Tips to assess a young squirrel arm

[Layla]

Hello everyone.
This afternoon I noticed that the little girl was keeping her arm up. I did not make much of it because she was using her hand and arm, running around and fighting with my fingers as usual.
Now I notice that she is cleaning that hand quite often. The palm of the little hand. And she seems to favor the other one when not walking. So if she stands or looks around, she will lift that arm.
This is all new from the past 6 to 7 hours since I noticed. I tried to assess her hand but had no luck trying to make her give me her hand or allow me to see it. She is the prototype of what we call a squirrel. She is always running around, eating, or sleeping.
Any tips to help me assess her hand?
Again she uses her hand and arm, runs around, usually eats, and does not appear to be in any distress. She cleans her hand and keeps it up when sitting/standing.
Thank you all in advance

[CritterMom]

If she is using the paw, it isn't broken. She may have landed wrong, gotten it caught somewhere, mashed it... I would watch her for a couple days and see if it progresses or if she stops licking it.

In the meantime, go through her habitat for pinch points. That is any place that she could accidentally get her tail or a toe into that is too narrow to allow it to slide out easily. Toes are notorious - a place where cage wires for example are close enough together (like in cage corners) that the narrow part of the toe (where it meets the foot) can slide easily into, but the fat toetips will not go back through. If they are restrained by a caught toe or tail, their instincts tell them t panic and explode out of the situation ASAP and they WILL pull a toe off or deglove a tail doing it. ANYPLACE where ANYTHING is closer that 3/8" apart needs to be filled, covered, or otherwise neutralized. Every cage and habitat I build I make with this foremost in mind, but the last thing I do before using the cage is go over every square inch of it and I almost ALWAY find something.

[Layla]

As usual, your recommendations are the best!
Thank you so much. I do not believe is anything in this cage that has small openings but nonetheless, I will go over inch by inch. We know the things we may not see easily; they will find them right away :/
She seems to be doing better. No licking today, but still protecting the hand. I will keep an eye. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!

[Layla]

I just wanted to post an update; She is doing better; she seems to favor that hand less than before, even though she is still lifting it. I checked her cage, and I only found one area that was about half of 3/8 of an inch; otherwise, it seems very well made.
THank you again for the help!