SquirrelNutrition.com
Add text
  • Home
  • Squirrel Formula
  • Nut Square Kits
  • Squirrel Veggie Squares
  • Mange Treatment In Squirrels
  • Squirrel Mall
  • Blog
  • Squirrel Pockets
  • Basic Care of a Baby Squirrel
  • Squirrels With Severe Health Issues
  • Palm Squirrel Skin Disease
  • Squirrel Nesting Box
  • Bulk Nut Mix Order
  • Carbon=60
  • Significance of New Wine in the Bible
  • Product Page
  • Squirrel Pox

Skin Diseases In Squirrels

2/24/2013

491 Comments

 
Picture
There is a lot of confusion among squirrel lovers when it comes to skin diseases suffered by squirrels. I get letters and e-mails all the time about how to treat mange in squirrels. I often have to have them make sure that the squirrel does indeed have Sarcoptic Mange verses a skin condition called 'Dermatophytosis."

Sarcoptic Mange is caused by a tiny mite called "Sarcoptes scabiei," that burrows under the skin to feed on the blood of the squirrel. It causes severe itching, a rash, crust formation on the skin and hair loss. The picture on the left shows an Eastern Grey with mange on it's lower back. Notice the red, crusty area in the center of each patch of missing hair. The irritation, rash and crusting of the skin is what differentiates mange from Dermatophytosis. This squirrel would do well by treating it with a small quantity of Ivermectin Paste spread on a Nut Meat. We give approximately 1/2 to 1 drop of Ivermectin 1.87% once a week for 3 weeks to make sure that all active mites and all newly hatched mites are killed. You can order Squirrel Quantities of Ivermectin paste HERE.

Squirrels can also have  a condition called "Dermatophytosis," ( not to be confused with ringworm that carries the same name,) or a skin fungus. The way you can tell this condition from Mange is the absence of irritation, crusting or rash. There is hair loss, but that is all. Dermatophytosis is caused by a fungus that attacks the shaft of the hair where it emerges from the skin. Since it attacks the hair and causes it to become brittle, the hair breaks off at the skin line and falls off leaving a bald area, but no obvious skin irritation. This condition is common in late Winter and early Spring. The treatment is nutritional support. It's usually not fatal and the squirrel will recover from it over time. Feeding squirrels chunks of raw coconut and raw coconut oil can help, because the Lauric Acid and Capric Acid in the raw coconut oil is anti-fungal. In captivity, I spray a strong solution of Colloidal Silver and apply Raw Coconut Oil topically to this condition also. You can obtain Colloidal Silver and Raw Coconut Oil on our Squirrel Mall Page.
491 Comments
Renée
2/19/2014 01:33:06 pm

William, I just got so lucky. I found your site. Its so nice to see that so many other share our passion. I want to let you know how awesome i think you are to devote your time and knowledge to people like me who want to help these beautiful little guys and dont know where to start!! I have a grey "cat" squirrel named Pasquallie. We rescued him at one week of age. For two months he spent almost all day of every day in my sports bra. Lol! He'd eat and crawl back in my shirt. The only time he slept in his little box was at night. Ha! He had my heart at first sight. He is now one year and seven months. Spoiled rotten. He thinks he is the man of the house. He is an inside squirrel. I dont think he could survive if I had to release him. keeping him inside all the time wasn't the plan in the beginning. He is so loving and affectionate. He can also get aggrevated and bite me too when he gets frustrated because I can't understand what he is trying to show me or tell what he wants. He doesnt bite hard 99 0/0 of the time but I know what its like to have those teeth go to the bone too.. He's amazing. You can tell what he is wanting or thinking abt doing by his gestures. I love when he cuddles and bathes himself on me then tries to bath my hands and arms. He lays there cuddles on me or my husband sometimes taking a nap. It truly touches my heart and soul to see the love and trust he has for me. I never imaged in my life I could be head over heals deeply in love and bonded to a squirrel. People dont give them enough credit. They are so intelligent. I tried to raise another baby but pasquallie wasn't having any part of it.
We have been blessed with a healthy little fellow. He eats sweet potato green beans broccoli avocados sliced fresh corn on cob, well everything is cut up fresh for him daily. We and carrots apples and other veggies and fruits to switch up but the first five he eats almost every day. Im looking forward to trying coconut. Idk you could feed them that. Its also nice to know abt the salt. Usually the only salt intake he has is on a cracker I already tried to scrape off or a cashew or mixed nut only when weve bought some for ourselves.
I did notice yesterday between his back legs and scrotum area the skin looked really pink. It was kinda moist in tthat area so I washed it with just water and blew on it and patted it dry. Today there are little bumps that seem to have spreAd thru that pink area. So I patted it dry and added hydroquatizone cream to it. After I did that I though abt checking online for answers to see if its bad for them and if I should wash it off when it comes to him I get worried over the smallest things. As you can see n the pic that yes he is over weight and when he sits like that we pick on him and call him Buddha Buddha ha! So idk if it could be a yeast thing because that area stays moist or the skin is just a little irritated and moist because he a little husky. What do you think. He is my third son. I have two human boys 21 and 16. But pasquallie will alwAys be the baby no matter his age. Ha! I really admire you taking your time to help people like me who love the little furry friends and want to help but are clueless. Ill send you pics in a seperate email of pasquallie. Idk how to attach it to this. William you are so awesome!

Reply
William link
3/12/2014 04:04:01 pm

Hi Renee!

Sorry it took so long to get back to you! If the cortizone cream doesn't help, I would try a little raw coconut oil on it. It has to be non-hydrogenated coconut oil, otherwise all the good stuff in it has been destroyed. The best way to tell is to smell the oil. It should smell just like fresh coconut. The kind we carry on our website is from Wilderness Family, and it is the best coconut oil I have ever found!...Bill

Reply
Dianne frazer
6/24/2018 10:04:56 am

Have a little girl with hair loss and itch. Her belly looks like Grey with circular spots. Pls advise.

William link
6/24/2018 10:40:20 am

Hi, Dianne,

I hope you get this as you needed to go to the bottom of the the list of comments to submit a request. Where you added your question you were replying to Renee. All comments are forwarded to me, but I'm not sure you are receiving my reply!

If you could send a picture of what you are seeing on your squirrel to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com I would be happy to evaluate and comment.

Thanks!

Bill

PAMELA link
8/18/2018 01:54:56 pm

theres this squirrel n my yard that has a red egg shape knot like on his head wonder what cause this n is it contagious /been feeding birds n naturally squirrels come too / iam disable n like to observe them

William link
8/18/2018 02:05:48 pm

Hi, Pam!

What you described sounds like Squirrel Pox. But, I'd have to see a picture to confirm. It's not contagious to humans or other animals but it is viral and can be spread to other squirrels.

Bill

Melissa
6/22/2021 05:46:03 am

I have had my baby since he was a few weeks old and he stays inside the house. He doesnt have any hair loss but he is constantly itching. I have checked him repeatedly for any bugs on him and nothing. Will the coconut oil you mentioned for topical use work to help him stop itching and if so how do i go about applying. If not please any suggestions. Rocky and I thank you.

RichardnDiana McClary
7/22/2022 10:58:01 pm

I have a picture of our guy named Jack how can I send pictures of his round red crust around the almost perfect circle of missing hair It looks a lot like the picture here but one is on his side one is lower not together

Kimberly
4/30/2017 01:06:10 pm

I have a hand raised squirrel that has been released for several months. She comes and eats out of my hand daily. I have noticed since about a mouth of release she has been itchy. She came up this morning and has a bald spot (hair loss) on and around her neck and head. She also has a scratch mark around the neck too. Can you advise, please? I have pictures. I also picked her up and have her in a cage for in case treatment is needed. I wish I could attach photo. Please anyone feel to email me and I will show you photos. Thank you.

Reply
William link
4/30/2017 01:52:25 pm

Hi Kim!

You can send a picture to SquirrelNutrition@yahoo.com and I'll take a look at it.

Bill

Kimberly
4/30/2017 02:37:41 pm

I sent photos, thank you!

Melanie Dooley
9/19/2017 05:37:39 am

My sweet Clyde Squirrel turned 16 last month. I was out of town on business for two weeks when Hurricane Irma came through. My husband closed up his cage on the patio and moved him inside. The day I returned either one of the cat's nicked his tail or Clyde started chewing on his own tail. The next day I noticed he was holding his tail and chewing on it like a corn cob. Although it is much cooler in the house we decided that perhaps the stress of being confined to his cage for two weeks got to him. We moved him back out on the patio. He won't stop chewing on his tail. I keep cleaning it daily with watered down peroxide but his cage looks like a murder scene. I just don't know what to do. Will he chew it off? I am worried about it getting infected eventually if he won't let it heal. Any thoughts on this one? Maybe he is getting senile? Thank you!

Reply
William link
9/19/2017 09:33:27 am

Hi, Melanie!

Sorry to hear about the problem you are having with Clyde! It sounds to me like Clyde may have a circulation problem. When a squirrel's circulation to the tail becomes compromised, the squirrel will start to chew it off segment by segment. Given his age he very well could have peripheral vascular disease. If you have a Vet you might want to have a consultation and have the tail checked with a Doppler to see if it is a circulation problem. The danger in all of this is that Clyde will eventually hit a good section of artery and bleed out. If there is as much blood as you describe, he may be getting anemic already. If it is a circulation problem, you might want to opt to have the Vet make him a "Bob Tail" squirrel and just have the tail amputated.

Bill

Candace Flanagan
10/14/2017 11:54:22 am

My baby squirrel was found a few days BEFORE hurricane IRMA. I called several wild life rehabbers, no return calls!. I have taken care of many different babies for my entire life, squirrels weren't one of the type I experienced before. Rocky is a sweet baby I found, probably one or two days old...on my seawall baking in the hot Florida sun. He looked dead, other than his very pink color. I saw his lips move and brought him inside. I found some info about squirrels and his need for pedialyte and how to make it home made. He was fed drop by drop ...now he is four and a half weeks old and quite beautiful and healthy looking. I see him scratch a bit now, never saw this before. He is kept in a clean big cage that was very clean and no animal had been in for years. I search through his fur and find nothing. Do they just sometimes get itchy?.

William link
10/18/2017 05:56:55 pm

Hi, Candace!

Try increasing the fat content of your squirrel's formula if it is still taking formula. Low fat formula makes their skin dry and itchy.

If it is weaned, start feeding avocado.

Bill

Sasha Cearley
5/10/2018 04:38:52 pm

I need help with a squirrel I found please

Reply
William link
5/10/2018 09:39:09 pm

Hi, Sasha!

Tell me what is going on in an e-mail and send it to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com. It's very difficult to give advice over a Blog especially when I may need to send you attachments!

Thanks!

Bill

Sasha Cearley
5/15/2018 07:20:23 pm

My husband and I took in an Injured squirrel we found. We are unsure of how much we should be feeding it... Kind of just winging everything to do with him. Can't take him anywhere around where we are bc it's illegal.

Reply
William link
5/15/2018 08:20:39 pm

Hi, Sasha!

Send me an e-mail with this in the Subject Line:

Sasha, Send new caregiver info

In the body of the e-mail describe what injuries it has.

I'll help you any way I can.

Bill

william
5/22/2019 06:58:36 pm

you may have inadvertently species switched or at least confused [permanently] this animal the face of the 'mother' in the few weeks after theeyes open is the critical window this may not 'work' in dogs that remain neotenic ...not an area with a lot of behavioral research basenjis and singing dogs are not 'wolves' and mature normally and can be switched the infant mammal will 'initiate play' with the species it identifies with

Reply
Richard l Fryer
1/10/2020 03:16:40 am

Any special brand of puppy flea drops , 3 year old gray male squirrel, itching, and skin on belly red , also he loves fresh garbanzo bean are they alrite

Reply
Louise Poundstone
3/15/2014 01:55:40 am

Love all the info !

Reply
Kimberly Graham
4/30/2017 02:29:20 pm

I am sending a photo now. Thank you so much.

Reply
Roy Ds
3/18/2014 10:45:33 pm

Hi,

I have a pet Indian Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum). Last week I could find that on his right and leg there are two hairless patches.

Please help me. If needed i can provide photograph for the same.

Thanks in advance.

Reply
Carol Cooper
4/2/2014 08:56:01 am

Thanks for your interesting blog. We have wild squirrels who come to a feeder attached to our window and who don't care if we (or our cats) get right up next to the window to observe them. One of them has a skin condition which, after reading your blog, I think I can identify as dermatophytosis. So, off to find some raw coconut oil. Unfortunately I can't order it from you as I'm in Canada. I'm relieved to work out what the disease is, and now that spring is coming he's likely to recover - he's fat and healthy-looking, having visited my bird feeders all winter!
One comment - there's what I think is a persistent typo in your blog - you mention 'collodial silver', but of course it's 'colloidal silver'.
Anyway, our squirrels thank you.

Reply
andrew
4/24/2014 03:10:14 am

Hi I rescued a baby squirrel. Today after the box fell out of the tree and killed the mom she's a sleep in my work jumper and I think she's 4/5/6 weeks old can she eat on her own and drink on her own I've got her in a cage now nice and warm but need answers asap as im allways working and haven't got time to feed her every 2 hours

Reply
William link
5/5/2014 06:26:26 pm

Hi Andrew,

What specific questions do you have? You can write and ask them at SquirrelNutrition@yahoo.com.

Bill

Reply
Muskaan
2/22/2018 01:36:45 am

Hi my little squirrel is having white fluid in his eyes whenever he is washing his face plz do suggest some medical advice would b so grateful to u reply soon

William link
2/22/2018 08:24:56 am

Hi, Muskaan!

Usually eye discharge or conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria. The most common organism is staphylococcus. If it is confined to the eyes you can either consult a Veterinarian about antibiotic drops or if you don't have a Vet that will treat squirrels I would use Colloidal Silver and place drops in the eyes 3 times a day.

You didn't say whether the squirrel has any nasal discharge. If it does, it would need oral administration of antibiotics or Colloidal Silver in addition to topical application.

If the squirrel does have nasal discharge check its mouth for overgrowth of the lower front Incisors teeth. If these teeth become too long they can pierce the soft palate and give the squirrel a sinus infection. Left untreated this can kill a squirrel!

Overgrown teeth need to be trimmed.

Colloidal silver can be purchased in Health Food Stores or on our Squirrel Mall ( http://www.squirrelnutrition.com/squirrel-mall.html )

Bill

William Stoute
4/25/2014 04:04:44 am

We discovered a very sick, weak squirrel with massive hair loss and lessions on the back. Other squirrel has been identified with hair loss on the ears and crusty skin.
I read in your blog to treat mange with flea drops for dogs or cats.
Are you referring to a product like "Frontline Plus" for dogs.
If so, how many drops should I apply to the back of the neck on the squirrel that with the affected ears.
(The other squirrel, is obviously beyond repair, even though he appears to be not that old and has been Isolated from the possibility of becoming in contact with any other animals wild or domestic)
Please contact me ASAP. Thank you.

Reply
William link
5/5/2014 06:31:13 pm

Hi William!

If you are talking wild squirrels, it is better to use Ivermectin paste, because you are not going to be able to get close enough to put a drop of flea drops on a wild one.

We use kitten flea drops on our babies with mange, one drop on the back of the neck. The drops are much safer for baby squirrels.

Bill

Reply
Lisa Waldrop
4/27/2014 07:51:07 am

Ive got a squirrel thats almost completely bald on his body but not his tail and another whose bald on his tail but not his body. My husband drove down our alley and noticed the squirrels a block away are the same way. I started the ivermectin paste on the lil guys and now im wondering if theres not a serious issue in our area. Our dirt is very soft like a black sandy substance and has even started causing issues with our dogs and allergies. Weve lived here almost 3yrs and it started last summer and our property is the biggest around here in the city so i thought maybe i could put a big platter of cookies with the paste on them once a week and try to treat them all for the next 3 weeks. If they get more than a little dose like you say will it hurt them? Ive ordered your nut squares/balls and waiting to get your recipe for the biscuits so if you could give me a little advice on the treatment of this issue going on id be so grateful. Thanks so so much for whatever you may be able to help me with, Lisa Waldrop a squirrel lover like yourself

Reply
William link
5/5/2014 06:44:21 pm

Hi Lisa!

It's dangerous to put out a bunch of treated nuts on a feeder, because the first squirrels there would eat them all and overdose and die. If you can't individually feed, it is better to scatter treated nuts around your property. It's highly unlikely that one squirrel would be able to find and eat them all.

Another way is to pick a day of the week and only feed treated nuts to as many different affected squirrels as possible. Then, wait a week, and do the same thing. Eventually, you will get a majority of the affected squirrels treated.

You see more squirrels with mange at this time of year because over the cold months of the year, squirrels gather together in dens and sleep together to keep warm. So, if one squirrel has mange, it passes it on to others. Mange won't kill a squirrel, it just makes them look ugly until some kind person, like yourself, comes along and helps them get better.

As the weather gets warmer, they do less sleeping together, so the spreading of the mange slows down.

Bill

Reply
Lauren McKay
1/17/2018 05:46:26 pm

I was told mange does kill squirrels

William link
1/17/2018 08:25:46 pm

Hi, Lauren!

Mange can kill a squirrel if it is old, debilitated, or malnourished. The mechanism of death is anemia from thousands of Mange Mites feeding on the squirrel's blood.

Anemia decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. It also compromises the Immune system making the squirrel vulnerable to disease. Pneumonia is a common way that they die, but death is an indirect result. They don't die directly from having Mange. A normal, healthy squirrel can survive for a long time while being infested with Mange.

Bill

virginia
3/5/2020 10:40:36 am

how can i send you a pic of a black squirrel which i think is mange

Lisa Waldrop
4/27/2014 07:54:21 am

Im so sorry i have another question, could you tell me how to give them the coconut oil and avocado? Ways theyll eat it and like it? Thanks our friend Lisa W.

Reply
William link
5/5/2014 06:50:37 pm

Hello Again!

I just feed avocado in small chunks. Most squirrels like avocado, but you will find a few who don't. They have their individual likes and dislikes.

Same with raw coconut oil. It is a solid below 76 degrees F. I just feed small chunks. I also use fresh coconut right out of the nut shell. Again, some will eat and some won't.

We put a lost of fresh raw coconut oil in all of our nut square mixes and kits.

Bill

Reply
Jessica
5/5/2014 08:29:54 am

Hi!
I have a female squirrel that I raised from infancy, she has been free now for about a year and doing fantastic, looking very healthy and coming to visit a few times a week for some nut treats. Until a few weeks ago, I noticed that her teeth had fallen out, or something, it's hard to see, (she was chewing using her molars) and she was coming by more and more frequently for food. Now, she is here every morning and acts kinda neurotic, we figured it was because of her teeth issues. Meaning that she needed us to get her food and was desperate. Lately, her hair is falling out and her tummy is very red and irritated looking, she is itching fanatically. Her nose looks a little scaly. She is being SUPER picky about what she eats. Only walnuts and avocado will due. I was guessing that she wasn't getting enough nutrients and this was causing her immune system to be compromised? But she will NOT eat anything else I try to give her. Help :) !!!

Reply
William link
5/5/2014 07:00:44 pm

Hi Jessica!

It's highly unusual for a young squirrel to lose teeth. Normally, a squirrels incisors grow for the first 7 to 8 years before slowing and stopping.

If she has really irritated skin and some scabs or scales, it sound more like mange than a immune system problem. I would try treating with Ivermectin for a couple of weekly doses.

Squirrels can break their teeth much in the same ways humans do, through trauma. Whereas a human has to go to a dentist to get broken teeth fixed, a squirrel has to wait for the teeth to regrow. In the meantime, they could be quite distressed by not being to eat normally.

Bill

Reply
Jessica
5/8/2014 05:25:28 am

Thank you!
I was curious if you had any advice on getting her to eat other things? We have been dipping her walnuts in coconut oil and the avocado in flax seeds, but I fear that she is not getting enough vitamins still because she absolutely refuses fruits or veggies...
Thanks
Jessica

PAMELA JACOBS link
8/18/2018 02:00:07 pm

there is a squirrel n my yard that has a red egg shape like knot on his head could u tell me what causes this n if contagious/ been feeding birds n a couple squirrels comes to eat n sit on my ramp n front tyard /iam disable n have problems walking I love wild life

William link
5/8/2014 03:25:03 pm

Hi Jessica!

All I can say is that if you have a captive squirrel, hunger is a powerful motivator to get a squirrel to try other foods.

The hardest thing I ever did was put my blind squirrel on a diet of 100 calories per day. It's so easy to give them what they like, and they fall into a pattern of only eating what they like. For me, it was overfeeding my blind squirrel. She would eat all I gave her, probably from boredom, but being blind, she was not getting enough exercise to burn off all the calories she was consuming.

So, I had to exercise tough love, and restrict her intake of food. It's the same with getting a squirrel to try other foods. You have to withhold what they are used to eating, and only offer the food you want them to try. Hunger is a powerful motivator. Withholding food will not kill your squirrel, but hunger will drive them to try new things.

Squirrels are very much like little kids. Given the choice, they will only eat what they like to the exclusion of everything else. That's what makes it tough to feed them right when they are released. If the neighbors are feeding them junk food, it's nearly impossible to get them to eat healthy!

Hope this helped!

Bill

Reply
Alison link
5/19/2014 12:54:19 pm

Hi William,
I raised Chelsea, a red squirrel, from the age of two weeks, last August 2013 and then released her a few months later, in November. She gave birth to 4 babies this passed April and has been looking great until I saw her today. At first I thought she just looks run down and aged from being a young mamma of 6 mths old.but then I noticed the fur on her on her forehead was thinned, I saw a bald raw spot at the base of her tail, where it meets her lower back and another little raw area. She has lost a lot of her red color and looks very grey now.( I do have pics that I took today). She's actually looking very aged when I compare these pics to pics I took 3 weeks ago. I also noticed she was scratching like crazy. I'm assuming, from what I have read here, that it is most probably Dermatophytosis.I will follow some of the suggestions and hope that she starts to heal....unless you suggest otherwise. Thank you, ali

Reply
Janet Blain
5/26/2014 11:55:54 pm

Our dog was chewing on a grey squirrel that had died in our yard. the squirrel was bald in some places, but what was worse, was the hard yellow growth that was all along it's back and down one leg. It almost looked like a wild mushroom. Is my dog at risk since she was chewing on this squirrel?

Reply
William link
6/16/2014 12:09:46 pm

Hi Janet!

I think your dog will be OK. I don't know what was growing on the squirrel, but it sounds like it had been dead for a while. I don't know what the attraction is to dead and decomposing animals by dogs, other than they make them stink when they roll on them!

Bill

Reply
Toni link
5/27/2014 12:55:37 am

Hello,
I'm happy to find a place where maybe could help me.
Regularly, I leave some food for wild red squirrels in a garden (hazelnuts and walnuts. Not almonds since i read that it can contains Cyanide). This is in Catalonia (Spain, mediterranean coast)
I saw some of them with something wrong in the ears, like beeing bitten (please see a picture at https://www.flickr.com/photos/antarc/6742827955/in/set-72157627706571846 ). I think that i saw different individuals with this in the last two years.
Have you seen it before? It's really bitten by other squirrels or a disease?
On the other hand, Could you recommend me some additional nutritional food for wild red squirrels?
I thank you in advance your opinion.
Regards, Toni

Reply
William link
6/16/2014 12:13:46 pm

Hi Toni!

Squirrels get ears bitten all the time in territorial squabbles, It's normal, especially in red squirrels.

If you send a request to squirrelnutrition@yahoo.com, I'll send you our food lists for squirrels!

Bill

Reply
Justin
6/16/2014 10:48:58 am

Hi,
We recently found this abandoned squirrel by its mother and it's very happy to be in our care (so it seems). But there's an issue. There are small clumps of white bits growing on the squirrel and we do not know what it could be. Could anyone help us out please? Thanks so much.
Regards, Justin

Reply
William link
6/16/2014 12:03:33 pm

Hi Justin!
Have you ruled out maggots? Baby squirrels often have maggots or fly larvae covering a wound. Maggots eat dead or necrotic tissue in wounds, and actually do a service by keeping the wound debrided. I would give the squirrel a bath in Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid. Blue Dawn will kill fleas and lice also. Gently scrub off the white bits, and if there is a wound under them, apply Neosporin or Raw coconut oil. A close up picture would be of great help. You could send it to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Terii link
6/18/2014 04:18:35 am

I have a squirrel I am trying to nurse back to normality after being diagnosed with Squirrel Pox. He had pink lumps that have developed into dark hardened legions that he is now biting and chewing off leaving flesh below that he is licking. I feel he is trying to remove the dead Pox cells from his body but I am unsure. I did put healing cream and breathable bandages to cover up the exposed flesh so he doesnt hurt himself further by biting the soft tissue. Im unsure if this is his natural defense against the dead skin. My question is, is it safe for him to be chewing into this dead skin. Should I let him continue, thanks. FYI, he is a 1 year old rescue named John Wayne

Reply
William link
6/18/2014 02:23:46 pm

Hi Terii,

I don't have experience with squirrel pox since I don't live in an area where we see this condition. What I know, is what I've read and studied about this condition.

From what I've read, it is a viral condition with no known cure. The pox are disfiguring and annoying for the squirrel and can arise from any tissue in the body, including internal organs. If a pox forms on brain tissue or a vital organ, it is almost always fatal.

As to the squirrel chewing and biting them, this is normal behavior for a squirrel. They know it is not supposed to be there, and will remove it themselves. As to potential infections, I do know that squirrel bites do not get infected. I've been bitten deeply and have never had a squirrel bite get infected. I believe it is something in their saliva, but have no way of proving it other than my own experience and observations.

What can be done for the squirrel? If you believe in conventional medicine, about all you will get is a bunch of hype about treating it like a cancer. They would treat the symptom with a bunch of toxic chemicals that would destroy the squirrels immune system and weaken him to the point that any minor infection would kill him.

We live in a cause and effect world. If you stick your hand in a fire, you get burned. If you look at disease from a cause and effect standpoint, you don't primarily treat symptoms, although that is a part. You try to find a possible cause and try to correct that. If you figure out a cause and remove it, the body has an amazing capacity for healing itself. It makes no sense to knock out the primary way a body protects itself, (the immune system,) to treat a problem.

If squirrel pox is viral, I would do two things. I would get as much raw coconut oil as I could into the squirrel. Good raw coconut oil has over 50% concentration of two vital substances, Lauric Acid and Capric Acid. Both have been proven to be potent anti bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal agents. These substances are destroyed if the oil has been refined, processed or hydrogenated. So it must be good, cold pressed coconut oil that is made from fresh coconut meat.

Second, I would start giving the squirrel a drop of Carnivora two to three times a day for two weeks, then a drop per day thereafter. This is a substance made from the sap of the Venus Fly Trap plant. It has been found to boost the immune system tremendously. When it first came out, former president Reagan was taking it while in the White House when he learned he had developed a cancer. Notice, when he died, he didn't die of cancer, and he never had cancer surgery.

I can't guarantee that this would do anything for squirrel pox, because I have never treated a squirrel with this problem. If I did, these are the two substances I would use. I would also apply the coconut oil directly to the lesions, especially those the squirrel had chewed on.

Hope this helped!

Bill

Reply
Crystal
6/18/2014 08:46:46 pm

Good Morning,

I rescued a grey squirrel 3 springs back. He has a giant cage and run of the house most of the day.

Tonight around 3 in the morning I woke up because he cried out. Checking on him he has some hair missing on his belly. It is not crusty but is a little red. He also has a gash on one arm where it looks like he has bitten himself. I think it is most likely mange. Do I will be purchasing the treatment. My question is how do I help my little boy in the mean time?

Reply
William link
6/19/2014 04:11:10 am

Hi Crystal!

You didn't say, but I'm going to assume that your squirrel only stays in your house. If that's the case, his chances of having mange are slim to none. Since he is a pet, I assume you are able to handle him. If you want to try to treat for mange, you can, and it won't hurt your squirrel, but since your squirrel is in captivity, you do not need the Ivermectin. It would be much safer for you to use one drop of any puppy flea drops on the back of his neck. If it is itch mites, that will kill them along with any fleas or other bug he may have picked up. If you have already ordered Ivermectin from me, and would like to go the flea drop route,( which I recommend,) just let me know and I'll issue a refund through PayPal.

As I said before, I'm not convinced that what you are seeing is due to any bugs. It would be helpful if you could send a picture of what you are seeing on your squirrel so that I could better advise what it might be. You can correspond with me direct at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Justin
6/19/2014 09:18:01 am

Thanks to everyone who commented and helped me out! The blue dove soap wash worked and he's healthy and eating fine now! To everyone else who replied, thanks for the responses and it's greatly appreciated!

Reply
Justin Greene
6/19/2014 09:19:03 am

Thanks to everyone who commented and helped me out! The blue dove soap wash worked and he's healthy and eating fine now! To everyone else who replied, thanks for the responses and it's greatly appreciated! The maggots are gone and its skin is healing

Reply
Justin Greene
6/19/2014 09:19:16 am

Thanks to everyone who commented and helped me out! The blue dove soap wash worked and he's healthy and eating fine now! To everyone else who replied, thanks for the responses and it's greatly appreciated! The maggots are gone and its skin is healing. Thank you!

Reply
bev hunnicutt
6/21/2014 11:33:13 pm

can the squirrels mommy and daddy carry skin mites from them? not the ones from the mange the other? do squirrels reguire bright sunlight if they kept indoors for any kind of vitamins? Fred is in my living room and receives sun as it comes thru the windows.

Reply
William link
6/22/2014 02:57:21 pm

Hi Bev!
I'm not sure what you are asking, but I will attempt an answer. Mange, or itch mites are just like scabies, and are transmitted by close body contact. So, yes, they can be carried by the mother and transmitted to her babies.

If you are talking about the hair fungus or Dermatophytosis, the fungus can be transmitted from squirrel to squirrel also. When my resident blind squirrel, who is indoors and caged part of the time, got it, I believe that I transmitted it via my clothing. I had some very friendly released squirrels at the time that would sit on my shoulders when I was out feeding them. I think they carried the fungus onto me, and I transported it into the house so that when Lucky would sit on my shoulder, she picked it up.

Squirrels do require direct sunlight to synthesize Vitamin D. It needs to be direct sunlight, (not through glass,) to work. That's why we recommend that #1. They not be kept as pets and should be released when they are old enough. and. #2. We put Cod Liver Oil in our Nut Square mixes to help supplement some Vitamin D in their diet.

We take our resident blind squirrel out into the sunlight as often as we can, but it becomes very difficult in winter. A full spectrum light, (grow light,) can help, but there is no good substitute for the sun.

A really good diet is required to keep a squirrel healthy as well as a daily source of calcium. Lots of exercise is also necessary to keep them from becoming fat. An overweight and under exercised caged squirrel is prone to an number of problems as we have found out over the past six years with our blind squirrel. In addition to having a constant struggle trying to keep her weight under control, she has had urinary tract infections, fluid retention, hormone problems and gets quite bored from being inactive. The hormone problem recently required that she have her uterus and ovaries removed, and that has given her a ravenous appetite. That adds to the potential weight problem, so she is not very happy with me restricting her food intake.

Hope this information helped!

Bill

Reply
bev
6/24/2014 09:39:36 am

can humans carry the mites from dermatophytosis? I recently purchased your product to make squirrel nuts. Thanks for such an interesting website!!! I feel itchy and wanted to know. Thanks!

William link
6/24/2014 12:06:36 pm

Mites and Dermatophytosis are two different things. Mites are tiny insects, dermatophytosis is a fungus. Mites can be transmitted to humans if they have close, prolonged contact with an infected squirrel and never wash their hands. But, most times the itch you experience when you are around an animal that is infested with such things, is purely psychosomatic.

