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Thread: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

  1. #1
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    Default Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    Good evening, TSB. I feed the wild squirrels in my backyard every day, and have done so for the past four years. So the squirrels know me, and are very used to me and comfortable around me. They will walk right up to me to get snacks, and a few of them even let me hand feed them.
    Lately there has been a young male squirrel showing up every afternoon who has a malocclusion. I don't know how old he is, but I know he's not an adult yet, he's young. His front bottom two teeth are growing up out of the right side of his mouth to the point where he's having difficulty eating, and he eats really slowly, maybe because he has a hard time chewing. I cannot tell if he has any injuries on his face due to his teeth. But I know the longer his teeth get, he's eventually not going to be able to eat at all, he's going to sustain injuries, and he'll starve to death.
    I want to try to catch him and get him to my excellent exotic vet. But he's very skittish and doesn't let me get anywhere near him like the other squirrels do. If I get too close, he gets scared and just bolts up the tree. I put peanuts, pieces of fruit, and sometimes mixed nuts in the shell at the base of one of the trees in my backyard. And for the ones who come right up to me, I toss nuts to. This little guy always stays very close to the tree when he comes down to get food so he can run up the tree quickly if something spooks him. When I am out there in the backyard, the squirrels come running from every direction because seeing me means it's snack time for them. Sometimes there are between 10 and 12 squirrels in my backyard all at one time. The ones who have been around for awhile come right up to me, but the newer ones, including a bunch of new babies, tend to just stay at the base of the tree, and some of them will grab a nut and run up the tree to eat it. So between the fact that this little guy won't let me near him and that there are always multiple squirrels around, I have no idea how I'm going to catch him.
    I have successfully rescued and raised 10 squirrels since 2013. All but two of them were releasable back into the wild, so I do have a little experience with rescuing, raising, and releasing squirrels. So I do know what I would be getting into by catching this little guy. Because of his teeth, I know he wouldn't be releasable back into the wild. And I would be 100% committed to his care for the rest of his life. I currently have a neuro squirrel who lives in my house with me because he is not releasable back into the wild, due to his neurological issues and he's on daily medication for neurological pain and seizures. Also, because of his neurological issues he cannot chew on sticks, branches, or other hard things that would file his teeth down. So I have to take him to my vet every so often to have his teeth trimmed. He also has a slight malocclusion of his bottom two front teeth also.
    So I really want to catch this poor little guy and take care of him. But I have no idea how to do that because he stays really close to that tree, bolts up it if I get too close to him, and there are always multiple squirrels around the base of that tree. Any advice, ideas, or suggestions on how I could catch him? I haven't seen him in two days now, and he usually comes every day. So I hope nothing has happened to him, and I hope I can catch him soon before it's too late, and his teeth end up being the reason he won't survive out there.

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    RockyPops (11-04-2019)

  3. #2
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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    You could try a trap but you may catch everyone but him.

    I used to catch Rocky in a fish net. I used it as a last resort once or twice when I had to leave and couldn't get him to go in his cage.

    Even then you'd have to be within 3 or 4 feet of him.

    Keep us posted and thanks for caring!

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    Bella's Mom (11-04-2019)

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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    Quote Originally Posted by RockyPops View Post
    You could try a trap but you may catch everyone but him.

    I used to catch Rocky in a fish net. I used it as a last resort once or twice when I had to leave and couldn't get him to go in his cage.

    Even then you'd have to be within 3 or 4 feet of him.

    Keep us posted and thanks for caring!
    Yeah, he usually only lets me get within 8 to 10 feet of him before he bolts up the tree. And if I set up a trap, I probably would catch everyone but him. I have a cage inside my house all ready to go for him. I was out in my backyard today with a cat carrier, a pair of thick suede gloves, and a pool net just hoping I could catch him. I caught my squirrel with neurological issues with a pool net. But I was able do that because he was really slow. I caught another squirrel I rescued by tossing a blanket over her, and just quickly scooping up the blanket with her in it. But she was really slow too, due to an injury she had. Plus, I was in someone else's backyard where she was, and there were no other squirrels around. But this little guy is quick. And when he does show up, I usually have about 3 to 5 squirrels sitting right at my feet eating, so that is making it difficult for me to try and catch him also. I am worried that if I attempt to catch him, and I don't succeed the first time, that he will just be too scared and he won't come back after that. But thank you so much for your response and your suggestion. I really appreciate it. I just wish this little guy would know I am trying to help him, and let me catch him. But, unfortunately, I know it doesn't work that way.

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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    How big diameter is your pool net?

    The fish net I used was like 20 or 24 inches in diameter. When I'd get Rocky in it I just turned it from being flat out to sideways and it would trap him long enough to get him in his cage without hurting him.

    If your net is large enough you may lay it on the ground beneath the tree where he comes down and put treats in the net, being ready to spin the net over if he goes in.

    Please keep us posted on your progress and thanks again for helping him!

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    Bella's Mom (11-05-2019)

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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    Quote Originally Posted by RockyPops View Post
    How big diameter is your pool net?

    The fish net I used was like 20 or 24 inches in diameter. When I'd get Rocky in it I just turned it from being flat out to sideways and it would trap him long enough to get him in his cage without hurting him.

    If your net is large enough you may lay it on the ground beneath the tree where he comes down and put treats in the net, being ready to spin the net over if he goes in.

    Please keep us posted on your progress and thanks again for helping him!
    I'm not really sure how big my pool net is. But it's pretty large, and can definitely fit a squirrel in it. So that's a great idea! I will try that. Today is the 3rd day in a row he hasn't shown up, though. I really, really hope nothing has happened to the poor little guy.

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    RockyPops (11-05-2019)

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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    Maybe he'll show up soon!

    Poor baby!

