Two 12 week olds ~ Sudden deaths

[KendallColorado]

I read through the forums and found the comments about diet and such as what some of you attributed to the sudden death of a squirrel a few years back, but I am not sure I agree.

One of our foster homes for two squirrels just had two die suddenly last night and I am perplexed as to the cause. They were both raised on zoologic milk replacer and fed a proper diet that we use for hundreds of squirrels a year at our rescue facility.

The squirrels spent their first day outside (temps in the mid 70's) yesterday in a cage inside a larger enclosure. Both ate well in the morning and were active as usual. When the couple fostering them came home, one was on the floor of the cage pretty much lifeless and the other was still running around. I instructed them to bring her inside, warm her up and administer fluids if needed. She perked up for about 5 minutes, then died. Her brother followed the same path and was dead within the hour.

My initial guess is poisoning of some sort, whether on a food product or intentionally from a human. There is a larger (1.5 year old) in the enclosure eating the same diet and she has not been affected.

This couple is heartbroken and I am at a loss as too cause. We handle about 500 squirrels per year and have never seen this happen. I am having them bring in the squirrels and would like to have some lab work done to perhaps rule out poisoning. There were no early warning signs or symptoms.

Any thoughts or advice?

Kendall
Squirrel Creek Wildlife Rescue

[HRT4SQRLS]

Hi Kendell,
I'm sorry this tragedy happen to these babies. How horrible?

When diet is attributed to the death of squirrels, we are referring to a total break down of the rules regarding proper nutrition. As a rehabber, such as yourself that has been involved with so many successful releases I'm sure you are familiar with a healthy diet for squirrel in regard to calcium/ phosphate ratios. At TSB we see many newbies come here with squirrels seizing and paralyzed and yes ... dead... due to a diet of nuts and sunflower seeds. Most people have NO idea about the importance of a calcium rich-phosphate low diet. These are the type of scenarios that lead us to always suspect diet first. It's what we rule out first. In cases where diet is NOT the case of illness or death, we look for other things. These was a case last year of acorns with aflatoxins that killed 6 squirrels at one time.

There was a very similar case to yours last year on this board. Two squirrels dead in the release cage for no apparent reason. I don't remember the outcome. I'll see if I can find it. Is there any other information that you have. What were they eating as far as solid food?

You said there is a larger 1 1/2 year old in the enclosure. The same enclosure? Were they together? If they were, I would suspect the older, larger squirrel. They will bully them.

Give us more info and maybe someone will have ideas. Sorry about this loss.

Welcome to The Squirrel Board.

[stepnstone]

Hi Kendell,
I'm sorry this tragedy happen to these babies. How horrible?

When diet is attributed to the death of squirrels, we are referring to a total break down of the rules regarding proper nutrition. As a rehabber, such as yourself that has been involved with so many successful releases I'm sure you are familiar with a healthy diet for squirrel in regard to calcium/ phosphate ratios. At TSB we see many newbies come here with squirrels seizing and paralyzed and yes ... dead... due to a diet of nuts and sunflower seeds. Most people have NO idea about the importance of a calcium rich-phosphate low diet. These are the type of scenarios that lead us to always suspect diet first. It's what we rule out first. In cases where diet is NOT the case of illness or death, we look for other things. These was a case last year of acorns with aflatoxins that killed 6 squirrels at one time.

There was a very similar case to yours last year on this board. Two squirrels dead in the release cage for no apparent reason. I don't remember the outcome. I'll see if I can find it. Is there any other information that you have. What were they eating as far as solid food?

You said there is a larger 1 1/2 year old in the enclosure. The same enclosure? Were they together? If they were, I would suspect the older, larger squirrel. They will bully them.

Give us more info and maybe someone will have ideas. Sorry about this loss.

Welcome to The Squirrel Board.

HRT

[KendallColorado]

The older squirrel is in the main enclosure due to recovering from a gun shot injury. The younger two were in a cage within the enclosure.

We had a necropsy performed last night and found the cause of death to be poison. With no scarring on any internal organs, it would seem to be a powerful poison killing them within a few hours at the longest. Something like rat poison takes a while and results in various signs and symptoms.

It would seem that this was human inflicted and we suspect a neighbor to the foster couple does not think much of squirrels. They now have to install security cameras it would seem.

The lab is going to look at the stomach contents this week to see if we can determine how the poison was administered.

Overall, this is very difficult and frustrating.

Kendall
Squirrel Creek Wildlife Rescue

[CritterMom]

The older squirrel is in the main enclosure due to recovering from a gun shot injury. The younger two were in a cage within the enclosure.

We had a necropsy performed last night and found the cause of death to be poison. With no scarring on any internal organs, it would seem to be a powerful poison killing them within a few hours at the longest. Something like rat poison takes a while and results in various signs and symptoms.

It would seem that this was human inflicted and we suspect a neighbor to the foster couple does not think much of squirrels. They now have to install security cameras it would seem.

The lab is going to look at the stomach contents this week to see if we can determine how the poison was administered.

Overall, this is very difficult and frustrating.

Kendall
Squirrel Creek Wildlife Rescue

This is what I suspected. They may want to start releasing elsewhere - perhaps raise them then pass to another rehabber. They don't need cameras. They need landmines...

[Mommaluvy]

Please keep us posted . This is terrible. I feel so bad for the couple and the squees!

[czarina]

I am so sorry for this couple. Please reassure them that they had no way of knowing the monsters next door would do something this horrific.

And good idea, they can raise in their home, and release elsewhere.

Hopefully, wildlife authorities can at the very least, go and speak to the suspected poisoners, and scare the crap out of them.

Looking forward to your input. We have lots of interesting cases come thru here.