A good example of what I'm talking about can be seen in new nurses that are working in the Emergency Room for the first time. They take care of a patient with head lice or scabies and come out of the room itching all over, even though they wore gloves while examining them and washed their hands before and after the exam.

bev
6/24/2014 07:40:59 pm

thank! thank you! thank you!

Reply
Linda Hamilton link
6/26/2014 11:53:09 am

I understand a gray squirrel molts twice a year, once from top to bottom, the other time from bottom to top. If a squirrel's tail whiskers burned off in a fire, would they grow back during molting or never grow back? I don't know of this occurring to a squirrel but am writing a story in which this occurs and would like to be accurate in the telling. Thanks! Linda

Reply
William link
6/26/2014 02:28:11 pm

Hi Linda,

I've had an un-releasable squirrel for the last six years, and I'm only aware of one molting or shedding time per year. Right after the coldest of weather breaks, usually in March, they start to shed. In the early years of our squirrel's captivity, the tail would get really sparse during the shedding time and look awful. A couple of years ago, I discovered that hair quality in squirrels, is directly related to diet. I started feeding oil rich Avocado to my captive squirrel every day, starting in August. The following June, ( when new hair growth starts in squirrels,) her hair and tail came in more beautiful than I had ever seen, Throughout the past year she has maintained a beautiful and soft coat. On the 11th. of June, right on time her new hair started growing again. Her tail hairs grows long and become variegated with subtle shades of gray, white and black highlights.

In late Fall, during the month of October, all the well fed squirrels put on a layer of fat, and their body coat hair thickens with an undergrowth of Winter fur. My captive squirrel looks rather funny, because being inside the house, her winter coat resembles a turtle shell on her back and doesn't grow dense all over.

To answer your question about tail hair being burned off, it would grow back during the month of June as long as the hair follicles were not damaged from being burned.

As I said before, the quality of their hair is dependent upon their nutrition status. It is also effected by their intake of salt. ( Too much salt causes a squirrel to excessively shed hair.)

In our facility, we've taken care of starving babies. The one thing that is universally characteristic in a starvation situation is that their hair quits growing and falls out. Apparently, to preserve protein, the hair follicles shut down and the hair quits growing and falls out. It takes about a month of high quality nutrition to get the hair to regrow. In the meantime, they are naked as a Jaybird except for tufts of hair on their head and on their feet.

I hope this information is helpful, and that your story is a huge success!

Reply
ANKUR
4/25/2017 10:20:46 am

Hello William,
My squirrel has been bitten by my dog at one point on her tail(skeleton most probably). I noticed a drop of sticky fluid, and within half an hour my squirrel had shed most of her hair on her tail.
Currently I am applying neosprin and non hydrogenated coconut oil on her wound.
Is it okay to continue with coconut oil on her wound or/ and suggest the course of action to be followed so that she can be cured and grows her hair on her tail back.
Thankyou.

William link
4/25/2017 06:48:31 pm

Hi Ankur!

That's rather strange for the hair to fall out so suddenly. The treatment you are doing is fine. You will just have to wait and see what happens. Hopefully, the bite didn't damage the blood supply to the tail, because if it did, the distal segment may die and fall off.

Bill

bev
7/6/2014 10:50:57 am

i have a 16 month old male gray squirrel. I was a rehabber of wild animals thru my local zoo years ago. I know the routine and all. I got him bigger cage a few months back. Friday i got a baby robin and put it in squirrels old smaller cage. Since then he seems to getting aggressive over this bird in cage. Got to cage and wouldn't get back in his cage. I can't release him here and dont know anyone in the country to do it. I have 5 weiner dogs and one is a true blue hunter for the breed. NOTHING lives in the back yard so I can't release him here. He has bite me only a couple times since i have had him. But he got me good today. He chatters and raises his backside and grabs my arm and hand more aggressively . I'm ready to keep him for the long haul, but after today I dont know. I've thought of having him fixed maybe to calm him. Any suggestions? Thanks

Reply
William link
7/6/2014 12:19:56 pm

Hi Bev,

Your squirrel is aggressive because of sexual maturity. Just about everything, especially males, will set him off. If you have un-neutered male dogs in the house it will bring out his territorial aggression. It is unusual that he bites you, because males usually will allow only one handler, usually a female, but it is probably the other animals that are setting him off.

Neutering may help. Release would be tough and would have to be done very gradually on his terms. If you move him outside too quickly without being a support system for him, he will get very depressed because he will feel abandoned by you. He will go on a hunger strike and become even more difficult to manage.

If you are convinced to keep him, neutering would probably be the best all the way around. It would get rid of the testosterone that causes most of the aggressiveness, but I don't know if there would be any residual resentment. I've never had a male neutered, so I cannot speak with any authority on that.

Bill

Reply
Michele
7/10/2014 09:20:43 pm

Hi,
There is a squirrel in my yard who appears to be in rough shape. First I noticed scratches on his back (looked like bloody cuts) so I assumed he was attached by an animal. But when i got closer, I noticed he was missing a bunch of hair and his skin appeared wrinkled and hard. Should i try the treatment on your site, and how do you get him to take the nut? As he runs from me.
Thanks.

Reply
William link
7/11/2014 12:05:52 am

Hi Michele!

Sounds like the squirrel has mange, and would benefit from treatment. Is it the only squirrel to visit your yard, or are there a bunch of others? I would observe it for a few days to see what it's habits are. Just put out some untreated foods to see when it comes to visit and eat. Once you start to see it's patterns of activity, it should be fairly easy to know when to put out a treated nut meat.

On the day you treat, just put out a treated nut, then watch to see who comes to get it. If it's mangy boy, problem solved. If it's another squirrel, no problem, you've helped them get rid of their fleas and lice for a while. Keep putting out a treated nut until you see the one with mange come and eat it. Then, repeat the process once a week for a couple weeks.

There is a way to get a squirrel to take food from you, but it takes some time. If you go out and sit in your yard, and when you see a squirrel, toss some food in their direction while making a sound that gets their attention. Whenever you toss food in their direction, and they find the food, they will start to make the association of food with the sound you are making. Soon they will start to come when they hear you making that sound, and will start to associate food with you being the source. As you continue this behavior, they will come closer and closer to you, the source of food. Before long, they will be up close, and you will be able to get food to specific squirrels.

My neighbor learned this when she would go out and have her morning coffee on her back porch. She would toss peanuts to the squirrels in her back yard. I told her at that time that she was going to create some monsters. Long story, short, she has a couple of squirrels now that follow her around her yard like puppies and even know what pocket she carries nuts in because they try to climb up her leg to get to her left pocket. She told me she put them in "time-out" the other day when they tried it while she had shorts on! :>)

Bill

PS. I'll get your order out today.

Reply
bev
7/24/2014 12:02:09 pm

i have written to you before. I have a 16 month old male gray squirrel that is getting fixed soon. He and I are really just getting know each other. We play alot but I do work. He has a good size and lots of toys. He let out a whistle the other day that took me by surprise. Sounded like when you let air out of a balloon. came from his nose ,whiskers shook. Never heard this before. Just wondering what it might have meant . He wasn't agitated or upset. When i do it to him he freezes in place, but doesn't seem to upset him. Have you ever heard it? Thanks. Just curious.

Reply
William link
7/25/2014 04:08:56 am

Hi Bev!

Your boy is discovering his ability to make varied vocalizations. I know the sound you are describing, and it is completely normal, I've heard it many times. I've identified a half dozen vocalizations that squirrels make that range from whistles, grunts, purrs, chucks, and several other sounds . I believe that there are other sounds they make that are unique to breeding season. We are now in the late season breeding time, (June/July,) and it is possible, since your boy is now sexually mature, that the whistle you heard was in response to him getting a whiff of a female in estrus.

I know that before our girl, Lucky had her hysterectomy, I had to be very careful taking her outside for her walks during breeding season. She would be perfectly fine, then all of a sudden would go ballistic, chucking and alerting and running all over my body. I would have to grab her before she had a chance to do laps of my head, and hold her until we moved further on in our walk. My theory was that she would get a whiff of a turned-on male, and that would instantly send her in to a mating chase mode. Instinctively, she knew that she had to run, because a female squirrel leads a mating chase where all interested males have to chase her for the privilege of mating. This chase continues until all but one or two males are left,( the others all dropped off from exhaustion.) This insures that the female mates with the strongest males, thereby keeping the gene pool healthy.

Then again, maybe your boy was thinking about what "getting fixed" would entail! :>)

Bill

Reply
Shannon
7/25/2014 01:24:51 pm

Hi Bill. There is a squirrel that comes around my work. Everyone thinks he has mange. Upon reading the info on your site, I'm beginning to think it may be fungal. It's missing all of its fur on its head and shoulders and most of its gone down its back. There looked like there was a dry white patch on the top of his neck that I saw him scratching at a few times. I'm trying to find an organization that will take it and rehabilitate it and release it but, if I can't find anyone to take it, then I would like to know what I could do. Someone has apparently been feeding it for a long time because he starting coming around about a year or two and he will sit at the door of the business at just look in and he will follow you to your car or to the door of the business. I saw one guy making a delivery actually hand feed it. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks

Reply
Shannon
7/25/2014 01:28:43 pm

Forgot to add that it looks more like the second pic atop this page of the squirrel with a fungal infection except all of its skin that is exposed is very dark in color, not pink or flesh tone. (Not sure it that means anything or not).

Reply
William link
7/25/2014 03:11:33 pm

Hi Shannon!

I could better advise you if you could get a good close-up picture of the squirrel and send it to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Trying to trap even a friendly wild squirrel is not a good idea. When they are suddenly confined in a small space they panic, and often will hurt themselves badly, even to the point of fracturing facial bones trying to escape by ramming their face into the sides of the trap. Trapping squirrels requires a lot of careful post-trapping care to minimize panic. Even successfully getting them to a rehab facility, would not guarantee a successful outcome.

You would be better off treating him or her on a local basis. The fact that the squirrel is friendly is a big plus! It means that you could successfully treat him or her either with medication or nutritionally.

I think I would go ahead and try Ivermectin whether or not it is Mange. If it is not mange, you have at least given it a temporary reprieve from it's fleas and lice.

Nutritionally, I would give it a Nut Square or two every day and try to get some chunks of raw coconut oil in it, and start a daily feeding of raw coconut in the shell. Good coconut oil and raw coconut contain some very important acids, ( Lauric Acid and Capric Acid,) both of which will kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The anti-fungal effect is what you would be wanting, and the anti-bacterial effect would help prevent any infection from scratching. Coconut oil is a solid below 76 degrees, and a liquid above that temperature. It might be hard trying to feed chunks of it if it is warm outside. In warm weather, I mix coconut oil with pecan meal and a little baby rice cereal as a binding agent to form little balls of coconut oil and pecans to get them to eat the coconut oil. Some squirrels, ( like my Lucky,) will eat coconut oil straight, while some squirrels won't touch it alone. The best oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat by a centrifuge process with a minimum of heat. It has the highest levels of the vital acids mentioned.

I would also start feeding raw avocado every day. Squirrels love it, and the Omega fats in avocados are great for skin and coat. I wish you could feel the fur of my resident girl squirrel, Lucky. She has had avocado every day for the past two years and she feels like a mink. Her tail is the biggest, bushiest and beautifully variegated colors of any squirrel you have ever seen. I attribute it to avocado, because for the first 4 years we had her, her fur was mediocre, and her tail was always kind of thin.

I think if you did these things, you would see a vast improvement in this squirrel over the next month or two!

The discoloration of the skin is probably due to direct exposure to sunlight. Our skin changes color,( either red or brown,) when we expose it to direct sun. Hair normally protects the squirrel from the effects of the sun.

Hope this helps!

Bill

Reply
christina
7/29/2014 01:10:50 am

Wondering if you could give me some advice, I have a young looking black squirrel hanging around that has some growth around his eyes and on his legs . I'm trying to make friends to get a better look, hes currently eating from around the bird feeder what do you suggest I put out to try to gain trust. I've only come about 10' from him put some seed down and backed away he went right for it after I moved away

Reply
William link
7/29/2014 01:12:44 pm

Hi Christina!

It would be better if you could take a picture and e-mail it to me.

It could be a number of things. Two that are more common are skin infections or Squirrel Pox. So, if you could get a good picture it would help.

My e-mail address is: SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com

Bill

Reply
Berenice Borges
8/2/2014 06:04:29 am

I've just ordered the invermectin but I have a few doubts..The squirrels in my backyard look like they have mange..some spots are hairless , red and with what looks like scabs..In can't get closer enough to see because they are really wild and they run away..I've counte like 8 of them coming here all the time because I put food for the birds and they eat it. How can I be sure that they are not eating more than one dose of the medicine in just one day??? I can't watch them to know which one is eating the nut with the medicine.

Reply
William link
8/2/2014 02:47:43 pm

Hi Berenice!

What you are asking is a common problem that I am frequently asked, so I've put it down for a future Blog topic.

Treating wild squirrels is a problem when you cannot get them to come close enough to insure that they each get a weekly dose.

For people who have established a personal feeding arrangement with their squirrels, and have multiple squirrels that show up, I tell them to pick a convenient day, and feed a treated nut meat to as many as show up together on that day. Once fed, they should stop for a week and look for results. You may not see much the first week other than less redness and less scraching.

In one week, you repeat the process, feeding as many as show up at once, making sure they each get one, then stop again for another week.

The next week, you take some untreated nuts with you to keep the improved squirrels occupied, while you feed the treated ones to the squirrels that look like they either still have mites, or are only slightly improved.

They keep repeating this weekly process until all the squirrels have been given a couple doses and are improving, and hair is actually growing back in the bald areas.

In your case, you will be doing something similar, only with a couple modifications. In your case, the idea will be to decrease the amount of Ivermectin you place on each nut meat, ( about the equivalent of half a drop.) If you have 8 squirrels, do about 10 nut meats with Ivermectin.

Instead of putting them on or around your bird feeder, take them around your property and stick them in the bark of trees you see squirrels frequenting. If you know trees that contain leaf nests, (Drays,) or dens, put one nut meat on those trees. The idea is to spread out the treated nuts far enough, that the chances of a single squirrel finding more than two treated nut is greatly reduced. Since they have half doses, it won't make any difference if an affected squirrel does find and eat two. It wouldn't even overdose them to eat three, but the chances of that happening are greatly decreased by spreading out the treatment.

Squirrels have a very keen sense of smell and the bulk of their time during summer and fall is spent looking for food and keeping their Drays and dens fixed up for the coming winter. You can smear a little peanut butter on the nut meat to make it a little more fragrant, but it is not really necessary.

Just like I mentioned above, you do this weekly and watch for results. It may take a little longer, but for now, it's the best you can do when you cannot feed them directly.

Many people ask what will happen if a non-affected squirrel eats one? The answer is that you will be temporarily reducing the number of fleas and lice they always carry. So, you will actually be doing them a favor.

When you have the time, it is fairly easy to get squirrels to approach and accept food from you. I don't normally recommend peanuts, but peanuts in the shell are easy to throw. Go out and have a morning cup of coffee or juice every morning and take a couple dozen unroasted peanuts in the shell. When you see a squirrel, get their attention by making a specific sound, a soft whistle, even a clicker works, some unique, repeatable sound. Always use the same sound. When they look your way, throw a peanut in their direction. Squirrels are quick learners and very observant of things happening around them and what is happening to other squirrels. Food is one thing they are insanely jealous of, and once they make the connection of the sound that you are making, with food being thrown in their direction, they will start congregating in the area and start competing for the tossed peanuts.

This will lead to them moving closer and closer to you in the hope of you tossing one directly to them. As long as you are in a relaxed, non-threatening posture, ( preferably sitting,) it won't be long before they will be waiting for you to come out for their daily feeding. The bolder ones will eventually even take them from your hand. While the less bold will move in closer less they lose out on getting their share. Before long, you will have them all within easy toss distance, and you will be able to individually treat them in the future if the need arises.

Be careful the first time you hand feed a squirrel. Do it with an open palm. Squirrels are non-aggressive animals, but they do move quickly, especially when taking food from you for the first time. It is a natural reaction to pull away when a squirrel quickly darts to your hand to retrieve a nut. A squirrels bite in this situation is almost always the fault of the human rather than the animal. The reason is, the placement of a squirrel's eyes on their head, gives them 180 degree vision. They can see predators approaching from behind without turning their head. The problem with this type of vision, is that they are unable to see things right in front of their nose. Once they zero in on an object and move in to grab it, they can get it with pinpoint accura

Reply
William link
8/2/2014 03:09:28 pm

Sorry, I didn't know I was limited on the number of words I could put in a reply!

pinpoint accuracy. The problem for newbies to hand feeding squirrels is that the sudden movement of the squirrel scares them, and they reflexively move their hand. If your finger or hand is in the same location the nut was in when they made their move, they might accidentally bite you. It was not their intent, they would have had the nut in a flash and moved away to eat it, but because of the movement, their target was no longer there.

The good news is, a squirrel bite from a normal healthy squirrel never triggers a rabies protocol. I've been bitten numerous times, almost always because of my own fault, and I've never had even deep bites get infected. And I've had them go through tendon and even to the bone of my fingers. For some reason, a squirrel's mouth is very clean.

And that the story about treating mangy squirrels!

Bill

PS. Mange will not kill a healthy squirrel, it just make them look bad, and miserable from scratching.

Reply
Berenice
8/5/2014 12:44:58 am

Thank you very much..That was all I needed to know..

Reply
bev
8/10/2014 01:58:10 am

well tomorrow is the big day for my squirrel(Fred). He is getting fixed. He got me another good one yesterday. I really hope this calms him down . I misses playing and interacting with him. When he starts chattering I can't get him out! He hikes he backside and lowers his head to me.Chattering the whole time! I don't get it. Luckily the bites don't get infected, but they sure hurt from being so deep. Guess I just needed some reassurance that this might work. Thanks!

Reply
Lisa
6/6/2021 10:43:29 pm

I had this problem with the three I over wintered. But I realized it only happened if I had held another male first. Also happens if i pet another animal besides my dog. They know his smell and are fine but I came home from petting three cats and two dogs and even though it had been hours before, i got the hind end up,chattering and stampy feet. Luckily they haven't bitten me but there have been close calls ! I thought I was going to have to release one early because it became dangerous . I don't go near them smelling like another animal and i have to change into different squirrel gear when handling each of the males. am not an expert but I believe it is a combination of them being territorial and jealous. Especially if you are who they bonded to. Hopefully this is the problem with your lil friend.

Reply
Chantelle Smit
8/12/2014 12:53:48 am

Hi there

I hope you can help me,i live in South Africa and i have a girly,she is now 1yr old,we bought her from a breeder,but i did not receive any diet guidlines etc,but she has been doing very well untill recently.

About a month ago i went to her cage to take her out and she looked dead!i took her out and notices that she is breathing,i put her on a warm blanket and started feeding her with a bottle and within 2hrs she was herself again.i changed her diet thinking she did not receive enough nutrition,but a few week later this happened again!Today this happened for a 3rd time now and she also bit her tail off,she bit it in half!Please please can anyone help with advice?Information about them as pets are not really available here.

Reply
William Sells link
8/13/2014 12:26:20 am

Hi Chantelle!

You certainly have an interesting and unfortunate set of symptoms you are presenting. I'm not exactly sure what is going on with your squirrel, but I can make some suggestions.

Self-mutilation, such as the extreme you describe of biting the tail off, is usually due to intense itching. The squirrel is driven so crazy by the itch that they go to any length, including mutilating themselves in an attempt to make it go away. Here in the US, two things can make that happen, mange and skin/hair fungus. With the scabs you are describing, my guess would be a form of mange.

Since you are able to handle the squirrel, my recommendation would be to try a drop of puppy flea drops on the back of the neck.
If it has mange, this will kill the itch mites and make the skin condition go away.

My guess on the lethargy that is made better by feeding, is that the squirrel is wore out from dealing with this condition. Imagine yourself itching so bad that it drove you to mutilate yourself. You would probably be up all night scratching and being driven nuts to the point of never getting any sleep.

If you have a veterinarian that could examine the squirrel, it might be a good idea. He or she could check to see if the skin condition is mites, would be able to prescribe something for the mites and the itch and deal with any infection the squirrel might have as a result of it's wounds.

If you do not have a Vet that will see the squirrel, write me back at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, and I will try to give you some help on home treatments.

Bill

PS If your squirrel is kept in an outside cage, you need to completely clean, disinfect and change the bedding for the squirrel in the event that it is mites.

Reply
Chantelle Smit
8/12/2014 06:02:05 pm

In addition to my comment,it also looks like she has scabs on her front paws.
Please help me

Reply
Chantelle Smit
8/12/2014 06:02:13 pm

In addition to my comment,it also looks like she has scabs on her front paws.
Please help me

Reply
Chantelle Smit
8/12/2014 06:02:25 pm

In addition to my comment,it also looks like she has scabs on her front paws.
Please help me

Reply
chantelle smit
8/13/2014 01:27:46 am

Hi Bill

Thank you so much for your reply!This is the first real advice i have received since she started getting sick.
She does not live in an outside cage,i hand reared her and Could never get it over my heart to let her sleep outside.

I took her to the vet this afternoon (the vet is not very familiar with squirrels but willing to help and find the problem).She contacted another vet and she said that the scabs and swollen front paws and the facts that she bit off her tail seems to her that there is a problem with her blood supply and that this can be caused by sugar levels (from what i understand diabetes) or heart disease.
I have to take her for a heart sonar tomorrow as well as blood tests,the vet does not seem to think its a skin disease because she is not scratching and its only on the front paws,they seem puzzled by what wrong with her.

I will keep you posted on what is happening and again thank you so much!If you don't mind can i send you some photos of what her paws look like?

Reply
chantelle smit
8/13/2014 01:28:07 am

Hi Bill

Thank you so much for your reply!This is the first real advice i have received since she started getting sick.
She does not live in an outside cage,i hand reared her and Could never get it over my heart to let her sleep outside.

I took her to the vet this afternoon (the vet is not very familiar with squirrels but willing to help and find the problem).She contacted another vet and she said that the scabs and swollen front paws and the facts that she bit off her tail seems to her that there is a problem with her blood supply and that this can be caused by sugar levels (from what i understand diabetes) or heart disease.
I have to take her for a heart sonar tomorrow as well as blood tests,the vet does not seem to think its a skin disease because she is not scratching and its only on the front paws,they seem puzzled by what wrong with her.

I will keep you posted on what is happening and again thank you so much!If you don't mind can i send you some photos of what her paws look like?

Reply
Chantelle Smit
8/14/2014 03:52:59 pm

Hi there

I am so sorry for all the duplicate messages, I keep getting an error that my post is not submitted, but seems is actually is.

Just an update on my baby.
So I took her for the tests etc, turns out she has an enlarged fatty liver which is genetic. Dr says there is not much that we can do about this, she gave her an injection of some sort to help the liver and this has to be repeated on Monday.
As for the tail and the paws, the Dr says that it seems at some point she "froze" (apologies for the bad translation) if I understand correctly she had frost bite and that's why she bit off half of her tail, same story with her front paws, but there is a chance that her paws can heal as there seems to be blood flow there,but she can't say for sure.
She says that even though she loses the "fingers" on her front paws she will be able to function normally.

My baby does not seem like her self, she is the opposite of what she usually is, she does not even get out of her pouch to greet me.
I am really worried about her, I don't know if she is suffering, I feel so helpless.

Reply
Chantelle Smit
8/14/2014 03:53:37 pm

Hi there

I am so sorry for all the duplicate messages, I keep getting an error that my post is not submitted, but seems is actually is.

Just an update on my baby.
So I took her for the tests etc, turns out she has an enlarged fatty liver which is genetic. Dr says there is not much that we can do about this, she gave her an injection of some sort to help the liver and this has to be repeated on Monday.
As for the tail and the paws, the Dr says that it seems at some point she "froze" (apologies for the bad translation) if I understand correctly she had frost bite and that's why she bit off half of her tail, same story with her front paws, but there is a chance that her paws can heal as there seems to be blood flow there,but she can't say for sure.
She says that even though she loses the "fingers" on her front paws she will be able to function normally.

My baby does not seem like her self, she is the opposite of what she usually is, she does not even get out of her pouch to greet me.
I am really worried about her, I don't know if she is suffering, I feel so helpless.

Reply
bev
9/13/2014 11:16:54 pm

August 11 ,2014 I had my male squirrel fixed. He had gotten so mean I couldnt get near him. Vet said to leave him alone except to feed and water him, I did. He said it would take about one month for hormone to get out of his system. He has been very calm and loving,till today. He started chattering and growling again. I went to cover my face and he nailed me good again!! I was sitting in a chair in his room letting him run around. His cage( 65x48x24) is in my daughters room while she at college. I was watching tv. He has access to all his food that i have for him so he pick and choose what wants to eat. Acorns, black walnuts, buckeyes, and smalls nut from pear tree in our yard. He jumped on my head and thats all it took! Whats up?? Will he ever settle down? Thanks!

Reply
William link
9/14/2014 02:37:47 am

Hi Bev!

Thanks for writing!

I'm kind of at a loss as to what to tell you, because I have never kept or had a neutered male before. It's too bad that you didn't have him neutered before he hit sexual maturity, because he never would have missed what he never had.

I do have a couple suggestions.

#1. Take away the acorns. They are loaded with tannin and that is like "speed' for squirrels. It where the term "Squirrily" came from, and it makes a squirrel very hyper.

#2. Get some Brewer's Yeast tablets. ( Wal Mart has them in their Vitamin section for $3.00 to $4.00 for a bottle of 100.) Crush one up and mix it with a tablespoon of peanut butter. Spread some on a couple of nut meats and feed it to him every day. Brewer's yeast is loaded with natural B vitamins and they are very calming to the nervous system. I always give my animals a dose of brewer's yeast about an hour before taking them to the Vet. It keeps them calm. Also good to counter fleas.

#3.Start feeding a few soybeans, ( raw if you can get them.) Soybeans have phyto-estrogens in their oil. That's a female hormone that will counter any residual testosterone you squirrel may be retaining. Female squirrels are very non-aggressive because of their estrogens. The only time they get a bit moody is during breeding season.

Hopefully, these suggestions will help calm you boy down. If not, consult your Vet about other possible solutions.

Keep me posted as to whether it works so that I can help others with the same problems.

Bill

Reply
bev
9/15/2014 08:32:47 am

I got your answer for trying to calm Fred(fixed male) If this works, should I keep him on this indefinitely? I will do what it takes. I have invested a lot of love and time. I am not going to give up now. Thanks alot!!!!

Coleen
6/12/2015 09:22:59 pm

Hello Bill - I don't mean to horn in on this conversation but I had a lil male squirrel ...

I figured out that certain soaps, lotions or perfumes that I would wear would send him into absolute tantrums. I had to be very cautious of what I bought to wear (scented) because he seemed to be offended of most scents and would get agitated and snap at me. That was the only time he would ever get angry at me, tho was if I tried to handle him and I had a smell on me he didn't like. He would always warn me - he didn't just bite me - he gave me the infamous "growl!" lol

Tina
7/27/2016 12:38:24 pm

Have you heard of using Diatomaceous Earth for fleas? Would you recommend adding it to the veggie squares?

Hrriet
9/18/2014 07:41:47 am

All summer I saw half a dozen squirrels in my yard and enjoying my bird feeders:) For some reason now I am now seeing only one :( and this one seems to act fine, climbs the feeder pole, eats the food and peanuts that I leave on the ground. My concern is the areas on its fur that look like light-color patches. From what I can see these areas do not look red. I wondered what I might do (if anything) to help improve this condition. Is there a way to send a photo to you? Thanks for any suggestions. (I read the article in the blog about mange, but I don;t think that's what this is.) Thanks for any suggestions.

Reply
William link
9/18/2014 09:24:32 am

Hello Harriet,

My guess is that the squirrel probably has dermatophytosis, a hair fungus. It's usually self-limiting and the squirrel's immune system will ultimately overcome it. Good nutrition is all that is needed.

Bill

Reply
Dawn Tyer
9/23/2014 02:00:29 pm

I need help. I do wildlife rehab and in my 7 years have never seen what is happening to my babies. Their skin looks like it is pilling off and their hair is gone. One is developing sores. I have reintroduced milk to their diet and have them on clavamox. What do I do?!?

Reply
William link
9/23/2014 03:24:16 pm

Hi Dawn,

What were you feeding before introducing milk? And what is the Clavamox treating?

Bill

PS You can contact me direct at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com

Reply
Dawn
9/24/2014 01:18:26 pm

Just nuts. A local vet said to try some clavamox to see if it helped. They have been on it for 3 days. I ordered the coconut oil and silver spray for them. I'm just baffled! I'm worried that it will spread to the other squirrels. So far it hasn't and the two affected seem completely normal except for the peeling skin and losing hair

Dawn
9/24/2014 01:19:41 pm

I sent an email with pictures. Let me know if you got it

Evelyn R Hill
9/24/2014 07:20:39 am

I have a wild squirrel that has a skin disease but not like your photographs, can you email me so I can send a photograph.

Reply
Tonya Clark
9/25/2014 11:11:16 pm

I am so happy to have found this site. DeeDee is 3/12 years old and is an exclusively indoor squirrel (although, I would love to transition her to outdoor but don't think she would do well since she has not been outside since she was about 3 months old). She recently has acquired a large open wound on her hind leg that she nonstop is digging at. It looks raw and crusty around the edges. I don't know what has caused it and it just seems to be getting worse. The only other time she had this was when I rehabed a male squirrel and he became very dominate. After I released him, her sores healed up so I assumed they were stress related. I will try the coconut oil tonight but she thinks it is a treat and will probably just chew more into her leg because of it....which is also why I don't put much of anything else on it as well. Do you think the Ivermectin paste would help her?

Reply
William link
9/26/2014 01:49:47 am

Hi Tonya!

Could you send me a picture of her wound, ( as clear as possible so I can get a good look at it.) It would help immensely in how to advise you on it.

It's OK if your squirrel eats the coconut oil, in fact, if she likes it, start feeding her as much as she wants. As long as it is raw and non-hydrogenated, it contains over 50% Lauric and Capric acid which has been found to be anti bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal. If it is an open wound I would soak it in warm salt water or Epsom Salt, and spray it frequently with Ionic Silver and give the squirrel a quarter cc of Ionic silver twice a day or put 10cc of it in it's water bottle or dish.

You can send the picture to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, plus you can communicate directly with me through that e-mail address instead of having to go through this blog.

Bill

Reply
Brigitte
9/21/2016 10:14:39 am

Can I put frontline on baby squirrel for scabies ? We brought stray baby kitten in and we all caught scabies from it

Praks link
9/26/2014 01:29:23 am

Hi, William
My squirrel 7-8 months also have small lice or ticks in its tail end the hair has been lost. Suggest a shampoo for bath. And the percentage of medicine of ivermeotin 6mg. Please let me know your email I'd so that I can send you snaps.

Thank you in anticipation.

Reply
William link
9/26/2014 01:56:47 am

Hi Pracks,

If you have the squirrel in your possession, simply give it a flea bath with animal flea soap or Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid. Then, put one drop of kitten flea drops on the back of it's neck.

If it's lice, you can obtain a Nit Comb at any pharmacy to come out the little egg sacks or Nits.

Ivermectin should only be used on wild squirrels that you are unable to handle because dosing can be a little tricky.

That should take care of it!

Bill

Reply
bev
9/28/2014 06:22:49 am

Well it has been two weeks since I started Fred( my fixed male ) on soybeans and brewers yeast. So far real good! He still is VERY active but not aggressive. He hasn't chattered at me orbit me. He has always taste tested me since he was very young. Some hurt a little some don't. No bites thru the skin tho! I still get a little nervous around him, fear of being bit. He's upstairs in his cage whistling that high pitch sound now. Guess hes talking to the outside squirrels. Windows are open in his room as long as its nice out. I want THANK YOU very much for all your help. I will keep in touch as we go along with Fred.

