Hurt Squirrel in my Backyard from Dog, what do I do? :-(

[MoldyDragon]

Hi guys first time poster here.

My dog was biting at a squirrel in my backyard and I managed to come out pretty quickly, it didn't seem like he did too much damage (no puncture wounds or shaking). But the squirrel seems pretty much in shock and very hurt :-(

I'm just wondering what I can do to help him out and alleviate his symptoms at all. Ideally I want him to live but what can I do to at least make him more comfortable in the meantime. Right now I have him outside in a dog cage on a pad with a sheet wrapped around him. I have towels surrounding the cage to make it dark. I also put some water and a q-tip with peanut butter in there.

I really have absolutely no idea what I'm doing I just want to help the animal. I don't wan't to kill him but if you guys think it's the best thing to do to end his suffering I'd be willing to for the sake of the little guy.

Please guys I love my squirrel friends in the backyard they are always so silly playing in the trees what can I do to help this furry fellow.

Thanks in advacne!

[Clare]

Hi guys first time poster here.

My dog was biting at a squirrel in my backyard and I managed to come out pretty quickly, it didn't seem like he did too much damage (no puncture wounds or shaking). But the squirrel seems pretty much in shock and very hurt :-(

I'm just wondering what I can do to help him out and alleviate his symptoms at all. Ideally I want him to live but what can I do to at least make him more comfortable in the meantime. Right now I have him outside in a dog cage on a pad with a sheet wrapped around him. I have towels surrounding the cage to make it dark. I also put some water and a q-tip with peanut butter in there.

I really have absolutely no idea what I'm doing I just want to help the animal. I don't wan't to kill him but if you guys think it's the best thing to do to end his suffering I'd be willing to for the sake of the little guy.

Please guys I love my squirrel friends in the backyard they are always so silly playing in the trees what can I do to help this furry fellow.

Thanks in advacne!

Hi. Just throwing around some questions until an expert replies.

You mentioned that there are no puncture wounds, but also said that the squirrel is hurt. What exactly did you mean by 'hurt'?

Is there any rehabber in your locality?

Is it possible to upload a picture of the squirrel?

How old do you think the squirrel is?

By pad, did you mean a heating pad? If so, at what template is the heating pad set at. Setting it very warm in a closed cage may kill it.

What are the dimensions of the dog cage?

Do you have carrots, lettuce, spinach, sweet potato or any other vegetable. If so, give the squirrel a few bits of the veggies.

[MoldyDragon]

He has some minor scrapes and fur missing but I don't see any blood or large wounds. When he moves he is very uncoordinated though (concussion??) and now he is just laying still and breathing kind of hard.

I definitely can upload a picture do I just link it to imgur or something? Don't want to break any site rules I'm new here.

I really don't know the age, not a baby but an adult definitely.

It's a pad for a dog bed.

Dog cage is 4ft x2.5ft x 2.5ft, unfortunately the only one I have.

As for the veggies? How should I cut them? Small I would think just want to make sure.

Thankyou so much for the help kind stranger.

[Clare]

He has some minor scrapes and fur missing but I don't see any blood or large wounds. When he moves he is very uncoordinated though (concussion??) and now he is just laying still and breathing kind of hard.

I definitely can upload a picture do I just link it to imgur or something? Don't want to break any site rules I'm new here.

I really don't know the age, not a baby but an adult definitely.

It's a pad for a dog bed.

Dog cage is 4ft x2.5ft x 2.5ft, unfortunately the only one I have.

As for the veggies? How should I cut them? Small I would think just want to make sure.

Thankyou so much for the help kind stranger.

I'm thinking that there is an internal injury since he is breathing hard now. Can you see a VET immediately? Certified medications are required. And yes, you can link the photos to Imgur.

Also, is the cage completely sealed off with cloth or is there a bit of a window for ventilation.

[MoldyDragon]

I'm thinking that there is an internal injury since he is breathing hard now. Can you see a VET immediately? Certified medications are required. And yes, you can link the photos to Imgur.

Also, is the cage completely sealed off with cloth or is there a bit of a window for ventilation.

