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Thread: Jack Needs Help!

  1. #1
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    Default Jack Needs Help!

    Please read and advice.

    Here's what happened. Jack was fine this morning and all day. In the afternoon, for his release tomorrow, I took one of the nest boxes that he has been sleeping in outside, to put it up in the tree.

    He had 2 nest boxes in the release cage, he used to sleep in one, but then moved to the other and has been sleeping in the second nest box, which is what we took out to put it in the tree.

    As some of you know, he has been living in outside release cage since May 19th, but because his regular nest box was not there anymore, somehow he couldn't figure out a safe place to be, and freaked out.

    Since 5:00 pm till 8:00 he has been running like crazy in his release cage; jumping from one corner to another...

    I got into his release cage around 8:00 to try to calm him and noticed that he had some foam around his mouth.

    My poor little Jack...

    I grabbed him and brought him in a dark, quiet room and tried to calm him. He is very very very nervous and wouldn't relex. Provided, even before, he was very wild and nervous and wouldn't relax or chill; but he is definitely a lot more freaked out.

    He's been eating his Henry's blocks and Harland Teklad blocks. He is outside and gets plenty of sunshine.

    I'm thinking maybe while freaking out, he hit his head? Or just a mini seizure from being scared.

    What should I do now? I put him Buddy's inside cage and covered it so it's dark. I also gave him a little bit of water mixed with tums.

    I'm assuming I should not be releasing him tomorrow, right? What should I do to comfort him? I'm actually thinking he might be freaking out more in the house.
    Last edited by TubeDriver; 08-09-2021 at 08:20 PM.
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

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  3. #2
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    I'm so sorry about this, poor Jack poor you 😟
    How is Jack this morning? Any calmer?
    Charley Chuckles gone from my arms FOREVER in my heart 8/14/04-3/7/13
    Simon, our time was too short together, but you gave us so much love, be with CC now 3/7/14


    The "CHARLEY CHUCKLES MEMORIAL RAIL TOUR" leaves the station choo chooo
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  5. #3
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Jack died last night!

    I tried to keep him with me, holding and trying to calm, didn't work, I kept him in the inside cage, but he never liked the inside cage, so he kept fighting and getting even more freaked out.

    I finally decided to put him back in his outside release cage. He did not do well there either. I tried to calm him again and he was tweaking and blinking a lot and still some foam.

    Finally, his little body got really tired around midnight, that's when I put him in his nest box, thinking that he can get some sleep and rest.

    When I checked upon him at 3:00 am, he was motionless, stiff; not breathing. I tried to do some CPR and keep him warm; but there was no sign of liveliness. His gums were white.

    We buried him this morning. This was supposed to be his release day; not his funeral.

    I feel like an utter failure... I failed Jack so miserably. I don't think I can ever get over this! My heart is broken into million pieces!

    Goodbye Jack! I love you so much my playful friend!

    I'm sooo soo very sory for failing you like this.

    Thank you so much for giving me this honor and privilege to take care of you, as best as I can, to play with you, to experience your amazing personality and call you my friend, and love you so so very deeply!
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Of course, I keep blaming myself, I should have released him last week, I should have thought that he would freak out about mowing the lawn, I should have brought him inside as soon as I notice that he was freaking out about the lawn mowing... I feel like I literally took his life away!

    I am so so so.... sorry Jack!
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

  7. #5
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Oh Buddy I'm in tears reading this, oh please please don't blame yourself
    We still can't know for sure what really happened and why he freaked out so badly.
    So many things go into the mix and most of us have had things happen that we could never foresee. If only we could all predict an outcome we all would do things differently in all areas of our lives.