Reply
bev
10/3/2014 10:50:10 pm

well its been a week since i wrote to you. This am he started showing some aggression again. Last nite he was putty in my hands! He was laying on his back in my left hand and I was rubbing scratching every part of his body. Not today!!!! His diet is buckeyes, black walnuts, soybeans, frozen mulberries from my trees, avocado, coconut, hickory nuts, almonds,peanut butter laced with brewers yeast. He didn't bite, just started chattering and got REAL clingy like he used to do before a bad bite. I had to put in back in cage carefully. Thanks Bev

Reply
Bobby Herndon link
10/8/2014 09:34:20 am

Can dogs get diseases from squirrels? I have hundreds of birds eating out of my feeders but the squirrels look so bad that I took the feeders down. I did so enjoy seeing the birds feed, I'm concerned for the safety of my dogs, the squirrels have hair missing and terrible sores, Please advise

Reply
Allie
10/11/2014 04:48:10 am

Hi Bill
We rescued a baby squirrel about 2 weeks ago (estimated she is around 7/8 weeks now)--she has been doing great with fox valley formula and some soft foods but lately we have noticed that her toes are looking raw/hairless...they are not crusty so I wasn't sure if it's from her licking her toes excessively after eating or if its mites or mange. I ordered the paste from your website recently to be on the safe side, but Id rather not apply it to her feet without getting a better idea of whats going on. Since we noticed the raw toes, we are diligent about cleaning her feet with all natural baby wipes after feeding, which seems to be helping a bit, but not really healing enough to be noticeable. Please give me your thoughts!
Allie

Reply
William link
10/12/2014 04:05:50 am

Hi Allie!

I wish you had written before ordering the paste, (Ivermectin.) I need to go back and revise my "Skin Diseases in Squirrels" Blog to include a section on treating mites in juvenile vs adult squirrels. Ivermectin should be used only on adult, wild squirrels and not babies. The reason is because the dosing for babies is so miniscule, that it is nearly impossible to figure dosage.

If you have already used it on your baby, don't worry, an adult dose won't kill it, but it can make it very lethargic and cause some intestinal upset, and possibly increased itching. If you have given the baby a dose, I guarantee that your baby does not have any more mites. But, what it may have is itching and irritation to its toes, causing it to nibble on them more causing the hair to be pulled out. Don't worry, the hair will grow back, but don't give it any more Ivermectin!

To treat babies with mites or Mange, it is much safer to use one drop of kitten flea drops on the back of the neck. It will kill the mites as effectively as Ivermec, without any side effects.

Start feeding your squirrel a couple small chunks of Avocado everyday. The oils in this fruit are great for skin and coat.

If I had the squirrel, I would spray the feet daily with Ionic Silver and apply raw coconut oil, and offer a small chunk of the hardened oil, or feed raw coconut out of the shell everyday. (A tip on raw coconut: When you break open and take out the fresh coconut meat, cut it into squirrel sized chunks and place it in a freezer bag in the freezer. Get out daily what you will use, and keep the rest frozen. Otherwise it will get real slimy, and lose the good stuff if it sits in the refrigerator!)

Another consideration is what you have in the bottom of the cage. Do not use cedar chips. The oil in the cedar is irritating to the squirrel's skin, and ingestion of the cedar wood can make them sick, and even kill them.

Squirrels have also reacted to news print ink, especially colored ink. When they urinate on it, and walk through it, they can pick up some of the ink and then deposit it around their body through scratching.

I use the disposable cloth towels that we used to get in disposable suture packs to line the bottom of my blind squirrels' cage. When they get soiled, we shake them out and put them in a bucket with ammonia water. Periodically, we run a load of just these towels so we always have a fresh, clean supply to line her cage.

Hope this helped!

Bill

Reply
Allie
10/12/2014 05:26:04 am

Thanks for the advice! I started her on the coconut oil a few days ago and she's been eating avocado since day 1. Haven't recieved the paste yet so I'm glad I asked first! Wouldn't have applied it until hearing from you but good to know we will have it for when she grows. I will be ordering the silver spray--thank you!!
We've been using old pillow cases washed on the sanitary setting with natural fragrance free detergent, changing daily so I don't think her sore toes are from the bedding material.
That coconut oil has helped a whole bunch already and it's only been a couple of days! Natural remedies always work the best :)!we will be picking up the kitten flea drops today to get rid of whatever might be bothering her.thanks again!
Allie

Allie
10/12/2014 06:37:48 am

Bill,
Could you please email me the dos an do nots list for squirrel food--it would be super helpful as she gets older and weaned off the formula--thank you! -Allie

Reply
Nik link
10/19/2014 08:10:58 pm

how to treat wound on squirrel's face and get back his hair on?

Reply
niell
11/1/2014 12:44:43 am

I have a 3 months old male Indian palm squirrel he was eating fine until today morning, but suddenly he has stopped eating his food and i have noticed sum rashes on his back and head. what do i do?

Reply
William link
11/1/2014 03:42:12 am

Hi Niell!

First I would need to know what you are feeding. I'm not real familiar with the Palm Squirrel since we don't have any in our hemisphere, but most rashes can usually be attributed to allergy to something they are eating, or, contact dermatitis, something they are coming in contact with that is causing skin irritation and rash.

Here in the US people sometimes put cedar wood chips in the bottom of their squirrel's cage. The oil in the wood is irritating to squirrel's skin and will cause them to break out in a rash.

Since your squirrel has stopped eating, and has developed a rash, my guess is that it is something it is eating. Whatever it is, may be making it sick to it's stomach and would explain the loss of appetite.

Also, look to see what it may be gnawing on. Squirrels have to chew on hard objects to keep their teeth wore down. Possibly, something it is gnawing on may be making it sick.

Other than that,the only other thing would be to have it evaluated by a Veterinarian.

Bill

Reply
Michelle Webster link
11/1/2014 10:16:28 am

Hi Bill,
Thank you for your blog. I have read a bit on your site and on here and I think I know what issue we are facing and what to do, but I wanted to be sure and see if you would be on the same page.
We live in South Florida. We have a lot of squirrels in our neighborhood, it's pretty cut off... one way in and one way out. So, our squirrels are generally our squirrels. Anyway.. we had one visit us today. We noticed right away that she was missing a LOT of fur. This is the first time I have ever seen her or this condition in our neighborhood. I did not see any open, red or infected wounds on here, but her skin was rough and dry and wrinkly looking. Almost like a big scab texture. She ate right out of my hand and was VERY hungry. But I also noticed she seemed lethargic. After she ate she did climb up into a tree and took a nap in the sun. I lost track of her after she woke up, but I did notice that she seemed itchy. She was quite friendly and at one point I thought about trying to catch her, but decided against it since I wouldn't know what to do with a wild squirrel once I got her. I read that it could be mange... and from the photos on google... that does look like her skin. With the skin fungus, would the skin look like eczema/SUPER dry skin, flaky? Or would they just loose their fur and would their skin still be smooth? Thank you so much for your help.

Reply
William link
11/1/2014 02:36:58 pm

Hi Michelle!

It would help greatly if you could send me a picture of what the squirrel looks like, ( the closer the better.)

It would not hurt to go ahead and treat the squirrel like it had mange with a touch of Ivermectin. Sometimes lethargy is caused by mites, because they are blood sucking insects. If a squirrel has them long enough, they can make it slightly anemic and that makes them tire easily.

Even if it is not mites, you will help temporarily rid the squirrel of fleas, lice and intestinal parasites.

I would start feeding it avocado daily. The oils in the avocado are great for skin, hair and energy. A daily Nut Square would be great also to provide vitamins and calcium. Write to my e-mail address and request the recipe,( SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com)

Bill

Reply
Judy Hagenbuch
11/2/2014 11:11:20 pm

Hi Bill, I live in Michigan and for years have had big, healthy squirrels at my bird feeders. I love watching both the squirrels and the birds and enjoy feeding them. Lately I've noticed less squirrels and a few of them don't look healthy. One has no hair on his/her tail at all, another one has most of his/her hair missing all over it's body and most of the hair on the tail it's gone. I haven't seen the one with no hair on it's tail at all for awhile now. I don't clean the bird feeders. I put black oiler sunflower seeds and cracked corn in them. Am I causing the problem with the squirrels by not cleaning the feeders? I can't catch and treat my squirrels, they are not tame and if I did put a live trap out under the tree I might catch a skunk, a racoon a woodchuck or even a possum. I look at the one without his hair and my heart just breaks, he looks awful and he must be very sick. I do not see any red, crusty sores on his body so think it's not mange but more likely dermatophytosis from what I read above. I feel bad that I can't help them but also concerned about what's causing the squirrels to be sick. Can you please help me. Thank you, Judy

Reply
William link
11/3/2014 01:29:46 pm

Hi Judy!

it's always hard to see squirrels in this condition. Not being able to see the squirrels, I can only speculate on what is going on. You could try a dose of Ivermectin just to see if it is a mite problem. It won't hurt them, in fact you would be temporarily ridding them of fleas, lice and intestinal parasites.

Excessive salt intake will cause thinning of hair in squirrels. Even if you are not feeding salty foods, someones else may be. Squirrels do make their rounds.

I treat Dermatophytosis with good nutrition, because it's their immune system that ultimately rids them of the fungus.

Sorry I can't be of more help!

Bill

Reply
bev
11/14/2014 10:25:54 pm

well I have added english walnuts and hazelnuts to Freds diet. He is a 2 year old fixed male. Was very aggressive before surgery, has calmed down alot. Two weeks ago added the other nuts to keep his teeth trim.He hides the little nuts but eats the big ones. Today he is chattering again and grabbing my hand tight. What nut might be bringing on this? I read in one of your letters that almonds are a no no? Would appreciate any suggestions Thanks!

Reply
William link
11/15/2014 08:10:12 am

Hi Bev!

Are you feeding any acorns? Acorns are like Meth Amphetamines for squirrels and make them very aggressive.

Other than that, even fixed animals can have their ups and downs.

I have a 6 year old blind female, Lucky, who is fixed and the most laid-back, mild mannered squirrel you ever met. But sometimes, when I have her out in public, she'll go berserk and start running all over me and doing what I call "dray chucking." It's an alarm sound that squirrels make that starts with a long draaaaaa, followed by a chuck, chuck, chuck.

What sets her off? I have no idea, but speculate that it is a scent she picks up in the air that sets her off.

You'll just have to do a little detective work and see if you can make any association between what is being fed, and this type of behavior. But, always keep in mind that you may never find out!

Bill

Reply
bev
11/16/2014 03:56:47 am

Thanks for ur quick response about Fred. Today is seems fine. He DOES NOT like any different smells. Agitates him very much! He seems to like to sit and do a high pitch whistle slowly let out. Are almonds in the shell ok? he has eaten them for a long time. just curious.. Fred does the same sound too that ur Lucky does, for no reason. I don't take Fred out tho. He's a one person squirrel. Again thank u so much for ur help!!!

Reply
William link
11/16/2014 12:15:33 pm

Hi Bev!

Almonds are OK for squirrels, in or out of the shell doesn't matter. A misconception about nuts is that they make up the main diet of a squirrel. When in reality, nuts should only be a treat, but not a main food source. Another source of agitation in squirrels can be a physical problem, IE., if they don't feel good. Make sure he is not having urinary problems or constipation such as increased urinating or dragging his butt across the bottom of his cage. One thing I've found that calms squirrels, or any animal down, is Brewer's yeast. We put it in our mixes for the natural source of B vitamins. The B vitamins are very calming to the nerves. Whenever I have trouble sleeping, I'll get up and take 5 or 6 tablets of Brewer's yeast and I'll be asleep in a half hour or less.

Reply
Linda J Sardou
11/26/2014 02:55:04 am

I noticed my squirrels ears on the outer edge appears to be missing fur. Her fur on the rest of her looks ok. Is this something to be concerned about?

I released her back in mid September. The weather here is starting to get very cold.

Reply
William link
11/26/2014 10:34:25 am

Hi Linda!

I wouldn't worry about it.? My six year old female nibbles her toes in the winter and is missing fur on a couple of them. They just itch, so she nibbles.

Our rehab squirrels set up their pecking order in the cage they are in. One of the things they do is nip out fur on each other in their little spats. It's possible that the fur may be missing due to one of these squirrel arguments. I've had release squirrels come home with little pieces of their ears missing from some of these spats. These ear notches are one way that I am able to tell who is who! :>)

I would just keep an eye on it and wait and see.

Reply
Maria
12/3/2014 11:21:41 pm

Hi! Bought some Invermectin (apple flavored paste) to try to treat the squirrels outside my home. I live against a forest preserve and have noticed that all the squirrels that frequent my feeders are starting to itch and many are losing fur. It is like watching the "Itchy and Scratchy" show when they all show up. They have been suffering for a few weeks. Asked my vet and he had no suggestions, so I took to the internet and found you! A few squirrels more severe patches of fur loss with redness to their skin from all the scratching. Safe to say it is mange? It is spreading among them so I figured I should do something before it spreads to the raccoons and cat that also show up frequently as well. I am thinking since it is typically a squirrely feeding frenzy when I toss peanuts into the yard, it will be tough to dose each squirrel (about 6 - 8 of them) separately with any effectiveness. Will have to be very deliberate and study them closely to tell them apart and see if I can get each to approach individually or toss a treated nut to each with accuracy so they don't fight. How dangerous is it if one squirrel gets more than one dosage?
Thanks for your help.

Reply
Linda J Sardou
12/8/2014 02:37:07 am

Hi William, I have a tame outside squirrel who appears to have mange. She has a 'crusty/red/and fur loss just at the nape of her neck/shoulder line. My Vet gave me some Revolution to put on her. I noticed today that it appears to be worsening and she is still scratching like crazy. I put the Revolution on her (2-3 drops) on Friday December 5th around 11:30 PM. Today is Monday, December 8th. Should I see improvement by now? If not, I had ordered some Ivemectin Paste from you a few days ago, will it hurt if I give that to her now? For the Revolution, it says to readminister again in 30 days. I don't want to add more to what she's already been given for fear of causing harm. Thank you, I would really appreciate if you can get back to me asap. I'm worried about her. She is eating and acting normal though.

Reply
William link
12/9/2014 04:27:06 am

Hi Linda!
I'm dreadfully sorry I did not get to your Blog comment right away. This is one of our busiest seasons of the year for squirrel products and advice e-mail, I've been up until 3:00 AM answering squirrel e-mail advice and nutrition questions. Blog questions go to my personal e-mail, but all the other e-mail comes in through SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Regarding your Revolution/ Ivermectin question and the condition you are seeing. If Revolution didn't get rid of the mites, Ivermectin won't either. So the short answer is NO don't apply Ivermectin, because you are not dealing with a mite problem. I always tell people that if you have a squirrel tame enough to touch and handle, use a drop or two of flea drops like Revolution.

Now, to the question about what is going on with your squirrel. The next step should be to have your Vet try a course of antibiotics. You are either dealing with a skin infection,( which antibiotics will help,) or it is the skin/hair fungus that I describe in this Blog. Most times, squirrels don't scratch themselves raw with skin fungus, but like everything else in life, there are a few that do.

Vets have medicine for fungus, but if you research those types of medicine, you'll find that they are not good for the liver. Kind of like the commercials for Psoriasis, "Oh, my psoriasis is so much better because of Blah-Blah medication!" But, you listen to the fast talking announcer at the end of the ad and find out there is a whole long list of life threatening conditions, including cancer, that you need to talk to your doctor about.

I like to treat skin fungus naturally with nutrition. Oral and topical Raw coconut oil and topical application of Ionic Silver.

Other than that, not being able to see the squirrel and evaluate the condition of the skin, I really can't think of anything else to tell you, other than to try antibiotics next and avoid the Ivermectin for now and save it for any wild squirrels that might show up with mange looking skin conditions.

Sorry I didn't call back, it's just that when I get on the phone talking about squirrels, I lose track of time. The last call I made I was on the phone for over an hour. I've got a ton of outside work I have to get done here, and every second of daylight and the snow holding off is precious.

Keep me posted by e-mail: SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com

Bill

Reply
Dela
12/28/2014 02:37:46 am

Will mites or mange tranfer to my chickens? I just saw the affected squirrel go in my coop! I will fix holes and entrances today, but now what? I am very concerned about my chickens! Thanks!

Reply
William link
12/28/2014 07:13:08 am

Hi Dela!

Mange in squirrels are like scabies in humans. They don't transfer by casual contact. Squirrels get them from other squirrels because they sleep together when it gets cold.(They are very communal.) So, the mites transfer from warm body to warm body by direct, prolonged contact.

I doubt that the squirrel was looking to sleep with your chickens! More than likely, it was looking to get an egg to nibble the shell for calcium. Squirrels need 20 to 30 mg of calcium per day just to maintain their bones and ever growing incisors teeth.

When you get the hole fixed, it might be a good idea to keep a little pile of egg shells outside your chicken coop. If it was after egg shell it's nothing for a squirrel to gnaw a new access to the chickens and their eggs. If you provide a pile of empty egg shells, you probably won't have any more raids on your coop!.......Bill

Reply
Shirl
1/16/2015 12:16:01 am

We have a rescued male squirrel that we got @ 3wks. He is now 23wks and for the most part seems mostly healthy and happy.

Problem #1: He still wants his formula. He takes other foods like,
Romane Lettuce
Kale
Spinach
Chard
Cherry Tomatoes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Snap Peas
Sweet Potato
Avocado
Asparagus
Celery
Rodent Blocks(Henrys)
Pecans in the shell
An occasional peanut
An occasional piece of fruit like apple, banana, frozen
fresh blue berries from our garden.
Small fresh branches from Oak, Pear, Apple, Dog Wood
and Cherry.
We tried him on fresh deer antler and he isn't interested.
Of the above he has stopped eating all but the sweet potato, rodent blocks, pecans, snap peas, avocado, limited fruit and small branches. We wouldn't be too concerned by this except that he has lost from 470grms down to 440grms and his hair has gotten very dull and there is a small place at the base of his tail (on top of his back) where the hair has come out. In addition to that spot there are a couple other small spots that it seems all the longer has come out and all that remains is the dark grey undercoat. He seems to feel good and is very active. When we turn him out to exercise (two to three times a day inside the house 1-3hrs at a time) he runs and plays like he always has occasionally stopping to clean and groom himself. As he is an inside squirrel (until his release in the spring time) he doesn't get much sunlight.

Problem #2: Lately he tends to lick a lot. It's usually our bear skin that he licks but occasionally he will also lick our clothes. It's as if he is needing something that he is not getting. He does not scratch at those areas and we have not observed any other concerns like lice etc. We have read all that we can on their nutrition and will be getting him some fresh coconut today. Aside from the coconut is there anything else that you would recommend.

Reply
William link
1/16/2015 12:47:33 am

Hi Shirl!
Your squirrel's diet seems adequate, but what source of calcium does he have other than his desire to continue formula? What kind of formula are you giving him?

The skin condition sounds like Dermatophytosis, which is self limiting and requires good nutrition and Immune support. You can make the diagnosis of skin/hair fungus by grasping a few hairs on the edge of a bald spot and wiggling them back and forth. If they break off, it's a fungus.

Topical application of Ionic Silver and Coconut oil pressed from fresh coconut will help, as will dissolving a capsule of Olive leaf Extract in 6cc of water and giving a drop by mouth 3 times a day.

Other than that, you need to make sure that your squirrel is getting 20 to 30 mg of good calcium per day preferably a balance of Calcium/Magnesium and some D-3 to regulate it's absorption.

If you are giving him puppy formula or other commercial formula, I would switch to a high fat formula like what we list on our website, SquirrelNutrition.com. When he was with his mother, her breast milk was up to 24% milk fat as proven by a study conducted by the Ohio State University. Most commercial formulas are made from skim milk with a bunch of useless fillers and vitamins. A high fat diet that contains good fats in their natural state are great of skin and hair health!..........Bill

Reply
Shirl
1/16/2015 04:54:38 am

Thanks William,

His formula is ESBILAC Puppy Milk Replacer mixed to the cans instructions and I add heavy wipping cream. His calcium intake is just what he gets from the foods and rodent blocks in his diet.

We have pulled at the hair in and around the spots mentioned and were not able to pull any out. As I mentioned I will secure fresh coconut today to add to his diet as well as application to the spots of concern. If you'd like I can send you some "high quality" pictures of the spots so you can see for your self. If you'd rather not give an email address here you are welcome to send me an email and I will reply with the pictures.

What about yogurt? It's hard to keep him out of it while I'm eating it but I haven't given him any. He has licked my finger that had some on it. LOL

What is your recommendation to accomplish him getting the calcium/magnesium and D-3?

Thank you for taking up your time to assist myself and others like me in their quest to get these little ones big enough to be returned to the wild.

Shirl

Shirl
1/16/2015 11:02:02 pm

By "rodent blocks" I am referring to the Henry's Healthy Bites. He gets both the "Wild Bites" and "Picky" formula. According to the packaging they provide 100% of the needed Calcium and Magnesium as well as a host of other things. He has only been getting these blocks for a short time so hopefully we'll start to see some results soon.

We got him some fresh coconut yesterday and gave him a couple small chunks of it. Probably about the size of a penny and 3/8inch thick. We were not sure how much he was suppose to get at one time.

Today we will press some of it to retrieve the oil for topical application to the spots of concern.

Do we need to get him a "UV" light as we haven't been letting him go outside? When he was smaller we would take him out and let him play in a tree for a while but others suggested that if we were going to have to keep him over the winter it was probably better not to let him outside. Their opinion was that it would just make him want to be free that much worse and cause stress.

William link
1/16/2015 11:20:42 pm

Hi Shirl!

You could send any pictures and request any recipes at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Bill

Tanya
1/18/2015 01:09:06 am

Hi Bill I have contacted you before and bought some of your ivermectin paste for a squirrel with mange. He would not eat it, but I came home from vacation and his hair was growing back, and is almost all back now! I believe the cold weather must have killed the mites. He is however still itching a lot is that normal? I've become very fond of him and just want to make sure he's made a full recovery. Thanks!

Reply
William link
1/18/2015 02:21:01 am

Hi Tanya!

Next time, try mixing it with a little peanut butter and spread that on the nut meat.

Bill

Reply
Peter
2/12/2015 12:43:14 am

Hi Bill,
I have about 10 squirrels that come to my back door for "breakfast" every morning. Most of them eat from my hand. A while back, I had treated one of my little guys, that had mange, with the ivermectin paste and it worked like a charm. This past week I noticed another little guy with fur missing from around his neck and back. It may not be mange, since I have not noticed any scabs, but I did give him a dose of the paste, just as a precaution. I just order the coconut oil and I will begin to give him some as soon as I receive it.
This is a fantastic site for all squirrel lovers !!!
Bill, I know if my squirrels could type, they would thank you for being there for them.

Reply
Theresa
2/13/2015 02:15:48 am

Hi Bill,

I have what I call 'bunny-squirrel" at my work that I feed on a regular basis. I call it that because it has no tail at all and honestly hops around like a bunny. A couple weeks ago I noticed quite a bit of fur missing from around its neck, two spots mainly. I assumed it got into a fight with another one. Now today I see it and there is even more fur missing :( It's on its face now and on back of its head. I've been feeding it almonds from the shell (unsalted) this week. I'm wondering if that will help it or what I can do to help this poor thing. It's going to be super cold here (MN) for the next week or two so I worry about this little guy, He's so adorable with his missing tail.

Reply
William Sells link
2/13/2015 04:06:00 am

Hi Theresa!

This time of year, it is probably mange. Give him a dose of Ivermectin, and I bet it will start going away and normalize.You can read about treating it here:
http://www.squirrelnutrition.com/mange-treatment-in-squirrels.html

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Theresa
2/23/2015 04:47:33 am

I am in no position to give a wild squirrel meds. As much as I like this little guy, I'm not putting myself at risk of a bite. It won't die from mange will it? I sure hope not :-(

William link
2/23/2015 06:16:52 am

Why would you be putting yourself at risk for a bite????

Theresa
2/25/2015 04:12:28 am

Sorry, William. I apparently misunderstood how the meds work. I assumed it was something topical that had to be put onto the squirrel. Wondering if you might answer my question tho as you missed it.

Peter
2/23/2015 06:59:53 am

Hi Theresa,
Like Bill said, you need not to put yourself at risk of a bite if you want to treat your little outside buddy. Simply put a SMALL amount (about the size of a grain of rice) of Ivermectin onto a shelled walnet, pecan, or better yet mix with a small amount of peanut butter and put it on a cracker and try and feed it to him when no other squirrels are around. If you can do this for once a week over a three week period, your little friend should be fine.
I've treated one squirrel this past summer, and I am in the process of treating one now. It worked fine this summer and it seems to be working this time also.
If you see no change after 3 weeks, you should start to give him some of the coconut oil that Bill sells on his site. I've used that for non-mange skin issues, and my little buddy healed fine.
Hope this helps ....

Reply
Theresa
2/25/2015 04:14:40 am

Thanks for your KIND reply Peter!! Much appreciated.

Cole Swensen
2/16/2015 02:52:08 am

Thank you so much for your attention to squirrels! We have two among our backyard troupe who look--based on your helpful photos--like they're suffering from dermatophytosis--one is completely missing all the fur on the neck and shoulders and halfway down the back and the other has tremendously thinning fur in the same places. We're concerned because we're in Rhode Island, where it's been terribly cold this winter. We will start leaving raw coconut and coat their sunflower seeds with coconut oil, but--outside of knitting them sweaters--do you have any other suggestions? Also, what is the best food? We feed them black sunflower seeds and a commercial "squirrel food" in the form of a log of pressed corn. Do you know about the pressed corn log? Is that good for them? Or is it like feeding them potato chips? Thank you so much for any advice you can give. Warmly yours, Cole Swensen

Reply
William link
2/19/2015 03:29:27 am

Hi Cole!

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. It's birthing season, and we are swamped with advice and recipe requests!

Avocado is probably the best warming food you could feed at this time of year for all around energy and helpfulness in skin and coat conditions.

Don't worry too much about your hairless little friends, they have a unique endothermic phenomenon that enables their body to crank up their metabolism to 4 times normal. If you and I could do that, we'd be comfortable taking cold showers and shoveling snow in our t shirts. Just keep feeding them healthy because they need good nutrition to fire that metabolic rate!

Bill

Reply
Cole
2/17/2015 01:04:34 am

Hi! A couple more questions for our squirrels with dermatophytosis--the only coconut we could find was "sweetened flake coconut" but I fear that might do more harm than good--it has propylene glycol as a preservative as well as sugar--but might it help while we wait for your coconut oil to arrive?
Then, when it does arrive, what's the best way to administer it? can I melt it and coat some nuts in it? What would be the best kind of nuts? I'd like to find something that the birds won't eat (we give them their own food), so that all the coconut oil is going into the squirrels.
Thanks so much!! Cole

Reply
William link
2/19/2015 03:36:55 am

Hello again Cole,

Buy a whole coconut. Drain the milk and drink it, it's really good for you!

Crack the coconut open and either dig out the meat, or let the squirrels do it. You can't get any fresher than that! But, if the coconut milk smells funky and the meat is slimy, it's an old coconut. Take it back and ask for a fresh one!

You can spread coconut oil like butter onto nut meats. I use pecan half's because it give a nice broad surface and the grooves hold the oil well.

Bill

Reply
Deborah Viscomi
2/17/2015 03:38:10 am

Hi Bill, I feed my squirrels fresh coconut... I would assume that is a good thing and gives them the nutrition they need as does the coconut oil...right?
I also put out fresh avocado along with seeds, other fruit, (they seem to love grapes) rat block etc. So far so good and I'm in New England! Not easy these last couple of weeks!
Thanks for all you do!
Deborah

Reply
William link
2/19/2015 03:47:09 am

Hi Deb!

Sounds like you are doing a great job!

Yeah, you've really got hammered out there this winter. I have two daughters and a granddaughter in Springfield.

My wife and I were married in Greenfield and I went to college there.

We now own a small farm we inherited from her parents in Old Deerfield, but we live in Ohio.

Take care, and keep up the good work!

Bill

Reply
Shannon
2/26/2015 03:14:39 am

I'm unclear on whether dermatophytosis causes itching. A few squirrels in my yard have hair loss that looks more like the dermatophytosis photos you posted than mange/mites -- no scabbing or crusting that I can see. But they are clearly being driven mad from itching. They can't take more than two steps without having to stop and scratch or chew at themselves; sometimes they almost look like they're having spasms from the itching, their whole bodies just jump and twitch. I have been putting out tons of raw coconut oil and have administered a couple of doses of Ivermectin (though not sure that both doses went to the same squirrel). The affected squirrels have bare patches on their sides and down their spine; one poor little guy, though, has almost no fur left except on his face and tail. I'd be happy to send photos if that would help. Thanks!

Reply
William link
2/26/2015 04:18:12 am

Hi Shannon!

Yes, pictures would help. You can send them to: SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com . If you have given Ivermectin and you don't see any improvement, then it probably is the skin fungus.

I would recommend that you continue the high fat diet with raw coconut oil, because it gives them the energy they need to stay warm. Squirrels have a unique endothermic phenomenon where they can crank up their metabolism 4 times normal in cold weather. If you and I could do that, we would never turn on the furnace, we'd take cold showers and shovel snow in shorts and a T-shirt.

But.......they need fuel to keep that high metabolism going, and that is why a quality diet is important, especially in winter!

Bill

Reply
Tyler
3/2/2015 10:36:11 am

my squirel has one spot he keeps itching its not bald but its a constant itch what do I do

Reply
William link
3/2/2015 01:01:54 pm

Hi Tyler!

Is this a wild or captive squirrel?

If possible, send me a picture of the itchy area to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Bill

Reply
sherry
3/3/2015 07:41:59 pm

Please help. My baby is itchy and has lost most of the hair in the creases where his legs meet his belly. The spots were pink but didn't look scabbed, or give me reason to believe it to be mange (although I bought your product just in case). So I purchased some organic coconut oil to apply to his legs... But he won't leave them alone. Now he's biting them twice as much, and they look terribly red and inflamed, not to mention that he's now just lying around, as if it has made him sick. I don't know what to do, and there are no vets here who will see him.

Reply
William link
3/4/2015 12:50:11 am

Hi Sherry!

Is this a baby captive squirrel? If so, you shouldn't use Ivermectin on it, because it is too hard to dose for babies. Mange is caused by itch mites that are only acquired by close contact with an affected squirrel. If your squirrel was fine, and then developed this condition in captivity, it is not mange.

More than likely it is either a fungus or a skin virus like hand, foot and mouth. Are there lots of people handling it? Because there are skin viruses that can be transmitted from humans to squirrels.

If you could send me a picture and let me know the age of your squirrel, it would help. Send picture to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Bill

Reply
Sherry
3/4/2015 10:36:39 am

He is a captive squirrel, but he's about 5 and a half years old. We rescued him as an orphaned baby, and nursed him back from pneumonia. His eyes were not yet opened.

There are not a lot of people who handle him...only myself and my boyfriend...the primary caregivers. We do not allow other people to handle him. He does appear to be better today, as far as his activity level, but he is still very red, and a pit stand-offish. He is very defensive about letting anyone look there now, since he is afraid that we are trying to apply more medicine. As soon as he gets a little more trusting again, I will send a pic.

Thanks for the quick reply!

William link
3/4/2015 11:40:56 am

Hi Sherry!

It sound viral. I had another person that wrote recently with a similar problem. I suggested that they get some Olive Leaf Extract capsules and mix the content of 1 capsule in a tablespoon of peanut butter and feed a half teaspoon on a nut meat 3 times a day for 10 days.

There would be 6 doses in one tablespoon so you would need to mix up 5 tablespoons of this mix. Olive leaf extract is an excellent anti viral herb, as is raw coconut oil.