The cage has towels around it so there are spaces at the corners for ventilation. I just got the guy some carrots, lettuce, and sweet potatoes. I called the vet and rehab center near me and they said they weren't taking squirrels unfortunately. I posted to a local board to see if anyone knew one. He doesn't seem to be breathing hard anymore when I just checked on him :-( Hard to tell if he's alive at all unfortunately. I will keep up the care until I'm sure but poor little guy :/

I wanted to post an update on the story. I initially assumed my dog got to him. But in retrospect dog was just sniffing when I came close. Squirrel may have fell from the tree and gotten in a fight with another squirrel (wounds do seem more like a dog mouth though but I'm not sure). Would explain why he couldnt seem to move his legs.

[Spanky]

Where in Oregon are you? Are you close to Portland... really I am wondering if you are close to Vancouver, WA?

[MoldyDragon]

Here is the squirrel taken a few minutes ago


Let me know if you have trouble accessing the picture.

[MoldyDragon]

Where in Oregon are you? Are you close to Portland... really I am wondering if you are close to Vancouver, WA?

I am in Eugene unfortunately. But if he makes it through the night I would definitely consider a road trip if you know a good rehab center.

[Spanky]

I am in Eugene unfortunately. But if he makes it through the night I would definitely consider a road trip if you know a good rehab center.

Good? No, not good... One of the best of the best of the best.. we are talking super terrific awesome:
http://www.squirrelrefuge.org/

I think the assumption should be the dog got him and thrashed him about.. that is what dogs do. Unlikely a squirrel-on-squirrel fight was this catastrophic.

1) He needs to be brought indoors to someplace warmer, not direct heat since if this is a head injury direct heat will make it worse. Dark, warm and quiet.

2) You need to assess him to determine his condition. Thick gloves would be advisable, they can bite and scratch very hard (but little worry of disease). A bit of molasses, honey or syrup rubbed in his mouth would be good if he is completely unresponsive but alive.. he may be in shock and this will help.

3) He'll need some hydration... he will be alright overnight without food, but liquids will be needed. Watermelon is a great thing to put in with him if you happen to have any (any melon at all).

If you get a better idea of his condition we can maybe provide additional recommendations...

[MoldyDragon]

Good? No, not good... One of the best of the best of the best.. we are talking super terrific awesome:
http://www.squirrelrefuge.org/

I think the assumption should be the dog got him and thrashed him about.. that is what dogs do. Unlikely a squirrel-on-squirrel fight was this catastrophic.

1) He needs to be brought indoors to someplace warmer, not direct heat since if this is a head injury direct heat will make it worse. Dark, warm and quiet.

2) You need to assess him to determine his condition. Thick gloves would be advisable, they can bite and scratch very hard (but little worry of disease). A bit of molasses, honey or syrup rubbed in his mouth would be good if he is completely unresponsive but alive.. he may be in shock and this will help.

3) He'll need some hydration... he will be alright overnight without food, but liquids will be needed. Watermelon is a great thing to put in with him if you happen to have any (any melon at all).

If you get a better idea of his condition we can maybe provide additional recommendations...

I tried to do an assessment and applied a syrup to his mouth but didn't get any sort of response. I left some chunks of melon in there just in case. This sounds silly but is there anywhere common to check for a pulse on squirrels? It feels so bad not being able to do more for him.

[TubeDriver]

Keep him in a warm, dark quiet area. Place a t-shirt over his container so he feels covered, safe and not exposed. Try feeding him some lightly sweetened water (bit of sugar), just drop by drop if needed.

Any movement of his front or rear legs at all?

[Mialouise]

Just a thought: is it possible to put him somewhere other than on a dog bed, in a dog crate? The smell of the dog is probably terrifying to him, so he doesn't know it's a "safe place" there, which will add to shock/trauma.

[Rock Monkey]

I tried to do an assessment and applied a syrup to his mouth but didn't get any sort of response. I left some chunks of melon in there just in case. This sounds silly but is there anywhere common to check for a pulse on squirrels? It feels so bad not being able to do more for him.

One way to know if a small animal is still breathing is put a mirror right under their mouth. If so you the mirror will steam up a little bit where the mouth contacts the mirror since their breath will be a little bit humid.