Grey Squirrel Has Fresh 1-1/4" Shoulder Wound, Would a Vet Treat IF I Capture?

[joejeweler]

Hi,...one of the approximately 25 adult Grey Squirrels I feed in my back yard daily had a fresh shoulder wound this morning, and my gut wrenched! He has about a 1-1/4" diameter flap of skin and fur dangling from his right shoulder. The wound is open, and a much smaller area near the center appears to have some muscle exposed,...about half a US Dime sized but doesn't appear to go very deep?

I have a pet carrier ready in the house, and have been attempting to safely capture the poor fella as outlined below,....but my question is in New York State (or anywhere, for that matter?), will a Vet treat the squirrel even if I'm willing to pay him? I want to give the little guy a fighting chance, and don't want them putting him down under some State regulation.

If a vet won't, and i can understand the issues with trying to manually handle a basically wild animal within a clinic, will an Iodine based salve ("Providine" 1% Iodine) stave off infection long enough for him to heal up,... if I'm able to capture him and tend to him for 3-4 weeks until he heals?

He came within a few feet of me this morning and I threw him a few Almonds. Once he ran off I laid out my large fish landing net on the ground (the green colored netting blends in well with my grass),..and when he came back I threw Almonds into the net, However, he only got 2 front and 1 rear leg over the net "frame",....so I never pulled it up as I doubt he'll give me more than one shot at this and was afraid he'll roll off the frame and away.

He came back 3 or 4 more times today also, but now that he's not as hungry after getting the first few Almonds, he won't come any closer than 5 feet or so. I'll try again later tonight.

Any advise would be most appreciated. :-)

Oh,...it was really irionic that while I had the net down, another one I call my "Big Boy" (because he has a lot of courage), sauntered right up to me as usual and took two Almonds from my hand, and another two that were showing in the net,...ALL the while walking into and standing FULLY inside the net frame for a full 3-5 seconds! Right net, wrong squirrel!,...geeze....!

He's always been a favorite of mine, and for a split second I thought out "it",....but I love this little guy and we've developed a trust over the last 3 years or so that I didn't want to lose. Last year I had TWO that would take nuts from my hand, and I can only the other guy moved on rather than passed on. :-( There are roads in front of my house that some squirrels have to cross to get to me, but traffic is fairly slow at 10-15 MPH, and rarely is a squirrel hit in the road, only 2-3 times over the last 10 years probably.

I always know my "Big Boy" is coming up to me too, because he sort of "saunters in" with a muscular shoulder stride unlike any of the others. He's confident and reminds me a how some human weightlifters sometimes look when walking. I bet he doesn't take any guff from my other furry friends! :-)

Any suggestions would be appreciated. If you've seen your backyard squirrels injured like this, what was the eventual outcome if left alone?

Thanks,
Joe T

[Mel1959]

Is he using his leg with the injury ok? Can he move fast to elude a predator? If the answer to these two questions is “yes” then you might want to reconsider putting him through the stress of catching him.

Squirrels are amazing healers. With that said, obviously the biggest concern is infection. It’s possible, but not very easy to dose antibiotics while they are in the wild. It’s success is dependent on them coming a couple of times a day and eating the nut that you’ve medicated....completely.

If you can catch him you are going to need some heavy gloves cause he’s gonna be mad and will bite the crap out of you. Cleaning the wound with diluted Betadine (20 drops in 1/4 cup of warm water) is what we recommend. If your going to treat to prevent infection you will need to check with family and friends to see what leftover antibiotics they might have. Someone on here can help you break it down and dose it.

Without seeing a picture it’s hard to determine how bad the injury is and the likelihood of infection or how quickly it might heal. You could always watch him for a couple days and see how the injury looks. Of course, I’d hate to have you do that and then have him stop coming and you not know how the healing process is coming along.

[Spanky]

Pictures always help experienced folks to assess... hard call about trapping wilds. They should not be trapped unless they are in desperate need of help since it stresses them so much, but sometimes it can be their only hope.

If you do trap him, be sure to have a plan and prepared ahead. You'll likely need a non-plastic cage to contain an adult as they can chew through things like plastic dog crates luckily. You'll want to place him in a dark, quiet place if you catch him... lots of fleece in the cage for him to hide under. Water, some food... watermelon, apple and the like will provide extra hydration. A plan is important since this is a holiday weekend and even if a vet is found, it might be a few days before they are able to look at him.

