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Thread: Squirrel biting her leg - advise on amputation needed

  1. #1
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    Default Squirrel biting her leg - advise on amputation needed

    Hi everyone, it's my first post here (hopefully not last).

    I am a volunteer in an animal foundation in Poland that is rescuing different rodents. Over two years ago a friend of mine brought us a red squirrel.
    Merida's story is a difficult one. Her spine was injured, her femur head in one leg was has popped out of acetabulum and we got her to late to fix it. She had 4 bones in her head broken and damaged top incisors. Additionally, first vet that tried to help her gave her medicine harmful to rodents.
    She should have not survived. Thank to great vets that I work with, we have saved her. We were hoping to get her at some point to the shelter for wild animals, but her health problems have never allowed it. I am the only one who she accepts and can work with her in case of wounds, shots, putting on a collar etc. so she lives in an aviary connected to my home and if help is needed, I am there. She has limited feeling and control over her back legs. They give her a little bit of support, but she can't control them fully. That much as a longer introduction.

    Around a year ago Merida has injured her toe. Medicines, countless visits to our wets, collars, hundreds meters of brandades. The moment it got better, she was starting to chew on the toe. In the end it was amputated.

    We thought that we got finally past it. Unfortunately, couple of months ago she has injured second toe on the same foot. The same story repeated. We had to amputate second toe.

    It healed perfectly. Unfortunately, after a week without a collar, where everything seemed perfect, she started chewing on her foot again. And not even the place after amputated toe, she started biting her metatarsus. We put the collar back on. Back on medicine, added additionally some calming medicine to reduce her potential phantom pains or psychological problems. Two days without a collar, everything was perfect - she has started to hurt herself again.

    We have discussed amputation of the whole leg before with the vets and experts in our area, but of course as a last resort. Now it seems that it is the only option that could potentially let her leave comfortably, without the collar and without hurting herself. However, we have a vivid discussion, whether it is the best approach and we are looking for similar cases and people who had taken care of squirrels with one leg / partial paralysis.

    I have seen that some of you had experience with squirrels with amputated legs. Are they really able to live comfortably? Are they really able to adapt without problems? Have you noticed that they could still be in pain?

    Merida has limited feeling and strength in her leg, but was still using it in some ways. I got very used to her and would do anything to help her. However a part of me is thinking that maybe we are just keeping her by force in this world.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Squirrel biting her leg - advise on amputation needed

    We have a number of folks on here that have experience with this - hopefully they will chime in.

    Have you tried anything like gabapentin?

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Squirrel biting her leg - advise on amputation needed

    Yes, she has been getting gabapentin for a while already. Together with Zylkene (I am not sure if this medicine is used in US).
    We have some really great vets that specialize in wild animals and rodents and their knowledge has been irreplaceable for the last year.

    Now it is the question of what would be good for her. Whether we can secure her life comfort without one leg.



    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    We have a number of folks on here that have experience with this - hopefully they will chime in.

    Have you tried anything like gabapentin?

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Squirrel biting her leg - advise on amputation needed

    It is one of the rear legs, right? Providing the entire leg is removed to the hip - no stub - the ones here have roared right through surgery and went on to have good, captive lives, frequently moving so fast that one would never guess they only had three.

  5. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to CritterMom:

    Chirps (07-17-2021), island rehabber (07-16-2021)

  6. #5
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    Default Re: Squirrel biting her leg - advise on amputation needed

    yes, we would remove the whole leg. Otherwise the risk of additional injuries on the remaining part would be too high.

    I have read through many posts here ad it seems that in majority of cases the amputation (after trying other possibilities) have brought good results.


    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    It is one of the rear legs, right? Providing the entire leg is removed to the hip - no stub - the ones here have roared right through surgery and went on to have good, captive lives, frequently moving so fast that one would never guess they only had three.

  7. #6
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    Default Re: Squirrel biting her leg - advise on amputation needed

    Plus good pain management after the surgery. I know that a combination of meloxicam and Tramadol - not at the same time, mind you, one morning, one evening - has worked well. Some of our vets are lax with this step and I think it is vital.

  8. #7
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    Default Re: Squirrel biting her leg - advise on amputation needed

    Thankfully, we pay a lot of attention in our work to pain management. And when needed she has been getting it earlier as well. I think working with vets specializing in on rodents and wild animals helps here.

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    Plus good pain management after the surgery. I know that a combination of meloxicam and Tramadol - not at the same time, mind you, one morning, one evening - has worked well. Some of our vets are lax with this step and I think it is vital.

  9. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Kasia from:

    Chirps (07-17-2021)

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