If it is viral, it should respond favorably to this treatment.

Bill

Reply
Sherry
3/4/2015 07:05:40 pm

Bill,

Thank you SO MUCH for your speedy reply. I will make this for him as soon as possible! I appreciate your help. I wish the raw coconut oil had worked out better for him, but he just wouldn't stop eating it. Now if only I can GET him to eat this. LOL

I will let you know how this goes when I finish his treatment, or if I need more advice about it. You don't know how much it means to me to have found you, since I have no vet that I can consult with. I appreciate all you do.

No one could ever truly appreciate the sweetness of this loving animal unless they have had the honor of being a "squirrel parent". Thank you for helping us to protect and nurture this wonderful baby.

Sherry

Reply
Deborah Viscomi
3/22/2015 12:46:53 pm

Ditto on all the nice things you say about Billl!!

Valerie
3/21/2015 01:08:20 pm

Bill, I live in MD and have many gray squirrels I feed daily which lately can be up to 8 or more a day and most of them are here at the same time. I've noticed a lot of them have those patchy hair loss areas and I have seen some scabs plus they do scratch. I believe it's the mites. I would love to be able to treat these wild squirrels with the medicine you suggested but since I have so many squirrels it would prove hard to keep track of which ones I gave a dose to. Is it possible to overdose? Also, is it safe to treat the ones without the skin loss patches? Please help me with a suggestion because I feel so bad for their suffering.

Reply
William link
3/22/2015 03:05:51 am

Hi Valerie!

As long as you only treat once per week, you will not OD any squirrel.
Here is what you do: Pick a day, on that day you feed as many as you see with skin problems. Wait one week and look for improvement. Those that have improved, give a second dose. Those that have not improved, treat as a first dose. Just observe for improvement. Eventually, you will get every affected squirrel treated and on it's way to being cured. Once their hair is well on its way to growing back in, you can stop treating.

Bill

Reply
Valerie
3/22/2015 10:00:44 am

Thanks Bill for your reply. What is the shelf life of the Ivermectin Paste and what is the quantity you are selling?
I also have an opossum in the area. I'm assuming the mites could effect him as well but I guess I won't be able to tell since those critters only come out after dark. I can always shine a spot light on him to take a look. Can the same medicine be used and if so, what dosage?

William link
3/22/2015 11:27:45 am

Hi Valerie!

opossums don't get squirrel mites, they can only be transmitted by animals that sleep together,( like squirrels do to keep warm.) It would work on a opossum if they had mites, the dose would be 5 to 10 times the dose for a squirrel, (which is the size of a grain of rice.)

Shelf life of Ivermectin is a year or two. We sell it by the cc. One cc is enough to treat about 30 squirrels.

Bill

Denise Hess
3/27/2015 03:07:15 am

Just notice one of our wild squirrels has an hairless circular lesion the size of an half-dollar behind his front leg on his back. It has what looks like an indurated inflammed inner lesion which looks like one puncture mark. At first I thought it was Spring fighting but I've taken photos of it from afar (can't get near our Squirrels) and I'm concerned if it's communicable the other squirrels will get it. I wonder, do Squirrels get Lyme Disease? This lesion looks too perfectly circular for mange. Do you know where I can post photos of this lesion to have it identified? I'd treat this creature with anti-biotics via a peanut/peanut butter tube I have mounted. We have about 12 Squirrels we enjoy and I'd feel awful if this disorder is transmittable. Thanks for any recommendations.

Reply
William link
3/27/2015 06:50:57 am

Hi Denise!

You can send me the picture at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.
I can probably tell you what it is.

Bill

Reply
Nikki
3/30/2015 07:00:59 pm

I have lost my beloved squirrel after 9-10 years and my heart is broken I don't want to know how long squirrels live I would like to know if there is a way I could adopt an orphan squirrel. I need to have another squirrel in my life but not right now I must respect her and there must be a proper time that passes. But if the time ever comes can I get another squirrel somehow and share my love raising another baby into our home? Could you tell me how please. I don't know if my heart will ever hal. She taught me so much. I don't know what to do the grief of her loss is so great.
Sincerely Nikki

Reply
Peter
3/30/2015 11:37:37 pm

Hi Nikki,
I am so sorry to hear about your loss .....

Reply
Valerie
3/30/2015 11:56:19 pm

So sorry for your loss. The age sounds about right for the life span of a squirrel. Here in MD it's illegal to own a wild animal. A baby squirrel when rehabilitated should be released into the wild. It's the humane thing to do since it has instincts that I would not deny it.

Reply
William link
3/31/2015 01:03:58 pm

Hi Nikki!

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss! I know what an emotional bond you can have with a squirrel that lives that long. Our blind squirrel, Lucky, is only 3 years younger and I get all emotional whenever I think of her leaving us, but, unfortunately, death is a part of life.

It is not really a good idea to keep a normal, healthy squirrel as a pet, but there are always physically challenged squirrels that come along. For me, it is Lucky's blindness, for others there are a whole host of reasons that make squirrels unreleasable.

I would recommend that you find a licensed rehabber in your area and volunteer to help with any orphaned squirrels that they take in. Sometimes they are so busy with other animals that they will gladly farm out orphaned squirrels, especially if you are willing to take on the financial responsibility of raising it. You could probably have a steady supply of babies to raise. And, believe me, released squirrels, (especially females,) can be as sweet and fun as having them live in your house.

Another way to obtain an orphan to raise is to keep your eyes an ears open. We are in to birthing season. If a Spring storm comes through your area, especially with high winds and fallen trees, go out and look around after the storm, especially when trees are blown down. Look for leaf nests, look for dens in the fallen trees.

Check with your State Rehab association. Most offer a one day class that makes you eligible to rehab baby squirrels. Then, you could contact local tree services and give them a business card and tell them that when the encounter squirrel babies, to give you a call. You can be as busy or unbusy in this work as you want to be.

There are lots of ways to get your "squirrel fix!" I'm just happy that there are so many caring people in this world who really love and care about squirrels!

Thank-you for spending ten years of your life loving a squirrel!

Bill

Reply
William link
4/1/2015 11:33:33 am

Hey Nikki!

What State do you live in? I just received an e-mail from a girl who moved back in with her parents and is not able to let her squirrel get out of it's cage. She was wanting to know where she could take it because she is not able to keep it anymore. I asked her what State she lives in, and she will be writing me back. If you e-mail me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, you two might be able to work something out!

Bill

Reply
Deborah Viscomi
4/1/2015 12:05:29 am

Dear Nikki, I can't imagine how you feel after 8 or 9 years having lost your squirrel! I’m so sorry for your loss…
I found my baby squirrel one cold April evening a couple of years ago. I took care of her for 2 weeks in our home but each day I prepared a safe area in my yard for her in hopes her mother would find her. She ended up making a home in my yard somewhere and for a year she would come and play and feed with me almost everyday. They are amazingly playful. She loved having her jaw massaged & belly rubbed! I was so thrilled and honored and looking forward to a long relationship with this perfect little half wild creature! She had 2 babies over the next winter, I was also looking forward to meeting them but suddenly she just stopped visiting. I obviously think the worst and it's so heartbreaking. Now, every squirrel I see call as I did her hoping it will be her.
I now feed the squirrels in my area healthy foods, especially during the winter, that I have learned about through Bill. Thank goodness for him!
I'm so proud and happy to say all the squirrels here have no hair loss after the worst winter in history recorded in New England! I’m also glad to learn through his response to your question how we can get into rehabbing. I so appreciate this community and wish you all the very best! Deborah

Reply
Valerie
4/1/2015 12:28:17 am

Deborah, heartwarming story and sad to not know what happened to your beloved squirrel. Hoping it found other territories and is still thriving in the wild.

Reply
Kris
4/1/2015 01:55:55 am

Does Dermatophytosis cause itching? We have had several squirrels at our bird feeder over the past couple months with significant hair loss on their backs accompanied with pronounced itching. We've not observed scaling. Could it be Notoedric mange?

Reply
William link
4/1/2015 03:47:51 am

Hi Kris!

If you were able to get a good picture and send it to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, I could better advise on this. It sounds like it is probably the skin/hair fungus, but seeing what it looks like would definitely help.

Bill

Reply
Therese Moore
4/14/2015 01:28:41 am

Hello, I have tried to read all the comments to see if anyone had this problem. There are about 20 grey squirrels in my neighborhood and about once ever other month one seems to develop a neurological condition, falling over, and narcolepsy, with hair loss, and a giant appetite. They usually die within 2 wks. After symptoms present. 2 years ago a small raccoon had it and passed away

Reply
William link
4/14/2015 02:23:26 am

Hi Therese!

This is not any disease that is common to squirrels. My guess is that you would need to find out who the squirrel hater is in your neighborhood and find out what kind of neurotoxic poison he or she is using to decrease the squirrel population in your neighborhood.

Check with your local game protector to find out what kind of laws your State has regarding culling of animals. My guess is that whomever is doing it, is probably not licensed by the State to be doing what they are doing.

Be careful to have your identity protected, because very often, people that do this are sick, twisted people, but the perpetrator needs to be identified and arrested, and punished to the full extent of the law!

Bill.

Reply
William link
4/14/2015 02:27:56 am

Also, Therese,

If you could find one of the squirrels dead, your State Dept of Wildlife can do a necropsy on it to determine what was used to kill it. Often, a perpetrator can be tracked down by purchases they make for the substance found in the animal.

Bill

Reply
danny
4/24/2015 09:09:17 am

Hi there, my baby squirrel (approximately 5 weeks old), started to nibble his genitals yesterday. There has been a bit of bleeding, so I cleaned the area off with some warm water, and applied a small amount of neosporin to the area. Is there a way to stop him from doing this? Or a reason why he would do this? There is no loss of hair, just the nibbling.

Reply
William link
4/24/2015 10:20:21 am

Hi Danny!

Is this a single squirrel? or does it have a sibling or two? I have to make some assumptions since I don't know these details.

Self mutilation at that age, I've never heard of, but, one thing I've learned over the years is to never say never, because a squirrel will come along an make a liar out of you!

Here's what I think you are dealing with: If it has a sibling, it is probably the sibling rooting on it and finding the penis and thinking it was one of it's mother's teats. Squirrel babies, just like human babies, have different needs for sucking. ( That's why they make pacifiers.) It's common for baby squirrels to do this to each other, because even female squirrels have a prominent urethra that many people mistake for a penis, and siblings will suck on that. It has nothing to do with being "kinky," and everything to do with the natural rooting instinct and the need to suckle.

If yours is a single squirrel, it is possible for it to be suckling on it's own genital. If that is the case, your baby has a strong need to suckle beyond normal feeding times.

What some people do to correct this is to give the baby an empty nursing nipple to suckle on after feeding, When they are very active in this activity, some swelling, redness and even bleeding does occur, Neosporin on it is fine.

They do grow out of it, usually by the time they wean.

Hope this helped!

Bill

Reply
Meg Hansen
4/29/2015 03:19:59 pm

I just rescued a squirrel yesterday. I've noticed that he is covered in kind of scabby white things, at first I thought it was flaky skin, but tonight I bathed him and noticed it was a little more intense than that. It does not seem to bother him at all (no itching or anything). Infact, it didn't even seem to bother him while I scrubbed at them with a q tip during the bath, and even took some tweezers to one that was fairly detatched. He does not have any hair loss. I noticed this morning as well that his eyes were crusted over to the point where he couldn't open them. I placed a warm rag on his face (he nuzzeled right into it) for a minutes and it came right off and he perked right up. I'm not sure how old he is. He will perk up now and then, open his eyes. He was in my backyard crawling around when I found him. He has not seemed interested in solid food. He did take a little water from an eyedropper, and I just read your blog about the formula recipe, so I'm going to try that next. But the bumps...Should I be worried?

Reply
William link
4/30/2015 02:46:50 am

Hi Meg!

Is it possible to send me a close-up picture of the skin condition, plus a picture of the squirrel,(including the tail.?)

If I could see it and determine the age of the squirrel I could better advise.

Send them to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and remind me of this conversation.

Thanks!

Bill

Reply
Deborah Dennison
5/5/2015 02:22:23 am

Hi Bill, I have a hairless squirrel at my work window that I feed daily. He fits your description of having fungus. I'm not sure how to feed him the coconut oil - should I just give him a dish of shelled peanuts with some of the coconut oil mixed in? I want to help the little guy! Thanks so much

Reply
William link
5/5/2015 02:33:37 am

Hi Deborah!

You could do that, or just put out raw coconut right out of the shell. It has all the good stuff in it!

Bill

Reply
Sheila Stone
5/17/2015 07:59:39 am

Worried about a squirrel I have been amused with this past year when I believe she was a baby or shortly thereafter. Great personality.
Black squirrel here in Ontario. Always had the very end of her tail as grey and a circle on her back as grey. Its how I told her apart although her personality usually did alone.
I noticed her a couple of months ago one day in the winter and "thought" she might be pregnant.
Seems size wise back to normal is she was.
I feed her sunflower seeds she loves. Plenty of trees, plants, bugs etc here for her, I would think.
Noticed a couple of weeks ago, odd behaviour when eating. Normally sits up as squirrels do but suddenly would find her laying straight across the food, as if either had eaten too much or was protecting it from others...seemed very amusing.
Last week I noticed the grey spot on her back, bigger and then yesterday, a whole patch gone. Doesn’t appear to be itchy and still seems the same otherwise.?
Looking up patches I figure she has had babies and is lining the nest with fur from her back and neck but then i saw ur page and worried. I feed her black sunflower seeds. She is a bit of a pig and eats them all. One neighbour throws down peanuts. I will come out, see a peanut in her mouth as she scampers by but she will quickly bury it and come over for the sunflower seeds. Assume they are nutritious for them?/!!
Anyhow here are 3 links to photos i took through a window when I first noticed this sudden loss of fur yesterday.
In one photo it appears as if there might be a lump but that could just be the photo/way she is sitting?
Not sure.
Does this look like a skin disease or can they take this much fur off to line their nests?
Its May 17th in Toronto and has only just become spring here in the past 2 weeks. Trees first budding/and leaves growing 15 days ago/

Thanks in advance. There are other squirrels her and I have not seen any others with this same missing fur. She is always alone, providing it is a she and not a he.

http://oi60.tinypic.com/xf67t5.jpg

http://oi59.tinypic.com/717p8w.jpg

http://oi58.tinypic.com/688x28.jpg


Apparently I have too much time on my hands but this little squirrel has managed to wrap me around its teeny hands and make me jump :)
Never noticed squirrels before this lil gal or guy :)


Thanks In Advance

Reply
William link
5/17/2015 09:50:40 am

Hi Sheila!

Squirrels don't pull this much hair to line a nest. This is either Dermatophytosis, or Mange, and I'm tending toward the skin/ hair fungus, because I don't see scabs.

I would go ahead and give a treatment for mange. If nothing else, it will temporarily get rid of it's fleas and lice. I would also start feeding coconut out of the shell because the Lauric Acid and Capric Acid in the coconut oil is anti fungal.

If your girl did have babies this Spring, you should be heavily supplementing her calcium needs. Squirrels need 20 to 40 mg of calcium per day to maintain teeth growth and prevent Metabolic Bone Disease. When a female is nursing, she needs double the calcium because milk production plus tooth growth can get their bones brittle pretty fast.

I learned that the hard way a few years back when I found two dead female squirrels in my backyard right under their nests. They had nursed their way into full blown Metabolic Bone Disease and got up one morning and could not use their back legs. They fell out of their nests and shattered their pelvis and died.

Hope this information helped!

Bill

Reply
SHEILA Stone
6/29/2015 04:30:40 am

Thank you very much for your response.

Its been 6 weeks since I posted that and a lot has happened since.

1) Her hair has almost grown all back on its own. I suspect muuch of it was due to her loading the nest for the babies since the last tiime I saw her she looked much healthier with it grown back.
I say last time for although i usually would see her 3x a day I havent seen her in a month now and my first concern was that it was a mange, she had died, etc.
But i have since noticed that a pair of Robins have invaded our yard and seem to be taking control of it so i assume there is a Robins nest in the yard.
I am not worried about her in particuilar as ALL the squirrels have suddenly disappeared, not only her.
We also have about 4 black crows that have shown up.
From what i understand if correct, both birds eat squirrel babies so it might be that she took her brood and went eslwhere nearby but far enough to protect them from either breedof the birds.
I saw another squirrel mother a day after I last saw the one I have asked about but sadly, she became road kill 2 days later and she too had babies, 2 of which i have seen running aorund my property that are very scared of everything but they seem to be eating just fine.
However i do notice the Robins attacking them but they are big + fast enough to get away.
I believe my squirrel and her babies have good reason to be "in hiding" and will hopefully come back.

So, at this point, I can only hope that it isnt mange and is only the pregnancy that created it as there isnt anything I can do at this point in time. I can only hope she returns in good health but if she does, than i will know she is ok and if not, then I will assume she being far more tame than most, might have led to her trusting to her allowing a predator too close...or equally bad, she has passed due to the problems u suggeste. Time will Tell. Thank you very much for your answer!

Valerie
6/29/2015 04:41:04 am

I never heard of Robins attacking squirrels unless they are defending their nest. I doubt that they would eat them either. Crows are large and I know they cause trouble with squirrels but not sure if they eat the babies. Hope Bill can shed some light on this.

Sheila Stone
6/29/2015 05:28:57 am

Hi Valerie. Yes, I am assuming that there must be a nest and they are protecting the babies from the baby squirrel that may well be going after them but 3x now in the past few days i have seen one of the Robins go after this baby squirrel. When I say "baby" squirrel, I am not sure of its age but its obviously big enough to be out on its own but i suspect it was orphaned 2 weeks ago when I saw the body of what i assume was its mother, another one that had just given birth recently and had the missing hair from its back as well. I know for sure "my" squirrel had given birth for when I first noticed the missing fur, when standing up to ask for food I noticed her nipples and realized she was feeding her babies.
In any event, this baby squirrel has moved quite quickly when attacked but yes, it does not appear that that are doing so to kill the squirrel but I too assumed that there must be a nest nearby if not up one of the 2 trees I have noticed this aggressive action by the Robins, toward the squirrel. I have only noticed because i have never seen Robins on my property before but for the past two months have been watching 2, a couple I assume, walk back and forth on the property as if they own it...lol..Never saw them before. Its one Robin mainly but every once in a while I see the 2 of them together for a short time but they are looking for worms I believe. They and the crows love it when i turn on the sprinkler and both play in it and I assume the damp ground helps to bring up worms. In any event, something on my property has sent all 5-6 squirrels into deep hiding. I suspect one of them is perceived as a predator and they are keeping a low profile. I have read that squirrels often do this when there is a predator in the area and/or if a mother squirrel is looking after babies, I have read that crows like to eat them, hence the mother moves her babies out of the area, I had read....anyhow time will tell but right now, they are all A.W.O.L

William Sells link
7/4/2015 01:05:40 pm

Hi Sheila!

Robbins won't kill squirrels, but, squirrels will kill baby Robbins, depending on their nutrition needs. Due to this fact, Robbins are militant about defending their nests.

As to the disappearance of squirrels, there are various reasons, Most times it's territorial disputes. A strong willed territorial squirrel can drive other squirrels out of territory they are claiming.

I have a release squirrel named Ariel, that thinks she owns my backyard. She has been chasing my three recently released squirrels all over the neighborhood. She managed to drive one of them, named Harmony, out of the area. I haven't seen her in a week and a half. The other two, Ebony and Ivory have stuck around. Ebony is terrified of Ariel and will stay in her Oak tree until the hottest part of the day before she will come down to feed. Ivory comes down at the usual times, but endures the chasing.

Now we have a new kid on the block, a very gregarious male that even puts Ariel in her place by chasing her. My neighbor thinks it is hilarious, that Ariel has met her match, but I've noticed some injuries inflicted by this male on Ebony and he's getting a little too cocky and bold. So, I'm going to live trap him and take him to a park across town.

Just to let you know, that in the squirrel community, a strong pecking order exists, and squirrels that come up missing usually do so because of it!....Bill

Terry
5/18/2015 03:22:29 am

Dermatophytosis contagion:
The wild squirrels in our yard have what appears to be Dermatophytosis, rather than the mange we assumed before reading your blog. Thank you for the distinction, and for the treatment suggestions.

Further questions:
Is the fungus transferable to cats, as is mange? If so, about how long after symptoms have cleared in the squirrels does the area remain dangerous to cats?

The cat has been kept indoors since the squirrels' skin condition was seen, around January. She anxiously awaits reply. Thanks again!

Reply
Steph
5/20/2015 05:48:49 am

Hi, I'm wondering if you can help me. My mother is an avid birdwatcher and has feeders in her yard. She often sees squirrels. Yesterday she noticed a squirrel in her yard that has all of the tail fur, but a naked body. She said he seems rather lethargic and skinny - she could see his ribs. Is there anything simple she can do to try to help him? She put out extra seed and some water for him. We are in PA, I believe this is a red squirrel - about the size of a small cat. Thank you.

Reply
William link
5/20/2015 01:40:27 pm

Hi Steph!

I could better advise if I could see a picture of the squirrel to determine if it is skin/hair fungus, or mites. A high fat diet of Avocado and raw coconut would help. If possible, please send a picture of the squirrel to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo,com.

Thanks!

Bill

Reply
John
5/28/2015 12:58:21 pm

There has been awesome to read through! Many kudos sir!

Question though. We recently found a couple squirrels around our farm with no mother/nest in sight. One in the chicken coup, another in the barn, etc. We have had them for about 2-3 weeks now and have been feeding them fresh goats milk (we have goats) and assorted seeds/nuts.

Over the last couple weeks, they have started itching to the point their fur is coming off and small scabs/bleeding is starting to appear in some spots. The skin doesn't appear to be scaly, but there are some harder spots still beneath the fur in some spots. They babies are constantly itching. They did have some fleas but a lil warm bath and some diatomaceous earth seemed to clear them up.

I have attached a photo if you have a moment to look at it and give out thoughts. Would love to see them get better and get back out in the trees rather then our barn. Not that we don't mind caring for them, but not legal to keep them as pets here and we have plenty on our hands to do beyond that.

http://imgur.com/ZCddyVQ
http://imgur.com/WJCCGWT

Many thanks in advance!

Reply
William link
5/28/2015 03:58:57 pm

Hi John!
You might have a little Mange going on there. Try a drop of a puppy or kitten flea drops on the back of the neck. If it's Mange, it will kill the itch mites that are causing it.

If that doesn't work, write me back at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, I have some other things you could try.

Bill

Reply
Victoria
6/14/2015 03:12:51 am

Hi William -
Just found your website. You are awesome! I'm in Northern California and have a couple backyard grey squirrels that look like they have mange. Red skin, fur loss, lots of itching. Can I send you a picture so you can see? It'd be wonderful if there was something I could do to help them.
Thanks so much - Victoria

Reply
William Sells link
6/14/2015 05:45:19 am

Hi Victoria!

Sure, send me the pictures!

SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com

Just remind me that you question came through the Blog because I get dozens of squirrel questions everyday!

Bill

Reply
lover-of-all-widelife
6/14/2015 11:36:49 pm

Hi, I've been feeding the squirrels, birds (The Jay is a amazing bird) and a hedgehog for as long as I can remember.
But for the last 5 days I've had a squirrel (He's a brown/red in colour) come to feed regularly with a healthy appetite with large amounts of hair missing. His whole tail is bold and patches of missing fur are starting to appear from his body. I haven't seen him itching, he's eating fine that I can see and he looks healthy. I'm still worried something is wrong and If can help in anyway I would like too. Any suggestions?

Reply
William Sells link
6/15/2015 02:43:11 am

Hello Lover-of-all-wildlife!

Probably, the squirrel has one of the two conditions mentioned in this Blog article.

I would do two things. To rule out Mange, I would go ahead and give a dose of Ivermectin. Even if it is not Mange, a dose will temporarily relieve it of fleas, lice, and Intestinal parasites. If it is Mange, you will see hair starting to grow back in a week or two.

I would also support it's Immune System that will do the job of fighting off the fungus that causes Dermatophytosis. I'm no fan of giving small squirrels anti fungal agents such as Nystatin, because they are toxic to the liver.

Instead, I recommend a simple Nutritional treatment. Get a fresh coconut, drain the milk and put it out for the squirrel to drink and feed lots of the coconut meat to the squirrel. Don't worry about getting all the shell off the meat, they are fully equipped for that! Smash it up and store the pieces in the freezer and put some out everyday, ( try to get it to the affected squirrel.)

Raw coconut has Lauric and Capric acid. Both these substances are anti fungal. Read: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23257726

Candida is one of the most common fungi to affect humans and very hard to control. Lauric and Capric acid have proven by study to effectively treat them. And I've found that they are also effective against the fungus that causes Dermatophytosis.

I also add Avocado to this dietary regimen, because the Omega fats in avocado are great for a squirrel's skin and coat!

We are also working toward providing a product for stubborn physical conditions in squirrels. The Food and Drug Administration will not let us make diagnoses of conditions or say that something will treat or cure conditions because that can be interpreted as diagnosing and prescribing, which they interpret as practicing Veterinary Medicine. So, I have to be very careful how I term things, and avoid things such as specific diagnoses, even though I have worked directly with doctors for over 40 years and have seen conditions that they have diagnosed and have provided the treatments for these diagnoses. So, even though I do not have an MD behind my name, I know what I am seeing, and from experience, know what the current popular treatments are. Just because I try to find natural alternatives to the conditions I recognize, I have to play the silly games of the thought and word police of the FDA. The only acceptable terms I'm allowed to use are things like "Immune Challenges," which will probably be outlawed over time also!

That's a long winded way of telling you that we are working on providing a "Politically Correct" and properly worded web page for squirrels that have severe, treatment resistant immune challenges.

This page is still not complete, so I haven't marked it as viewable on my website, but I would like you to see how powerful and effective this new treatment can be for stubborn Immune Challenges. So far, I've had several people who have had positive results in experimental trials of this herb called Dionaea Muscipula. The pictures on this page tell the story.

We are still trialing this product in Clinical Trials. I wanted to give you a sneak peek of what will be available soon for stubborn conditions:http://www.squirrelnutrition.com/squirrels-with-severe-health-issues.html

Bill



I can use gen

Reply
Linda
6/16/2015 02:40:04 pm

You state not to use Ivermectin Paste on baby squirrels ... what is the age frame for 'baby'? I have squirrels about 15 - 16 weeks as best as I can guess. They have been leaving the squirrel release cage for a week, hanging usually nearby but occassionally disappearing and being 'wild' squirrels ... but always back at night for their nesting box. I have just noticed the little red circles, hair loss and much scratching. Are they too young for the treatment and if so, what else can I do? The coconut oil?

Reply
James link
6/21/2015 11:21:22 pm

Most of the sickness and diseases are as a result of poor nutrition.The squirrels if feed on non-nutritious diet,they are effected by various skin problems

Reply
Linda
6/22/2015 03:18:33 am

Their diet has consisted of almonds, walnuts, pecans, yams, broccoli, cucumber, apple, avocado, corn on the cob quarters, sunflower seeds and some squirrel for on a feeder just on case they need something else. Didn't know about coconut oil until reading Ali this.

Reply
William Sells (WESELL Products) link
6/22/2015 02:07:40 pm

Hi Linda,

If you are feeding all that, then it is not a nutrition problem. Two weeks ago I released my 3 females that Wintered over with me. Two of them got chased off by two dominant females, who think they own my backyard. The other one is the black version of the Eastern Gray. She was always a home body and reluctant to leave the release cage.

She made friends with another wild squirrel of equal temperament. She had come down from my Oak tree with her friend every morning and every evening to be fed, ate eats like there was no tomorrow,
( both of them.)

Her little friend disappeared for a week and came back weak and emaciated and looked like she had not eaten the whole time. They made a dray in my Oak tree and have been living in it but no longer come down to eat in the cool of the morning or evening, but rather come down in mid day when it is hot and all other squirrels are splatting and snoozing in the tops of the trees.

This is a sign of squirrels that are severely at the bottom of the pecking order. They are both terrified of the two dominant females, and will do anything to avoid them. If I am feeding my black release she will position herself so she can see in all directions, and is always on the alert. If she catches sight of either of the dominants, she will pick up as much food as she can and race up her tree.

A week ago, I noticed, what I thought, was the start of mange on her upper back between her shoulder blades. It was about the diameter of a pencil. The next day it was the size of a dime, so I went ahead and gave her a dose of Ivermectin because it appeared quite crusty.

The Ivermectin did nothing, so last Saturday when I fed her, I took a closer look with my reading glasses on. The crusty was dried white blood cells covering a patch of missing fur. Since she still lets me touch her I touched the spot, and she flinched in pain.

This was not Mange, but rather a battle wound where a chunk of fur was pulled out.

I've seen similar wounds when I worked ER. Typically on women, or men with long hair, who were brought in with injuries from a bar fight or a domestic violence, where someone pulled out a handful of hair. It leaves a very raw, tender area that may scab if there is bleeding. But, more often than not the area floods with serum, ( white blood cells,) to protect the opening in the skin. If it doesn't get infected, it forms a crusty serum scab.

So, that is another possibility on a newly released squirrel that shows up with patches of hair missing.

Mange is always a possibility in a squirrel, but it is more rare in hot weather because there is no need for them to sleep together to keep warm. Fleas and lice are always in abundance on squirrels and can make them itch a lot. We put Brewer's Yeast in our Nut Squares for two reasons. One is the B Vitamins, the other is the fact that fleas do not like the smell of Brewer's Yeast when it is exuded in the skin oil. It works but you have to feed it daily. When we had dogs we bought and went through many bottles every summer. They sell them for dogs in any pet store. The trick is, getting a squirrel to eat them. Dogs love them, squirrels, not so much!

Bill

Bill

Linda Kulon
6/29/2015 03:11:30 am

I bought the squirrel medicine and somedays it seems to be helping her hair has grown back but has a big sore from scatching.Have given her real coconut to eat an coconut oil.Now she is making this noise like she has the hiccups and still scratching in the same place.This is not my house pet but my friend from outside who takes the peanuts out of my hand and I call her she comes am I crazy or what.What else can I do for her?

Reply
William Sells link
6/30/2015 11:39:35 pm

Hi Linda!

Have you tried a dose of Ivermectin? It may be mange that is causing the problem. A single dose won't hurt the animal, and even if it is not mange, you will temporarily get rid of it's fleas, lice and intestinal parasites.

Bill

Reply
Pamela Jones
6/29/2015 04:45:52 am

We recently moved into a new home and I have been feeding the birds sunflower seeds. I live in a neighborhood with thousands of squirrels. Literally, you sometimes need to jump over them while running ...
Obviously, the seeds attract the squirrels, as well. I was sitting out, this morning and saw this poor squirrel with no fur on his head, shoulders and a srip starting down his back. He stopped to scratch, several times. I felt so badly for the poor little thing. Is there anything I can do to help? Not sure how to administer the paste, there are so many squirrels how do I get to this particular one? Breaks my heart ... any suggestions would be appreciated. Pamela

Reply
William Sells link
6/30/2015 11:46:30 pm

Hi Pam!

About the only way you can isolate a single squirrel to give a medicated nut would be to establish a rapport with the squirrel. You would have to actually seek out the squirrel, get it's attention and start throwing food to it. They are pretty smart. Once they know you are trying to feed them, they will seek you out. If you do it consistently, they will move closer to you, and eventually you will be able to get the medication to them.

Mange will not kill a healthy squirrel, it just drives them crazy itching.

Bill

Reply
Dennis
6/30/2015 01:05:02 pm

How often should I apply the Ionic Silver to the hair loss areas?
From your description and photos it is definitely Dermatophytosis.
I assume it is OK for them to lick. He seems to want to lick the areas where I put it.
Thanks for everything!