Are you experienced at handling squirrels? I ask because the povidine slave question is a bit ambitious if you have not handled wilds previously. But you may be able to irrigate the wound some with a povidine solution. Even experienced folks would want an extra set of hands to help. Also check to see if you have any sort of antibiotics on hand in case they are needed. Ask family and friends too.. tell us if you find something... the name and strength.. and someone will advise if it is squirrel safe and appropriate for a wound like this. He may benefit from antibiotics even you you cannot trap him successfully.

We may be able to find a vet or rahabber to help out but we'll need a better idea of the locale.. maybe the county?

[redwuff]

One of the few things that worry me about an open wound like that is fly strike. Having said that squirrels are amazing healers and we have seen some horrific wounds heal up in the wild. Guess I would medicate with Cipro on a pecan and see if that works first.

You can bring him in if things look like they are going south.

[joejeweler]

Is he using his leg with the injury ok? Can he move fast to elude a predator? If the answer to these two questions is “yes” then you might want to reconsider putting him through the stress of catching him.

Squirrels are amazing healers. With that said, obviously the biggest concern is infection. It’s possible, but not very easy to dose antibiotics while they are in the wild. It’s success is dependent on them coming a couple of times a day and eating the nut that you’ve medicated....completely.

If you can catch him you are going to need some heavy gloves cause he’s gonna be mad and will bite the crap out of you. Cleaning the wound with diluted Betadine (20 drops in 1/4 cup of warm water) is what we recommend. If your going to treat to prevent infection you will need to check with family and friends to see what leftover antibiotics they might have. Someone on here can help you break it down and dose it.

Without seeing a picture it’s hard to determine how bad the injury is and the likelihood of infection or how quickly it might heal. You could always watch him for a couple days and see how the injury looks. Of course, I’d hate to have you do that and then have him stop coming and you not know how the healing process is coming along.

Hi,...thanks for your advice and I will watch for a few days,...at least until the holiday weekend is over so vet help might be possible.

The only direct handling I've had with my squirrels was a few months ago. One female was walking in circles for a few weeks, with head listing to one side from a head injury possibly, but I saw no outward signs of injury. I researched a bit online and thought it might possibly be Raccoon Roundworm perhaps, as I have seen Raccoons at night sometimes.

I also was pretty sure she was blind at this point, because she would be sitting quietly in my yard, and when I would throw nuts toward her she circled fairly fast and in expanding circles. This seemed her way to try to find something she couldn't actually see, ....but "knew" was out there because I have fed my backyard squirrels thrown nuts for years.

One day she was close enough I was able to net her, and although she was scared and struggled I got her into my pet carrier. It had plenty of material to hide in, supplied with water nuts, and some fruit, etc. She would move the nuts and bury them, and I left the carrier in a quiet place but "listened" for any sign of struggle regularly.

A day later I wanted to check on her, so I brought the carrier into a small bathroom to control the situation, and with gloved hand brought her out to look her over carefully. She made no attempt to bite either, and I put her on my lap and tried to feed her a piece of banana. However, she was unstable and although she tried she kept tipping over! I laid a towel on my lap and placed her on her back, and helped her steady the thick banana slice as she happily rolled it "across" her tooth. That was "strange", but there was only ONE tooth on the bottom and it was a bit long but not huge, so decided to wait on the tooth clipping.

I didn't want to stress her any more right then,... and the banana chunk slowly disappeared. I gave her another chunk the same way (on her back),. and it too soon was mostly gone. Then she rolled back over and crawled up inside my light jacket, curling up into a ball at my side, and I zipped up the jacket part way to keep her supported a bit. I watched TV for a few hours this way, and she would shift positions slightly. Keep in mind I probably fed her in the yard hundreds of times,...so I was not totally strange to her and I believe to my soul she know I was trying to help her.

I changed her water bowl 2x daily, and at least once a day hand fed her watermelon or pear chunks,...and there were always nuts and brocolli in the cage as well. This went on for 4 days, and the last night she really seemed to enjoy the Avocado chunks on her back. I put her to bed in the cage,.....but the next morning she was unresponsive, and I noticed the cage was positioned at an "off" angle.

I believe she might have had a seizure of some sort over night and might have thrashed around and jarred the cage, and at first I thought she had already died as I saw no breathing but she was still warm. I tried stimulating her chest and lightly massaging her, and for a few minutes I noticed shallow breathing while I comforted he with my voice.

.....but sadly,... after about 10 minutes she almost sat up on my lap (eyes still closes), her body noticeably stiffened, and after 5-10 seconds she slowly dropped back down, went limp,.... and was away. I buried her in the yard, right over our beloved 12-1/2 year old Pug "Fancy" who died from DM last fall.

