blind in one eye

[madeesawn]

i posted a while ago about a squirrel with a potential defect here:

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...lformation-or-!

i actually never saw him again... until today. his head is much more normally shaped now but its definitely the same squirrel. i think he is blind in one eye, that side if his face looks a little bit off (hard to explain). and he goes in circles when he is looking for something, but not really like the spastic circling/running sideways with neurological problems, and he doesnt fall over.

he does run straight if he isnt looking for something on the ground, it seems.. he can stand and climbs alright, as well as groom himself.

like i said, i havent seen him once since early october, but he looks well fed and healthy otherwise.

i guess i dont know what im asking, just how to support him. ill try to get a video today

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

i posted a while ago about a squirrel with a potential defect here:

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...lformation-or-!

i actually never saw him again... until today. his head is much more normally shaped now but its definitely the same squirrel. i think he is blind in one eye, that side if his face looks a little bit off (hard to explain). and he goes in circles when he is looking for something, but not really like the spastic circling/running sideways with neurological problems, and he doesnt fall over.

he does run straight if he isnt looking for something on the ground, it seems.. he can stand and climbs alright, as well as groom himself.

like i said, i havent seen him once since early october, but he looks well fed and healthy otherwise.

i guess i dont know what im asking, just how to support him. ill try to get a video today

Hello Madeesawn:
Thanks you for the update! A video would be good if you can make one. Videos cannot be uploaded directly to a thread and must be placed on a site such as YouTube and then you can post a link to the video in your thread.

Thank you also for your concern about this little Squirrel and for your desire to somehow "support" him! IMHO, at this point, IF your intent is to let him remain wild (this would be my recommendation); your concern for and caring about this Little One is probably enough support! Afterall, he is a wild Squirrel and has survived and apparently thrived while being totally on his own!

Certainly you can offer food and as far as offering food to wilds; I have feelings both ways about this common practice that I confess I indulge in every day! There are risks to probably everything but some of the potential risks to feeding wild Squirrels include the facts that they will tend to subdue some of their natural wariness and fears in order to come to your "food area(s)" and this may make them more susceptible to attacks from predators; they may cross busy streets (which they do too much of anyway) to get to your readily available meal supplements; and if you interact with them on a regular basis or hand feed them, they may expect other humans to do the same if they approach others and this may result in less than desirable events that may negatively impact their precious lives!

I'm just telling you about some of the potential issues (and there are many more) about "the other side" to feeding wildlife! I do it but I don't personally interact with them but even as I say this, I know it is not the complete truth. I guess I should have said I try my best to not interact with them but I do! Make whatever you want of my meandering commentary!

Squirrels with one eye have been successfully released! It would obviously make sense to say that having one eye could affect vision and awareness to at least some degree and having only one eye could easily result in a total disaster if that "good" eye became injured BUT, for a young Squirrel who has not known anything but "one-eyedness" they readily tend to wild-up and presumably function well in the wild with the aforementioned risks! Wilds who have lost an eye are the ones most likely to be uncomfortable as captives and seek to be back in the wild and they are probably the higher risk Squirrels as they must learn how to compensate for the lost eye and especially early on in their release (IF released at all), I feel they are at high risk until they become accustomed to the limitations of "one eyedness!" It seems that your apparently one-eyed Squirrel is is quite functional in the wild and currently, at least, needs no interventions! I would suggest that you do as you are doing and watch out for him and if you notice any evidence of decompensation or problems that would make being in the wild a higher risk than it normally is for a Squirrel, humane trapping and captivity may be an option but I would reserve that decision for any events that would seem directly to impart significant additional risks to survival in the wild!

Again, thanks for your caring for this little Squirrel and please post the videos!

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[madeesawn]

he shares a nest with his family in my deck, its underneath the slats between the crossbeams, so i know he doesn't have far to go (literally 15 feet, lol.

thank you for your response! i just dont know how hes been getting along like this without me seeing him once... i have a squirrel cam on my deck and im often outside and see the others multiple times a day

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

he shares a nest with his family in my deck, its underneath the slats between the crossbeams, so i know he doesn't have far to go (literally 15 feet, lol.

thank you for your response! i just dont know how hes been getting along like this without me seeing him once... i have a squirrel cam on my deck and im often outside and see the others multiple times a day

This sounds like a mystery! I suspect that he utilizing a Squirrel Cam Cloaking Device!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[madeesawn]

here is a video of him. he cant seem to find the seeds right in front of him, then you can see him sort of doing circles , then running straight, then climbing back up where the seeds are, then up the railing thing/the pillar. i edited the clips all together so you wouldnt have to watch through irrelevant footage lol.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xoR...w?usp=drivesdk

[TubeDriver]

He has a bit of an odd look but he seems to move around ok and he is a decent weight. As long as his climbing skills seem ok (he did slip a bit when going up your railing) I would think he will be alright out there. Having some food and a bowl of fresh water (clean and change out daily) will also help him and make his life a little easier. He is lucky to have a friend looking after him!

here is a video of him. he cant seem to find the seeds right in front of him, then you can see him sort of doing circles , then running straight, then climbing back up where the seeds are, then up the railing thing/the pillar. i edited the clips all together so you wouldnt have to watch through irrelevant footage lol.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xoR...w?usp=drivesdk