Mel1959 (09-21-2021)
Here is Huck using both front paws to hold a stick to chew
Mel1959 (09-22-2021), redwuff (10-03-2021), stepnstone (10-03-2021)
olorin19 (09-23-2021)
Update -
Huck continues to improve, now 9th day of prednisone.
There is no longer any evident difference between the rear legs. Huck climbs around his cage walls using both rear legs easily. He will climb horizontally in either direction, meaning either back leg is used on high side taking most of his weight. We put a rolled up sock in there that Huck wrestles. He will roll around on his back and claw at the sock with either back leg. He also jumps around quite well, pushing off both back legs.
When he was first climbing, he did not use the right front paw much, never hanging on it. He has been climbing inside his cage for three days now, and keeps improving. Up until today, if moving horizontally on wall, he only went left to right, meaning left front paw was on high side taking the weight. Today, Huck went the other direction, so hanging from fight front paw.
That’s great! Continue with the pred for awhile longer before tapering off.
olorin19 (09-26-2021)
The only difference I can still see is this: Huckleberry will either hang or lean against the door of the wire cage wanting to come out. If he is only grabbing with one front paw,it is almost always the left.
This is subtle, and I likely would not notice if not looking. He moves and climbs quite well, both within the cage and on me.
Does this sound like time to tape off? This is day 13 at 0.1 ml 2x day.
What is the procedure for tapering off?
Thanks!
Update:
Huck has made a full recovery (with thanks to stepnstone, redwuff, and mel1959) he is now tapering off prednisone.
Just moved him into his cage for overwintering a few minutes ago -
Mel1959 (10-08-2021), stepnstone (10-03-2021)
Look at him showing off! That is just wonderful!
olorin19 (10-03-2021)
That's really awesome!
You go Huck!!
Step-N-Stone
State Licensed
Wildlife Master Rehabilitator
olorin19 (10-03-2021)
Besides the two hammocks and wire shelves, I will be adding some fresh branches about 2" to 3" in diameter for climbing, chewing, and perching. Plus some dried leaves for the floor. There is a large ceramic container in the bottom with about 8" of mulch where Huck will pee and poop, I'll give him fresh twigs from my yard all winter so he gets some wild food, and these end up adding to the "forest floor" at the bottom of the cage.
This is a stunning story. Thank you for everything you did for this boy.
redwuff
State Licensed
Master Wildlife Rehabilitator
olorin19 (10-03-2021), stepnstone (10-03-2021)
Here is Huck on his favorite perch.
His cage is by a window where I have a lot of plants. (Far enough away that he cannot reach the plants though.)
Huck likes this perch as he can see what is going on outside.
My office / squirrel room is at the end of the house and has a picture window at one end and a glass door at the other end, with the window on the wall in between. It works out well for squirrels as they get to see lots of the outdoors as well as lots of other squirrels. My previous releases come to the front window and back door all day long, as well as inside at times. So Huck gets used to them and vice-versa,
Chirps (10-05-2021), Mel1959 (10-08-2021), SamtheSquirrel2018 (10-08-2021), stepnstone (10-05-2021)
Just read this thread. Hooray for Huck, and hooray for you!
"I hope everyone got or gets their Baby Love today"~Shewhosweptforest
https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/
olorin19 (10-05-2021)
You did a great job with Huck! Because of you he will have a life in the trees. The lessons to be learned here are: “never underestimate a squirrels ability to heal” and “prednisone and Gabapentin can work miracles when given consistently”.
It makes me sad to think of all the injured littles that aren’t ever given the chance to recover from traumatic injury. I’m glad Huck found you and you were willing to put in the time and energy to get him back on his feet. Thank you.
Diggie's Friend (06-14-2022), olorin19 (10-08-2021), SamtheSquirrel2018 (10-08-2021)
Mel1959 (10-08-2021)
Update:
Huckleberry is almost nine months old and I will move him to his release cage in about a week.
Huck not only tolerates but truly enjoys being massage, scratched, etc. I have never had an overwintered squirrel that remained so happy to be touched to this age. Huck is amazingly cuddly, and spends a huge amount of this time on the porch actively playing with me.
While the paralyzed limbs healed up 100%, Huck also had a broken right wrist. This has healed a bit crookedly, but it does not seem to impede his mobility, eating nuts in the shell, etc.
Update:
Huckleberry is now in his release cage getting to experience the great outdoors and lots of other squirrels nearby.
Chirps (05-02-2022)
What a great story! All of the vets who refuse to use prednisone in these situations should be able to read this. It isn't going to mend a severed spine of course, but I think that very often you are seeing internal swelling that is pressing on nerves that causes the paralysis, and if you get the swelling down FAST - and that is what pred does - those nerves won't be irretrievably damaged and voila - you have a ready to release squirrel. Man oh man, did you do good!
Chirps (05-02-2022), olorin19 (05-02-2022), stepnstone (05-02-2022)
Huckleberry has now been in the release cage twelve days and is enjoying himself.
The cage already had a nest box, but at first he did not go inside but slept in the hammock I had relocated from his inside cage. Eventually he did start hanging out in the top section of the nest box, and then when we had a couple days of heavy rain he started going down inside the nest box. (The hammock stays dry as there is a large doormat above it.)
This release cage has been in the same spot by the hedge for two years, and now has hedge and grass growing inside, so Huckleberry has his own little forest. He spends a lot of time on the cage floor, digging, etc.
stepnstone (05-14-2022), sundoesshine (06-19-2022)
Huckleberry was released on 5/19 after 17 days in the release cage.
I did not see him again until the following evening. I was around the cage area much of the time the first night and never saw him. So, I am not sure if he slept elsewhere or simply managed to slip back at some point when I was not around.
When I did see him the evening of 5/20, he was quite hungry and appeared a bit overwhelmed. I put him back in the cage, where he promptly disappeared into his nest box and did not emerge until almost 10:00 the nest morning!
Huck gained confidence over the next few days, and quite surprised me at one point but driving Arya away from where she was eating on top of the next cage.
He seems to have settled in nicely, coming and going as he please. He has been sleeping there every night, and often returns during the day to nap in the hammock or just hang out on top in the shade from the hedge.