Please Help!

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Please let me know if you need other resources for a vet. I know of a couple of vets near San Antonio, but can’t confirm they take squirrels….it’s worth calling, though. I know there’s a vet in Grapevine, TX that sees squirrels.

If the tooth is broken, it will undoubtedly grow back provided the tooth bed hasn’t been damaged. I have a released squirrel that has broken a top tooth a couple of times and it regrew. What you will need to watch for is the lower tooth over-growing in the meantime. It may require a trim until the top is fully grown.

Thanks Mel:
The facility in Grapevine is Texas Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital. Unfortunately, they also invariably have at least a 2 week waiting list for appointments! It would be worth checking, however! Of great concern, though, is that if TAEAH is unable to timely schedule an appointment, their receptionist (as well as their after hours message) makes a referral to an associated Emergency Veterinary Clinic that I talked with personally in the fairly recent past and was informed that if a Squirrel is brought there, they will confiscate it! I would of course strongly recommend NOT using that Emergency Facility. I recently did call Texas Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital and at that time, they were still willing to to see Squirrels and not confiscate or euthanize them but if anyone is considering using TAEAH, (or really any facility!), it would be wise to verify at the time you place your call to make an appointment that they still safely see and treat Squirrels. The same advice goes for Summertree Veterinary Hospital in Dallas that I had mentioned in this Thread. They have consistently been Squirrel Friendly and Squirrel Experienced but it would be advisable to check with them at the time of making an appointment to verify that this is still true!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Mel1959]

All very good info StS. If this is simply a broken tooth, there may not be an emergency and the poster can make an appointment at a safe vet…be it the one in Grapevine or another one. The appointment will verify what’s going on with an X-ray and possible trimming. So two weeks out might be an ideal option so the trimming can take place, if necessary.

[Olly&Gia]

Thank you Sam and Mel,

I gave her the infant ibuprofen last night. She slept well. This morning she was all perked up excited about for her breakfast as usual. The swelling on her lip and mouth its pretty much gone. I gave her soft boo balls I made for her yesterday. She ate that and some banana then went out to her smaller cage outside.

I will call Dr. E in a little bit, running some errands right now. We probably just going to drive her to Dallas if they are willing to take her in.

[Olly&Gia]

I will call Dr. E in Florida. We can drive her there too just worry about how stressful this could be for her.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Please keep on with updates. If you travel, have a safe journey!
StS

[Olly&Gia]

Thank you, Sam

Looks like going Florida it’s the last hope for Gia.
Called 3 places they won’t take her and sent 2 email. One to summer tree this is their response: Good afternoon. From the images and description it looks like the tooth may need to be extracted. Our best recommendation would be to reach out to Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital, as they are the referral hospital for more complex exotic dental procedures. Their phone number is (817) 853-8560.

As Sam mentioned taking her there she will not be returning home. I’m still waiting for a response from the Florida clinic.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Thank you, Sam

Looks like going Florida it’s the last hope for Gia.
Called 3 places they won’t take her and sent 2 email. One to summer tree this is their response: Good afternoon. From the images and description it looks like the tooth may need to be extracted. Our best recommendation would be to reach out to Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital, as they are the referral hospital for more complex exotic dental procedures. Their phone number is (817) 853-8560.

As Sam mentioned taking her there she will not be returning home. I’m still waiting for a response from the Florida clinic.

NO NO NO!!! Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital, itself, has a history of seeing, treating and returning Squirrels (but double check with them anyway to make sure nothing has changed! I was speaking ONLY about the Emergency Animal Clinic they refer to. That ER facility told me on two occasions that they will confiscate a Squirrel that is brought to them. DON"T Take Gia there! Please consider checking with the TAEH, itself, NOT the ER. My concern with them is that they usually have a relatively long wait! It would be much closer to go to Dallas but I doubt if many or any have more Squirrel Dental experience than Dr. E! IF Dr. E is an option for you, it would probably be the very best option!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Olly&Gia]

Got it! Thank you Sam.

[Tashahaven]

I believe StS said Texas avian and exotic clinic has successfully seen and released squirrels back to their owners, however the wait time is 2 weeks. It is the EMERGENCY clinic they refer out to after hours and such, that will confiscate. But either way, it’s worth reaching out to them to inquire about how far out an appointment would be, and also verify they are still willing to treat squirrels and let them go back home with you.

However if you are willing to make the drive to Dr.E she is the BEST. And has EXTENSIVE experience performing quite complicated surgeries on squirrels with dental issues. If you could get an appointment to see her and are willing to drive, do it! I’m all the way on the west coast, so she was never an option for me if I needed one. So I was always jealous of those in adjacent states to her

Wishing you the best with your girl! I’m happy to hear she is doing much better in regards to the MBD. And I’m sorry for this unfortunate setback. Poor baby.

BTW your outdoor enclosure is AMAZING! It’s a PALACE! Did you just build it for her? It’s incredible! All the tunnels and everything it’s fabulous, great job!