    You loved Jack and he knew that. Wonder if he was released and something scared him in the wild, things might have not gone well either.
    I'm just so sorry
    Charley Chuckles gone from my arms FOREVER in my heart 8/14/04-3/7/13
    Simon, our time was too short together, but you gave us so much love, be with CC now 3/7/14


    The "CHARLEY CHUCKLES MEMORIAL RAIL TOUR" leaves the station choo chooo
    *Deland,FL. *Washington DC *Boston (Back Bay) *Boston (North Station) *Wells,Maine *Albany,NY *New York (Penn Station) *Back to Deland FL. "July 1- July 22" 2013

    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RIAL-RAIL-TOUR Check it out here
    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...OW-A-NEW-MOMMY!!!!!
    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RAINBOW-BRIDGE
    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...e-called-Simon
    charleychuckles1@gmail.com

    I'm not poof reading any of this

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  9. #6
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Thank you so much CC!

    I'm already missing him so much! I wish he could have been in the trees at least for a few days...

    My heart just aches with sadness....
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

  10. #7
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    I am so very sorry to hear about this.

    You are a good squirrel mom, this is one of those crazy, bad luck, one-in-a million, struck by lightning disasters that could happen to any one of us. I know it won't mend your broken heart, but please try to not blame yourself.

    The painful secret that ALL rehabbers have to live with is that as they gain experience, there is always that squirrel that did not make it, and in hind-site we think that we should have done something different, the outcome would have been different. I am 100% sure that there is not a single rehabber on this board who has not felt this way. It hurts and it is just something you have to live with. When I started helping squirrels, I had a string of success stories. I felt like I was pretty talented. Then I had a squirrel that I released come back injured and I tried EVERYTHING to help him. Max died in my hands and my heart shattered. I ALWAYS think about what I could have done differently. Since then, I have had to euthanize squirrels, I have had some pass away under my care and it always hurts and you question yourself. It is the double edged sword of loving and caring for wildlife. These little beings are magical and fill our hearts with love but they can also crack our hearts in two.

    It sounds like little Jack had a seizure and could not recover from it. Was it hotter/sunnier than usual yesterday? He might have suffered from dehydration/sun stroke and that combined with the fear he felt from the lawnmower just proved too much. But nothing you did is any different from what many of us would have done. Just terrible bad luck.

    I am praying for you and Jack.

    Godspeed little Jack, let your moms love carry you onwards to your next life.
    See my wild squirrel adventures in the thread "Squirtle's yard!":
    https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...quirtle-s-Yard!

    Loving dad to Sir Max, 2017-2018. There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world.

    "Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right."
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  12. #8
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Thank you so much TubeDriver!

    Yes, it was definitely hotter than normal yesterday. My husband also thought that it might be related to the heat; but he has 2 water cups there (changed daily); and he was not constantly in sun. Like you said, all conditions; heat and fear mixed might have caused this very sad end.

    Thanks for sharing your experiences! Sorry to hear about Max. That also must be very hard to go through.

    I know a lot of people on this board go through similar experiences and that you all understand what I'm going through.

    I don't know how you guys all do this over and over again...

    Thank you for all your kind and caring words!

    And I couldn't have said any better. These little beings are magical and fill our hearts with love but they can also crack our hearts in two.

    Thank you again!
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

  13. #9
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Now I feel like I was so stupid for not trying to give him just plain water. I've never seen him this much freaked out so that made me really freaked out and worried, but I didn't think to do some basic things; like hydration.

    I didn't know what to do during a seizure, but I should have tried giving water. My stupidity and not thinking clearly caused Jack his life.
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Just seeing this. PLEASE don't beat yourself up. I say that knowing you will anyway, as we all would. I can only imagine your hurt and guilt, but please reread what TubeDriver wrote. I am in tears as well reading this thread.

    It was a punch in the gut to read "Jack Died . . " so I know your pain is thousands of times that. But I hope and pray that you can come to terms with the idea that whatever things came together to cause this, you still did the best you could. You didn't fail Jack, you tried to help him, doing what seemed right as the situation presented itself. I will tell you that this could have happened anyway, that maybe there was nothing you could do differently, even though I know you will still go over it all and want a do-over to do something, ANYTHING, differently, because we all would feel the same. There are many hearts grieving with you.
    "I hope everyone got or gets their Baby Love today"~Shewhosweptforest

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Buddy View Post
    Now I feel like I was so stupid for not trying to give him just plain water. I've never seen him this much freaked out so that made me really freaked out and worried, but I didn't think to do some basic things; like hydration.

