Red swollen foot

[ooonze]

I feed many friends (squirrels) in my back yard. I had 1 with 2 swollen feet, and 1 with 1 swollen foot. The one with 1 swollen foot, well his foot became worse in the last week. It is HUGE! Has anyone ever seen this? I put out 3 small things of fresh spring water and I give them peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, brazil nuts & hazel nuts. They are partial to the walnuts and hazelnuts.

[Charley Chuckles]

Oh I'm so sorry this looks so painful and I can't say what's going on 😳 injury of some kind I imagine 😔
I'm sure a course of antibiotics are in order if you can medicated on a nut but I'll let others chime in.......
This will bump your thread 🙏

[Mel1959]

No Brazil nuts. They have too much selenium for squirrels.

It’s possible that there is a fine piece of thread wrapped around his leg or foot. It would be best if you could trap him in a live trap so the foot and leg could be examined.

[island rehabber]

Can't be thread if there is more than one squirrel with more than one injured foot. I suspect they could have walked through something as...battery acid? Poor babies. I agree that a medicated pecan or walnut for a few days may help.

[ooonze]

Thank you for all the replies. I have not seen my friend with 2 bad feet so I am hoping its because they have gotten better They were not nearly as bad as this but they were pretty bad. They were both hopping around.

Also thank you for the tip on the brazil nuts, they were part of the mixed nut bag, I am out of them so I will be sure to buy each separately so they can still get the pecans without bad brazil nuts!

If this foot does not get better soon, I read on another thread or reddit about a have a heart trap. however, I have no idea what to do with him once trapped. Does anyone know or have any contacts that would know of a squirrel person/caretaker in Northeast NJ, I am in Clifton. Or are you referring to some kind of medicine I can get online? I would do that if I had some guidance on what to get and how much to give. I was in tears yesterday when I saw how big his little foot got! I was worried to about the darn hawk that has been around even today (before I saw him thankfully). I put the squirrel warning call from youtube on my speaker!

[ooonze]

I found the pictures I took, 2 from 02/05 and the one I took of my friend with 2 bad feet on 02/04. The pictures on the 1st post were from today 02/19.

You can see how much worse the 1 footer got in 2 weeks time.

[Charley Chuckles]

🙏🙏🙏

[Mel1959]

Do you have any antibiotics on hand? Please post what you have and the strength. Call around to family and friends to see what you can locate.

[Diggie's Friend]

Not negating prior prognosis's; yet I have seen a whole foot in an adult squirrel just like this that was caused by an abscess.

The squirrel then captured because treatment in this case required hands on assistance; the diagnosis then confirmed,

was treated, and when recovered was released.

Again not saying this is an abscess as that would need to be confirmed upon intake.

[ooonze]

My boyfriend said he thinks he has some left from when his dog was sick, she passed away a couple years ago so I imagine they would be less strong. He is at work and didn't pick up. I will have him check what exactly they are. Other than that I do not have anything. None of my friends near me have pets. I didn't see him today, although I had to travel far for work so I didn't get home until recently, almost 5pm. They start going home now. I bought "Exotic Nutrition Squirrel Booster" just arrived. It's a multi vitamin for squirrels I figure I can put some in the little water dishes I put out for them. I have one on an outdoor heating pad so it doesn't freeze and they are always drinking from them, and today they drank all that one since it was the only one that didn't freeze over!
Although now reading it, it says to sprinkle on food....ever hear of this stuff?

[ooonze]

Diggie-read your post and that is what I am worried about, however, I don't know how to catch him with so many friends, I also realize I have a "have a heart" trap but I worry it will irritate his little foot, and then I have no idea where to take him t get treated! I am going to search and see if I can find any squirrel vets/caretakers around in case the opportunity arises to treat him should he need it. It would also be reassuring to have in case someone else needs help.

[CritterMom]

My boyfriend said he thinks he has some left from when his dog was sick, she passed away a couple years ago so I imagine they would be less strong. He is at work and didn't pick up. I will have him check what exactly they are. Other than that I do not have anything. None of my friends near me have pets. I didn't see him today, although I had to travel far for work so I didn't get home until recently, almost 5pm. They start going home now. I bought "Exotic Nutrition Squirrel Booster" just arrived. It's a multi vitamin for squirrels I figure I can put some in the little water dishes I put out for them. I have one on an outdoor heating pad so it doesn't freeze and they are always drinking from them, and today they drank all that one since it was the only one that didn't freeze over!
Although now reading it, it says to sprinkle on food....ever hear of this stuff?

We very commonly use HUMAN antibiotics for the squirrels, so keep looking, but not for veterinary drugs, but leftover antibiotics from your human friends.

[Diggie's Friend]

Should a rehabber be found; there is a method to capture the squirrel which will work. (See my PM for further details).

[ooonze]

Good to know they use human antibiotics. I will ask around.
I am going to try to make sure I get home earlier tomorrow to be on the look out for him.
I also found a few wildlife refuge places near me, 2 close, that say they take squirrels and are listed as places to take injured animals, squirrels listed, in NJ. Nj licensed. I believe they volunteer their time.
NJAWR NJ Wildlife Rehabilitators

Thank you everyone so much for helping me with all this information!

[island rehabber]

Try Garden State Wildlife in Hollers if it's close to you.

[ooonze]

Still have not seen my friend since Sunday....I am worried but hoping for the best.
Just wanted to give an update
Hopefully he is resting and getting better after eating good amounts of food. Thank you all for all of the helpful info and support. I will let you know when I see him again (hopefully soon!) The other friends are eating the walnuts with sprinkled vitamins on top so at least they will be stronger going forward. This was a picture from a few weeks ago, it's so funny how they all took the same pose!