However, I’m not sure exactly how far she is in her MBD treatment, but my understanding is it takes quite a bit of time for her bones to actually get strong again. I worry maybe she did have a fall in the enclosure which could have caused the nose bleeding and tooth/jaw issue. She may not be healthy enough to be somewhere so tall and risk a fall and broken bones. Just a thought, others will chime in I’m sure. But I definitely think she should be in a smaller cage until they figure out what happened and what’s going on with her teeth/jaw.

Prayers are with you both! 💖💖

[Tashahaven]

StS must have been typing at the same time as me

[Mel1959]

NO NO NO!!! Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital, itself, has a history of seeing, treating and returning Squirrels (but double check with them anyway to make sure nothing has changed! I was speaking ONLY about the Emergency Animal Clinic they refer to. That ER facility told me on two occasions that they will confiscate a Squirrel that is brought to them. DON"T Take Gia there! Please consider checking with the TAEH, itself, NOT the ER. My concern with them is that they usually have a relatively long wait! It would be much closer to go to Dallas but I doubt if many or any have more Squirrel Dental experience than Dr. E! IF Dr. E is an option for you, it would probably be the very best option!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

The vet you want to see at Texas Avian and Exotic hospital is Dr. Natalie Antinoff. She has a long history of treating squirrels and is very good. Summer tree Animal and Bird Clinic in Sugarland also supposedly treats squirrels. The doctor there is Dr. Siu Rawks. I do not know how proficient this doctor is and I’d confirm they’re squirrel friendly before going there.

As I said before……I do not know if this qualifies as an emergency so a couple of weeks wait for an appointment is not a problem, in my mind. It would probably take that long to get in to see Dr. E plus you have the travel time. I believe Dr. E only works 3 days a week.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

The vet you want to see at Texas Avian and Exotic hospital is Dr. Natalie Antinoff. She has a long history of treating squirrels and is very good. Summer tree Animal and Bird Clinic in Sugarland also supposedly treats squirrels. The doctor there is Dr. Siu Rawks. I do not know how proficient this doctor is and I’d confirm they’re squirrel friendly before going there.

As I said before……I do not know if this qualifies as an emergency so a couple of weeks wait for an appointment is not a problem, in my mind. It would probably take that long to get in to see Dr. E plus you have the travel time. I believe Dr. E only works 3 days a week.

Hi Mel:
Thanks! The concern I have is that the tooth is NOT visibly broken and is actually angled laterally and somewhat caudally. Gia also is being treated for MBD. The apparent displacement of the tooth along with the MBD suggest to me anyway that there is a fracture or fractures of the maxillary portion of the skull. Also, Gia had some leakage of white tears and this also suggests to me the possibility of a problem with drainage of tears into the the nose from the left eye which is on the side of the injured tooth. If this is what is going on it is probably secondary to swelling and/or at least partial blockage of one or both of the lacrimal canals or the nasolacrimal duct. It is my opinion that Gia should have an urgent imaging study and a detailed examination with sedation performed which would at least be several views of the skull via x-ray or a CT. This would make it possible to determine if there are any skull fractures and if so whether or not bone fragments are displaced and whether or not the involved incisor is fractured more proximally (toward the root) where it is not obvious in the photos. If the incisor is simply fractured near to the gum line it could easily be extracted and most likely the remainder of tooth would continue to grow out normally. If there is a fracture of the bone surrounding the tooth as I suspect, this would need to be addressed and if there is communication between the mouth and any fractures, infection is a risk! I'm sure that you are correct in that there is no immediate risk to life but I do feel that this is urgent. A plan of action beyond determining when will Gia be seen depends upon quality imaging studies and I truly feel that she should have a detailed exam of the mouth region that would most likely need to be facilitated with inhaled anesthesia for sedation. I do believe this should be done sooner than later but again but of course this is my opinion only.
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Olly&Gia]

I believe StS said Texas avian and exotic clinic has successfully seen and released squirrels back to their owners, however the wait time is 2 weeks. It is the EMERGENCY clinic they refer out to after hours and such, that will confiscate. But either way, it’s worth reaching out to them to inquire about how far out an appointment would be, and also verify they are still willing to treat squirrels and let them go back home with you.

However if you are willing to make the drive to Dr.E she is the BEST. And has EXTENSIVE experience performing quite complicated surgeries on squirrels with dental issues. If you could get an appointment to see her and are willing to drive, do it! I’m all the way on the west coast, so she was never an option for me if I needed one. So I was always jealous of those in adjacent states to her

Wishing you the best with your girl! I’m happy to hear she is doing much better in regards to the MBD. And I’m sorry for this unfortunate setback. Poor baby.

BTW your outdoor enclosure is AMAZING! It’s a PALACE! Did you just build it for her? It’s incredible! All the tunnels and everything it’s fabulous, great job!

