Small wound/absess

[Jordan_Fish]

While playing with my little Trixie today, I noticed she had a little wound on her rear right leg (see photos). Quick back story on her - I saved her last fall from a stray cat. She was born last spring. We had her diet all wrong for quite a while, and after posting here some months ago, we got her diet on point and have had her on calcium supplements for MBD for a little over a month now. The only thing the calcium supplements didn't seem to change is her hair loss. You can see some of her hair loss in the photos.

What should we do about this sore? I played with her for nearly an hour before realizing it was there, so she doesn't seem to be favoring it or in pain. It's a little hard to tell from the photos, but there is actually a little knot under it that I am kind of able to move around. It's very possible she snagged it on something as her cage is homemade. I'll be going over it very closely tomorrow to ensure I get anything that could have caused it.

I read that peroxide is a no no because it can eat good and bad flesh. I also read that Neosporin only works if they can't chew on it or lick it (which she will), because it can give them diarrhea. We do have a good variety of antibiotics on hand, but don't know what is and isn't safe. I currently have no way to get her exact weight, but she doesn't have any type of weight issues.

The closest vet that will see her is almost an hour away (I'm in western MD), and I'm afraid she will just try to keep her if I take her out there. I'm willing to give it a shot though if it's needed.

Thoughts?

Hopefully these images upload correctly. First time doing pictures:

[SammysMom]

Is this sort of on her "shin"? Does she have a bald strip along the whole leg? I think that keeping it clean and watching it for a day or so is probably the way to go. In the meantime, do you have access to any antibiotics? Specifically something called Bactrim aka SMZ? This could be helpful if it appears to be getting infected and would be a good thing to have on hand.

[Jordan_Fish]

It would be considered her "shin". The bald strip does go the length of her leg, but both of her legs have that bald strip and have had them for months. She actually has a bald strip on both of her sides all the way up to just behind her front legs. They have also been there for months (like 6 months). I could post some photos if needed. Do you think it's related?

I do not have that particular antibiotic. The slight knot makes me think it could be infected, but it does look really clean. If it doesn't get better in a day or two, I'll look into getting some or calling the wildlife rehabber I mentioned in my original post.

[stepnstone]

The injury looks pretty fresh.
I would suggest using diluted Betadine (Providone-iodine) to
clean and a light coat of neosporin or other Ab ointment at
least 2 x per day.
I have used neosporin many a year on my babies of all ages
and have never had any issues with diarrhea. My vet has even
recommended the use of it. Unless someone's squirrel got hold
of a tube of it and ate a good portion, I have a hard time believing
what you read to be factual.
...Except for the Peroxide, that is true.

BTW... Do take a good body shot so we can observe the pattern of fur loss.

[Jordan_Fish]

This is what her bald spots look like:



Let me know if you would like a more clear image. I just had her out rough housing and she was still pretty wired and didn't want to sit still.

It's nearly identical on both sides. She has a few pouches in her cage made from fleece. We have three pet sugar gliders in the house as well, so we had a bunch of fleece shelving and fleece to make her stuff to sleep on/in. The pouch she really seems to like has an opening in the top just big enough for her to go into. Do you think her rubbing her sides and back legs when entering and exiting the pouch(es) could be causing it?

[Mel1959]

I have heard of squirrels losing fur as a result of continuously rubbing against something. You might try a different fleece cube that has a larger opening or a hammock with a blanket yo hide under and see if the hair grows back.

[Jordan_Fish]

We have some other stuff in the cage, all fleece, that she sleeps in. Currently she is in a "fleece tree". It's just squares that you sew the corners to the edges and it creates layers to hide stuff in, or in her case, sleep in. I'll try completely removing the pouches with small openings and see if it gets better. Any ideas on how long it can take for her to regrow her fur?

[Mel1959]

I don't know for sure, but I'd guess a few months.