[ooonze]

UPDATE!!!
Yesterday I was so annoyed by 2 rats I had my BF set the trap. Luckily he went on to the live feed of the camera to check on it at 10:45PM. So I am just going to copy/paste the story as I told it to my friend because there is so much!
I am so thankful at the chain of events that led us to see him so he did not freeze to death alone in the cold or end up a victim to the cat or possom
I been seeing him get worse and been talking to people on the squirrel board as his foot been gettin more swollen. I had plans to try to catch him haven't seen since Monday
Found squirrel rehabber/refuge passaic county had it on laptop
Yesterday rat was passing me off so I told randy I wanted to set trap last night so we finally did
I have a heating pad for water not to freeze with towel over it, small rocks so towel doesn't blow away but I took away water for night, turned of heat but left pad and towel. So at 1045 last night randy decided to check the live fees since the alert hadn't gone off and he saw something fuzzy on the towel
I saw the tail and in shock I said THAT'S A SQUIRREL!
You sent
I didn't know what to do it 1045 at night! I didn't wanna scare it, didn't know why it was out at night if was baby lost or regular injured
It kept spinning like trying to get warm and comfortable. I shined a light slightly and saw him kinda struggling so I quickly grabbed small box put fluffy hand towel and walnuts in it and so gently opened door to put outside. He didn't run so I knew he was not well

So then he kinda got up and started coming over but then he hobbled to the side of the house along it. I saw he was halfway to front a I yelled for randy and grabbed a big towel. He grabbed smow mittens and followed
You sent
He was just about at the front looking at is and pretty much let randy grab him and we placed him in towel and brought inside and out in an empty file box I had that had a lid

Then I called the numbers. Looking at the squirrel, at 1st we thought it was attacked because of the leg then i realized it was the foot really bad! Anyhoo, back tonthe calls. The 2nd one a lady actually answered, it was actually her home #!

She told me to keep him very warm and that Franklin animal hospital will take him but they don't open til AM. It's free, but they just not open. She said the lady who will take him is Donna, and then she said she would give me Donna emergency contact to leave a message I'll be bringing him. We'll, DONNA ANSWERED!
She was at the hospital happen to be caring for and feeding other animals and she said she would wait for me if I wanted to bring him now and she would stabilize him and set him up for her to work on in the morning

So I put another towel on him for extra warmth and held the box in my lap while randy drove and I kept checking to make sure he was still breathing and we got him there! As of this morning he still alive hopefully Donna will give me more good news, but I have to say I am so thankful my little friend was warm and loved and in caring hands instead of alone in the cold on the ground. Here he is in the box before we took him. Thank you all SO MUCH for all you help, support & advice and Diggie detailed instructions on how to trap should I need to in the future!

[ooonze]

UPDATE!!!
Yesterday I was so annoyed by 2 rats I had my BF set the trap. Luckily he went on to the live feed of the camera to check on it at 10:45PM. So I am just going to copy/paste the story as I told it to my friend because there is so much!
I am so thankful at the chain of events that led us to see him so he did not freeze to death alone in the cold or end up a victim to the cat or possom
I been seeing him get worse and been talking to people on the squirrel board as his foot been gettin more swollen. I had plans to try to catch him haven't seen since Monday
Found squirrel rehabber/refuge passaic county had it on laptop
Yesterday rat was passing me off so I told randy I wanted to set trap last night so we finally did
I have a heating pad for water not to freeze with towel over it, small rocks so towel doesn't blow away but I took away water for night, turned of heat but left pad and towel. So at 1045 last night randy decided to check the live fees since the alert hadn't gone off and he saw something fuzzy on the towel
I saw the tail and in shock I said THAT'S A SQUIRREL!

I didn't know what to do it 1045 at night! I didn't wanna scare it, didn't know why it was out at night if was baby lost or regular injured
It kept spinning like trying to get warm and comfortable. I shined a light slightly and saw him kinda struggling so I quickly grabbed small box put fluffy hand towel and walnuts in it and so gently opened door to put outside. He didn't run so I knew he was not well

So then he kinda got up and started coming over but then he hobbled to the side of the house along it. I saw he was halfway to front a I yelled for randy and grabbed a big towel. He grabbed smow mittens and followed
You sent
He was just about at the front looking at is and pretty much let randy grab him and we placed him in towel and brought inside and out in an empty file box I had that had a lid

Then I called the numbers. Looking at the squirrel, at 1st we thought it was attacked because of the leg then i realized it was the foot really bad! Anyhoo, back tonthe calls. The 2nd one a lady actually answered, it was actually her home #!

She told me to keep him very warm and that Franklin animal hospital will take him but they don't open til AM. It's free, but they just not open. She said the lady who will take him is Donna, and then she said she would give me Donna emergency contact to leave a message I'll be bringing him. We'll, DONNA ANSWERED!
She was at the hospital happen to be caring for and feeding other animals and she said she would wait for me if I wanted to bring him now and she would stabilize him and set him up for her to work on in the morning

So I put another towel on him for extra warmth and held the box in my lap while randy drove and I kept checking to make sure he was still breathing and we got him there! As of this morning he still alive hopefully Donna will give me more good news, but I have to say I am so thankful my little friend was warm and loved and in caring hands instead of alone in the cold on the ground. Here he is in the box before we took him. Thank you all SO MUCH for all you help, support & advice and Diggie detailed instructions on how to trap should I need to in the future!

[TomahawkFlyers]

I don't easily cry. There are tears on my cheek.

[Charley Chuckles]

I'm praying they can help him however he came to you and he knew he was loved ❤️ squirrels are so smart💖
I'm sure they will give you an update 🙏