    I didn't know what to do during a seizure, but I should have tried giving water. My stupidity and not thinking clearly caused Jack his life.
    Not so fast. What if you gave him water and he aspirated it or something? Then you'd have THAT to feel guilty about. He had water in his cage. If he was that freaked out, do you think he would have drank voluntarily? Or maybe he did drink but something else was going on with him that it didn't help. You will replay this over and over, to no real benefit, unless you or someone else has this situation come up and you/they have read this and try one of the things you think you should have tried, and it works.
    "I hope everyone got or gets their Baby Love today"~Shewhosweptforest

    https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

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  18. #12
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Thank you Chirps!

    I am reading all the comments over and over again and they are so kind, caring and helpful; yet I cannot seem to be able to console myself.

    It feels like my heart is filled just with sadness and guilt fully and they keep fighting for more space...

    I know it's fresh, but it feels like this is that kind of pain that you already know that you will always carry with you.

    I can't believe my little, playful Jack is gone....
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Chirps View Post
    Just seeing this. PLEASE don't beat yourself up.
    It was a punch in the gut to read "Jack Died . . " so I know your pain is thousands of times that. I will tell you that this could have happened anyway...There are many hearts grieving with you.
    Quote Originally Posted by Buddy View Post
    Now I feel like I was so stupid for not trying to give him just plain water. I've never seen him this much freaked out so that made me really freaked out and worried, but I didn't think to do some basic things; like hydration.

    I didn't know what to do during a seizure, but I should have tried giving water. My stupidity and not thinking clearly caused Jack his life.
    Please don't think like this . Having taken care of someone with major seizures for years, he probably wouldn't even have been able to drink until it was too late if that was the cause.
    I had to share this with my husband. He doesn't think that that he wouldn't have been able to regulate his temperature all of a sudden. He thinks it sounds more like something may have got him, a hornet, snake, seizure that would have happened at some point no matter what because otherwise he would have been able to calm down. I so agree that this is one of those one in a million things. You REAlly have to just give thanks for the little being you were sent to help at an especially hard time. Had you not, whatever issue he had probably would have taken him much sooner.

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Chirps View Post
    Not so fast. What if you gave him water and he aspirated it or something? Then you'd have THAT to feel guilty about. He had water in his cage. If he was that freaked out, do you think he would have drank voluntarily?
    Yes, now that I think about it (was decades ago), I think water may have been contraindicated after seizures. I do remember drooling for hours would happen, so I bet the swallowing reflex was hampered and aspiration was a danger.

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Thank you sundoesshine!

    Yes, Jack came to me at an especially difficult time and he brought so much love & joy & personality, which I'm so so so grateful for!

    I was supposed to take care of him, protect him, raise him, keep him healthy and release him, and now he is gone and there's nothing I can do!

    I'm devastated and heartbroken!
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    What I am most regretful is that... I was just so worried and felt like I didn't know what I was doing while trying to calm Jack down, because nothing was working, my husband kept saying this is a wild animal, leave him alone... So, finally when I put him in his release cage around 11:00 pm, he was so tired, but still was not going into his nest box or even on a shelf or branch; he was hanging on the wires... I let him be for a while like that... And then he was so tired and weak, he couldn't hang anymore... starting to slip... That's when I put him in his nest box; because he was so nervous and edgy when I was holding him earlier, I thought if I put him in his nest box, he won't be agitated that I'm holding him, it will be dark and small, so he won't hurt himself and I was hoping that he'll get some sleep. I didn't think that this was going to the last time I see him alive.

    At 3:00 am, when I checked on him, he was already gone. I should have kept holding him in my arms...

    There are no words to describe this regret and I have to live with it for the rest of my life!

