Baby with neurological symptoms

[Squirrleymom]

Hi, I am a licensed rehabber but this one is a first for me.. I have 3 babies that were brought to me at approximately 4 days old. They were on the ground next to their deceased mom and it’s suspected they fell out of a tree. They are now approximately 7 weeks old. Once they opened their eyes it became obvious that one of them has some neurological issues. He would walk in circles, have spontaneous uncontrollable movements, I was certain at the time that he could not see at all and would also tilt his head back. I brought him to the vet on August 28th and the vet gave him a dexamethasone injection. The vet confirmed that the retina detached in his left eye due to head injury but was unsure if he could see out of the right eye even though it appeared normal. There has been some improvement from the injection as he can walk a bit straighter. He still can’t climb without supervision as he will have one of his involuntary sling shot moments and get hurt. I now know he can definately see out of his right eye. He was put on meloxicam once daily from September 6- 10 but no further improvement has been seen. On September 11 the vet prescribed prednisolone once daily. Instead of the meloxicam. My question is is there anyone who has had a similar experience and what was the projected prognosis? And what are some caging ideas? Right now he is in 2 single story critter nation cages that are put together side by side with cardboard zip tied to the sides of it so that he can’t climb

[olorin19]

What is your squirrel’s name?

As far as caging ideas -

Ziggy was a quadriplegic w limited use of all four limbs. While he would climb a bit if given the chance, he did not have the ability to turn around and descend, so would eventuallly just let go and fall. (I tested this being there to catch him.)

So in his case, what I wanted was a cage large enough in L x W so he could move around and have a decent live when in the cage alone. But the cage needed to be set up so that climbing was limited.

I went to Home Depot and bought wire closet shelving. I have bolt cutters so could cut to length at home. When used as the sides of the cage, the individual bars of the shelving are running vertically, so no way to climb it. There is also a horizontal bar about 3,5” from one edge. I had this near the bottom of each side, which was perfect for Ziggy as he could pull himself up.

Perhaps your cage could have a higher area that was enclosed and only reachable by climbing up and down a padded chute? That way your squirrel could go high to sleep and feel safe but be fairly safe from falling.

Placing pads or pillows covered in fleece (or just piles of fleece) strategically could also cushion any falls that did happen - where cage construction could limit the height of any fall.

While I had Ziggy before my work from home era began, I managed to have Ziggy out of the cage at least 40hours/week. He was most happy either crawling around in the grass or inside my sweatshirt I would tuck it into my sweatpants so he did not fall out the bottom.

The best life for your guy may well involve lots of time being handled.

.

[Squirrleymom]

Thank you! I love the name Ziggy, I’ve got a Ziggy too!! Your baby sounds amazing! My little one’s name is Guppy. His 2 brothers are Stitch and Ziggy. I do have his cage thoroughly padded already. But right now I don’t want him to climb at all unless supervised because when he does fling himself he sometimes doesn’t let go of the cage with his back left foot and I’m scared he will break his leg that way. I’m praying the steroids he is now on will help him improve enough to be able to climb without fear of hurting himself. As of now he’s only in the cage when he’s napping, if I’m feeding the other squirrel babies I’m rehabbing or if I have to leave the house. I’m working hard with him to build up his strength and coordination. I’ve rehabbed a neuro baby in the past but his issues weren’t nearly as severe as Guppy’s and that one ended up being a successful release. It sounds like you’re doing a wonderful job with your Ziggy, thank you for saving him and loving him!

[olorin19]

That's funny that you have a Ziggy as well!

Our Ziggy is long gone, having passed away in 2018. Even after many squirrels since then, Ziggy will always have a special place in our hearts. And thinking of Ziggy always makes us smile.

With Ziggy, it was an ongoing process of figuring out what sort of cage and environment outside the cage worked best for him. He had limited mobility, so zero chance of escape, but also totally defenseless. So lots of outdoor time, since he loved crawling around on the grass or in the mulch. But always with one of us standing right there beside him.

With Guppy, like with Ziggy, the trick is figuring out his unique and specific needs then doing the best job possible to provide them.

Good luck, and keep us updated!

[Squirrleymom]

I am so sorry for the passing of your Ziggy, he will forever hold a special place in your heart. For as small as they are they really make a huge impact on our lives. I will keep you updated, thank you so much!