First time poster here. I don't have any idea how to navigate this convoluted Squirrel Board, but I just want to post some information here in case it helps put someone's mind at ease.. * I created an account after searching for answers about injured squirrels earlier this month. * * Yes--I can confirm that sometimes the wobbly squirrels DO RECOVER. *Almost everything I read over the past month was vague and unencouraging, so if there is a person out there feeling hopeless over a wobbly wild grey squirrel that can't stand up straight and keeps falling over, I'm writing this for you...
I live in urban San Francisco, where I only see 2 squirrels on a daily basis. *They're distinctive looking and come at the same time every day like clockwork, so I know it's the same squirrels. *Roughly 30 days ago, in early March 2021, something abruptly happened to one of the squirrels. *Suddenly, he (i do not know if it's a "he", but I'm using this term for convenience) could not stand up on his hind legs without falling over to the right. * When holding a piece of food atop my narrow wood fence, he would rapidly tilt and list to the right, and eventually topple over, only saving himself at the last minute with hind legs. *He also exhibited head "nystagmus" which I don't mean in the sense of his eyes-----I mean his whole head made involuntarily slewing motions from center position to right. *Like the exaggerated motion of reading text in a book left-to-right. * He couldn't keep his head still and straight. *He could run on all fours in a straight line along the narrow fence, but couldn't stand up properly. *He had a good appetite, but could not eat in an upright position without dropping his food. *It was agonizing to watch him get exhausted, and I worried he would starve to death or get eaten by the numerous red-tailed hawks.
I started reading anything I could trust about wild squirrel injuries or illnesses. * Metabolic Bone Disease, Raccoon Roundworm, ear infection, mange, pox, poison, tooth problems, internal injury. *I started to rule things out bit by bit. *I cannot get closer than ~15 feet, but I can view him with great detail from above through a telescopic lens, so I could see there were no open wounds or visibly broken bones. *His teeth, eyelids, feet, and ears seemed fine. * There is a patch of fur in his "saddle" area that seems like it's mostly soft grey undercoat, as if the long brownish top coat hairs are gone, but no scars, exposed skin, or visible abrasion. Nothing to suggest he'd been hit by a car. * * *I don't have a backyard (barely a patio, and he does not come down from the low wood fence, so I wouldnt be able to trap him. *Plus the laws/vets/animal control are very strict and unhelpful in this area, and I'd be more likely to trap a rat anyway.)
My hypothesis was head injury/concussion. *I decided the best plan was to supply enough calories that he could survive without struggling to locate food with impaired sight and sense of balance. * I was not expressly providing food for squirrels prior to this incident, but every day I'd slice up an apple, pear, or leave peeled tangerine segments for the tiny sparrows, who greatly enjoy these fruits. *So I'd see the squirrel eating the sparrow's leftovers, and made an effort to increase the amount of slices, and augment it with a small amount of peanut butter, 2 or 3 almonds, walnuts, for protein etc. *One day, I also crushed up 3 Tums into fine powder and rolled them into balls with peanut butter. * Just in case it was MBD, though I doubted it. * The squirrel ate some peanut butter balls that day, but peanut butter is just not his favorite. *In general, he prefers fresh pears and apples. *He does not touch celery, carrots, cabbage, or broccoli. *He likes tiny bits of dried apple or tart cherry, but couldnt care less about dried blueberries. *I am careful not to overdo dried fruits, nuts, and do not leave out seeds. *I leave a fresh saucer of water every day, but never see him come down to the tile patio.
Over the past 30 days, he has visibly improved. * He is still slightly wobbly, but can stand upright without falling over, and can eat a slice of pear without dropping it. *The head-slewing motion is much less than it was, as if he can focus his gaze on an object better. *He still drifts to the right, but doesn't fall off the fence as much, which must have been so exhausting for him, and burned a lot of calories....His appetite remains good. * I can count exactly how much he eats every day because he leaves the skin of each apple/pear/tangerine segment behind atop the fence in a neat row. *This gives me some peace of mind that he's getting enough nutrients to heal his body or recover from the concussion. *
I observe him from above through my lens for at least 10-15 minutes every day at the same time, sometimes longer, and I can confirm that today I saw him only tilt over once in 10 minutes, versus a few weeks ago when he would fall over every few seconds repeatedly. *I was sure he was going to die 3 weeks ago, and now today he is something approaching normal. * * He's not 100%, but he's maybe 85-90%. * I hope this helps a wildlife lover out there , and gives them a little hope. *Sometimes the wobbly squirrels do recover.*
(Photos are from today, showing him in good condition.)