......I cried like a baby,....and as I write now am again. Amazing how attached we can get to out furry friends in such a short time.......

[joejeweler]

Pictures always help experienced folks to assess... hard call about trapping wilds. They should not be trapped unless they are in desperate need of help since it stresses them so much, but sometimes it can be their only hope.

If you do trap him, be sure to have a plan and prepared ahead. You'll likely need a non-plastic cage to contain an adult as they can chew through things like plastic dog crates luckily. You'll want to place him in a dark, quiet place if you catch him... lots of fleece in the cage for him to hide under. Water, some food... watermelon, apple and the like will provide extra hydration. A plan is important since this is a holiday weekend and even if a vet is found, it might be a few days before they are able to look at him.

Are you experienced at handling squirrels? I ask because the povidine slave question is a bit ambitious if you have not handled wilds previously. But you may be able to irrigate the wound some with a povidine solution. Even experienced folks would want an extra set of hands to help. Also check to see if you have any sort of antibiotics on hand in case they are needed. Ask family and friends too.. tell us if you find something... the name and strength.. and someone will advise if it is squirrel safe and appropriate for a wound like this. He may benefit from antibiotics even you you cannot trap him successfully.

We may be able to find a vet or rahabber to help out but we'll need a better idea of the locale.. maybe the county?

Hi,...I'm in upstate New York State, near Albany in the Colonie area. I will do further prepping but will wait a few days at least as most vets are out of town I'm sure. It was raining this morning but I will try to have a camera ready next time.

Is there an antibiotic that I would mix into some Avocado,...as the squirrels are used to the Almonds rubbed in it. (I make a layered "Squirrel Lasagna" using Almonds and Avocado, and the rubbed on Avocado was they ONLY way to get them to try it at first.

Now they LOVE it, by the way I currently mix in a little Brazil Coral Calcium supplement (made from living coral) because they don't eat enough Brocolli and other calcium containing veggies , and just a few nibble on the Mule Deer Shed Antler pieces I put out. I only use the Avocado smeared on Almond pieces now as I can mix 2 capsules of the coral calcium in it and know the majority of them will get at least some benefit. Most of the bidder Avocado chunks are untreated, but the ALL love the nuts,...even with the smeared on Avocado. :-).

[joejeweler]

One of the few things that worry me about an open wound like that is fly strike. Having said that squirrels are amazing healers and we have seen some horrific wounds heal up in the wild. Guess I would medicate with Cipro on a pecan and see if that works first.

You can bring him in if things look like they are going south.

Where would I find Cipro without a prescription, and info on dosing? ....and as mentioned will keep an eye out first though the Holiday weekend.

Oh, @ Mel1959 , he seems alert and quick on his toes,...with no visible limping. And Yes, I have seen some lesser injuries heal on my little friends,...but this injury covered a larger area and so I thought it prudent to ask.

[Mel1959]

Check with family and free ends to see if they have any leftover antibiotics. You just need one pill. If you find something someone on here can help you dose it and determine if it’s an appropriate drug for the wound.

[redwuff]

Cipro/Baytril or augmentin/Clavamox, amoxicillin are some of the more likely antibiotics family or friends might have on hand. You would need only 1 pill. We would need strength of pill and we could dose it. Maybe a pic of the little squirrel would help so we could guesstimate wt.

[joejeweler]

Cipro/Baytril or augmentin/Clavamox, amoxicillin are some of the more likely antibiotics family or friends might have on hand. You would need only 1 pill. We would need strength of pill and we could dose it. Maybe a pic of the little squirrel would help so we could guesstimate wt.

I'm going to have a camera ready tomorrow morning when I feed them all (25 was the most I was able to count all at once several months ago.

But I believe he/she is a little smaller than some of the older squirrels that visit my yard daily, so may have been born early this spring. I've had an seriously injured and probably blind 500 gram grey squirrel in my hands and on a scale a few months ago after she died from a seizure I think (see post #5 in this thread for details I relayed), and this other one is definitely a little smaller so maybe 400 grams or so.

....let's hope I get a visit again tomorrow......

[Nancy in New York]

I have Clavamox and Cipro.
I'm also close to you.
Sending you a pm now.

[joejeweler]

I have Clavamox and Cipro.
I'm also close to you.
Sending you a pm now.

Oops,...sent you a response before I read this,....so yes, do what you suggested and I will pick it up once I have your address via PM.