Reply
William Sells link
6/30/2015 11:48:42 pm

Hi Dennis!

Topically, you can apply as often as you like. Licking is no problem, because Ionic Silver works both topically and internally.

Bill

Reply
Valerie
7/6/2015 10:01:23 am

Reply
jithu.sreejith
7/9/2015 01:27:45 am

Sir,
I have a little squirrel. It is having hair loss and itching. please suggest some medicine
thanks.

Reply
William Sells link
7/9/2015 04:21:14 am

Hi Jithu!

To rule out mites I would use one drop of kitten or puppy flea drops on the back if the neck.

It also could be a skin fungus. Feeding raw coconut and avocado will help, but evevtually the immune system will rid them of the fungus.

Another possibility is Vitamin D deficiency. Getting the squirrel out into the sun will help it synthesize Vitamin D. Nut Squares contain Cod Liver Oil which also contains Vit D.

If all else fails, we have an herb called "Dionaea Muscipula," that works very well against stubborn infections in squirrels.

Bill

Reply
jithu.sreejith
7/11/2015 03:00:27 pm

Sir,
thankyou for suggesting all the medicines
thanks.

Lisa
7/20/2015 02:11:56 pm

Hello Bill,

I was wondering if you might recognize this..
There is a squirrel my parents have been feeding for some
time in CT that for the past 6 months or so has been walking
alot on its belly - I just noticed yesterday when watching it
with binoculars that it has a rather large red bulbous shape
hanging from its backside - almost tumor like.
Of course after seeing this and watching the way he occasionally
walks I have become concerned - although he appears to eat well.
Do you have any thoughts on what it could be?
Many Thanks!
Lisa

Reply
William Sells link
7/20/2015 11:34:31 pm

Hi Lisa!

I'm going to assume that this is a male squirrel and the swollen area you are observing is very dark. This is called the "puff," and it happens to males during breeding season, (June marks the start of the late breeding season.) Testosterone causes their scrotum to swell and get purplish black in color.

I regard to dragging of the belly, squirrels will often do this when something itches or during hot weather they will drag their belly through the cool grass because they are very heat sensitive.

I would treat him with a dose of Ivermectin in the event that it might be mange on his belly. If nothing else, you'll temporarily rid him of his fleas, lice and intestinal parasites.

I don't think you are describing a sick squirrel. Just an old buck with the puffs. :>)

Bill

Reply
Susan
8/20/2015 01:30:12 pm

Hello! I have an almost ten year old pet flying squirrel who, out of the blue, started developing red, hairless patches all over his body that seem to scab over. He looks miserable! He`s still eating but is not active anymore--just wants to be in his bed. I`ve been reading about squirrel pox and the pictures look like what Cupid has. I have not been able to find any info on flying squirrel diseases---can they also get this pox? I would appreciate any info on flyers with regard to this disease, or any other skin diseases. Thank you.

Reply
William Sells link
8/20/2015 02:47:43 pm

Hi Susan!

Wow! 10 years old! That's pretty good. Is this a flying squirrel or a sugar glider? I'm no expert on flyers or gliders, but I would be interested to see what you are talking about. Could you send me a picture to my business e-mail? SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com If and when you do, be sure to remind me that you wrote to me on the Blog, because I get a ton of e-mail everyday!

Bill

Reply
Susan
8/21/2015 04:55:49 am

Hello, again! My pet is a Southern Flying Squirrel. He has been in a large cage his whole life, having been found in a cut-down tree before his eyes were even open. He was given to me by a local vet tech. at four months of age. I would send you a picture if I could/would learn how to do that! I`m 61 and not as tech-savvy as I would like to be! Today I was lucky enough to find a vet who works on squirrels so am planning to take him to her. But I have already started to put raw coconut oil on his pecans, his favorite nut! He gets Rep/Cal sprinkled on his other nuts and seeds everyday. He`s a wonderful little guy! Very smart and very affectionate! They make great pets (I`ve raised 6 of them) but as they are nocturnal it`s hard to always coordinate getting him out of the cage with my sleep! They must be watched closely when out of the cage as they can glide to things that can hurt them. I am impressed with your timely response and thank you again!

Valerie Fleming
8/21/2015 10:48:24 am

I hope you get your little guy cured. Please leave us a report.

Reply
William Sells link
8/21/2015 01:38:38 pm

Sorry to hear that you cannot send me a picture! The only thing I could do is send you a bottle of a plant extract that I have given to my blind Eastern Gray squirrel since her surgery last year. It's called Dionaea Muscipula,and it is an immune system modulator or booster.

We've been doing clinical trials on it with squirrels that have stubborn physical problems. On our webpage, http://www.squirrelnutrition.com/squirrels-with-severe-health-issues.html , we have pictures of a Florida Squirrel named "Leggy" who had a viral skin condition from November of last year until March of this year. His keeper had tried everything to clear it up without success. I sent him some drops to give orally everyday and he started on March 2 of this year. He sent weekly pictures and by March 22 it was completely healed.

I can't guarantee that it will help your flyer, but it certainly won't hurt him! My wife and I both take it, and we haven't been sick with anything over the past two years we have been using it.

Let me know if you would like to try it!

Bill

Reply
Valerie
8/21/2015 02:05:29 pm

Bill, I think this was directed to me by mistake. It was Susan that sent you the message. I had a left a comment but I thought it was directed to her. Guess I'm having difficulty understanding how to comment to someone else's post.

Susan
8/22/2015 04:39:03 pm

Hello Bill! Yes, I am interested in the Doinaea muscipula drops! Can you let me know the cost and how to give you my address? Thanks again! Susan

William Sells link
9/3/2015 05:18:13 am

Hi Susan!

Not sure if I've replied. We've been swamped with recipe requests and advice e-mails!

We can provide either drops or treated pecan squares for clinical trials. We are now charging $12.00 to cover the Priority Postage, dropper bottles, and cost of the capsules used. It is formulated to squirrel sized dosing, and is a 30 day supply for the pecan squares and 100 doses for the drops.

If you drop me an e-mail, and let me know which form you want, I can Invoice you for the product.SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Again, forgive me if this is redundant, because I am going through my notifications trying to make sure I haven't missed any!

Bill

William Sells link
9/3/2015 05:23:17 am

Hi Val!

You received it because you commented on the thread. Susan got it also because you both your names are on it.

Susan would also receive this comment to you!

Clear as mud, huh? :>)

Bill

Susan
9/3/2015 07:50:41 pm

Hello Bill! I received the Dionaea Muscipula gtts and began to give them to my little flyer, Cupid, but, unfortunately, he died on Wed. I had brought him to a vet specializing in squirrels, who diagnosed him with cancer! Two weeks ago he was a beautiful, healthy-looking guy! He started developing sores all over his little body, even on his head. He gave a valiant fight but was just too sick. I am so heartbroken as he was my little baby buddy for 10 years and I miss him terribly! Watching him suffer was horrible, esp. as I could not help him. I was planning on having him euthanized at the vet hosp. but didn`t need to after all. So just wanted to thank you for responding to me and sending the gtts. My story is similar to yours. I am a retired RN who fell in love with squirrels years ago. I have rehabbed many flyers, as well as grays. They are all wonderful! They definitely have my heart and I`m hooked for life! You are such a wealth of knowledge, which will help me with any future rehabs. Thanks again! Susan

Rob
9/3/2015 02:14:09 am

We live in north central Florida and have our fair share of what we call, our acrobats. Have bird feeders which we feed birds with black oil sunflower seeds. The squrrels however, are who get most of the seed.

Problem though is lately we are seeing squrrels with what appears to be the same condition as in your picture. From what I read elsewhere ours could be a result of a bot fly larvre. I have pictures but don't know how tp upload. My question also is we have a Basset hound and two chiwawas. Do these mites or bot flys present any problem to our pets or us?

Thanks,
Rob

Reply
William Sells link
9/3/2015 05:36:01 am

Hi Rob!

Mite are treatable, Warbles, or Bot Fly larvae should not be treated in wild squirrels!

The difference being, there's no problem killing mites with Ivermectin. But, if you kill a Bot Fly larvae, the decomposing larvae will give off toxins that will kill the squirrel!

The way to tell if it is Bot Flies, is that the Warbles or bumps have a hole in them where the larvae sticks its butt out the breathe! ( Yes, the breathe through their butt!)

If you watch a squirrel that has Warbles through binoculars, you can actually see the larvae moving through the breathing hole!

That has to be one of the creepiest feelings in the world!

The only safe treatment is to maintain good nutrition and let the Bot Fly Meta morph into a fly and leave. The Warbles go away until the next bite!

I had a woman write yesterday who said that she treated her squirrels monthly last year with Ivermectin after the larvae hatched, and they didn't get Warbles after that.

This year, she forgot, and now all her favorite squirrels are covered with Warbles!

Bill

Reply
Shawn
9/10/2015 03:28:06 pm

I have been feeding wild squirrels sunflower seeds and peanuts. I just added pecans and walnuts. I noticed hair missing on both hind quarters on my one squirrel. The other seems fine atm. Is it my food doing this.
If it is say mange. Highly contagious? Should I stop feeding by hand or getting close?

Reply
William Sells link
9/10/2015 05:13:57 pm

Hi Shawn!

I couldn't begin to guess what it is without seeing. If you could get a picture of it and send it to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com I could better advise!

Bill

Reply
Bhavya
10/20/2015 11:09:06 am

hello sir!
I am from India, i have a palm squirrel. His name is little. he has a rare skin disease, I can't figure out how to cure it. he has become very weak! To describe it, there's a patch above his leg, flesh is visible and he keep on scratching it. he wont let it heal. I searched for a medicine, and possible explanation for the cause for such disease, but i can't. there is another wound on his fur. Please sir could you refer any possible medicine for such disease.

Reply
William Sells link
10/20/2015 12:20:43 pm

Hi Bhavya!

Your squirrel may have the same disease as a Palm Squirrel in Sri Lanka. If you could send and e-mail to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, I could send you a picture of the lesion that this squirrel had so that you could confirm that it may be the same condition.

If it is, we have herbal drops that we treated this squirrel with. It would take weeks for me to get it to you by mail, but, I know that the girl in Sri Lanka has a large amount of it and could probably get it to you sooner since she is just off the coast of India.

I'm sure she would be willing to send it to you, and I could send a replacement to her, since her squirrel has been cured.

The herb is an Immune System Booster that strengthens the Immune System to the point of being able to overcome the disease.

Time is very important! She lost one of her Palm Squirrels to the disease,because the treatment was started too late. When a second squirrel developed the same condition, she started treatment and it was cured.

So, send me an e-mail at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and we'll get things moving.

Bill

Reply
William Sells link
10/20/2015 12:24:06 pm

Hi Bhavya!

If you could, take a picture of your squirrel's condition and send it with the e-mail, so that I can compare the condition with the pictures I have.

Bill

Kristina
10/25/2015 08:36:47 pm

I came home and found an adult squirrel curled up in my driveway after trying to check on it I realized he was blind, running into walls and going in circles over and over again. He is also bleeding a little from the corner of 1 eye. I have him inside a box now with a towel and gave him some dog food, he looks like he might die I don't know what to do I'm very distressed and upset and dont know how to help him. He is just curled up and his eyes are closed but he is breathing heavily. All the SPCA' in my area are closed and it seems like an emergency :( !!!!!!

Reply
Valerie
10/26/2015 12:02:53 pm

I hope that if he is still living you will find a wildlife rehab. person that is experienced in the field. SPCA usually does not deal with wildlife. You can check with a vet for a referral or check the internet for a wildlife rehab in your area. Please give us an update.

Reply
William Sells link
10/26/2015 10:20:39 am

Hi Kristina!

Sorry about the trauma you and the squirrel are experiencing. If it is bleeding from the eye, it probably got hit by a car close to your house, or fell from a tree and sustained a severe head injury. The injury is apparently severe enough to cause it to lose it's vision.

Here is all you can do, and is what I do in these situations. When a squirrel is severely injured, it seeks out a place to hide. (You have provided that by putting it in a box and covering it up.) the only other thing I would do is provide warmth. A heating pad under the box, set on low setting, or a warm rice bag heated in a microwave until warm will do. Then place the box in a quiet area like in a garage or enclosed porch.

If the squirrel is just stunned and recover's enough to get out of the box, simply open the garage door or the door to the porch and let it escape on it's own.

From what you described, it sounds like it's injuries are probably terminal. The rapid breathing is a sign of shock setting in. If it is from blood loss, ( hypovolemic shock,) it will gradually drift off and die peacefully. If it is Neurogenic Shock from severe damage to it's brain, ( which I suspect,) it may progress to a seizure before it dies.

Don't worry, either way the animal will be unconscious of what is going on, especially if you witness a seizure, the animal is unaware of what is happening with it's body. A seizure is an automatic response to severe injury to the brain. More than likely, the animal is already brain dead and it is just a matter of the automatic functions like heart beating and breathing to shut down.

The most important thing is that you cared enough to do something. That alone is an expression of love that is becoming rare in this day and age!

Thank-you for caring enough to provide one of God's little creatures what it needs at the end of it's life! The Bible says that a sparrow does not fall to the ground without the knowledge of God the father. So, God has seen, and knows of your expression of love for this little one.

God Bless you for caring!

Bill

Reply
Kristina
10/26/2015 04:16:42 pm

I took her to the wildlife rescue this morning and they are going to keep me updated on the progress! Thank you so much for your kind words and help! They said it was most likely a head injury.

Reply
Marmot
10/27/2015 02:58:38 am

Hi, i was wondering if you could tell me more about metabolic bone disease, how to be sure... My pet indian palm squirrel has eaten his flesh from near his side to the middle of his underbelly. Im just trying to keep his energy up and keeping the wound from getting infected. But would like to know if this MBD... And what can i do to close his wound, or hasten the process?

Reply
Marmot
10/27/2015 03:04:02 am

This is the same indian palm squirrel, bhavya seems to have posted about, her being my younger sister... The lesion or patch has totally been eaten through, and someone told me it could be metabolic bone disease. is it?

Reply
William Sells link
10/27/2015 05:59:23 pm

Hi Marmot!

Metabolic Bone Disease is a condition that is triggered by chronic low blood calcium. Squirrels need a steady supply of calcium, because their Incisors teeth grow continuously at a rate of 1/8 to 3/8 inches per month. This requires a large amount of calcium to sustain this growth. Over a period of 4 to 6 months without sufficient calcium, a squirrel's body will start pulling calcium from it's bones to support this growth of teeth. Once the bones are depleted of calcium, the squirrel becomes suddenly symptomatic.

The first sign, is the loss of use of it's rear legs because the bones are so weak and fragile, that they cannot stand of use the legs. The bones are so fragile, that they could break like thin crystal glass.

The next phase would be heart rhythm problems, because calcium plays a key role in the repolarization of heart muscle between beats. When it becomes bad enough, the squirrel usually dies of sudden cardiac arrest.

What you are describing sounds like a skin condition that a girl from Sri Lanka had with her Palm Squirrel. It was like a flesh eating bacteria that consumed her squirrels tail. I have pictures that I could send to you, to see if it looks the same, if you contact me by e-mail at:
SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

I sent her an herb that boosts the Immune System, but it was too late for the squirrel with the tail problem, but when one of her other Palm Squirrels developed the same condition, ( which started with a spot,) the herb completely cured it.

She would be willing to send some to you, because it would take weeks for me to get it to you.

Please contact me by e-mail!

Bill

Reply
Sarena
11/13/2015 07:46:45 am

I am able to get ivermectin in a syringe but not as a paste - can this be used in the same manner (spreading on nuts) that you mention above for the paste? Thanks for your prompt response!

Reply
William Sells link
11/21/2015 05:59:52 pm

Hi Sarena!

The syringe does have the past in it. As long as it is Ivermectin 1.87% you can use a tiny little dab on a nut meat once per week for two to 3 weeks.

That should take care of it.

Bill

Reply
Susan Madden
11/21/2015 10:17:17 am

There is a gray squirrel who frequents my yard. He has one eye, the right, that is large and red. I can't find any information on line about what could be causing this. S/he looks big and healthy otherwise and competes with the other squirrels for peanuts or squash seeds. Thank you.

Reply
William Sells link
11/21/2015 06:03:32 pm

Hi Susan!

It sounds like an abscess from either an injury or a foreign body, or possibly a fight. If it appears to get worse, write back. I have a couple suggestions.

Bill

Reply
gem
11/25/2015 09:35:28 am

Hi

One of our garden adult females has gone missing. It's been nearly a week. I thought that male squirrels disperse not female. I am extremely upset, she came everyday. Not sure if she couldn't handle the others on her case : (

Reply
William Sells link
11/25/2015 02:29:36 pm

Hi Gem!

It's not unusual for females to break out of their normal routines at this time of year. They are starting to do their nesting routine, which is a hormonal activity in anticipation of going into heat. Breeding season for squirrels starts in late December and continues right up into April. Females will go out and build multiple nests in anticipation of having babies. If a female feels threatened or unsafe where she gives birth, she will move her babies to a back-up nest.

So your favorite squirrel may just be doing nesting.

Bill

Reply
anisha
11/30/2015 12:31:42 pm

Hi ..
am anisha i am from india i have taken 2 baby orphan squirrel in with me they i think are 2 or 3 month old i dont have a very big house so i have to kept them in a bird cage nd i give them nuts to eat they eat normal human food also bt they have goten a habit to drink milk with chocolate powder they just dont sleep untill they drink it is its ok if they have it....... And my main problem is tomorrow i notice they are having hair fall nd i am fearing that its happying coz of continuously milk feeding nd i cannot afford thinks u mention above so can u suggest me some home made medicine i am really worried for them so plz help

Reply
William Sells link
11/30/2015 07:09:09 pm

Hi Anisha!

So, your squirrels won't go to bed without their chocolate milk? I thing you have got them spoiled! :>) I don't think that a little chocolate in their milk will hurt them as long as it is good chocolate. Chocolate has a lot of good antioxidants.

The hair thinning may be due to a lack of direct sunlight. Squirrels need direct sunlight to synthesize Vitamin D. A lack of Vitamin D can cause thinning hair. The sun exposure needs to be direct, not through glass, because glass filters out the spectrum of light needed.

Also, once your squirrels lose their taste for milk, you will need to provide a good calcium source to support the growth of their Incisors teeth, and keep their bones healthy.

Hope this helped!

Bill

Reply
lala
12/11/2015 11:14:46 am

Hello,
I was bit and scratched hard (both punctured caused bleeding) by a female squirrel, that had bald scabed patches like the one in your picture. She was cautious not agressive, semi domestic. If this is mange do I need to be concerned? I washed hand immediately, held pressure to stop bleeding(10-15min), applied alcohol swab and wrapped it. I wasn't concerned with rabies as she wasn't agressive, and I know I have an extremely rare chance of that. But I was concerned that she had bald scabed patches on her skin and what that could mean as far as transmission if any.
Thank you for you time

Reply
William link
12/11/2015 07:08:09 pm

Hi Lala!

I don't think you have anything to worry about unless the squirrel is sleeping with you. It sounds like it has mange, which is caused by the tiny itch mite, (Sarcoptes scabiei,) that can only be transmitted by close skin to skin contact over prolonged periods of time.

Your bite wounds should heal up fine without incident or infection. I've been bitten numerous times and have never had a bite get infected. Squirrel mouths are very clean.

Bill

Reply
Mary Jo
1/7/2016 09:39:48 am

We live in a wooded area so lots of wild creatures. This is the 1st time I've seen squirrels w/the hair loss issues. 2 of them are almost completely bald on their backs & just this morning noticed 2 more. One was definitely thinning hair & the other has thinning spots on his sides & has definite scabs....the others are bald or balding in a strip that runs down the middle of their backs. It may be that we are dealing with both mange and a fungus. HELP!! They are all wild. I have some cocnut oil that is "unrefinedc cold-pressed virgin oil". Will that work if I make nut balls or something with it? I am familiar with ivermectin paste & can get some from the farm store. How can I help these squirrels? It seems to be spreading. I called DNR but have not heard back from them. Thank you in advance! Oh, is this contagious to my dogs??? How do I prevent that?!? YIKES

Reply
William link
1/7/2016 04:13:31 pm

Hi Mary Jo!

I think I would first try to treat them with Ivermectin and watch for improvement. Just a tiny dab of the 1.87% apple flavored ivemectin on a nut meat once per week. Only treat the ones that will let you toss it to them, otherwise you might overdose one that eats more than one.

As far as diet, as much raw coconut oil as you can get into them, including coconut out of the shell. I would also put out the coconut milk with an ounce of Ionic Silver in it. Also feed avocado, the oils in avocado are excellent for skin and coat!

Bill

Reply
Deborah Viscomi
1/8/2016 06:12:21 am

Dear Bill and All,

I love how so many people care about the squirrey's in the world!!
I had found a baby one year and took care of her for 2 weeks in my home then she went off to live in my yard, had 2 babies by the next spring and then she just disappeared...I'm still heartbroken but I just fell in love with them.

From this website, I have learned much. I feed all the squirrels that hang out at my house with seeds, raw coconut and it's milk, avocado, fruit, water etc. especially in the winter and last year not one of them were missing hair and all of them were fat, fluffy and healthy!

I was so thrilled because we had our worse winter ever here in the north east last year.

So I just wanted to give my thanks to Bill and you all and Blessings for a Joy-Filled 2016.

Deborah

Reply
Mary Jo
1/9/2016 10:29:38 am

I would like to build some squirrel houses...do you have any recomendations or any squirrel house plans that you could share? Or can you recommend size dimensions? Thanks!!!

Reply
William link
1/9/2016 01:04:54 pm

Hi Mary Jo!

Send me an e-mail at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and put "Squirrel House Plans" in the subject line, and I'll send you some nifty plans that can be made from a single board!

Bill

Reply
Dru Driver
1/18/2016 05:18:00 pm

Hi William,
I have a five month old gray male that I've had since he was about ten days old. I'm in a bit of a pickle. I don't know whether to have him neutered and keep him or try to send him back to the wild when he gets older and the weather is warmer. The people who found him, laying next to his dead sister on the ground, debated about putting him out of his misery and at that point, they called me. He has a large cage and he gets a lot of attention. I never meant for him to stay with us but now, I'm not sure he could make it in the wild. He has a bald strip on his right hip that seems be growing. I thought it may be from him running in his wheel, but I'm not sure. He eats a variety of food--pecans, walnuts, apples, grapes, avocado, rodent blocks, blackberries, etc. I need your opinion. Should I have him neutered and keep him or, let him go? Thanks.

Reply
William link
1/22/2016 12:53:24 pm

Hi Dru!

Your squirrel may be balding from low Vitamin D levels. Being inside, out of direct sunlight squirrels are unable to synthesize Vitamin D. A full spectrum grow light 6 to 8 hours a day would help.

Regarding keeping vs release, any squirrel can be released, with singles it just takes a little longer. He would terrified the first time you took him out. so he would need you to stay with and reassure him. Repeated trips outdoors will eventually get his curiosity aroused, so that you can leave him out in his cage for longer times. If you put food around his cage, other squirrels will be attracted and visit him. Once he has observed other squirrels for a few weeks, you will be able to open the cage and let him start exploring his surroundings. He will come and go, sleeping and eating in his cage, and eventually will establish his own nest or den and stay away longer.

I've seen many times where a single squirrel is befriended by another squirrel of about the same age and they start running around together. It's just like the wild one knows that this new kid needs a friend and needs to be shown how to act when free.

Squirrels were designed for the trees, but I fully understand why people would want to keep them. It's like sending your kids off to college! :>)

Bill

Reply
Dru
1/24/2016 03:48:28 pm

Thanks, Bill, especially for the encouraging words about returning him to the big outdoors. I do not want to keep him, but I just hate to think that he may become fodder for predators as soon as I let him go. I'll get the lamp and see if that helps. I plan to get him accustomed to the outdoors in the spring.

Susan Weeks
1/24/2016 10:27:10 am

Dru, I`ve raised many flying squirrels, as well as ground squirrels. I gave my flyers a powder called "Rep-Cal" , which is a calcium with Vit. D. I got it off the internet. I would just sprinkle the power on their nuts that they ate. Don`t know if this would help but I noticed the vit. D comment by Bill. Good luck!

Reply
Dru
1/24/2016 03:49:25 pm

Thanks, Susan.

Mary Louise
1/22/2016 08:46:43 am

Thank you for your wonderful website and your dedication to these sweet little joys of life. I have been feeding my "Diggers" for years. I have a rescued cat that I took in 16 years ago. He obviously was never an indoor only cat and even at his age fights my windows, doors to get outside. He cries, wynes and climbs blinds, curtains and screens in his attempt to reach freedom. After hours of this, I will let him out. I have trained him to stay on the porch and in the yard. Last fall I re-lanscaped the front yard and used black mulch. Long story-short, he started to lay down under the tree where I feed the squirrels in the dirt. He has lost, has scabby skin lesion and constantly is scratching and licking himself. He is miserable. The vet could not identify the problem and gave him an antibiotic shot. Each month I gave him his topical flea medicine he seemed to get worse. The vet thought he was allergic to the med and recommed ed to stop using it....Oct. 2015. There has been no improvement. Could my cat have contacted mites from the squirrels? The squirrels do scratch,but, I don't see missing fur. Thank you for your advice.


look

Reply
William link
1/22/2016 01:06:19 pm

Hi Mary!

If your cat had mites, the flea medicine would have killed them. Besides the mites that affect squirrels can only be transferred by direct contact, they have to be on a warm body and squirrels transmit them by sleeping together.

Have you ever considered an allergy to the black mulch? It's black because of chemicals, and you said the cat lays around under your trees.

I have something that may help your cat. It's an immune system boosting herb. If you send me your cat's weight, I could mix some up for you. Writ me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Bill

Reply
Susan Weeks
1/24/2016 10:29:37 am

Mary, that black mulch was the first thing that came to mind re: your cat`s problem, as Bill mentioned. Good luck!

Dean
2/16/2016 07:52:14 pm

William,

Last December my fiancee brought home a injured near dead 6 month old squirrel. Under the guidance of a vet we have saved him. However, he has some neurological issues and is not releasable. Regarding his skin, he has always been touchy itchy. But lately he has driven himself to seizures doing flips trying to nip at his skin towards his hind quarters. At moment since he won't try to eat I have to feed him pureed squirrel blocks mixed with a veggie a nut and some coconut oil. He has a small hairless patch on his shoulder and one on the back of one leg, no scabs or lesions. This past weekend I gave him a Tahitian oil treatment and the response was wonderful. Buddy had his first full night of sleep. Two days later he was back to being touchy scratchy. Do you have any advice on fixing what seems to be a super dry skin issue?

Reply
William link
2/16/2016 08:35:53 pm

Hi Dean!

At this time of year it may well be a Vitamin D deficiency. Squirrels synthesize Vitamin D the same way humans do. From being in direct sunlight. ( Light through glass doesn't count because it filters out the spectrum of light needed for this synthesis.)

Thinning hair and itchy skin is a sign. I use a full spectrum grow light to shine on my squirrel's indoor cage so she get this light 6 to 8 hours a day.

Oral replacement doesn't work very well because of poor absorption.

Bill

Reply
Dean
5/28/2016 05:31:13 am

Bill,

Same squirrel different question. Buddy has been improving greatly after a few months of Valium to control his seizures. He is about a year old now and just this morning he has a lump under the skin north of his penis. He seems to be sensitive to it and began to walk a bit funny (dragging that portion of his belly on the floor). There are no skin lesions of any type. Like i said this lump was not there last night. BTW he is a little bit over weight as he is not as active as normal squirrels are so his belly gets urine on it when he pee's. I wash his belly when this occurs usually 3 times a day as we have him set on a sort of feeding pooping and urinating schedule. Is this maybe a hormonal issue at this age?

William link
5/28/2016 07:44:05 pm

Hi Dean!

Not sure what that might be, are you able to send a picture?

Send it to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com

Bill

Anni Koziol
2/26/2016 05:22:23 am

How do you use Colloidal or Ionic Silver? Can you put it in the food?

Thank you!

Reply
William link
2/26/2016 10:43:13 pm

Hi Anni!

I use it topically and internally.

Topically, I spray it or wet compress it anywhere, including in the eyes.

Internally, a drop or two in the mouth directly 2 to 3 times a day, or 2cc in a 6 oz water bottle or bowl..

Bill

Reply
Carol Shapiro
3/17/2016 02:31:32 pm

thank you so much for your information. I have wild squirrels in NYC that visit several times a day for food and I noticed that one has what you described as dermatophytosis. I am going to add raw coconut and coconut oil to the food I give them!

Reply
sandie
4/21/2016 07:50:31 pm

hmmm, have hear cocoanut oil. I need to fin it and where to purchase it. great advice. is it ok for them to lick within reason? also, is there a certain kind of oil or does anyone know where to purchase?

Reply
Chrissy
4/3/2016 05:10:54 pm

I have a baby squirrel that fell out of nest and he cant use his back legs now. But he is very healthy.... But he is lossing his hair.... He has patches all over him.... And i need to treat him.... Cause he looks so uncomfortable. Thank u

Reply
William link
4/3/2016 08:22:50 pm

Hi Chrissy!

If you send me a picture at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com I could better comment. But for now, I would try applying Colloidal Silver to the areas where the hair is missing and giving him a drop by mouth 3 times a day to see if that clears it up.

Bill

Reply
Sandie
4/20/2016 09:10:34 pm

Hello,
I am best friends with Jennifer Harrson and she led me to you with high recommendations.
I have spoken to a vet in WA, state and fed licensed people, not sure what to do.
Have two one male, one female, separate cages... both about 3 yrs old.
diet is spot on, not changed, cages are cleaned very regularly, no detergent used for bedding, etc... no changes
about 2 months ago female (while hormonal prob) started losing belly fur, some on bottom feet (a little I think) too? there is almost a "rash", "abrasions" on her belly? her belly is basically bald.
have tried Bactrim/water solution twice now, with additional anti fungal cream (little bit, rubbed in best I can), told after this to try Ivermectin (tiny dose onto back of neck between ears) after that if no change to try Metronidazole?
in case of a UTI I understand? Las week we change her 6' x 3' wood shelves and logs to climb on out (they were messy and unable to clean well) with lexan and new logs (with marks/tape on there so she is not scared)
they sleep in fleece hats which they ADORE! and are cleaned regularly,
I was told do one thing at a time and have done the Bactrim/with anti fungal cream best I can after but am afraid to proceed further, in case this is normal?
Additional note: We have no such issues, nor does the male, or the 2 cats in the house.
I do hope I hear from you soon, I am looking for any and all advice I can get. Thank you, I look forward to hearing back from you.

Reply
William link
4/20/2016 09:57:34 pm

Hi Sandie!

A bald belly huh? Are the tops of her toes bald also?

My 8 year old blind Eastern Gray would get a bald belly every winter. We thought that it was just because she was a little overweight and her belly would sometimes drag when she walked.

Putting her on a diet, and having her lose weight didn't help. The tops of her toes were also bald, and I just chalked it up to itchy skin, which she would scratch with her teeth.

This past Fall, I decided that she needed more sunlight because she seemed depressed. What I termed Seasonal Effective Disorder for squirrels. To try to boost her mood, I started shining a full spectrum grow light on her cage. Since it was incandescent and gave off a little heat, she started sleeping in front of it. Guess what! her belly hair and the hair on her feet grew back. She had a vitamin D deficiency, and it was effecting her hair growth.

I'm not saying that is what is wrong with your squirrel, but if everything else has failed, I would give it a try.

Feed raw coconut out of the shell and avocado also. The oils in them are great for skin and coat!

