Hello everyone, I had an awful day. I am a rehabber in MA. I live on a lake and I just released some grey squirrels about a month ago. I get home from work and look outside by my bird feeder. I see a squirrel stagering around ataxic wobbly on his feet. I run outside and go close and he climbs the tree clearly neurologic. I then panic wondering if it was one of mine but mine come up saying hey you got any snacks? So then I see the squirrel fall from the tree now I am in panic mode thinking he could hurt himself. I got gloves and a towel and caught him and got him in a carrier while I had time to think. He had no wounds blood or trauma I could see. He was using all legs just head tilting and ataxic. So then I read up on Racoon Roundworm. It affects squirrels, the larvae enter their central nervous system making them neuro. I really felt like this is what he had especially because we see so many raccoons here. I brought him to my Veterinarian and we humanly euthanized. He was suffering. After reading up on this disease it sounds like there is no treatment.

After getting in my car I sobbed. It hurts every part of my being to euthanize espescially a younger squirrel who had a full life ahead of them. Even though I know it is the most humane option it still hurts. So I am reaching out because I need to learn from this. Has anyone ever seen this? Are there treatments for this? Please help because I couldn’t bare seeing that again. Like I said I have many raccoons here and I know their roundworm eggs are very hard to kill in the soil. Only heat will kill the eggs. Thank you to all