I thank you,....and my little buddy thanks you!

cheers,
Joe T

[joejeweler]

I was able to get some decent photos of the injury, to give those in the know a better idea....

This is back a bit to show squirrel size to scale with the dish,...which is 7-1/4" Long x 5-5/8" wide.



....and a bit closer to get more detail of the injury...



Another angle.....



From the top....



Closer view....



Oh,...I couldn't tell before but.... Definitely a GIRL!
She took an nut into a bush, and was practicing her high wire act while eating!



She came back for more once she reveiled her true identity,... 'cause she "Loves me dat Avocado!"



All the previous photos were taken without flash, but tried a few with flash,...big mistake! Those eyes are saying.... "What you lookin at, tall boy!"



After about 8 Avocado covered nuts,....she was off through the FAR end of the yard. I didn't blame her right now,...a bit gun shy for sure.



She seems alert, quick and unhampered movements, and a good appetite, so I'm hopeful she'll recover. I'm going to try to dose her tonight if she comes back in the evening,...or tomorrow morning before she has the option of going to the bowl. Want to hand feed her the meds covered Pecan then, thanks to "Nancy In New York" and her hubby !

[Nancy in New York]

She's a beauty Joe.
That wound looks bad.
Like someone said you have to watch for fly strike/maggots.
For anyone reading, I guesstimated the weight of 450 grams, thoughts?
I will call a vet in Schenectady tomorrow to see if they will look at
her if you want.
My vet is in Saratoga, but is out of town until the end
of the week. The only problem is that unless she know you
well, you have to drop off wildlife and when she gets a chance she will
see them. She's the vet for the NorthCountryWildCare, so as you can
imagine she needs to "fit these in" between her regular/paying clients.


For anyone reading, hubby dropped off Clavamox, Cipro and Clindmycin.
We are close enough so that if more of anything is needed Joe can come
here or I can go there.
Joe, if you have any questions, let me know.

[joejeweler]

Yes Nancy,...Rich stopped by,....swooped in like an Eagle and away.......I never knew he was here. :-)

PLEASE be sure to thank him profusely for me! I plucked your wonderful Care Package out of my mailbox about 12:30 PM,....so I must have just missed him.

I would have introduced him to my herd of munchkins, but after 2 hours the 3 bowls of "Brazil Coral Calcium Laced Avocado & Almond Squirrel Lasagna" was 95% gone,...so they must have taken a break to settle their full tummies. A few straggles around still though.....

I just put out 2 bowls of mighty fine and sweet Watermelon chunks, WITH the black seeds. I'm not real keen on serving genetically altered seedless watermelon chunks to "me babies"! Some have tried watermelon before,....but it's gonna take awhile before they see it as FOOD! (I confess,..I stole ONE bite for myself, and licked the Avocado remnants off the spoon earlier...and both were um um....GOOD!)

Yesterday their fresh veggie de jour were hand cut slices of fresh asparagus. Like little spoiled children, they mostly ignored them. They have to LEARN to eat the good stuff too, so I'm thinking of trying the cut asparagus sections wiped in Avocado might do the trick! Anybody have any other suggestions, ...like peanut butter perhaps?

Thanks again for all your help!

Joe T

[joejeweler]

Well,...yesterday (5-28-18) this injured girl didn't show up at all in my yard,....and I was ready to dose her as I stayed outside from 5:00 PM until 8:15 PM when it was getting pretty dim and all the other squirrels had stopped coming by and had bedded down for the night.

Anyway, I was hopeful the injured girl had not come around yesterday because she simply had eaten from a stash she had previously buried, or possible found another squirrels stash.

BUT this morning she appeared, and as I had held off putting out their usual Squirrel Lasagna she took one dosed Pecan I threw to her about 10 foot away. (she would not come closer as she had before)

She sniffed it for 4-5 seconds at first, and as she had not had them for awhile (last time maybe a month or so),.... I suspected she knew it smelled a bit different with the dried meds in the grooves. But could also have been partly because it had been a month?

She took the Pecan, and circled around me and grabbed a piece of Almond along the way one of the others had missed earlier. I had been hand tossing a few as the others would come around today.

She now had the dosed Pecan and an Almond in her mouth, and ran up a tree and she started to eat but was behind some branches so I couldn't tell IF she ate them both, or discarded the dosed one (due to her earlier hesitation?)