Bill

Reply
Sandie
4/21/2016 07:48:17 pm

Hi BIll, yes tops of toes semi mostly missing fur too. I do have a light for vitamin D I use in winter months for them.
She def doesn't need a diet, weight is spot on! we thought dragging on wood logs as well, saturated with food, urine... as well as wood shelves, hence we replaced them with new wood logs and lexan shelves last week. I have still been doing the Bactrim/water and anti fungal, about every other day as it makes her belly feel kind of dry? and she is a tough one to treat.
I will try the light some more, as we approach summer this may help as well? but thank you so much for the advice, greatly appreciated!

Sandie
4/21/2016 08:26:38 pm

I have my fake sunlight lamp on her best I can now. will keep it up and see.
She does east Avacado every day (after her good food of course)
Raw coconut. wonder if I can get that this time of year? Will look... if not is there an oil I can purchase? can she lick it within reason?
do you also think I should continue the Bactrim/water wash and anti fungal cream? seems to make it dry....
have heard mites, and ivermectin, etc.... I tend to like less is more theory but would love to know your thoughts.
Thank you very much in advance.

Sandie Bailey
4/29/2016 06:58:35 pm

Hi Bill.
I have tried the full spectrum light, she continues to get these red bumps/rash, and worse.
I have a friend (state and Fed licensed) sending me Ivermectin (which my other friend says is very dangerous) and another one sending me Terbinafine. also knowledgeable.
My goal is to help her not hurt her of course.
Conflicting info is confusing me on how to proceed. I have pictures if you are interested.

William link
4/29/2016 07:12:24 pm

One drop of kitten flea drops on the back of the neck is far safer than Ivermectin on a young squirrel. A Vet wrote and told me this.

If you have Colloidal silver try applying it topically and giving one drop by mouth 3 times a day......Bill

Sandie
5/4/2016 08:51:17 pm

Hi bill,
Great advice! I did receive my ivermectin today but am told dangerous?
I do have new news.... The light showed no promise,change.
However we did find just a few, Larder bugs in the room. This "could be the culprit,? tho he is not affected as of yet.
So far am changing the pan for waste, pee, poop, food, a LOT more often, and their hat/beddies/dreys are washed in bleach every other day and swapped out. Also, am wiping her belly with listerine/water mix and it does look better.... the kinda bite marks (if you want pics I can send you them, lmk) but still bald belly and feet? I have NOT done the ivermectin as I am afraid to dangerous... was going to do one drop, maybe will get this kitten formula.
In the mean time, we will be removing them, ripping room apart, to include carpet, and spraying room, baseboards, etc.... while only 10 found so far, we will be dilligent in weeks to come! like I said in mean time changing cage, beds out.
Now, suggestions? where can I get some of that Colloidal silver? and how to apply? I assume the kitten stuff I can get at vet store?
Any advice is greatly appreciated! and if pics needed/wanted please let me know. thank you in advance.

Bette link
4/21/2016 09:39:11 am

Hi Can you treat a mother squirrel with ivermectin paste the babies are big enough to come out of the box and crawl around the tree but still nurse. thank You

Reply
William link
4/21/2016 09:52:31 am

Hi Bette!

It's probably safe to treat her, because what little they may get from her breast milk, will probably take care of any fleas or lice they have on them.

Getting it second hand from their mother is 10 times better than trying to treat a baby with Ivermectin paste, because it is impossible to figure dosing. It safer to treat a baby with a drop of kitten flea drops on the back of the neck, but that's impossible with wild squirrels!

Besides, they are going to be exposed to all kinds of worse chemicals by walking, digging and eating stuff that lays in the yards of people who have their lawn treated for weeds and insects.

Bill

Reply
bette
4/29/2016 11:51:14 am

i ordered a squirrel house a week ago and i would like to know when it will be shipped thanks bette

Reply
William link
4/29/2016 07:07:50 pm

Hi Bette! I should be getting notification from my builder by next week with the tracking info. They ask us to allow up to two weeks for shipment, because they make all kinds of wood products.

I will send you tracking as soon as I get it!

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Shelley Lundak
5/8/2016 06:33:32 am

I noticed yesterday that one of the many squirrels that visit us is completely bald except for its tail. What, if anything, can I do to help?

Reply
William link
5/8/2016 10:33:45 am

Hi Shelley,

So, you have a naked squirrel? If you could take a picture as close as you can get to it, and send it to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, I could evaluate what you are seeing and better advise.

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Carla
5/28/2016 09:13:50 am

Hi William,
Since I moved to Florida to study I found a squirrel that "owned" the balcony of the apartment I was renting. We became friends (her name is Capone) and after some months she got used to even get nuts from my hand or let me know when she is around knocking my window! She was not around the last months ( I guess she was nursing, like every year) but she came yesterday showing spots of baldness.She scratches her back all the time (most of it has no hair) but it is not red or pink or with crusts. I found your page looking for something I could do for her,afterall she has being with me all this 3 years. Thanks for your help and for providing all this info!

Reply
Carolyn Caldwell
6/6/2016 11:11:53 am

I have a question about whether the fungal disease in squirrels can be transferred to cats ? I took my cat out for a walk in a local nature park so she could get some outdoor stimulation (the last couple of years she has had to be an indoor only cat and her health has deteriorated fairly rapidly and she is quite obviously bored) She mostly just lay down on the dirt path and watched what was going on in the trees, did a small amount of exploring on some fallen logs and in the foliage near the path. Some months later I noticed she was starting to lose hair on her nose and it progressed and got bigger. The vet was stumped, wanted to refer me to a specialist, for which I didn't want to spend the money, as I'm already averaging well over $1,200 a year for vet visits due to her age related health issues. Another vet said it wasn't a fungus and wrote it off to age. But because I had heard that coconut oil was good for lesions etc. I started putting some on her nose to see if that helped. And, indeed, it does appear that the fur on her noise is starting to slowly grow back. What I'm wonder if the fungus in squirrels could have been picked up by my cat while on this walk from the dirt or underbrush in the nature park (where there are lots of squirrels) ?? Also, I now have a couple of squirrels coming regularly onto our deck to help themselves to seed/food I put out for the birds, and am wondering if when my cat goes out there she can get fleas or mites from the squirrels (i.e., flea eggs or mites fall off the squirrel's fur onto the deck, and when my cat lies down she can pick up the flea eggs or mites ?? Many thanks in advance for your time / any reply.

Reply
bev
6/8/2016 05:22:57 am

how else can I feed avocado? I buy a whole one and cut up in small pieces to freeze individually. Then I give a piece to Fred frozen. He eats on it but not all of it. In a day's time it's black and mushy and he's done with it He has a great diet but just want to make sure he has enough of what he needs. Thanks Bev

Reply
William link
6/8/2016 04:06:01 pm

Hi Bev!

If I had a fool proof method of preserving avocado, I'd be a multi millionaire!

I read an independent report from a fellow who tried to determine what was the best method for storing a ripe avocado.

Of the seven methods he determined to be the best, he concluded that storing a slice of onion in the bag with the avocado after it has been cut, worked the best.

What I found about this method, was that the avocado took on some of the onion taste, which didn't appeal to my squirrels.

What my wife and I do is pick out 3 to 6 avocados that are ripe to nearly ripe. We cut one in the morning to feed to the squirrels for their breakfast and supper.

At our bedtime, my wife and I split the remainder of what is left, because I recently learned that eating avocado at bedtime, is an excellent sleep aid!

In the morning, we start all over with a fresh avocado! This limits our storage time to around 12 to 16 hours.

I've also discovered over the years that female squirrels seem to have more of a taste for them than males, (especially older males.)

Hope this helped!

Bill

Reply
rick stevens
6/23/2016 12:11:22 pm

DEAR BILL ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I STARTED FEEDING ALL THE SQUIRRELS IN MY YARD AFTER LOSING MY DOG DAISY AND MY FATHER ALL WITHIN 2AND AHALF MONTHS TIME I HAVE ONE SQUIRREL NAMED SKINNY WHO COMES TO MY DOOR AND LOOKS FOR ME AND I GIVE HIM PECANS WHICH I READ IS GOOD FOR THEIR SKIN AND IMMUNE SYSTEM AND THE WHOLE GANG HAS ALSO STARTED ENJOYING PECANS THEY DONT HAVE SKIN ISSUES BUT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU HOW GOOD THE THERAPY HAS BEEN FOR ME AFTER MY LOSSES AND HOW MUCH JOY SQUIRRELS BRING TO ME EACH AND EVERY DAY

Reply
Laura Alvarez
6/29/2016 04:38:28 pm

I think my Squirrel Loki has ring worm. It looks like round patches where his fur has fallen off. What can I do to help him in conjunction with what the vet says?

Reply
William link
6/29/2016 06:40:59 pm

Hi Laura!

For a non toxic treatment, spray the area with Colloidal Silver and give him a drop by mouth 3 times a day until the ringworm fungus is gone.

Bill

Reply
Laura Alvarez
6/30/2016 01:41:47 pm

Thanks Bill! Does the silver also work for the other type of fungus? Because I just realized, we all should have ring worm if it was the case and no one in the house has it. It looks like he has had this problem only for a week or so but the spots are pretty big. I have had him for 2 and a half years and he never had had any problems until now.

Reply
William link
7/4/2016 06:14:35 pm

Hi Laura,
Yes, colloidal silver will work for other types of fungus, as will raw coconut oil. I like to spray on colloidal silver, let it dry then apply raw coconut oil. Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid, which means that it has the ability to cross the skin barrier and will carry other substances with it.

Bill

Sheri link
7/4/2016 03:59:59 pm

I've been feeling the squirrels in my backyard every morning for the last 5 years (I can not touch them). Last year one of the young males, during breeding season, showed up missing both ears (they were bloody). He healed nicely and has been breeding this season with no problems. I just noticed today, another young male (breeding season again) is missing his ears also (one has scabs on it the other one has already started growing hair back on it. Do you have any idea what could possibly be causing this to the ears of the male squirrels? What can I do to help them, they bring me so much joy.

Reply
William link
7/4/2016 05:48:11 pm

Hi Sheri!

Yes, I know. It's other males. They will literally kill each other during mating season if they get a chance. (It's called less competition.) Being a male squirrel is a brutal way to live.

Two weeks ago I thought I saw another male beating up on my recently released males. I went out and broke up the fight, just to find out that it was actually my released male in a mating tumble with a female. My released male was so mad at me, that he jumped on my abdomen and bit me, and bit me on each forearm before I could get him off of me.

Note to self: Never, never, never get in the middle of what you think is a squirrel fight!! :>)

Bill

PS. They bite each others ears all the time. Sometimes, that's how I can tell who's who, by the shape of the notched in their ears!

Reply
Karina
8/12/2016 12:19:39 pm

Hi again Bill,
Just curious, I've seen many people put sweaters or "shirts" on their squirrels, do you think that is a good idea? Would that help with them scratching so much? You helped me with mine last year because he was scratching so much he was hurting himself already and this year although hair was trying to grow back he has started scratching again and I'm afraid he will hurt himself again like he did last year and we are not even in winter yet! I started putting the ionic silver and coconut oil on him already and he's not too happy but I'm trying to prevent. What else can I do to prevent it?

Reply
William link
8/12/2016 02:21:23 pm

Hi Karina!

Shirts are not the answer. They do not like clothing and are Houdini's about getting out of them. If you are sure it is not caused by fleas or other insects then treat it with diet. Increase the fat in your squirrels diet, See if you can get it to eat Avocado and coconut out of the shell. We feed Lucky avocado everyday, and her skin and coat are in great shape.......Bill

Reply
Karina
8/16/2016 06:56:14 am

Thanks Bill,
He has started eating avocado and coconut since you suggested it, and like I said it's been almost a year since he had this bald patch. My concern is you said this normally happens in winter and we are no where near then and it is already bald and he keeps scratching. I don't know how to prevent that! He also does not like me putting the ionic silver or coconut oil anymore and he knows when I am going to do so. I don't think it's caused by any fleas or other insects, but I don't know how to tell what it is caused by.

Karina
8/24/2016 06:48:25 pm

How should I store the collodial silver and the coconut oil? Out at room temperature or in the fridge?

Reply
William link
8/24/2016 10:29:21 pm

Hi Karina!

Colloidal Silver can be kept at room temperature, It has a 3 month shelf life in the PET Plastic Bottle, but indefinitely, if you transfer it to a dark "glass" bottle. The reason is, plastic attracts static electricity which can cause the silver to precipitate out of the solution over time. Glass does not collect static electricity. Dark glass prevents the solution from reacting to light, which silver does.

Raw coconut oil has a two year shelf life. Below 76 degrees it starts turning solid. Above 76 it turns to a clear liquid, You can store either way.

Bill

Reply
amy ormonde
12/3/2016 01:46:19 pm

I have a squirrel who is losing fur and has flaky skin but doesn't seem to have any of those big red splotches. Shes extremely itchy and there are a couple very tiny scabs on her. She doesnt have red patches like the squirrel pictured. Is this mange? I can send a picture of her if you need to see it. I don't want to treat her wrong. I took her to the vet but they don't deal much with wild animals. I was told to put a tiny drop of kitten revolution on her. I did that about 5 days ago and it seems to be getting worse rather than better. Also, is there anything I can do to help her not be so itchy? Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you!

Reply
William link
12/3/2016 06:06:24 pm

Hi Amy!

Since you took this animal to the Vet, I assume it is a Pet/ Captive Squirrel, which rules out any possibility of it having Mange, Mange can only be passed by prolonged contact, (Ie, sleeping with another affected animal.) Mange in animals is the same as scabies in humans.

Itchy, dry and flaky skin in captive squirrels is almost always due to low Vitamin D levels, mainly because they spend so much time indoors, unlike their wild relatives. Squirrel synthesize Vitamin D the same as humans, by direct exposure to sunlight. Add to that the drying effect of indoor heating when it gets cold, and you have a perfect recipe for dry, itchy and flaky skin. That's why our skin gets dry and itchy in the winter, but we can slather on moisturizers after we bathe with moisturizing soaps and shampoos!

Squirrels don't have it so good. They just dry out and scratch, and those needle like toenails abrade the skin causing redness, irritation and even hair loss.

Ways to counter it in squirrels, are to provide plenty of water and moisture containing foods, (veggies.) Also, increase the good fats in their diet. I feed my squirrels a lot of avocado in winter. The Omega Fats in avocado are great for their skin and coat. I also feed raw coconut right out of the shell. Again, for the good fat contained in the coconut.

Since supplementation with Vitamin D carries a risk of liver toxicity and overdose, a much safer and more effective way to treat it is to provide the means for Vitamin D synthesis.

I use an Incandescent grow light bulb in a clip-on utility light, and shine it on Lucky's cage 6 to 8 hours a day. Lucky loves it because it gives off a little heat, so she will spend hours sleeping under it on cold winter days. It has the right spectrum of light to synthesize Vitamin D, and her hair is thick and soft from the combination of fats in her diet and being able to synthesize Vitamin D.

Best of all, I rarely see her scratching, so it is a win-win for her!

Bill

Reply
Lynn Watson
2/23/2017 11:02:23 am

Hey Bill, I need to know what brand of grow light to use. I have researched myself into oblivion finding that some full spectrum lights do not provide the UVB and reptile lights are too potent, and on and on. Since the one you are using is working I would appreciate the advice as to what to buy, and how close you keep it to her home.

William Sells link
2/23/2017 02:31:45 pm

Hi Lynn!

I just use an Incandescent grow light from my local hardware store. (6 to 8 dollars) and a clip-on utility light, (around 12 dollars) Nothing fancy, works great!.....Bill

Brandy Morgan
2/19/2017 01:12:57 pm

We've been feeding a squirrel for almost three years now. She is wild, and usually scared of everyone due to some issues with cats in the area, but trusts us, though I could never imagine getting her to a vet, nor would I want to, b/c she just turned up after a week and looks like something went really wrong! Her fur is coming off, she isn't scratching that I can see, but she does itch, b/c she rubs her face on the balcony wall a bit, then again, she did this before all the time when she was happy, so I have no clue what it is. There's no red marks and scabbing, just no hair suddenly. I've seen this in other squirrels but not this past litter or two. They all seemed healthy til last week. She's the only one I've spotted, but then again, she's the only one we pay attention to. I put out a cat bed (new) and a cammy cloth b/c it's ultra soft and warn for her face, no idea if she will use it or just pee on it...She is not getting any medicine b/c i am unsure which it is, for her condition- and it's very sudden. We adore her like family, is there anything we can treat her with on her FOOD instead? Like the coconut oil i was reading out? I have coconut oil pills in our cabinet and can just prick one with a needle and squeeze some out on her food or will she not touch it then? Should I buy coconut shavings (fresh ones if i can find them this time of year) or is this a lost cause which she will get over, toward spring's end when it's warmer weather kicks in? I feel so bad for her, but happy she's back nearby us, as she was missing and my mother thought she up and died but here she is, in all her glory, eating and seems to be alright, just jumpier, more scared and looks like she's probably cold poor thing..So i hope she uses the furry bed that can protect her from the cold with the cammy cloths i put in there for her..I swear I will not touch them unless i put a hazmat suit on and then just trash the stuff, no way will put in our washer dryer...ick.

Reply
William link
2/23/2017 02:36:32 pm

Hi Brandy!

I would go ahead and treat her for mange even though you don't see scabs. It would be better to feed coconut out of the shell and cold pressed virgin coconut oil instead of the capsules. Most of those have fractionated coconut oil in them, which is missing a lot of the goof stuff. Also 3/4 cup of water with a 1/4 cup of colloidal silver for drinking water.

Bill

Reply
Julie Stockton link
3/4/2017 04:00:28 pm

I have a wild squirrel who has hair lose and i feed it i call him max he come every day and eats i have pictures to show u. Then maybe u can tell me whats wrong with him do u have a email adress. I love animals i just want him to survive and recover please help me to help him i beg of u thank u sincerly julie

Reply
William link
3/4/2017 07:45:54 pm

Hi Julie!

I'd be glad to evaluate the squirrel's skin condition. Send picture(s) to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and mention that you contacted me on thei BLOG.

Bill

Reply
Riggs
3/6/2017 01:06:46 pm

Hi, William, Great site and resources for Squirrels. Thank you.

I feed about 14 wild squirrels, and a few will eat out of my hand, a the majority will come within 3-5 feet to accept a tossed nut, but they get spooked if I stand and approach them with a nut. At least four have chronic scratching and are losing big patches of hair near the front shoulders, and I'm certain it's mites. My question is this, can I spread some nuts (the meat) with Ivermectin paste ahead of time so I don't have to prepare it while the squirrels are around? If it dries on the nut, does it lose its effectiveness? Just trying to figure out the easiest/best way to make sure the squirrels get what they need, and that it's going to do the job. With the ones in the houses I've made, I've simply placed the treated nut meat on their entrance balcony, and have my cameras recording so I can make sure the squirrels are only getting one treated nut.

Thanks again.

Reply
Riggs
3/6/2017 01:24:31 pm

One more question about Ivermectin... If one squirrel ends up eating two treated nuts, what will happen? Will they die or get extremely ill? Except for six of them who I can easily determine who they are, most of the others look very alike and are of similar size with their Winter fat, so it's going to be challenging to ensure the same squirrel doesn't get a double dose. They all converge on my place at once. :)

Reply
Riggs
3/9/2017 01:58:23 pm

Of the five squirrels I gave a half-drop-sized dose of Ivermetiin to, spread thinly one one side of a pecan using a toothpick, all five stopped scratching within 48 hours. Hope they are on the road to better health. The two other squirrels I tossed a treated nut to sniffed it and suddenly bounced straight up two feet in the air and darted away like it was going kill them (I used apple-flavored). Will another another food source...maybe avocado or berries.

Thanks again.

William link
3/9/2017 02:41:32 pm

You could put it on anything you know the squirrels will eat, but it needs to be something that they will eat all at once.

Bill

William link
3/6/2017 09:21:49 pm

Hi Riggs!

It would be risky just putting out treated nuts. One every seven days for 2 doses is the normal treatment. If a single squirrel ate two of them, it probably wouldn't kill it, but it would probably be lethargic and nauseated for a couple days. More than two would be really bad, probably killing the squirrel.

You need to make sure that no shepherding dogs like collies, Old English Sheep dogs etc. come in contact with even a squirrel sized dose, because it will kill them. They have a genetic sensitivity to Ivermectin that will send them into seizures and multi system failure.

There is a safer and slower way to treat mites. It involves getting them to drink a 25% solution of Colloidal Silver in their drinking water. Researchers have found that the colloidal silver will attack the cell membrane of their eggs that are laid under the skin. It doesn't kill the living mites, but if they can't have their eggs hatch, the condition eventually goes away. If you put a heavy water bowl where they feed, one they can't tip over, and put 3/4 cup of filtered water and 1/4 cup of colloidal silver, (10 PPM strength is sufficient,) they will usually drink when they eat, if water is available. There is no fear of overdose, since it has never been proven to have any toxic side effects. There is a condition called Argeria, where silver particles can collect in the skin and turn it silver gray, ( not a problem for a gray squirrel.) But, studies have shown that it takes massive doses over a long time for this to happen. Silver particles are non reactive in the human body and clear the same way any other metal minerals such as selenium, magnesium, etc., through the kidneys.

Bill

Reply
Riggs
3/7/2017 04:04:58 am

Appreciate the response. To be clear, I didn't plan to toss treated nuts around the yard and hope for the best. I figure the best way to handle my gathering of squirrels is to first take notes on how each squirrel looks, then give that squirrel a treated nut (it will usually eat it somewhere in front of me) then give it a big walnut in the shell and it will run away to bury or eat it, so then I can focus on the next squirrel. No dogs in my yard.

The Colloidal Silver is interesting. I do have a heated water bowl that they all drink from. Will look into that.

If the paste dries on nut meat for a day or more, do you know if it renders the paste ineffective or less potent?

If I bird swoops in an grabs a treated nut that's tossed to a squirrel, will the bird get sick or die?

Thanks again.

Melwin
3/22/2017 12:38:32 am

My squirrel is biting only its tail and picking its tail hair... some times its tail also starts bleeding... pls help... he doesnt have fleas... and he is bred in captivity...

Reply
William link
3/23/2017 06:28:22 pm

Hi Melwin!

Please send a good close up picture of what you are seeing to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com , so that I can better evaluate it. Be sure to reference what you said here, because I get hundreds of advice mail each month!

Bill

Reply
Melwin
3/25/2017 01:04:28 am

I am not able to find ivermectin in my locality...

Reply
William link
3/25/2017 06:26:25 pm

Hi Melwin!

If you have further questions, please direct them to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, as it is more difficult to answer questions through this blog.

Since I don't know where you live, I can only give you general information about how to obtain Ivermectin Paste 1.87%. If you know any stores that sell horse products, you can usually find a syringe of Ivermectin paste wherever they sell supplies for horses. They use it to deworm horses. You only need a very, very tiny dab, ( an amount about the size of a large grain of sand,) spread on a nut meat to treat a squirrel. You give it once per week for two doses, and that shouls take care of it.

Bill

Reply
Peter
3/26/2017 02:45:45 pm

Hi Melwin,
I noticed that you could not find Ivermectin paste anywhere. You can find it online. There are many sites that sell it. BUT, like Bill said, give a VERY small amount on a nut.

Reply
Christi
4/18/2017 08:14:56 pm

Hi William
I just have to tell you how excited I am to find you. 6years ago a neighbor that was cutting trees I
in his yard, brought me 2 very tiny red squirrels that he found laying on the ground about three days after he had cut the trees. I was terribly worried because neither even had their eyes open yet. I made a few phone calls looking for help and advice but living in a rural area as I do, it wasn't easy to find supplies in a hurry. My heart was breaking not knowing what to do I bought kitten formula and an eye dropper & proceeded to try and save them. Sadly only one made it. After many long days and nights I was blessed with a healthy little girl. She's now 7yrs old. I noticed that she recently had been rubbing above her nose and the hair seems thin but is still there. I've never noticed any major shedding in the spring. It seems in the past year she spends more of the time sleeping instead of running around and playing. She's my heart and any advice would be greatly appreciated

Reply
William link
4/18/2017 09:51:55 pm

Hi Christi!

Sounds like your girl may have low Vitamin D levels. Thinning hair is a sign. We used to put Cod Liver Oil in our Nut Square mixes for the Vitamin D, but we found that oral supplementation was not enough. My nine year old blind squirrel, Lucky used to thin out terribly in Winter until I read somewhere that squirrels synthesize Vitamin D the same as humans, By exposure to direct sunlight. I started shining an Incandescent grow light bulb on Lucky's cage a couple years ago, and all the places she was bald started growing hair again! Now that she is getting older she really loves her light, because it gives off a little heat. She sleeps in front of it for hours at a time, and her hair is thick and beautiful year round. We also feed her a couple chunks of avocado everyday, and the oils in the avocado keep her hair as soft as a mink.

Those would be my recommendations for you to try!

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Christi
4/27/2017 02:34:58 pm

Thanks Bill I will absolutely try that & again I am so tickled that I found your site. I want my girl to live a long healthy life

Reply
Teresa Cleveland
4/30/2017 04:07:30 pm

Found baby squirrel in driveway appears bird got to him and then dropped him - couple of toes gone and injury by one ear. Eyes were not open yet. Fed cat milk and opened eyes within a couple of days. All appeared fine. Have not even had for 2 full weeks yet, but he has grown and his tail is becoming bushier. However, four days it appeared that he scratched his face/cheeks/close to his eye lower raw. We put antibiotic ointment on it and it was healing over and looked to be getting better. Now today he has scratched it open raw again and there also seems to be places on the other side of his face and top of his head where he is scratching and fur is gone but has not broken the skin. How do we get him to stop scratching himself?

Reply
William link
4/30/2017 06:08:01 pm

Hi Teresa!

There is no easy way to get a squirrel to stop scratching. You could trim his back toenails, but, be aware that he will not be able to hold on tight when you have him out of his cage.

I would try spraying the areas with colloidal silver and give him a drop of it 3 times a day by mouth. If it is skin parasites, colloidal silver will weaken the cell wall of their eggs, so their immune system can penetrate and kill them. Colloidal silver will also kill bacteria, viruses and fungus.

Bill

Reply
Randy
6/10/2017 02:25:56 pm

Help! We have a female fox squirrel who has no hair on one side of her body and the skin has turned a dark dark grayish brown and I know this isn't normal. I have no idea what disease she has...can anyone help.

Reply
William link
6/13/2017 01:49:04 pm

Hi Randy! Sorry about the delay, I've been spread pretty thin lately!

If you could send a picture to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com , I would be glad to evaluate it and give my opinion.

Bill

Reply
Wendy
6/22/2017 03:07:18 am

Hello Bill,
We rescued 3 baby Squirrels and all 3 came from the same mom. One of them was bald obviously like when born very small, the other two have hair and growing just fine. The one little one is still bald and very tiny she eats and plays just fine. Is she always going to be bald? She did go from the pink color to black but no hair. Alvin is the biggest and we built a huge cage, he wants to just run the house, Simon he is the middle one not very social stays in the nest and is a biter but I let him be. Now princess is sweet as can be loves to ride around in my bra. Just curious if Princess will ever grow hair? They eat well have no bugs or the others also show no skin problems. I let them run around the house but I do have a dog that would eat it so we have play times, my babies are put up safely after, play and sleep...
any help would be appreciated
Thanks Wendy

Reply
William link
7/1/2017 08:11:10 pm

Hi, Wendy!

The fact that it went from pink to black usually means that the hair is starting to regrow. She is probably the runt, and as such usually got pushed aside by her stronger siblings when nursing. When baby squirrels go into starvation mode their hair stops growing as a means of conserving protein. Once their nutrition status improves the hair will eventually begin to regrow. It just takes time. I would continue to wait and see. If it doesn't regrow then you can start thinking in terms of a possible genetic problem. A totally hairless squirrel is a rarity.

Bill

Reply
John
7/27/2017 03:38:24 pm

All healed. Squirrel had mange for weeks before Ivermectin paste was administered once a week for four weeks according to directions, Also, Colloidal Silver, and instead of coconut oil I gave her fresh raw coconut which she still loves to eat. She now has a full body of fur, head to tail, gaining weight, very active and healthy.
Thank you Bill, you truly are The Squirrel Man : )

Reply
Karina Herrera-Inzunza
10/9/2017 01:57:10 pm

Yes! Bill is the Squirrel Man...although I call him our Squirrel Angel :) ♥

Reply
Carrie
8/3/2017 09:52:41 am

I am rehabbing a squirrel that is about 4 weeks old. I HV noticed around his genital and butt a couple things hv appeared. They look like black heads. I wipe him off with a warm damp wash cloth because I'm not sure if he's old enough to bath. I HV never had this develop with the others.

Reply
William link
10/10/2017 03:59:16 pm

Hi Carrie!

Sorry for the delay, We are swamped at this time of year, and doubly so since there were so many squirrels displaced by the hurricane9s)

If your squirrel still has the spots, could you send me a picture at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com ?

Bill

Reply
Janisley Cardenas
8/17/2017 07:32:00 am

Good morning William, your page is awesome, lots of info. Thank you for that.

I have a 6 month old grey squirrel, her name is Rosie, about 3 months ago she suffored from MBD as I didnt really know about her sensitive nutrition needs, I did the process to recover her, shes been doing fine ever since, now she is losing a bit of her yellowish hair, not the grey hair under but the kind of yellow hair on top of that grey hair, Im not really sure the cause of this. I was really hoping that you could help me if I send you a picture.

Thank you in advanced.

Sincerely: Janisley

Reply
William link
8/17/2017 09:42:04 am

Hi, Janisley!

It sounds like your squirrel may have a Vitamin D deficiency. It's very difficult to replace on indoor squirrels, but I've found a way to treat it naturally. If you write to me at SquirrelNutrition@yahoo.com I'll send you all the information you need since I can't send attachments through this Blog.

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Suzie
8/17/2017 11:24:29 am

I need help. I feed about 20 wild chipmunks and ground squirrels plus 3 pine squirrels and a number of "fox" squirrels. I noticed that one ground squirrel has no hair on his stomach and his stomach is dark,dark gray. I saw a sick fox a couple of years ago with mange and its skin was blackish. I bought some Ivermectrin and am wondering how safe it would be to make a spray solution and spray the sunflower seeds that they eat. I wouldn't be able to control how much each one would get, if they get any at all, but I feel like I must do SOMETHING to help them. I won't be able to catch and administer meds to that number of animals. IS the black skin mange? Iam in Colorado and they will be hibernating before too long. Thank you for your help.

Reply
William link
8/21/2017 06:33:19 pm

Hi Suzie!

You could do that, but only do it once and watch for results. You need to wait at least a week before repeating treatment.

Bill

Reply
Amanda
9/8/2017 05:32:00 pm

Hi my name is Amanda and I have a 6 to 8 week old gray squirrel that we rescued during hurricane Harvey when his mom and siblings were killed in a tree that fell input back yard. So far everything we have done has been good as far as eating playing and getting him ready to go back out into the world. Today I noticed he has some pink crusty sores on his underside. Please let me know if this might be mange or fungus because he has been a pleasure to help and I don't want to treat them incorrectly. I will send pic to your email, thank you for your page so much!!

Reply
Pat McLeod
9/18/2017 03:49:58 pm

2or 3 squirrels that come to my feeder have what look like bald spots, but they all seem to be right behind their shoulders and down their sides, like a saddle. I thought maybe one of the many hawks or owls in the area might have grabbed them. Now, reading your column, it sounds like a skin disorder. Odd that the patches of bald skin are all in the same general area though. What do you think?

Reply
William link
9/18/2017 06:10:40 pm

Hi, Pat!

You didn't say if the skin looked red, irritated or scabby in the areas of missing fur?!

If there is no irritation, you probably have several new mothers who have pulled their own fur to line their nests for the warmth and comfort of their babies.

If it is irritated and scabby, you are probably dealing with mange and a dose of Ivermectin is in order.