    Jack Sorry, I couldn't save you. Please forgive me for all the mistakes I made. Know that I love you with all my heart and I will always love you and you will always be in my heart!
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

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  27. #17
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Buddy View Post
    I should have kept holding him in my arms...
    I think I have to agree with your husband on this one, in that this wasn't Buddy, it was Jack and projecting our very social human needs onto little Jack was most likely incompatible with his needs. I think his drive was to escape to be alone to pass. I've known cats that did this and it's just so instinctual. I agree with your thinking that holding him seemed stressful to him in his state. By placing him in his box, it may have actually given him permission to finally rest and pass peacefully. I'm so sorry you had to experience this. He was such a dear boy.

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Thank you so much! That's helpful to hear someone else thinks that I did the right thing.

    At some point, he was very hot and his heart was racing... It was just such a traumatic thing for him.

    He was such a strong, brave and smart boy. I could sense that he was puzzled with what's going on and that he wasn't able to get away from it.

    JACK
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

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  31. #19
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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Buddy View Post
    What I am most regretful is that... I was just so worried and felt like I didn't know what I was doing while trying to calm Jack down, because nothing was working, my husband kept saying this is a wild animal, leave him alone... So, finally when I put him in his release cage around 11:00 pm, he was so tired, but still was not going into his nest box or even on a shelf or branch; he was hanging on the wires... I let him be for a while like that... And then he was so tired and weak, he couldn't hang anymore... starting to slip... That's when I put him in his nest box; because he was so nervous and edgy when I was holding him earlier, I thought if I put him in his nest box, he won't be agitated that I'm holding him, it will be dark and small, so he won't hurt himself and I was hoping that he'll get some sleep. I didn't think that this was going to the last time I see him alive.

    At 3:00 am, when I checked on him, he was already gone. I should have kept holding him in my arms...

    There are no words to describe this regret and I have to live with it for the rest of my life!

    Jack Sorry, I couldn't save you. Please forgive me for all the mistakes I made. Know that I love you with all my heart and I will always love you and you will always be in my heart!
    The part you said "you should have been holding him in your arms" really hit home with me. My beloved Charley Chuckles the night before he passed, I WAS holding him, he wanted down he wanted in his bed, so I put him in said goodnight NEVER realizing when I went to get him up in the morning he would be gone to the Rainbow bridge 😥 I beat myself up down sideways you name it for not to have been holding him in my arms.....but it was Charley's wishes to not die in front of me
    A lot of times that's what people do too, wait till loved ones leave the room.
    I also have a seizure squirrel, you never want to give water while seizing like others said they can aspirate. Molasses on the lips can work but in Jack's case I think like others that more was going on.
    You did your best
    Charley Chuckles gone from my arms FOREVER in my heart 8/14/04-3/7/13
    Simon, our time was too short together, but you gave us so much love, be with CC now 3/7/14


    The "CHARLEY CHUCKLES MEMORIAL RAIL TOUR" leaves the station choo chooo
    *Deland,FL. *Washington DC *Boston (Back Bay) *Boston (North Station) *Wells,Maine *Albany,NY *New York (Penn Station) *Back to Deland FL. "July 1- July 22" 2013

    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RIAL-RAIL-TOUR Check it out here
    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...OW-A-NEW-MOMMY!!!!!
    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RAINBOW-BRIDGE
    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...e-called-Simon
    charleychuckles1@gmail.com

    I'm not poof reading any of this

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    Default Re: Jack Needs Help!

    Thank you CC for sharing!

    I've been reading so many stories from the Rainbow Bridge, to see how people deal with the sadness, that deep deep sadness, and the guilt, which seems as big and as unshakable as Mountain Everest...

    It seems in all cases, everyone tried their best, what they know at the time, with the best intentions. Hindsight came afterwards...

    Whatifs are all deep and sharp knives that keep pushing through our hearts.

    I know my life will never be the same. And underlying every possible joy, every smile, I will be missing my Jack (and my Buddy, but hopefully, he is still alive, healthy and happy).
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

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