However, I’m not sure exactly how far she is in her MBD treatment, but my understanding is it takes quite a bit of time for her bones to actually get strong again. I worry maybe she did have a fall in the enclosure which could have caused the nose bleeding and tooth/jaw issue. She may not be healthy enough to be somewhere so tall and risk a fall and broken bones. Just a thought, others will chime in I’m sure. But I definitely think she should be in a smaller cage until they figure out what happened and what’s going on with her teeth/jaw.

Prayers are with you both! 💖💖

Thank You Tashahaven,

We will drive to Floria if we don't receive a response from the Texas Avian & Exotic Animal.

The MBD its still a big concern. She was doing so well eating her Henrys block in the morning. Now, I’m struggling with her new menu. Im making boo balls with the calcium dose, the rodent blocks, apple sauce and coconut oil. She ate 2 this morning but left 2 more untouched. She drinks water and I bough her a watermelon and blueberry.

Yes, my husband and I built the cage for her. It was for her and her brother during their pre-release phase. She also has a tree house but spends most of her time in her cage. The tunnel connects to 3 cages, the large one, then the smaller one connected to the window with pet door, then to her room where she has ropes and more hideouts. Her room used to be my studio but I gave her that space so she can get a good night's rest since my husband likes to watch tv loud and she enjoys the AC. I keep her door close at night and open during the day. The room worked out perfectly for her because it has a separate sink, and I wash all her dishes, clean towels, etc. everyday she’s so messy!


This is her tree house and when had her first baby.

[Olly&Gia]

She slept most part of the day ate more boo ball for dinner then went to bed. I gave her more ibuprofen.

[Olly&Gia]

I believe StS said Texas avian and exotic clinic has successfully seen and released squirrels back to their owners, however the wait time is 2 weeks. It is the EMERGENCY clinic they refer out to after hours and such, that will confiscate. But either way, it’s worth reaching out to them to inquire about how far out an appointment would be, and also verify they are still willing to treat squirrels and let them go back home with you.

However if you are willing to make the drive to Dr.E she is the BEST. And has EXTENSIVE experience performing quite complicated surgeries on squirrels with dental issues. If you could get an appointment to see her and are willing to drive, do it! I’m all the way on the west coast, so she was never an option for me if I needed one. So I was always jealous of those in adjacent states to her

Wishing you the best with your girl! I’m happy to hear she is doing much better in regards to the MBD. And I’m sorry for this unfortunate setback. Poor baby.

BTW your outdoor enclosure is AMAZING! It’s a PALACE! Did you just build it for her? It’s incredible! All the tunnels and everything it’s fabulous, great job!

However, I’m not sure exactly how far she is in her MBD treatment, but my understanding is it takes quite a bit of time for her bones to actually get strong again. I worry maybe she did have a fall in the enclosure which could have caused the nose bleeding and tooth/jaw issue. She may not be healthy enough to be somewhere so tall and risk a fall and broken bones. Just a thought, others will chime in I’m sure. But I definitely think she should be in a smaller cage until they figure out what happened and what’s going on with her teeth/jaw.

Prayers are with you both! 💖💖

Yesterday she completed the 3 weeks of her 600mg calcium carbonate daily dose. Today I began giving her a 100mg daily dose for the next 2 months. Before her injury, she was doing so well; active, running around, and desperate to go out she kept jumping in her smaller cage in a loop that's why I gave her access to the big enclosure area, and the next day, she got hurt. My heart dropped when I saw her face like that.

[Mel1959]

She needs to be confined to a smaller area until she finishes her MBD treatment. Have you also reached out to Dr. Emerson at Ravenwood Vet Clinic in Port Orange, FL 386-788-1550? She doesn’t work very many days every month and fills up very quickly. She is the only vet at the clinic that sees squirrels.

[Olly&Gia]

Yes, I called Dr. Emerson is out for the week for a family emergency, and she won't be available to see patients till Friday 16th.

Gia is now back in the smaller cage but seems stressed out, she wants to get to the larger enclosure. Every morning she gets like this and there white tears on the left eye. I only notice a fluid when she seems anxious.

[Olly&Gia]

I also called the Texas Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital in Dallas and they told me they only take squirrels if I'm a licensed rehabilitator. ;(

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Hi Ollie&Gia:
I just got home from work and will be headed back there shortly. I just noticed your posts indicating that so far, there is no Vet who is able to see Gia. I'm very sorry! It's also disappointing to find that Texas Avian and Exotic Hospital has now decided to require that a Squirrel must be accompanied by a licensed rehabber before they will agree to make an appointment.

One of the Rehab Facilities that Mel has noted is the Austin Wildlife Rescue Intake Center (512-472-9453). I wonder if they might have a suggestion for a Squirrel friendly and experienced Vet who can at least perform the initial evaluation of Gia which in my non-Vet opinion should at the very least include x-ray films of the skull and a focused exam of Gia's mouth and teeth which almost certainly require anesthesia!

How is Gia doing now?

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Tashahaven]

What about summertree vet in sugar land?! It looks to be 2hr 45 min from you… I have seen posts over the past 10 months, from folks who had many good things to say about them. Have you reached out to them?

🥰🥰