Bill

Reply
Pat McLeod
9/20/2017 03:23:05 pm

Thank you! The skin looks clear,like a bald spot. Interesting that it may be self inflicted!

Melanie Dooley
9/19/2017 10:41:52 am

Hi Bill - I accidentally clicked on the link to unsubscribe when I got your email response. Thank you for your help!!!!

Reply
Maddie link
10/4/2017 03:19:49 pm

Hello William I've rescued a baby squirrel like 8 weeks a go he has been fine ever since but now he has started to loose a lot of fur on his legs and a little bit on his belly I'm worried about sandy I need to know how to treat it and what it is ?? I would be glad if you let me know ?

Reply
Susan Weeks
10/5/2017 09:39:11 am

Hello Maddie! I happened to see that William recommended calcium for your squirrel. I have raised many ground squirrels and several flying squirrels. One of my flyers, Cupid, lived in a large cage in my home for 10 years before dying of cancer. But I wanted to recommend a calcium supplement I used with great success called "Rep-Cal". It is a fine powder that I just sprinkled on their nuts. It also has Vitamin D3 in it. My flyers loved pecans. It is the purest calcium supplement I could find. I found it on the internet. The website is: "www.repcal.com". Good luck with your squirrel. They are wonderful animals! Sincerely, Susan

Reply
William link
10/4/2017 05:10:14 pm

Hi, Maddie!

This is not a disease, but rather a deficiency. Vitamin D. Now, before you run out to buy vitamins with D, understand that Vitamin D is very hard to supplement orally because too much can be toxic to the liver. Besides that, it is poorly absorbed through the gut!

But, there's good news. Squirrels synthesize Vitamin D by direct exposure to sunlight. (Not through glass because it filters out the spectrum of light needed. Humans synthesize it also by being out in the sunlight.

If your squirrel is inside there is a cheap effective way to remedy this. I use a clip-on utility light, the one with a big silver reflector, ( around $12.00 and an incandescent plant light that I buy for around $3.00 at Menards. I shine it on my 9 year old blind squirrel's cage for about 6 hours a day, and feed her avocado. ( The oils in avocado are great for skin and hair.)

Your squirrel may have to go through a complete hair cycle,(June to June,) to see the full results, but balding areas usually respond pretty quick.

The older our blind squirrel got, the thinner her hair became. Her tail hair looked terrible when she would shed in the Spring so I started to do some research and experimentation and started using the light and Avocado. Her incessant scratching stopped and the hair started growing in on the places she was chronically bald, ( like the tops of her paws.) I thought she was just pulling the hair out because she was bored or because the skin on her paws itched!

If you send me an e-mail at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and request the light treatment for thinning hair I'll send you links that show the light I use and the brand of bulb. I'll also send you a picture of Lucky's tail the way it looked when her new summer coat came in the following Spring after starting this treatment. Her belly had been completely bald and is now completely covered with really soft white hair. ( The avocado makes their hair really soft.)

Also, if your squirrel is weaned you need to be providing daily calcium to support the growth of their Incisors teeth. If they don't get 20 to 40mg of Calcium per day they can over time develop Metabolic Bone Disease, a condition where their bones thin out and become brittle and easily broken. That's because their ever-growing Incisors teeth will pull calcium from their bones if they don't get enough of it in their diet. I'll send you our recipe for Nut Squares, a once daily treat that supplies all the vitamins and minerals they need.

Bill

Reply
Robyn Roberts
11/1/2017 08:51:46 am

I have a 7 1/2 week old baby flying squirrel who suddenly became itchy and started losing hair like crazy. Im thinking maybe mites but not sure on what to use or how much to use because he is only 18 grams. Can anyone help! I just want relief for my little guy..
Ive tried extra protein to diet, less heat, moisture in enclosure incase its to dry, removing items that could cause friction loss of hair, washing bedding in baby detergent, diluted iodine for 5 days. I just dont know what to do anymore

Reply
William link
11/14/2017 08:26:51 am

Hi Robyn!
Was your flyer malnourished when you received it? If so, it could be something as simple as protein shunting. When baby squirrels go without eating for a while their body will shut down nourishment to various functions in order to preserve protein.

One of the first is to the hair follicles so hair growth ceases. When you start feeding them again and hair production resumes the new hair pushes the old hair out of the follicles and it falls off. Over the next several weeks the new hair starts to emerge.

That's my best guess of what you are dealing with.

The other is the possibility of low Vitamin D levels but that usually only causes hair thinning and not baldness. We use plant lights shining on the cages for 6 hours a day to help them synthesize Vitamin D. That is the most effective way to increase Vitamin D levels since oral administration is poorly absorbed and carries the potential of liver toxicity.

Bill

Reply
Pamela Alton
2/17/2018 05:03:49 am

Hi William I live in Montvale N.J. And I have a very serious problem with the squirrel in my yard. I feed them and have been for many years for about the last 5 years they are having issues of missing hair and what looks like growths they end up dying and in a horrible way. I have tried to read about it but I still don’t know what they have or what I can do to help them. I’m desperate to help them I can’t stand to see them suffer the way they are. It seems that every time a few get this they die and I won’t see any affected squirrels for a while and then it starts again. What can I do to help them? I have a picture of one of them but I don’t know how to send it to you? It’s hard to get pictures.

Reply
William link
2/17/2018 09:46:26 am

Hi, Pam!

Yes, send a picture to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and I'll evaluate it. Mention that you contacted me on the Blog. It sounds like you may be dealing with Squirrel Pox!

Bill

Reply
Sam
2/18/2018 05:46:29 am

We feed wild squirrels here in Ontario. I have noticed one black has a bald head and is starting to bald down the neck.
There is another that may have a small bald spot on it's back and the underside of his tail seems not to have much hair.
We feed very good quality black oil sunflower seeds and in shell peanuts. Do I need to worry about not only these two but that they may pass it to the healthy ones? I read upthread that we can feed raw coconut, which I will go buy today and cut up and throw out with seeds to see if they will take it. These two squirrels must me newer, because we see our squirrels every day.

Reply
William link
2/18/2018 11:53:48 am

Hi, Sam,

This sounds like a fungus vs Mange. If you could send a picture to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com I would be happy to evaluate it and make a suggestion for treatment.

Bill

Reply
Vic link
2/20/2018 06:58:31 am

For 20 yrs. or more I've fed the birds in our garden no-mess sunflower seeds.Because... the squirrels readily broke into the bird feeders I began putting out seed for them too. Two winters ago I treated 1 red squirrel for mange during the winter. Last year I treat 2 squirrels for mange. This year and within the last 2 weeks I've counted 5 squirrels 1/2 naked with more squirrels beginning to miss hair. In December we had 3 days of poring rain. January we had below 0 temps. Rain is due for the next 3 days straight. Did the weather have something to do with this epidemic? I just don't know what to do. Please help. It look so painful for them.
P.S.I also have a wild rabbit living under my deck & a dog who has to potty in the garden. I don't want them to contract what these squirrels have.

Reply
William link
2/20/2018 08:11:25 am

Hi, Vic!

Without seeing them it would be impossible for me to evaluate what is going on. Is it possible for you to send me picture(s) of what is going on so I could evaluate and give my opinion? My e-mail is SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

If you are not seeing open sores and bloody scabs you are probably dealing with a fungus so see what is going on is important!

Bill


Bill

Reply
Vic link
2/20/2018 08:49:52 am

Bill, Thank You for your prompt reply. Both cameras are on the fritz but will try my darndest to get some photos for you very, very soon. It's pouring outside with little signs of it letting up. I can't stand to see these little creatures suffer.
Wishing you a splendid day!

Vicki Gale Schunck link
2/26/2018 08:08:00 am

William,

Can squirrels eat coconut shells? or just the meat?

Reply
William link
2/28/2018 09:56:20 am

Hi, Vicki!

If you put out coconut meat that is still attached to the shell they will eat the meat off of the shell and leave the shell. It is possible that a squirrel would gnaw on the shell because the shell is super hard and squirrels like to gnaw on hard things to wear down their ever-growing Incisors teeth!

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Victoria Schunck link
2/28/2018 10:19:55 am

Bill, Thank You so much for your time! I appreciate your response. I'm going to have very happy squirrels. V

Reply
Kathie Roller-Stell
3/1/2018 07:24:46 am

Hi Bill, I enjoy your site. I live in Alberta, just south of Calgary. We have a mix of gray, black and red squirrels. This winter we had some young ones that were looking pretty thin so I started feeding them, but all I could find for squirrels were nut.... in shells, expensive and not balanced! And I bought some shelled corn. Well, they love the nuts and won't touch the corn. Not wild about pnuts either which I know aren't the best for them. So how do I get them to eat some of your stuff and how do I feed it? I modified a feeder so the squirrels can get the nuts but not the jays, but will your feed work in a feeder?

Reply
William link
3/4/2018 01:37:54 pm

Hi, Kathie!

If you copy and paste your post into an e-mail and send it to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com I'll forward some PDF files with information that will help!

Bill

Reply
Chinthaka
3/4/2018 12:48:28 am

I rescued a palm squirrel few days ago. He is eating very well. But his fur is getting thin near his neck and he is iching. Usualy as I know, squirrels are active on the day. But this one is sleeping almost all the time in day and active in night. And he is getting thin also. We are giving fruits as juice because when he is trying to eat he is choking. If you know something about these matters please let me know. Thanks

Reply
William link
3/8/2018 03:22:49 pm

Hi, Chinthaka!

Have you checked it for sand fleas? The bites are potentially dangerous for Palm Squirrels in that they can get the same flesh-eating parasite, (Leishmaniasis,) that humans get in your area of the world. That's how I happened to meet my associate in SriLanka, (Shanaz.) She had two squirrels that had it and one died before I was able to get Colloidal Silver to her. The other one that had a lesion on its leg cleared up in a couple weeks.

I'm not saying your squirrel has Leishmaniasis, but it would be good for you to make contact with Shanaz to see what she does for itchy skin in Palm Squirrels.

If you write to me at SquirrelNutrition@yahoo.com I will forward your e-mail to her and she will make contact with you!

Bill

Reply
Molly
3/8/2018 09:52:54 am

Hello I just purchased your invermectin paste to treat what I think is a case of mange in one of my backyard squirrels I have pictures and videos and half of this poor guys hair is gone. I am very scared to give the squirrel the paste. My question is if you give squirrels the invermectin will it harm them if they don’t have mange? Or if any other squirrels who don’t have it that may accidentally eat it

Reply
William link
3/8/2018 03:38:23 pm

Hi, Molly!
The quick answer is "No" it won't hurt the squirrel if it doesn't have Mange! In fact, it's one way to make the diagnosis. If you give it a dose now, and in two days it is scratching less and by the end of one week it is starting to regrow hair, you've made the diagnosis,

If it is not mange, you've temporarily relieved them of fleas, lice, and intestinal parasites, So, it's a win-win for the squirrel.

The only caution is, don't give it on a routine basis to treat for fleas and lice. They can live fine with an occasional bite from fleas and such because they don't bur rough under the skin to live and lay their eggs like mange mites.

Bill

Reply
Molly
3/8/2018 03:45:32 pm

Thank you so much for replying I’ve been so worried about this poor little guy, I have just one more question I just thought of, my squirrel has lost quite a bit of hair on his neck and shoulders is there such a thing as too late? Or do you think if I give him the paste as soon as I get it he will be okay? He still comes in my backyard to eat everyday I just returned from a trip and noticed the hair loss or else I would’ve treated it way sooner

William link
3/14/2018 06:57:53 pm

Hi, Molly!

One small dab of Ivermectin on a Nut meat will not hurt your squirrel. Even if it is not Mange, you will temporarily relieve him of fleas, lice and Intestinal parasites.

If it's mange you will notice less scratching within two days. By the end of one week you should see new hair start to emerge.

Bill

Reply
William link
3/8/2018 05:13:50 pm

Hi, Molly,

As I said in my previous response, if the squirrel has Mange, and you treat it, you should see hair start to regrow by the end of the first week. They grow hair really quickly. It will look like the skin is gray and dirty at first, then it will grow in really fast.

If you're worried about him keeping warm stop worrying. Squirrels have multiple back-up systems for keeping warm. I made a video many years ago about "How Squirrels Stay Warm In Winter," You can view it at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XLK9SYb_RU

Bill

Reply
Ewa
3/10/2018 09:26:33 am

Hi I need help with a squirrel that has been coming around and eating from the bird feeder. The squirrel has severe hair loss, is scratching all the time and I do see some red spots but I’m not sure if it’s just from scratching or if it has mange. I’m afraid that if it is mange it will infect all the other squirrels, birds and even my cat who likes to walk around the bird feeder. I have photos and a short video that I can send. Please help so I can help this squirrel. Thanks

Reply
William link
3/11/2018 03:55:29 pm

Hi, Ewa!

You can relax, your animals and birds cannot catch the Mange Mites that are on squirrels. The only way they can be passed is skin to skin contact. because the mites do not jump and they cannot live off of a warm host. Squirrels pass them by sleeping together in cold weather to keep warm, ( and I know your cat is not sleeping with the squirrels!)

As to treatment, it sounds like Mange, so I would go ahead and give a dose of Ivermectin. If it is Mange, you will see it do a lot less scratching in 2 days, and by the end of one week, you will start to see hair starting to grow back.

If it's not Mange, you have temporarily relieved them of their fleas, lice and intestinal parasites. So, it's a win-win for the squirrel.

But, I would caution you to not use Ivermectin as flea control for squirrels. It should be used to treat mange, or occasionally to make a diagnosis of mange as described above.

A slow but safe way to treat mange in squirrels is to put out a heavy bowl that the squirrels can't move or tip over and put a 20% solution of Colloidal Silver in filtered or distilled water for them to drink.

I've used Colloidal Silver 10 PPM for years to treat all kinds of conditions in Squirrels including mange.

There's no clear research as to why it kills mites. One theory is that kills bacteria in the skin that the mites have a symbiotic relationship with. When these bacteria are killed by the silver in the Colloidal Silver, the mites leave because they need these bacteria to live and thrive.

The other is some research that I read about that indicated that Colloidal Silver seemed to work in unison with the Immune System. That the Colloidal silver weakened the cell wall of the mites' eggs so that the killer T cells of the immune system could penetrate and kill the mite embryo.

Whichever is true I've had a lot of good success using it for many different conditions.

Bill

Reply
rodney love
4/14/2018 09:12:27 pm

I have really enjoyed reading your comments william, and have learned alot on taking care of my Male squirrel named Jack. which is six weeks old now and doing real well.

Reply
William link
4/15/2018 09:49:43 am

Hi, Rod!

Thanks for writing! Glad you've enjoyed it!

Bill

Reply
Sheri
4/23/2018 02:35:49 pm

Hi Bill,
I have 8-12 squirrels (Eastern Grey & Douglas) that eat from my feeders. About 2 months ago I noticed one was in terrible shape (skin looks red/bloody, irritated,scabby with bald spots), searching online I found your site and now I know he has mange. I bought some ivermectin and began the treatment. Unfortunately I cannot get him to eat any treated nuts. I've tried making specail nuts cakes with shelled sunflower seeds (seem to be their favorite nut) and mixing it in peanut butter and spreading it on nuts. I cannot get him to eat any and now I see 2 more Douglas squirrels are infected. I don't think I'd be able to trap & treat these guys, I've been feeding the squirrels for 10+ years and all the squirrels still run whenever they see me (they do stay close to be first at the feeders once filled). I'm hoping you have another suggestion the only thing I might be able to try is the colloidal silver water treatment that you mentioned, do you sell that?

Reply
William link
4/23/2018 02:42:13 pm

Hi, Sheri!

If you cannot get the squirrel to eat a treated nut, then your only option would be to try the Colloidal Silver. And, yes we do sells it. It's on our Squirrel Mall on our website.

Bill

Reply
Sheri
4/23/2018 03:13:02 pm

Thanks Bill for your speedy gonzales response! I was wondering if the colloidal silver is safe for other animals? We have a 5 gallon fountain that all the wildlife and occasionally pets drink from, would it be safe to put the colloidal silver in that water? I was also thinking...if I could manage to trap/catch these squirrels could I treat them with a drop of resolution (dog/cat flea treatment - kills mange mites)? Thanks so much for your expert advice Bill!

Sheri
4/23/2018 03:23:14 pm

I see the colloidal silver comes in a 4oz bottle but I don't see a recipe for how much to use per cup (or maybe gallon) of water.

Reply
William link
4/24/2018 01:09:03 pm

Hi, Sheri!

I don't put it out in gallons. I use a heavy bowl and put one ounce of Colloidal Silver and 3 ounces of water, (a 25% solution.) If you have a fountain where they normally drink, empty that until the treatment is over.

Bill

Reply
Daniel Sheets
4/24/2018 11:36:41 am

Hey Bill, I contacted you almost a year ago when I found 9 week old Bunny. She is doing great, other than I recently moved and it's been about a month or a little more of her getting very little sunlight. Her new home in the garage has no windows. I noticed she is missing a couple very small patches of fur and I know it's from the lack of light because she gets plenty of calcium sprinkled on her food plus a nut square everyday. I bought a couple strong UV lights for reptiles and have them pointing on her now. My question for you is should this be enough to prevent her from getting worse. I would be so devestated if she developed rickets. Any further advise or information would be helpful. Thanks again so much Bill for what you do. I tried to keep it short because I know you get so many emails.

Reply
William link
4/24/2018 01:13:18 pm

Hi, Daniel!

Vitamin D deficiency doesn't cause rickets, it's calcium deficiency that causes that.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause itchy skin and hair loss. The light should help that. New hair usually starts growing around June after they have shed their Winter fur.

Bill

Reply
Susan Hilbun
4/27/2018 02:03:21 pm

Hi I have a 8 month old southern flying squirrel, about a month ago he developed a bald-ish round spot above base of his tail, then baldish stripes up both sides, now its about halfway up his back. From start I've read online I'm led to believe it's the fungal infection Dermatophytosis. Ive read this can be corrected with proper diet. He has always had plenty of fresh veggies fruit acorns nuts flowers buds branches, yogurt at all times and for at least a month I've added wax worms, super worms, crickets, and to his water which he drinks plenty of I've added vitamin drops, calcium drops, and colloidal silver. Ive dusted him lightly a few times with food grade diatomaceous earth. He's steadily losing fur. Am I being too impatient? Am I missing something? Please help I love this little guy and have raised him since 2 days old. I'm heartbroken that I can't fix this and worried what happens if it keeps getting worse. .. thank you much.

Reply
William link
4/27/2018 02:18:14 pm

Hi, Susan!

It is the time of year to shed winter fur but complete baldness is not normal. I would try feeding raw coconut out of the shell and applying cold pressed coconut oil to the bald spots. It contains Lauric Acid that kills a fungus.

Another possibility is low Vitamin D levels. Flyers don't like light, so light therapy probably won't work. If yo could add a tiny bit of Cod Liver oil to the diet it might help. I would think they would get Vitamin D from some of the bugs and worms they eat. Just be careful. Too much Cod Liver Oil can be toxic to the liver. I would just paint a smear of it on a few of its favorite foods.

Bill

Reply
Dave Collins
5/7/2018 03:31:02 pm

Hi William. Stumbled on your site by Googling for 'mange'. I see squirrels in my yard with large patches of furless skin. The poor critters are scratching so much, it's a wonder they survive. I'd like to see if I can treat them passively (without catching them).

I'd been assuming it's mange, but after reading your articles, I think it might be Dermatophytosis after all. Is there a checklist I can use to confirm?

It sounds like maybe I could follow your advice re: coconut and oil. Would that be the best approach?

Is there a way I can protect the food from roving raccoons? (Then again, would it help them too?)

Thanks!

Reply
Dave Collins
5/7/2018 03:49:10 pm

P.S. In S. Ontario, Canada, if that makes a difference.

Reply
William link
5/8/2018 09:30:06 pm

Hi, Dave!

can you send me a picture of what you are seeing on your squirrels so I could evaluate it? Send it to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Bill

Reply
Dave Collins
5/10/2018 07:10:39 pm

Sorry. Have none. If I happen to get a pic I'll send it.

Preeti Dhiman
5/16/2018 12:47:01 pm

I have a rescued male indian palm squirrel from West Bengal India. He is 1.8 yrs old. Prety fun lovimg squirrel and considers my mother as his own mom. We rescued him since his mother died and attempts to rehabilitate failed.

He has recently developed a dark patch on both cheeks just behind the whiskers. It looks like dark skin with fur fallen off or wet skin. He also calls us more often,almost the entire day. I am really worried what to do? Yesterday we were awake till 3 am as he codnt sleep. Was running frantically sqeaking all over the house.

Reply
William link
5/16/2018 09:15:15 pm

Hi, Preeti!

Please write to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and I will put you in contact with my associate in SriLanka. She raises Palm Squirrels and has for years.

If you can send a picture of what you are seeing it would be a big help because I would forward it to her and we could discuss what it might be.

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Preeti Dhiman
5/16/2018 11:37:25 pm

Thank you Bill.
I will write to the mentioned email address. I also have before and after pics of my squirrel which i will share through mail.

Amy Applebaum
6/25/2018 10:04:02 am

i feed squirrels in my patio area, i see one male that seems to have tumors on the end of his penis, flesh bumps, he doesnt look well. i dont handle him but feed him sunflower seeds and peanuts. any ideas, the other ones stay away from him. any ideas?

Reply
William link
6/26/2018 09:16:08 pm

Hi, Amy!

That doesn't sound good! If you are able to, it would be helpful if you could send a picture of what you are seeing.

If they are lumps, you may be dealing with Squirrel Pox, but I can't tell without seeing what they look like.

If you are able to get a picture send it to me at SquirrelNutrition@yahoo.com.

In the meantime, I would put out a heavy bowl in an area where he feeds and put a half cup of filtered or distilled water and two teaspoons of Colloidal Silver 10 PPM. You can get it at any Health Food Store or on our Squirrel Mall on our website.

I would also start feeding him chunks of coconut out of the shell. There are two substances in coconut that are antiviral as well as colloidal silver. Veterinarians believe squirrel pox to be caused by a virus, so that is the best advice I can give you!

Bill

Reply
Vishmi Rangika
7/8/2018 05:23:40 am

Hi,
My baby squirrel has some white powder inside the hair in the body.He itching his body most of the time.What can I do to make comfort him

Reply
William link
7/8/2018 12:05:36 pm

Hi, Vishmi!

Am I to assume this is a Palm Squirrel?

If so, that white powder may be eggs of parasites and you will need to give the squirrel a bath to get rid of them. Write to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and remind me of this conversation,(even a cut and paste,) and I will forward your request to my associate in SriLanka who is my expert on Palm Squirrels! She will let you know what works best for bathing them!.....Bill

Reply
Vishmi Rangika
7/8/2018 11:29:20 pm

Thank you very much William for your valuable response.

biju
7/18/2018 07:58:28 pm

Yesterday night i saw 2 indian palm squirrel lying in my house like they are dead.but they are not. They are not even running away from me.i think they are poisoned. pls suggest me a solution to save them.

Reply
William link
7/18/2018 08:24:00 pm

Hi, Biju!

Please copy and paste your request into an e-mail so that I can forward it to my associate in SriLanka. She is my go-to person for Palm Squirrel questions.

My e-mail address is SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com.

Bill

Reply
Kristin Jenkins
7/21/2018 02:33:16 am

We have a young squirrel who comes daily for nuts and fruits. He has developed swollen areas all over his body. His belly and area around his rectum are inflamed, and even a bit bloody. I have been using ivermectin paste on the nut bars that I purchased from you. He doesn't like the taste, but if I cover it with coconut oil and wait a day I can trick him. He just doesn't seem to be improving. I'm not really sure what he has. I love this little guy. He will eat from my hand but won't let me hold him anymore. I can email a picture if that would help

Reply
William
7/21/2018 01:10:14 pm

Hi, Kristin!

It sounds like the squirrel you are describing may have Squirrel Pox.

If you could get a picture as close up as possible and send it to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com, I would be happy to evaluate it and let you know.

If you copy and paste your above question into the e-mail it will help me remember this conversation!

Bill

Reply
Raeann
7/25/2018 03:04:08 am

Hi I have a squirrel that I have had since he was a newborn and he's been inside every since. He is a year old. All of the sudden out of the blue he was laying next to me and I was petting him and when he got up I need a lot of fur was left behind. Since that has happened two more times chunks of fur and he is itching a lot. He has no bald spots yet but I believe it's coming soon with the amount of fur that he keeps leaving behind. So far I don't notice anything else out of the ordinary no rashes or anything. Is it too soon to diagnose what it could be? I have two more rescues in the house that we're almost ready to be on their own and I wonder if they brought something in the house like a Mite or something. They don't have no missing fur though. Any information will be much appreciated as I am really worried about my baby.

Reply
William link
7/25/2018 05:05:02 am

Hi, Raeann!

It sounds like Dermatophytosis to me. ( The Skin Fungus described in the Blog article you wrote your comment on.)

It causes the hair to break off at the skin line and does itch a bit.

It's not lethal and is self-limiting in a healthy squirrel although it does make them look funny with the bald patches and they itch a lot.

Once their immune system fights it off, the hair will regrow.

Treatment for it is Immune System Support. A well balanced diet that includes avocado and raw coconut out of the shell. The oils in Avocado are great for the skin and hair. The raw coconut contains Lauric Acid and Capric Acid. Both have been found to be anti-fungal.

Colloidal Silver 10 PPM sprayed topically on the bald spots and a teaspoonful in the drinking water will also work against a fungus and support the immune system. It sometimes take a month or more for the hair to start to regrow so be patient. The bald areas start to look dirty when the new hair starts to emerge and regrow!

Bill

Reply
Raeann
7/25/2018 05:26:38 am

Okay I will definitely do that. Is it contagious? Because I just noticed an hour ago that one of my other babies half of his tail is missing so much fur so it looks very uneven it's not bald or bald yet. It must be the same thing if they're going through it at the same time would you think? Normally I feed my squirrels watermelon lettuce is their favorite walnuts pistachios is their favorites and grapes and zucchini. Is there anything else other than avocado and coconut that you suggest I feed them? Thank you for the information I appreciate it so much.

Reply
William link
7/25/2018 11:05:23 am

All any fungus needs is warmth and moisture to grow. They spread by spores so, yes, a fungus can be transmitted.

As far as I know, this fungus is unique to squirrels. It may be that their skin has a different pH that makes it an ideal medium for it to grow, but that is only speculation on my part.

When my first squirrel, Lucky, got it, I believe it was my fault because I violated one of the basic principles of being a Registered Nurse, "Always wash your hands between taking care of patients." I would go outside to attend to wild squirrels, then came indoors and handled Lucky.

The care I outlined in my first post would be good to follow for your other squirrels.

Bill

PS. If you reply, please direct your comments and questions to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com. We handle tons of e-mail every month and responding to replies on the Blog are very time consuming! Thanks!

Chrissy
7/25/2018 10:27:25 am

I think I saw a bot fly on my squirrel yesterday. Can anything be done?

Reply
William link
7/25/2018 11:08:42 am

Hi, Chrissy!

I would start your squirrel on Colloidal Silver starting right now.

If you reply, please direct your comments and questions to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com. We handle tons of e-mail every month and responding to replies on the Blog are very time consuming! Thanks!

Bill

Reply
Leigh
8/9/2018 06:53:09 pm

I have a baby squirrel I found that has dry skin. He is about 4 weeks old and has hair on his head and tail and it looks like some hair is starting to grow on the rest of his body. I have tried baby oil and the virgin organic coconut oil. I also have a humidifier going most of the day and night and keep a jar with wet sponge in his bedding area to make it like a little sauna in there. He doesn't seem to be itchy at all. He eats well, potties regularly, and he is continuing to grow. My question is, what else can I do? I feel like nothing is helping his dry skin. And I could just be paranoid, but I'm worried that he should have more hair then he currently does on his body. Is it possible this is more then just dry skin? Do you have any suggestions?

Reply
William link
8/9/2018 09:14:51 pm

Hi, Leigh!

Please cut and paste your question into an e-mail and send it to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com. It's hard to do a Q&A through a Blog.

Thanks!

Bill

Reply
Nisha
8/15/2018 08:41:07 pm

Hi,
My neighbour got 2 indian palm squirrel orphaned babies and they brought them to our home as we've taken care of some animal orphaned babies near our area.
Its a baby boy and a girl. 5 to 6 weeks old. And, the baby boy got bitten by the other on the urinal area. Its red in color. We applied coconut oil, also he is cleaning himself and its getting better than yesterday night.

The babygirl did not done this on purpose or making a fight as they were so good together.

I think she is in the mind that he is her mom and tried drinkin milk while sleeping.

Now I made them in two different cages for sleeping. But, they are searching for the one another. And, they are eating and drinking milk properly. Is it ok to kéep them seperate for time being?

We are very worried and dont know what to do.. will they be alright? Or what should i do? Pls suggest.

Reply
William link
8/16/2018 07:52:33 pm

Hi, Nisha!

What you described is common and will stop after they are weaned. I usually separate them until the irritation or wound is healed, then put them back together. You could try a "snuggle buddy" which is a small rice bag that we heat in the microwave. Make two of them and rub one bag on one squirrel to pick up some of its scent and put it in with the opposite squirrel. They like to sleep together and the warm bag that smells like the other squirrel may work while they are separated.

Bill

Reply
Amy
8/26/2018 12:34:25 pm

Hello and thank you for the info about mange. I have a wild squirrel suffering from a terrible case and medication is on its way. In the meantime I am wondering if there are precautions I should take for the rest of the population out there. I’m thinking things like move the feeding stations, clean everything in a certain way.... I can’t keep them apart - though they seem to have shunned him anyway. There are a lot of bickering squirrels, chipmunks and birds sharing the space and no one wants to end up like that poor fellow.

Reply
William
8/26/2018 08:20:25 pm

Hi, Amy!

There's no need for all that effort. The only way mange can be passed is skin to skin. The squirrels have to be sleeping together. The mange mites cannot survive off of a live host, so they don't sit around waiting for a squirrel or human to come along to jump on.

Bill

Reply
Valerie
9/6/2018 12:00:37 pm

First of all, thank you so much for keeping your wonderful and very informative website. It is so difficult to find expert information about squirrels on the internet.
My house is backed to a large park and we have been taking care of our local squirrels, such as providing them with water and food, especially during winter and a very cold spring this year (I live in Maryland). We have also rescued two male squirrel pups in the spring - right after the terrible winter storm that hit our state in March. We raised them and released in late May and their integration with the wild went rather well. They come over every day to say high and get their treats, but we feed the rest of "our" squirrels and the birds too. The two rescued brothers continue to spend a lot of time together and we think they nest together too (we put up a squirrel house for them on a tree, but they moved to their own nest eventually).
The other day, one of the two rescued squirrels had some sort of an ulcer on his neck, which I initially thought was a wound - I thought a predator tried to get ahold of him and he was able to escape. But the next day we noticed that he was scratching at it and there was a bald area around it. Today suddenly we are seeing many other squirrels with very similar symptoms but on different parts of their bodies. Could it be a bot fly infestation? They all are fed well and have water. The behavior hasn't changed yet, they are running around and playing as usual. But the affected areas are clearly itchy.
We have treated them for mange in winter with Ivermectin successfully - using the information you kindly provided on your website. I feel like this is a different kind of thing though. Could you advise on how to proceed? Very worried about our boys and their friends! I took pictures today and can send them to you anytime.
Thanks so much in advance!!

Reply
William link
9/6/2018 02:23:32 pm

Hi, Valerie!

Yes, a picture would help! If you send it to SquirrelNutrition@yahoo.com I'll be happy to evaluate it!

