t see her all day which is very unusual. She usually comes when called for a treat and her milk. Last night I climbed the ladder to her box and she was inside. She drank 21cc’s of formula, but wouldn’t take her block...again unusual. Today I went up the ladder to her box, gave her an out of shell pecan and watched her eating. She appears to be having some trouble opening her jaw. She used her bottom teeth to take off pieces of the pecan but wouldn’t eat all of it. She then climbed higher in the tree and sat there, occasionally in a head down position. I watched her do some chewing with nothing in her mouth and then wipe the sides of her mouth on the tree limb several times.

    I just took some boo balls, avocado and fresh corn up the tree to her. She took two pieces of avocado, and ate them but couldn’t seem to open her mouth wide enough to take the piece of corn. 🙁

    I seriously doubt I can catch her unless I block the holes of her nest box, in which case I’ll probably get her....and her two boys. . At the present time i don’t have a second set of hands, my husband’s gone for another 7 weeks.

    Several weeks ago I saw her fall from the tree, about 10-11 ft, and land on the pavers. She landed on her belly and got up and ran off. She was eating and running fine after that. She is still moving fine and jumps from tree to tree, but is definitely not chasing anyone!

    Any ideas or thoughts are appreciated. I have metacam and tramadol, as well as antibiotics, but at this point I don’t know what I’d be treating.

    If I could capture her I could get her up to Dr. E, but I know she’s gone till July some time.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    Quote Originally Posted by Mel1959 View Post
    The last I posted on Mays thread was the end of April. Her two babies had ventured out of the nest box. I think she avoided getting pregnant after she weaned them, but they still sleep with her in a larger nest box.....and she seems fine with that.

    Last weekend May was in the garage hanging out so I thought maybe she was building a nest like before. She took some in shell pecans from me, didn’t eat them, but hid them in the garage. Monday and Tuesday I didn’t see her all day which is very unusual. She usually comes when called for a treat and her milk. Last night I climbed the ladder to her box and she was inside. She drank 21cc’s of formula, but wouldn’t take her block...again unusual. Today I went up the ladder to her box, gave her an out of shell pecan and watched her eating. She appears to be having some trouble opening her jaw. She used her bottom teeth to take off pieces of the pecan but wouldn’t eat all of it. She then climbed higher in the tree and sat there, occasionally in a head down position. I watched her do some chewing with nothing in her mouth and then wipe the sides of her mouth on the tree limb several times.

    I just took some boo balls, avocado and fresh corn up the tree to her. She took two pieces of avocado, and ate them but couldn’t seem to open her mouth wide enough to take the piece of corn. 🙁

    I seriously doubt I can catch her unless I block the holes of her nest box, in which case I’ll probably get her....and her two boys. . At the present time i don’t have a second set of hands, my husband’s gone for another 7 weeks.

    Several weeks ago I saw her fall from the tree, about 10-11 ft, and land on the pavers. She landed on her belly and got up and ran off. She was eating and running fine after that. She is still moving fine and jumps from tree to tree, but is definitely not chasing anyone!

    Any ideas or thoughts are appreciated. I have metacam and tramadol, as well as antibiotics, but at this point I don’t know what I’d be treating.

    If I could capture her I could get her up to Dr. E, but I know she’s gone till July some time.
    All that you describe either points to teeth or a mouth/jaw injury.
    When she fell on the pavers she could have banged her mouth or jaw misaligning her teeth
    or sustained a fracture.
    She definitely needs to be captured and evaluated.
    Step-N-Stone
    State Licensed
    Wildlife Master Rehabilitator


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  4. #3
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    I went out this morning to get the RC set up with a cube and bedding in the box because my daughter was coming this afternoon to help me trap May. I climbed the ladder with some food, tapped on her box, but she wasn’t inside. I put a bowl of avocado, boo balls, corn and wild bites out for everyone and went in the house. When I came out a few minutes later May was sitting on the feeding station eating a piece of avocado and then grabbed a wild bite and went up the tree . It’s the first I’ve seen her willingly come down in days. At this point I’m going to watch her over the next couple of days before I proceed with trapping. No need to stress her if it’s not necessary.

    Different topic——-I would like to know if anyone that has/had a female released squirrel that has stuck around and had babies has noticed that it seems like a couple of weeks after being impregnated they hole up and act like they don’t feel good, similar to morning sickness in humans. I don’t believe May has mated recently, but I have noticed that with her previous two litters she would spend a lot of time just laying on her nest box porch or roof shortly after mating. It also seemed like she didn’t like jumping up into my hand or onto my leg to get a nut...she wanted me to hand it to her. I could be way off base here and there’s no correlation, it’s just something I’ve observed.

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    I took May to see Dr. E today. Both top teeth are broken off but the roots are good so Dr. E expects them to regrow with no problem. She did a slight trim of the lowers and I will take May back in 2 weeks for another trim before releasing her again. It looks like she’s going to get some R & R in the release cage for the next two weeks so I can give her soft foods and formula.

    Dr. E also said she’s pregnant with two babies. . For that reason she would not prescribe I hope she’s not in much pain.

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  7. #5
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    Poor little girl, hopefully she's not in too much pain
    More babies , May is such a busy mama

  8. #6
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    I can tell that May is feeling better and she’s using her teeth better. I feel awful that she has 5 more days before we return to Dr. E’s for a follow up. She is anxious to get out of the RC and back with her boys. They hang out outside of the RC and wonder why mom isn’t able to come out and sleep with them.

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  10. #7
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    Well, while waiting to take May back to see Dr. E for another bottom teeth trimming before release, I just discovered that she has had her babies in the RC. . She keeps taking them out of the cube and clearly wants out of the RC to take them up into the nest box in the tree. I think she has now moved them to the nest box in the RC. Obviously, I don’t think it’s a good idea to traumatize her and take her back up to see Dr. E. So what’s the best thing to do? Open the portal and let her move them to one of the nest boxes in the tree? Or wait a little bit before doing that?

  11. #8
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    May with one of her new babies.

    Name:  31D78EFB-81B6-427A-86AC-FB5D0E243C9D.jpg
Views: 56
Size:  142.0 KB
    Last edited by Nancy in New York; 07-14-2019 at 06:05 PM. Reason: Turned photo

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  13. #9
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    I heard back from Dr. E. Her advice was to keep May in the release cage and bring her up to her for a tooth exam in a couple of weeks. I added her nest box that she used in the tree to the RC and she seems more comfortable with that than the other two options she had in the RC. She is being very tolerant of me invading her space and being in close proximity to her babies. She’s doing a little teeth chattering, but that’s it.

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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    WOW! That’s awesome.

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  17. #11
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    Default Re: Something going on with May

    Much too cute to keep it sideways.
    I'll turn the one in your post too.

    Name:  31D78EFB-81B6-427A-86AC-FB5D0E243C9D.jpg
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Size:  142.0 KB

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    Default Re: Something going on with May


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