One of my wild ones. I feel so bad.
One of my wild ones. I feel so bad.
It is probably an abscess. Something probably bit him - may even have been another squirrel - and bacteria collected and is causing this. It looks to be too far back on the neck to be related to a tooth issue which is good. Frequently they will get larger and larger until they burst on their own - often the squirrels hurry this along by scratching at it.
I would try to keep an eye on him and make sure he is eating well and acting normally. Treatment would involve catching him, lancing the wound and cleaning it out and then putting him on a round of antibiotics. Hopefully he will take care of this on his own...
Buddy (12-02-2020)
Thank you, that’s what I was hoping to hear. She definitely eats well and I will keep an eye on her.
Two months ago a really little squirrel showed up in my yard by himself. I’ve been feeding him ever since and he’s grown so much. After I posted the picture of the squirrel with the abscess, I noticed the little guy was snuggling with the abscessed one and she was grooming him. So I guess my question is...is it possible that she’s his mother and showed up after two months and they’re reuniting? I found their interaction to be so sweet. I’ve never seen that with any of my backyard wilds.
He might be a dwarf sibling. I have seen females take care of their (really) little brother who was not quite right. They would groom him until he pushed them away. Little Freddie. (sigh) The cat next door got him one summer evening. I loved that boy too.
We live in a heaven created by our virtues --- Muktananda
Have you observed how the little one is getting around? Can it climb and move ok? Dwarf squirrels don’t climb or run well. You should always intervene if you suspect a squirrel is a dwarf and is compromised and can’t maneuver well. They almost always become prey as JLM posted.
The little guy isn’t so little anymore. I don’t think he’s a dwarf, I just think he was young when he first appeared. He gets around quite well and is now chasing the bigger guys. I just found it so sweet the way he was interacting with the female.
Diggie's Friend (12-04-2020)
I work for a medical college and showed the picture to one of the doctors who happens to have a vet as a friend. She emailed the vet the picture and the official prognosis was either an abscess or sialocele.
OMG the next little boy dwarf squirrel MUST be named that!
Hmmmm. That is a good question. I wonder if it happens but there are too many issues that prevent them from living long enough to make it out of the nest.
A gender question in another thread had me pondering whether hermaphroditism (or whatever you call it) ever pops up.
"I hope everyone got or gets their Baby Love today"~Shewhosweptforest
https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/
I just saw the squirrel with the abscess. It definitely popped, but now there’s this whiteish tissue looking thing hanging from where the abscess was. Is this normal? Will it fall off? Will she chew it off? It seems to be bothering her and getting in the way, but she’s moving around pretty well. I didn’t have my phone to snap a picture.