Grey Squirrel with injured left front paw

[tomcics]

I started noticing one of the greys limping a couple days ago but hard to get a good photo of the injury, I still am not sure if it is to the wrist or finger, I do see what looks like a deep cut. I will post a couple photos and if you can blow it up, your vision might be better than mine. Not sure what I can do for it, it can still climb up a tree, still very feisty and lively and eating a lot too. Thanks in advance for any support, Tom

[BigNibbler]

Maybe give him some easy to eat food, that he does not have to negotiate cracking open, or is tempted to bury.
Hopefully it was not caused by a metallic or human engineered edge.
Could have been a flailing fingernail demonstratively aimed by a more dominant squirrel.
does not look that serious.. will probably heal in a week.

[tomcics]

Thank you for quick response, squirrel is eating very well, regardless of what I give her. Hope she heals quickly

[TubeDriver]

Yikes... poor fellow.

IDK but that looks pretty deep to me but its hard to say with certainty. I think the injury is below the wrist, close to the top of his finger or fingers. If the cut is deep enough, he could loose a finger or two but I can't be certain from the photos. If enough of the vasculature and connective tissue are intact, it will probably heal up given some time. I think you have 2 options:

1) try to provide him with daily food and water so he does not have to rely on using that injured paw much. Try to get some additional photos which may provide more detail about the extent of the injury. If he heals up in the next couple weeks, great! If not, see option 2.

2) bring him in so he can rest and try to allow him to heal. You can also medicate him more easily if needed.


If he is still moving around, climbing pretty quickly, I would probably start with option 1 and hope that Big Nibbler's assessment is correct. Keep us informed of his progress over the next week and I'll cross my fingers.

[tomcics]

Yikes... poor fellow.

IDK but that looks pretty deep to me but its hard to say with certainty. I think the injury is below the wrist, close to the top of his finger or fingers. If the cut is deep enough, he could loose a finger or two but I can't be certain from the photos. If enough of the vasculature and connective tissue are intact, it will probably heal up given some time. I think you have 2 options:

1) try to provide him with daily food and water so he does not have to rely on using that injured paw much. Try to get some additional photos which may provide more detail about the extent of the injury. If he heals up in the next couple weeks, great! If not, see option 2.

2) bring him in so he can rest and try to allow him to heal. You can also medicate him more easily if needed.


If he is still moving around, climbing pretty quickly, I would probably start with option 1 and hope that Big Nibbler's assessment is correct. Keep us informed of his progress over the next week and I'll cross my fingers.

Thanks Pete, I will follow first option and try to keep you posted.

[olorin19]

Is there any chance there is a finger missing?

It is really hard to tell from these photos. Maybe it is just the angle and the other fingers are just not visible?

[BigNibbler]

Much wider than a single finger.
Can you get a photo with him examining a Walnut.
Maybe a video?

Re bringing him inside.... if you did not raise him, 90 seconds after the door closes, he will panic and probably stress his hand against strange unknown surfaces more than being outside.

[tomcics]

Lana was by this morning with some other greys, I took a few photos, I really have a hard time telling how many fingers (can only see 2 with my eyes) are on that injured left front paw, although she is getting around very well.

[tomcics]

Much wider than a single finger.
Can you get a photo with him examining a Walnut.
Maybe a video?

Re bringing him inside.... if you did not raise him, 90 seconds after the door closes, he will panic and probably stress his hand against strange unknown surfaces more than being outside.

I am not able to trap or bring squirrels inside, I am under close watch by apartment management. My rule has always been, if they can climb a tree, I rather not stress them by trying to catch them. Thanks

[tomcics]

Is there any chance there is a finger missing?

It is really hard to tell from these photos. Maybe it is just the angle and the other fingers are just not visible?

I do not have good eyes but all the photos took above this morning, I can only make out two finger.

[olorin19]

I do not have good eyes but all the photos took above this morning, I can only make out two finger.

Thanks - so looks at least one but probably two missing fingers.

We had a friendly wild in my yard we called Mama Squirrel. We started feeding her when she was a young mama, so maybe 1 or 1.5 y.o.

A year later, she showed up one day and her front paw was a bloody mess.

I managed to give her clavamox using nut butter on half pecans, and she made a great recovery - these two photos are five weeks apart.

Mama Squirrel lost the second finger (equivalent of human middle finger) on her front paw but otherwise made a great recovery.

And Mama Squirrel was still a regular presence in our back yard for FOUR more years until the ripe of age of at least 6 y.o.!

Anyways, if there is any sign of infection, it is well worth trying clavamox as described in this thread.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...ured-front-paw

[TubeDriver]

I only see two fingers.

Hopefully that injury will heal up without getting infected. We had a squirrel, Spaz, who was missing most of her fingers on a front paw. She was a regular visitor for many years. So, while this is a significant injury, she can still lead a long, productive life!

[BigNibbler]

I was wrong!
If you look at the first two photos... by the OP, it looks like his left paw's fingers are folded, like with a closed hand.
But now that I studied closer, you can see the one long, normal finger, extending open all the way across to the OTHER hand.
So that red line, which I first interpreted as deep scratch across the back of her hand was actually the termination of her two other fingers, with her second finger, probably limply behind the first demonstrative appendage clearly visible in that first photo.
And this coincides with the recent photos added.

[tomcics]

Thanks - so looks at least one but probably two missing fingers.

We had a friendly wild in my yard we called Mama Squirrel. We started feeding her when she was a young mama, so maybe 1 or 1.5 y.o.

A year later, she showed up one day and her front paw was a bloody mess.

I managed to give her clavamox using nut butter on half pecans, and she made a great recovery - these two photos are five weeks apart.

Mama Squirrel lost the second finger (equivalent of human middle finger) on her front paw but otherwise made a great recovery.

And Mama Squirrel was still a regular presence in our back yard for FOUR more years until the ripe of age of at least 6 y.o.!

Anyways, if there is any sign of infection, it is well worth trying clavamox as described in this thread.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...ured-front-paw

Nice to see Mama Squirrel recovered and lived long after, thanks for sharing. I do not have access to Clavamox.

[tomcics]

I only see two fingers.

Hopefully that injury will heal up without getting infected. We had a squirrel, Spaz, who was missing most of her fingers on a front paw. She was a regular visitor for many years. So, while this is a significant injury, she can still lead a long, productive life!

Good to hear Spaz survived so long with similar injury. I will continue to monitor Lana, she comes by usually daily.

[tomcics]

I was wrong!
If you look at the first two photos... by the OP, it looks like his left paw's fingers are folded, like with a closed hand.
But now that I studied closer, you can see the one long, normal finger, extending open all the way across to the OTHER hand.
So that red line, which I first interpreted as deep scratch across the back of her hand was actually the termination of her two other fingers, with her second finger, probably limply behind the first demonstrative appendage clearly visible in that first photo.
And this coincides with the recent photos added.

Thanks for the added detail and interpretation of the injury, as my own eyes are not that great.

[olorin19]

Nice to see Mama Squirrel recovered and lived long after, thanks for sharing. I do not have access to Clavamox.

It is not clear to me whether or not Lana’s paw is infected. My best guess is that this will heal on its own, but I defer to the experts.

Anyways, if there is an infection, somebody at TSB might be able to help you get ABs.