    Also, do you have a cage etc. to keep him in safely if you do catch him?
    A way to transport him to vet?

    Thanks again!

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    Bella's Mom (11-10-2019)

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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    Quote Originally Posted by RockyPops View Post
    Maybe he'll show up soon!

    Poor baby!

    Also, do you have a cage etc. to keep him in safely if you do catch him?
    A way to transport him to vet?

    Thanks again!

    Quote Originally Posted by RockyPops View Post
    Maybe he'll show up soon!

    Poor baby!

    Also, do you have a cage etc. to keep him in safely if you do catch him?
    A way to transport him to vet?

    Thanks again!
    Yes, I do have a cage all ready to go inside for him. And, yes, I do have a way to transport him to the vet. I have two amazing, wonderful exotic vets on standby. I have brought 3 opossums and 10 squirrels to see them that I have rescued since 2013. My vets know that rescuing wildlife is my thing, and they don't even charge me the typical emergency vet fee anymore, because I frequently bring business to them, mostly squirrels. I have told both of my vets what is going on with this little guy, and that I am trying to catch him, so they are ready to go, at a moments notice. Without them, my precious little neuro squirrel, Jacob, wouldn't be still here with me today!

    So, I did see my little guy with the malocclusion this past Tuesday, on November 5th. I decided to name him Joey. This time, he let me get close enough to him that I could clearly see that his bottom two front teeth are protruding up and stabbing him in the nose. His nose was swollen, bloody, and scabbed over in a couple of places. Seeing that just broke my heart! So, I put my pool net at the base of the tree in my backyard, and I put some peanuts in it. A lot of the squirrels who are coming to my backyard for snacks are new babies, and Joey is too. Once I saw him close up, I estimate him to be between 4 and 5 months old, if that. So, anyway, I put some peanuts in my pool net at the base of the tree in my backyard. And, wouldn't you know it, that all the other squirrels would get in the pool net to get the peanut snacks, except for Joey. All of the squirrels were skittish of the pool net, at first. It was quite comical to watch, actually, how the squirrels reacted to the pool net! But they eventually got over their fear, and would come take the peanuts out of the pool net. All of them except Joey. I was out in my backyard all day that day, and so was Joey. He just wouldn't ever get in the pool net so I could quickly flip it over with him in it to catch him. He was just too scared to get in it. So, I went and got a blanket from inside to try and catch him by tossing it over him and scooping him up in it, but he wouldn't get close enough to me to where I could toss the blanket on top of him. And that was 5 days ago now. I have been out in my backyard all day every day for 5 days now. And I haven't seen him since then. He hasn't been back for the past 5 days now. So now I am really worried that something has happened to him! I will definitely keep trying and keep being out in my backyard in case he shows up. But I don't know if he will.

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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    Thanks for the update Bella's mom!

    Now Joey, you got to be good so you can get your teethiees fixed.

    I know it sounds bad but if he keeps coming around he will probably sooner or later get to the point where he's desperate for help or feeling to bad to run off.

    Praying he comes back soon and lets you help him!

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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    Quote Originally Posted by RockyPops View Post
    Thanks for the update Bella's mom!

    Now Joey, you got to be good so you can get your teethiees fixed.

    I know it sounds bad but if he keeps coming around he will probably sooner or later get to the point where he's desperate for help or feeling to bad to run off.

    Praying he comes back soon and lets you help him!
    Quote Originally Posted by RockyPops View Post
    Thanks for the update Bella's mom!

    Now Joey, you got to be good so you can get your teethiees fixed.

    I know it sounds bad but if he keeps coming around he will probably sooner or later get to the point where he's desperate for help or feeling to bad to run off.

    Praying he comes back soon and lets you help him!
    Thank you so much for your help and prayers for little Joey. It does sound bad if he kept coming around, he would probably sooner or later get to the point where he's desparate for help or feeling too badly to run off. However, then I would at least have a chance to catch him so I could help him. But as of yesterday, the19th, he has not come back at all in 14 days now, since the day he was here most all day when I put nuts in my pool net, trying to catch him that way. He was always so much more skittish than the other squirrels who come around, and wouldn't let me near him, probably because he was hurt. But on that day, he hung around most of the day, even eating fruit from a food dish, and drank water several times from a dish I have out in my backyard for the squirrels. And he has never done that before that day, that I had seen, anyhow. He even layed down next to the water dish on the little platform where I keep their water. On that day, he just seemed so tired and worn out. But that was the day he also started letting me get closer to him, although he still wouldn't get in the pool net to get treats so I could just flip the net over when he got in, and hopefully catch him that way. But he was starting to trust me a little more, and letting me get a little closer to him each time that day. So my plan was that I would just wait out there everyday for him, and then work to earn his trust by tossing him treats, and maybe be able to catch him eventually. That day gave me so much hope and encouragement that I could catch him, so I have been out there every single day, pretty much all day, until the sun goes down, and he has not come back in two weeks now. And I have absolutely zero chance of catching him if he just doesn't come back. He has to be around for me to have even the tiniest shot at catching him. And if he hasn't been back at all in two weeks, that's probably not a good sign that he's going to come back, is it? I suppose it's possible that something has already happened to him, like he already got so worn out and weak that he just couldn't get back here. Or that he got caught by a predator. I'm going to keep trying, but each day that goes by, my hopes of catching him are fading.😭

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    Default Re: Young Wild Squirrel With Maloccluded Teeth

    I know it's so hard. If we could just communicate to them that we want to help.

    Thank you for trying!

    Don't give up all hope just yet.

    And if Joey does happen to come back, you may need desperate measures. Try any thing to catch him.

  19. Serious fuzzy thank you's to RockyPops from:

    Bella's Mom (12-12-2019)

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