She came back around 10 minutes later and to be sure she had some meds, I broke about 1/3 of a dosed Pecan and threw it to her,...whereupon she sniffed at at and walked away and left it! So I'm not really sure she was dosed with the full almond she took earlier, and was simply eating the Almond? urghhh!

I was able to get a few pics though, and in some ways it looks a little better to me as it appears the flap of skin and fur has fallen off (or been chewed off maybe?)

One of the concerns I have is what appear like some "hair like" projections coming from the wound. Is this possibly the "fly strike" mentioned previously by redwuff?



And a closer view:



Some other photos today....



A bit closer view...


This is where she had maneuvered around me to also pick up the dang Almond, confusing the issue as to what she was eating from my obscured view in the tree limbs....


Any thought on how the would looks, as this is a full 3 days since I first noticed what appeared to be a fresh wound?

The other squirrels occupied my time at least during that long stretch from 5:00 PM to 8:15 PM waiting for the "no show", as at least 120 times I handed out a 2-4 almond treat,.... of which I saw many were being buried in prep for their next breakfast appetizer.

My favorite "Big Boy" came strutting right in as confident as ever, taking 2 Almonds from my hand and another 2 dropped for him. He's the ONLY squirrel that currently take FOUR Almonds regularly,....and I really should start calling him "Quads"!

[TubeDriver]

I would dose orally with Capstar too (whether she is captured or in the wild). That will take care of any flies/maggots. That injury is pretty bad but not abscessed yet. She looks so healthy otherwise too. There is a chance she will just heal up nicely with treats and fresh water and meds as needed.

You can get Capstar online or at pet stores like Petsmart without a prescription, but it is fairly expensive.

I have had good success mixing med solutions into a small "pill" of peanut butter (given by itself or mushed into a pecan half). The peanut butter seems to mask the taste of bitter AB pretty well.

[joejeweler]

I would dose orally with Capstar too (whether she is captured or in the wild). That will take care of any flies/maggots. That injury is pretty bad but not abscessed yet. She looks so healthy otherwise too. There is a chance she will just heal up nicely with treats and fresh water and meds as needed.

You can get Capstar online or at pet stores like Petsmart without a prescription, but it is fairly expensive.

I have had good success mixing med solutions into a small "pill" of peanut butter (given by itself or mushed into a pecan half). The peanut butter seems to mask the taste of bitter AB pretty well.

Thanks TD,...I ordered a generic of Capstar off Amazon today. (PetArmor FastCaps "Nitenpyram") It's a much better price, and I'm not concerned over the quality as it's made in Switzerland and not Mexico or China. (link below if some of you need it)

https://www.amazon.com/PetArmor-Fast...ywords=Capstar

There's 6 tablets for dogs and cats that weigh 2-25 pounds. At a estimated weight of the injured squirrel of 450 grams, divided by 28.349 and we get 15.87 ounces or just about 1 pound.
(28.349 grams = 1 Avoirdupois ounce equivalent)

It's just $10.61 for the 6 tablets and free shipping IF you can get your Amazon fulfilled item order over $25.00 I have lots of things I order regularly, so just added a few to get over the $25 level.

SO, do you think using 1/2 tablet is too much for a squirrel,...as I'm thinking maybe using 1/4 to 1/3 of a tablet might be better amount as a trial amount?

Anyone have experience in this medication for squirrels?

Thanks,
Joe T

[Spanky]

There's 6 tablets for dogs and cats that weigh 2-25 pounds. At a estimated weight of the injured squirrel of 450 grams, divided by 28.349 and we get 15.87 ounces or just about 1 pound.

SO, do you think using 1/2 tablet is too much for a squirrel,...as I'm thinking maybe using 1/4 to 1/3 of a tablet might be better amount as a trial amount?

Anyone have experience in this medication for squirrels?

Nitenpyram is a relatively safe medication, meaning the dose needed to be effective is low and a dose that would be "dangerous" is very large. That is demonstrated by the fact it is sold for critters weighing from 2 to 25 pounds; more than a 10 fold difference in weight!

A quarter tablet should be safe and effective... that is what we often use for smaller babies that come in with parasites.

Also, Nitenpyram can be used topically by crushing the tablets up and making a solution to that can be applied topically. Not sure that is needed or an option in this case, but I felt compelled to include this info for any future readers that may be researching similar situations! It is very quick acting when used topically and extremely effective.

[TubeDriver]

As Spanky said, it is fairly safe. A 1/4 tablet orally should do the trick. Good to know about the generic, I think I spent almost $50 for a 4-6 tablet pack of Capstar.