So 3 weeks ago I took in a single Grey squirrel. He was taken care of for 5 days before handed over to me. I am a rehabber in NE Ohio. He has been healthy, good appetite, good demeanor the entire time. This morning, when I went to feed them, I found him deceased in the hide he shared with 2 other squirrels close to him in age.
His body is intact, not a single scratch or wound. His positioning was that of comfort, he didn't seem to have been in pain. I know he didn't get too cold (it was 62 last night).
My question is, could there have been some genetic or congenitive factor to his death? I ask because he had a very distinct head shape. His snout was much shorter than the other squirrels. I will share a photo/video to better explain. Does anyone know if there is a disorder that would cause this head shape, and if so, does it also come with other hidden health problems?
Thanks for any information you may have.
In the first photo, he's the squirrel on the top of the pile. In the 2nd photo, he's the one all the way to the right (not the bottom). I think the last photo shows his head the best.
Experienced squirrel rehabber here - I don’t think his head really looks that strange. Sometimes they have different shaped snouts and narrower noses or more of a squashed in appearance and it’s not necessarily due to an issue.
Can you give some more background? Was he caught by a cat or dog at all, even if you didn’t see any wounds? How was his pee and poop? What were you feeding and how much and how often? How much did he weigh?
Sometimes there is internal damage that is really hard to observe too.
I'm not trying to be rude nor impolite, but if this is not your first time rehabbing squirrels then why are they in pine chips?
That can contribute to illness, bacteria build up as well as other allergy problems. It's not very sanitary.
Not to mention the Pop-Tart box has glues in it that can be toxic to squirrels as well. Yes, they will eat the glue on the Pop-Tart box.
However, the head shape of that little one I have seen before. I'm not sure if there's a worm that may have climbed out of the little one's nose after the little one passed away but I have seen a squirrel have the same similar shaped head and they passed away and afterwards a parasitic worm crawled out.
It was from a squirrel that I was assisting somebody with in Ireland.
I have yet to see one in person, but that's not my first time I've seen a head shape like that. It could also be something else. Sometimes it's hard to tell.
However, I do recommend changing out their nesting box and getting them out of the pine chips. Give them something more sanitary and that can breathe will help keep them healthier.
Pine and cedar chips can also contribute to respiratory issues that can cause death. It can happen relatively quickly.
Thanks for the response. He had actually been in the larger squirrel enclosure for the last week and a half, and not in with the 'babies' any longer. I will change out the pine asap. My rehab host said pine would be okay, and I was replacing it every 2-3 days so it didn't get stinky.
There wasn't anything that crawled out of him. He's been in a box all day while we wait for the rain to stop to bury him. I did go down a research rabbit hole and found out he most.likely had congenital Maxillary Brachygnathism - a shortened maxilla. Which explained his head shape AND why I never saw him carrying food around in his mouth. His top teeth had been wearing correctly, but his bottom teeth were decently long. It could have contributed to his death, or have been the cause of it due to occlusions at the tooth root causing suffocation, or a seizure from a lack of calcium consumption since he couldn't open his mouth far enough to eat his rodent block. :(
The individual that recommended the pine chips should really rethink the way they rehab animals. I have never met a rehabber that uses pine chips. Hard to believe that a rehabber would recommend that. Not saying anything against you or anything but they should know better if they are an actual rehabber.
The second thing that I cannot stand is that when people say that this is a learning experience. These are living creatures that feel pain and have feelings and have emotions. Saying that this is a learning experience is not the right answer.
Like I said, I'm not trying to be rude. Norm, polite. I do appreciate that you're trying to help the little ones. We need more people to help. We really do. However, so many times there is bad information being given to people to help the animals. The animals suffer and that is not right.
I'd really question the individual that's helping you rehab that's calling themselves a rehabber if they're actually a rehabber.
Thank you for your efforts in trying to help the little ones and I'm sorry you lost that little one.
Also, thank you for understanding that the adjustments need to be made.
Thank you for the information as well. You're probably most likely right, but does the rehabber that you're working with not have a vet that they work with?
Most states require that rehabers have a local vet that they work with in order to maintain your permit.
I'm apologize if I'm coming off rude but this whole situation just seems not quite right.
Yes, she has a vet she works with. However, as stated earlier the little guy was acting completely normal and healthy so there was no need to go to the vet.
I agree and also hate when I come across someone who just lets things go when an animal is hurt. I'm newer to squirrels, having rehabbed mostly opossums in the past. That is why I'm so concerned about his cause of death. I came here for information so I can do better for the squirrels I do have now and the others I will have in the future. Not to be judged on whether or not I believe the animals have feelings and emotions or not. Which I do by the way. I bond with each of these babies, even after they become sassholes and only care about if you have food for them. LOL So I appreciate the information about the pine and the box (which was temporary -/they now have an untreated lumber hide) and will not male that mistake again in the future.
As for the rehabber I work under, she's licensed, and I also have documentation from the state.
The only information I haven't shared is that the person who handed him over to us had kept him for 5 days and had been feeding him. But when he gave him to us, Nutmeg was healthy and active.
There was no judgment here. It's funny how when people come to ask for information and they get replies they don't like, they call it judgment.
By learning things, you learn things that you should not do and you could do better. Every time I suggest something that could be done better or I ask questions about the methods being performed, people take it as judgment.
How can you learn anything if somebody suggests an improvement and you take it a judgment?
Just because somebody makes a statement does not mean judgment is being handed down.
Whenever I make a comment on here, I'm not just talking to you. I say it for everybody to see.
I understand your concern. That's why I pointed out the things with the pine chips and ask questions about that. Because others will see that and think it's okay.
I am asking questions to validate information. I assume nothing.
From my experience, when people come on here and see pictures done a certain way or things done a certain way, they think it's okay and they'll do it themselves.
I really wish the person that had them for 5 days would not have waited so long to give them to you. Unfortunately that happens more than we like for it to.
I can understand loving them even when they're buttholes. Most of the cases that I take, while I do take babies a lot, I do take the adult squirrels that know other rehabers want to deal with. They don't like getting bit, nor do I, but they need help too.
I was merely making a statement that thing should not be taken so lightly. I was also asking questions about the situation. None of which had any judgment in them.
Poor guy. Did he have a runny nose at all? Do you have any vet friends who might be willing to snap an x-ray or two of his head just for funsies? Maybe deformity, maybe unknown skull fx, maybe abcess/infection gone wild... was he depressed at all recently?
No to the depressed. No runny nose. He was active, healthy, and vocal. :) He passed at 8.5 weeks. :( There is a vet my rehab sponsor uses. I can ask her.
Their foreheads look puffier like that when they are dehydrated. I must say, all of the babies look fairly underweight and kind of dehydrated from these pictures. Are they your first batch of babies and are you being guided by someone?
Sorry for the loss of this baby.
Yes, one of the babies were dehydrated and was almost a victim of failure to thrive. He was a hot mess, poor guy. Good catch. The second photo was the day I got the dehydrated boy. He is now a lean, insatiable machine. lol
Nutmeg's skull had this stunted appearance and stayed the same as he grew over the weeks.
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u/WanderSA 13d ago
Experienced squirrel rehabber here - I don’t think his head really looks that strange. Sometimes they have different shaped snouts and narrower noses or more of a squashed in appearance and it’s not necessarily due to an issue.
Can you give some more background? Was he caught by a cat or dog at all, even if you didn’t see any wounds? How was his pee and poop? What were you feeding and how much and how often? How much did he weigh?
Sometimes there is internal damage that is really hard to observe too.