Bill

Reply
Haley
9/8/2018 07:55:15 pm

Hi,
My husband and I rescued a 3-4 week old squirrel that had fallen out of a tree after a hurricane. We have had the squirrel now for three days and she just opened her eyes today. She was out in the rainy weather for at least an entire day until we found her. We got her hydrated and started giving her puppy replacement milk but we’ve noticed some white looking blisters on her stomach. There are too many to count but they are very small and white in color. I have researched and the only thing that keeps popping up is squirrel pox. These spots on her belly don’t really look like squirrel pox to me but I wanted to see if you had any idea as to what this can be and what I can do to help her. I can send you pictures of what they look like. Thanks!

Reply
William link
9/9/2018 09:34:51 am

Hi, Haley!

The little white blisters on babies are usually a mild staph infection from laying in a filthy nest where the get bit by fleas. Give the baby a bath in Blue Dawn dish washing liquid and apply colloidal silver 10PPM topically and give a couple drops by mouth 2 to 3 times a day for a week. They should go away.

Bill

Reply
esther
9/10/2018 10:05:49 pm

Hi,
I am from south india its weather is so hot. having a squirrel(2 1/2 month) at home. Now squirrel have the problem of hair falling, kindly give us the medicine and the food to take care of it.

Reply
William
9/11/2018 09:34:16 am

Hi, Esther!

You're not too far from my associate in SriLanka. If you write to her at CShanaz5@GMail.com she will probably be able to help you. I assume that you have a Palm Squirrel. Her name is Shanaz, and she has raised Palm Squirrel for years.

Many times hair thinning is due to low Vitamin D levels. If the squirrel spends most of its time indoors out of direct sunlight, the Vitamin D levels drop and this can cause hair thinning. (Squirrels synthesize Vitamin D by exposure to direct sunlight the same way humans do!)

So, write to Shanaz and see what suggestions she gives!

Thanks for writing!

Bill

Reply
Amy
9/11/2018 01:51:24 pm

Hello again. I received the meds I ordered very quickly, thanks. The squirrel, however, is mocking me and will NOT eat anything I give him. He looks extremely bad and I fear he’ll die soon if he doesn’t cut it out and take the meds. He is wild and, though my neighbourhood squirrels are brazen, they don’t take food from me directly or interact with me. Do you think I should trap him, temporarily until he takes the medication and do it again a week later and one more time another week later, or will this panic him too much? I hte to frighten wild animal, but he’s suffering and will die if he doesn’t get the meds. I’d like to try anyway.

Reply
William
9/11/2018 02:27:07 pm

Hi, Amy!

If you have a large cage to transfer him into I would live-trap him to make sure that he gets the med and keep him for a couple days to make sure it is working. I highly doubt you would be able to trap him a second time.


Bill

Reply
Amy
9/11/2018 02:39:57 pm

Ooh good point! They are absolutely clever and, I’m sure they’re ganging up on me. I’ll see what I can do to catch him. Reasoning with him didn’t work, maybe tools will!

Ariena Abbott link
9/16/2018 12:18:33 pm

I have a baby flying squirrel we rescued about 2 weeks ago he’s doing good but I have just realize this morning that he has lost some hair on his neck I saw the pictures of your squirrels healing and the picture where yours healed that’s what it looks like on my flying squirrel but it just showed up so it’s not a old spar that has healed do you happen to know what this it ? Thank you

Reply
William
9/16/2018 03:51:58 pm

Hi, Ariena!

Can you send a picture of it to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com so that I can evaluate it?

Thanks!

Bill

Reply
Penny
9/18/2018 06:01:18 am

Hello William,
We have been taking care of a baby squirrel for 2 weeks and he has a spot under his arm that is getting worse. I have a pic of it. Does not seem to be mange or fungal. Looks like it is an infected hole. Any suggestions on what to apply to it?

Reply
William
9/18/2018 08:14:18 am

Hi, Penny!

Please send the picture to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com so I can evaluate it.

Bill

Reply
michelle
10/7/2018 02:23:15 pm

Is there a way to send you some pictures of my "pet squirrel" is what I call her since she's been coming to my home for 10 years to treats and snacks and eats out of my hand but Friday oct 5th she showed up with a bald patch, I was concerned maybe a fight but Saturday it had spread and today Sunday the 7th it has gotten worse. I don't see any scabs but I did notice some pinprick dots of blood today. So now I am unsure which way to treat her fungal or mange> I haven't noticed any other squirrels with it in my yard.

Reply
William
10/7/2018 06:42:54 pm

Hi, Michelle!

You can send the picture(s) to SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and I'll be glad to evaluate them!

Bill

Reply
Michelle
10/8/2018 07:03:09 am

I sent a couple pics
When she came this morning I’ve been giving her the coconut chunks I noticed towards her neck and down lower back there are two lred spots so now I’m concerned that it is turning into mange
Michelle

Reply
Darryl Forest
10/11/2018 12:35:53 pm

Good day,

I'm the Entomologist at the National Gallery of Art in Washington , DC. We have a couple of squirrels at our sculpture Garden, that look very sickly. I have a strong background in parasitology, so I think these squirrels have some sort of parasitic infection perhaps mange? I have some pictures and I was wondering if you could help me with the diagnosis?

Reply
Jody Mogg
11/29/2018 09:49:35 am

The wild animals, squirrel's,racoons and possums, have round spots of missing hair. I turn turn caught this infection. It's very itchy w white skin tone bald spots. There will be one spot in the center of the bald spot. One leads to another. I lost half or more of my hair. ItsItalso on my back, arms and face. All over! My small dog and cat have caught it too. My cat lost all his hair ,except on his face. None of the vets in my area don't believe me and it came back from the lab as nothing. I've given it to my son's dog and to my daughter dog! Same thing w round bald spots,itching,almost feels like something's crawling! Oh, it also dehydrates the skin leaving it wrinkly and very dry. No redness at all.

Reply
William
11/29/2018 10:11:57 am

Hi, Jody!

I can tell you what you don't have. You don't have Mange because Mange mites do not pass by casual contact. They cannot live off of a warm host for more than 30 minutes.

What you describe sounds like ringworm. Have you tried treating it with Tolnaftate? ( That is an ingredient found in most Athletes Foot medications.)

Another treatment would be to use topical Colloidal Silver and take 1 tablespoon by mouth daily.

If that doesn't work, have your doctor do a skin scraping and have it evaluated by a pathologist.

Bill

Reply
Louise
1/5/2019 09:13:23 am

Hi. We are new at this. We feed the "critters" around our place and I recently noticed a grey squirrel missing most of the fur on its back. There is no redness, just missing fur exposing the delicate pink flesh. We have never tamed the squirrels (only the chipmunks so far) but I am very concerned because we live in Canada and the winters can get pretty harsh. Since it is a wild animal I'm not certain as to how to successfully give it any form of treatment. We have about fifteen grey squirrels and three little red guys in our yard. There can be a real war in the mornings. How does one single out one particular squirrel? Since we have a trap, my husband suggested using it and bringing the little fellow (or girl) in the heated garage. I'm reticent to do that . Any suggestions?

Reply
William link
1/5/2019 10:10:25 am

Hi, Louise!

You can relax. The squirrel you described sounds like it has Dermatophytosis as opposed to Mange as this Blog Article outlined.

The main thing now is good nutrition. Squirrel are endothermic with multiple back-up systems for keeping warm. But, they require a lot of energy through their food for them to work.

This condition is caused by a fungus that attacks the hair shaft at the skin line causing it to become brittle and break off. It is self-limiting so the squirrel's immune system will eventually overcome it.

There are a couple of things that I use to support the squirrels immune system. I feed chunks of raw coconut out of the shell, or I butter pieces of Walnut or Pecan with Organic cold-pressed coconut oil. They contain Lauric and Capric Acid both of which will kill a fungus.

I also use Colloidal Silver 10 PPM putting a teaspoon of it in 1/2 cup of highly filtered or distilled water for the squirrel to drink. This can be a problem in the Winter because of freezing.

As I said, squirrels have multiple systems for keeping warm. Here's a video I did a number of years ago about how squirrels stay warm in Winter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XLK9SYb_RU&t=27s

Bill

Reply
Peggy Kocoras link
2/4/2019 05:26:16 am

Squirrels in my yard are turning up with sarcoptic mange (ID'd from your picture and description). In all my 70 years I've never seen this before. Is it possible to put something out for all to eat that hopefully will help the ones that are suffering?

Reply
William link
2/4/2019 09:14:40 am

Ivermectin, but you need to do it one squirrel at a time. You cannot just put out treated nuts because the first squirrel to arrive will eat them all and overdose. See: http://www.squirrelnutrition.com/mange-treatment-in-squirrels.html

Bill

Reply
Sharon Gorberg
3/15/2019 04:19:16 pm

Hi Bill,
I have been seeing ray squirrels in my yard with distressing skin issues. Since they are not pets I don't know if anyone will help them. I'd like to send a few pics but when I sent to squirrelnutrition.com it didn't send.
Got another email?

Reply
William
3/15/2019 09:24:51 pm

Yes, SquirrelHelp@Gmail.com

Bill

Reply
Lyuda
3/31/2019 06:57:35 am

Hello ! I have order treatment for mange , it’s couple squirrels suffering on my backyard and local forest scratches they self badly , loosing hair , so nervous 😩. Please send it quickly !!! And what’s about others wild animals ? It’s rabbit there , deers , opossum, raccoon , 2 wild cats ... will they have it too now in and of March ? All of them come around birds feeder , should I stop feed the birds? I am afraid go outside and bring the sickness on my shoes to my 4 cats in house . Also do squirrel already have a baby and treatment can hurt them ?

Reply
William link
3/31/2019 10:51:30 am

Hi, Lyuda!

You don't have to worry about the other animals getting mange. The mites that cause mange cannot live off of a warm host for more than 30 to 45 minutes. They have to be passed skin to skin. Squirrels pass them to each other because they sleep together during cold weather to keep warm.

Your Mange kit will go out in the mail in the morning. (Monday.)

Bill

Reply
Lyuda
4/1/2019 08:55:11 pm

Thank you William . I do not see one the worst two days hope it’s not to late for him . Mange hit them wery quickly start only month ago and now all black squirrel is sick . Hope I can help , only two shows up today from 9 .

Reply
Lyuda
4/4/2019 11:57:01 am

Thursday night I still do not have meds come . I think I am ordering it Saturday. If it was shipped Monday where it should arrive? I leave in Michigan. I think raccoon and opossum also have mange . Can’t see them well in the dark . I have no patience waiting :( I think I need go find it some where else .

Reply
William
4/4/2019 02:00:10 pm

Are you sure you ordered? Because I just did a search on my business PayPal account using your first name and it came up blank. If you had ordered you would have received a tracking e-mail from the Post Office!

if you ordered under a different name send it to me at SquirrelNutrition@Yahoo.com and include the e-mail address you included when ordering and I will do a search.

Bill

Bill

Reply
Johnny Nut
4/21/2019 03:11:36 pm

I have noticed over the past year or so my colony of squirrels I feed have been losing their hair....not all of them, but a few. It hasn't been related to a particular season, it's happened in the dead of winter, in the middle of summer, and is going on now as Spring breaks. They don't seem to have any type of skin rash consisting of flakes, sores, or redness.....just heavy amounts of hair loss. I haven't a clue what I can do to help them and that is why I am reaching out here. Can someone tell me something I might try to feed them or something I can treat my yard with? I just want to help the little guys out if I can!
Any help would be appreciated by not only me, but them too I'm sure! :)

Reply
Brandi5
5/2/2019 07:44:58 pm

I’ve had my pet Squirrel Chipper going on 4 years. She is an inside pet. I’ve noticed that she is getting sores on her belly and itching a lot to where she has a bald spot now. Do you have and medicine for that or do you recommend anything

Reply
Mick
6/8/2019 12:04:03 am

Did you read the site? It's literally right here.

Reply
Mick
6/8/2019 12:32:44 am

I noticed that you stated in your article on ivermectin that you didn't have dosing information to give and you were advising people to use the measure you indicated on the match stick. That's actually a bit too much for most squirrels and ivermectin is a very powerful drug that crosses blood-brain barrier and can cause neurological side effects and death if dose is too high. It's fatal in some breed of dog like collies in almost any amount, so it's use is off label and experimental outside of cows and horses. Also, many people may not take note of the concentration they have, and if they've procured a more concentrated formulation the results would be disastrous.

I'm a medical wildlife rehabber and veterinary consultant in exotic medicine. I can provide you with a formulary reference dosage. It's 0.2mg - 0.4mg/kg (200 - 400 mcg/kg) once every 7 - 14 days. I'd advise starting with the lowest dose. For a fox squirrel of approx 450 grams and using 1.87% concentration that equates to about .005 to .01ml, or one half unit to one unit, which in other words is 1/200th to 1/100th of a ml. If your 1ml syringe is marked in 100ths, then the dose for a 450g squirrel would be ONE hash mark MAX. The amount shown on the matchstick in the photo is more like 0.05ml, or 5 hash marks on a 100 unit syringe, so I'd advise downscaling that dose by about 1/5th and it would be just as effective and much safer. Many people may not have the chance to observe the animal they've given the medicine to after the fact in order to ensure there weren't side effects suffered.

The way you calculate a dose is weight (in kg) x recommended dose (mg/kg) / concentration of medicine (mg/ml).
So: 450g squirrel (.450kg) x 0.2mg/kg = 0.09 / 1.87% (18.7mg/ml) = 0.0048ml.
The proper dosage would look more like what would fit on the flat bottom end of your match stick.

http://www.irishwildlifematters.ie/animals/squirrel-drugs.html

Reply
judy metz
6/27/2019 03:15:19 pm

I bought 2 dosages or packages from you my squirrel needs some relief can you please let me know when i am getting my order i will pay extra his back feet have sores and his tail is diminishing

Reply
MaryLou Shanahan
7/2/2019 07:30:18 am

I just want to send you a quick note, to tell you how grateful I am. Your website clearly defined what my squirrel was suffering from. She had mange from the mites and was in very very bad shape. She lost a tremendous amount of weight, was lethargic, her eyes were fogging over and she was hardly eating.

It was going to take several days before your medication would arrive, so I put one drop of flea and tick killer for my dog on her neck. That did start to help her. When your medication arrived. The first dose that I gave her made a tremendous improvement. Within 24 hours, she was on the mend. She was eating, putting on weight and had energy. Her sores were healing and she’s herself again.

She’s a squirrel I rescued five years ago and released on my property. I have many rescue squirrels that have been released here and I see them daily. I’ve seen the mange before on other squirrels, but my Sweet Pea never had a spot of anything on her in five years. She did have a litter this spring which weakened her. Then we had weeks and weeks of rain and no sun. She was still in her winter nesting box and hadn't gotten out to make a clean fresh nest yet. Your website and medication saved her life. I’m so grateful.

God bless,
MaryLou
Staten Island, NY

Reply
Stephanie Jones
7/13/2019 07:28:43 am

Hi I really need help with some kind of information I’ve been trying to call every place wildlife place veterinarians every place I can possibly call there’s a wild squirrel and he’s completely lost all his hair on his body and his tail and he’s got like stores like words like he scratching it and it’s hurting him it really looks like mange to me and I want to treat him and I need help if I could get some pictures of him and send to you do you think you could recommend me the right kind of medications for him please help my phone number is 321-362-3836 and you have my email as well please contact me back I really want to help the squirrel it’s a very sweet squirrel and I really want to help the hi I really need help with some kind of information I’ve been trying to call every place wildlife place veterinarians every place I can possibly call there’s a wild squirrel and he’s completely lost all his hair on his body and his tail and he’s got like sores like words like he’s scratching it and it’s hurting him it really looks like mange to me and I want to treat him and I need help if I could get some pictures of him and send to you do you think you could recommend me the right kind of medications for him please help my phone number is 321-362-3836 and you have my email as well please contact me back I really want to help the squirrel it’s a very sweet squirrel and I really want to help it!!!

Reply
MaryLou
7/13/2019 08:22:19 am

Read the article. There a link to buy medicine. I used it and it works great for mange.

Reply
Ambika Malla
7/27/2019 04:47:06 am

Sir, my rescued palm squirrel (born around March 29th) has developed red mark over her belly and also itched another one that has become a wound. She isn't letting it get healed. She licks off any ointment we apply over the area. Please help.

Reply
Rae
8/12/2019 02:51:40 pm

I need to know where I ask a question an email or something please

Reply
Meghan Mandich
8/24/2019 10:20:36 am

hey! Today there was a young squirrel in the middle of the road, it looked like it had some sort of disease all over its body and the disease had taken over its face so you couldnt even see its eyes. It had some hair loss and the patches all over its body looked like rough raised hard skin. I went to pick it up with my sweater so it wouldn't get hit by a car and it ended up scratching me. The scratches are very small but they did break the skin, just barely though. Should I be concerned or seek medical attention?
Thanks!

Reply
Lina
9/15/2019 07:50:12 am

My daughter found a baby squirrel, it was behind our car tire all day. AT the end of the day we decided to take her in, got her a milk supplement and a bottle to feed her with. Kept her warm with clothes in a cardboard box. She can walk on her on, so she isn’t injured. I did notice a skin condition on her back left thigh. No irritation associated with the bald spot. Not sure why she was abandoned. But I have dogs in the house and I don’t want them to get whatever she has. I also want to make sure she is healthy to be out in the wild. I can send pictures to an email to find out what she has and try to fix it. Thank you

Reply
Raeann
9/15/2019 12:40:26 pm

Where are you located? I'm in Columbus Ohio and try to help.

Reply
Raeann
9/15/2019 12:39:16 pm

If anyone needs help with any squirrels in Columbus Ohio let me know I can help thanks

Reply
Brittany
10/4/2019 05:12:36 pm

My husband and I had our neighbors bring us a baby squirrel probably around 4-6 weeks old. We've done everything it says to do feeding and warming but he has these sores and now a boil it looks like. He popped it while he was sleeping in his cage but now his head has a red raw bald spot on his head and it looks likewise fur is just peeling off. I don't know what to do. He was doing fine the past 3 days but today it's like he's not feeling good at all. The spots on his stomach have dried up and seem to be healing but yesterday I noticed the skin on his arm was raw and swollen then today after he pooped what was on his arm now it's his head. I'm so worried he's not going to make it. And I don't think ANY vet where I live takes squirrels. Please help.

Reply
Raeann
10/5/2019 07:47:47 am

A wildlife place will take it if you have one. Make sure he's always warm too some people don't realize but any cold can make them sick. I've raised a few and released them but if your really concerned find the nearest wild Life center and take him there that's probably his best chance of survival.

Reply
Raeann
10/5/2019 07:49:11 am

Also if anyone needs help I'm the Columbus Ohio area let me know. I can help.

Reply
Perry Choltco
10/18/2019 05:37:04 am

Question.. can a chipmunk suffer from the same skin conditions as a squirrel? I found one my cat caught that had patchy hair on his/her side.

Reply
Marilu link
3/20/2020 05:34:57 pm

Hi, we have squirrels that frequently nest in the soffit of our outdoor stucco trim Lining the roof of our home. Our roof is about 50 feet high. We have columns that go up and down from the ceiling to the floor outside of the patio, this is how they get up and down to their nest. Yesterday, two of the squirrels were fighting and one plunged down to the ground from 50 feet. He crawled to a corner, and, We put a towel over him and grabbed him with gardening gloves and put him in a large cardboard box. He was stunned, but alive and blinking, and walked into the box. I am afraid to put him back out if he is being picked on. Also, His tail is missing a lot of fur so I am wondering if he has mange or fungus. We are buying a large ferret cage to nurse him back to health and let him go. Do you have any suggestions?

Reply
Rose Richmond
5/8/2020 08:33:49 am

so we rescued a red sauirrel pup about 2 weeks ago. He's around 7-8 weeks old. There are no signs of lice or fleas as he has been bathed multiple times. He's always scratching his jawline on both sides. This morning I realized his jawlines were bald. Not red or flaky, just bald. What could be the issue?

Reply
Michele
5/12/2020 07:38:01 pm

I have a pet squirrel that doesn’t go outside at all. She is getting really red under her front paws (Armpit areas). She is about 9 months old. What do you think I should do about this? It just started a few days ago.

Reply
Steve Wise
6/21/2020 05:41:10 am

Thanks! I just ordered your ivermectin. Is there a danger if the squirrel is pregnant? Thanks! Appreciate your great site!!!

Reply
juliette link
6/25/2020 10:16:58 am

Bill,
your website is very good for me. I live in CA, rescued a baby squirrel now 3 years old. she has mange around ear area.
I will get ivermectin for her. I released her but she comes back every day for food.
I appreciate your site.

Reply
Valerie
7/3/2020 03:36:35 pm

Hello! One of my local squirrels has obvious neurological problems with balance. From what I was able to find online, it looks like he might have raccoon roundworm disease. Is it possible to treat it in any way? Would greatly appreciate any advice! Thank you!

Reply
Virginia link
7/31/2020 03:59:44 pm

We keep finding dead squirrels in the yard.
Suspect poisoning but, Illinois university told me to look at the meat under skin to see if it's dark from rodent poison (bleeding) and it isn't.
Two had missing skin, NOT fur, SKIN.
On one a front arm and into the side of body. Other one on head.
The meat looked fine and these were healthy squirrels.
Yes they get the parasite that backs out of the skin but those don't do this to them and not all dead ones had them.
The ones with missing skin didn't have parasites, some others did..But these don't harm the animal and certainly won't cause their death and large areas of skin down to the meat to be missing...there was no blood on the missing skin areas or anywhere on any of them.
We suspected antifreeze but that wouldn't explain the missing skin.
I'm still looking up pathogens.
But other then the one place that was large on each one with missing skin, there wasn't other places like with pox or something.
Wondering if they are getting into acid or battery acid somewhere..something like that.
I'm contacting the animal control on Mon.
I sent more into to Illinois university so they'll contact me again.
I've called poison control center but they couldn't help.
(This occurred, 4 dead in a matter of days, then two more, then nothing for two weeks, now it's started again, 2 in one day (there were actually a total of 8 dead if memory serves.

Reply
Teressa
8/6/2020 10:10:26 am

Hello! I’m so relieved to have found your page! We just brought in a squirrel - it’s fairly young, perhaps born in early spring? It’s been partially paralyzed for a month or two - it has PLENTY of gumption and SOME mobility in its rear legs, it can climb pretty well but coming down trees again it kind of...surfs down? Lol his back feet aren’t strong enough. I was going to leave him alone until I noticed large patches of fur missing. I was able to catch him - something that seems like a sign that he probably needs a little TLC at least, since I’m sure I couldn’t catch another squirrel on foot if I tried (I’ve been befriending him and his siblings - and the older generation here - for a long time so they all come out to see me, knowing I have peanuts and seeds, haha! Smart little critters!) Anyways, I thought that if I could catch him, I’d just bring him to a rehab, but I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t say they’ll put him down immediately. It’s been a few days and he’s at least comfortable enough to run around and dig in the large cage I have him in. He’s eating and drinking. But he’s also driven to distraction with itchiness. I worried it was stress induced but he was already losing fur before I brought him in and since he’s eating and running around, I don’t think it’s that. No crusting or rash, but grooming grooming grooming. Since his back legs aren’t super strong, he topples over a bunch. I see what your recommendation is for fungal infection - I think I’ll try that before anything more intense - but I’d also love to know your thoughts on semi-paralyzed squirrels. We live in Connecticut. How do squirrels fare when semi-paralyzed during the winter? I know they don’t spend the entire season asleep - is it unreasonable to think he’ll need a more permanent rescue or can he make it on his own? He’s so young and peppy, I don’t like the idea of stealing away the great outdoors from him..but I don’t much relish him being easy prey for cats, dogs, etc. If I could catch him, literally anything else can. Thanks so much!!!

Reply
Karen
9/28/2020 11:16:52 am

I have a Squirrel that eats out of my bird feeder daily, he has open sores on his back and neck and they are spreading his tail is also getting thin, would the Ivermectin paste work to help him. If so how can I get it to him without harming the birds? Thank you for your help.

Reply
Faith Lucchesi
11/21/2020 08:55:18 am

I volunteer in wildlife rehabilitation and have a new squirrel problem i hope you can help with. We have a new hairless squirrel who is being treated with nutritional support. It appears he may have a form of mange. My question is about his disposition and whether something else should be considered. He is HIGHLY agitated and growls and darts at anyone who approaches his cage, which is covered to lessen his stress. Any thoughts are appreciated. Our goal to release if the fur grows back after the winter season passes. Thank you.

Reply
Howard Lowe link
11/23/2020 07:01:10 pm

Thanks ggreat post

Reply
Susan G Land
12/19/2020 07:19:16 am

I have noticed that some of the squirrels in my yard are losing hair and have large bald spots. One has lost all the fur on its tail. The skin does not appear red or irritated and I don't see any scabs. How can I best help them?

Reply
Kim
4/23/2021 09:18:18 am

Hello, I ordered ivermectin from your site yesterday, but before I give it I’d like to send you pics to see if you think it’s mange.
I can’t seem to find a way to attach the photo.
Glad I found your site:)

Reply
Amy
5/2/2021 11:21:54 am

I have a wild squirrel in my yard that has no fur except on his tail. Not sure if this is mange or not? I would like to send a picture to you to get your thoughts. Is there a way to do that? I would love to help this little guy if I can.

Reply
Shannon
5/13/2021 12:17:20 pm

Hi William, I live in Ontario Canada and found a baby red squirrel last night. I have been hydrating (I believe its a her) with salt/sodium water until I could get some puppy powder milk replacer. I am concerned about a itchy hairless rash below her neck. It is raised with some bumps. Is it okay to send you some pictures to hear your opinion and some treatments? She has her eyes open and active. Is drinking 1-1.5mL of the electrolyte water and now 1mL of powdered milk replacement. She weighs 45 grams. I have tried stimulating to urinate but nothing yet. How long should I be doing this for? Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks in advance for your time and help.

Shannon

Reply
Shannon
5/13/2021 12:18:51 pm

that is sodium/glucose water not salt/sodium water! ha

Reply
Karen
6/3/2021 07:12:23 am

Hi everyone, I have a gray squirrel that I noticed a week or so ago that has a large lump on its side. It is not hairless, so it doesn't seem like it's a botfly. Not even sure if we have those in Chicago area. Its about the size of half of a golf ball. Seems like its under the skin, on its ribcage. The latest squirrel I'm worrying about. They are so full of life and then they get wierd ailments, I feel so bad for them. I have had them in my yard full time for 25 years or so. They come and go, and they get skin ailments a lot, where it looks mangey and then clears up. This is a first. Also missing a lot of squirrels this past year, not sure if due to hawks or foxes o r coyotes. Sad.

Reply
Genuine Haarlem Oil link
8/24/2021 06:50:05 pm

I am lucky to found this website coz more good articles here. Many good quality of information a useful content to share. Anyways, I just wanna share about the benefits of Genuine Haarlem Oil for the health of human especially nowadays were facing pandemic we need to boost our immune system to fight against deadly covid19 or any variant of viruses. Genuine Haarlem Oil has demonstrated its effectiveness in preventing respiratory illness, passive and active smoking, unhealthy diets and rheumatoid arthritis. It is an energy supplement that promotes recovery after exercise, avoids aches and reduces mental fatigue. Revitalizes your nails and helps you to keep a shiny and healthy hair. It is also good for your animal friends.

Thank you and God Bless!
Shop here: https://genuine-haarlem-oil.com/shop
Benefits: https://genuine-haarlem-oil.com/benefits-of-genuine-haarlem-oil/

Reply
PETER PANACCI
10/27/2021 06:22:11 am

Hi, your website has been a wonderful resource and has helped me recently. We rescued a grey squirrel in Southern Ontario, Canada, this past spring, and nursed it to health, and she's been doing amazing. I moved to Japan but my father keeps feeding her in the mornings and she has a nice nest up around the trees outside our house. Recently my father sent me photos of her saying she's lost some of her hair and if he should be concerned (I moved to Japan so I'm not there unfortunately). When I opened the photos I was horrified. She is mossing fur, but the skin where the fur is missing is all blotchy or inflamed (not red, its all black, but almost scaly like growths). Its breaking my heart. From what I've found online, I guess it can only be squirrel pox? Can I send you some photos, just having your feedback would help. I told my father about the raw coconut and oil, so I hope he gives her some and maybe it can help.

Regardless, just want to say I appreciate your kindness and help with so many people. I can see how generous you are and how much time you spend helping other people as best you can. Thats something special, thank you!

Peter

Reply
Mark Lyons
11/22/2021 06:34:24 am

Dear William,

I love squirrels and enjoy watching the in my back yard. I live in Southern NJ. this morning I was watching a Grey Squirrel being overly active climbing around a tree and then I noticed that it had dark patches of fur on top and that its tail was not bushy as it should be. Instead, the fur on the tail looked spikey. And idea what it is suffering from. It broke my heart to see it like this.

Reply
Wendy
2/18/2022 10:51:16 am

Hi Bill - so grateful for all you do, and that I found your site.

I've been feeding the squirrels all winter, and always the birds, and several of them have mange and other have the dermatitis condition.

I give them oatmeal, nut butters and bananas, sometimes apple and real pumpkin. Not sure if I get the Ivermectin paste that the right squirrels will get it.

Is it okay if they all eat it?

Reply
Cheryl
2/21/2022 12:54:27 pm

Hi Bill i have 3 squirrels 3 months old they have mange I guess, their skin is red and wrinkly and their is whiite stuff around their eyes and loosing their hair. they are getting worse. they are outside living in a palm tree and they are getting more wild. I put some tee tree oil on them and flee liquid on neck 2 weeks ago. they are not feeling good today,please advise, thank you Cheryl

Reply
Payton
5/2/2022 08:48:25 pm

We have 3 baby squirrels and they have been miserably itchy. There is no rash, hair loss, redness, or bugs. If you feel their body around the shoulders and ears you can feel little bumps that are white, and come off sort of like dandruff when scratched. We tried olive oil, an oatmeal bath, and coconut oil, hoping it would help. At first I wondered if it was lice, but it doesn't move at all, and my family and I would definitely have it if so. We are starting to introduce avocado but they haven't learned to swallow quite yet. If there's any advice that would be great!
Thanks!

Reply
Donald Boyden
5/22/2022 06:52:10 am

Hi - My favorite squirrel (twofer - she always wants two) had bad mange. I gave her 1 3-week round of medicine mixed in PB walnut pieces (your medicine - thank you so much). She got much better, now she's gone bad in just 3 days. Big patch no fur. Can I give her another round of 3 (1 per week)?

Reply
Jennifer link
6/15/2022 08:35:06 am

Hi there! I have a few squirrels at my feeder who appear to have mange. Some look horrible. I have bought mange kits from you but my problem is how do I distribute this medicine to these affected wild squirrels when there can be 8 or more normal ones at the feeders at the same time? I have tried only putting ivermectin out when I see them, but they scare away easily and I can’t guarantee it will be the infected one that comes back to eat the medicine. I do have a bird bath out at the feeder, would it be better to just put the colloidal silver in that instead? Thanks for any advice you can provide!

Reply
Deb link
8/23/2022 09:01:21 am

Good morning, I am reading comments from others about squirrels & appreciate it so much. This is my 3rd go round on raining orphaned squirrels. I currently have 2 lil boy rocky's approx 4 1/2 weeks old. Found just 4 days ago by neighbors in their wooded yard. A cat chased either Mom or another adult squirrel up a tree. Maybe she was moving them or they came out of the nest. Anyway, at this mornings feeding I noticed one of them itching behind his ears. Apon inspection I seen little White hard bumps that they stayed real still for me while I used their tooth brush & my fingernails to scrape them off. Researching if they are mites, mite poop, flea poop or what? I had been diligently picking off those lil things off of them since getting them. any ideas what they are? Thank you so much.

Reply
Philip Mincey
8/27/2022 09:41:37 am

I found a baby eastern grey squirrel. had him about 4 days. Merle has a spot on his back leg that looks similar to dandruff. its gotten bigger over the past few days. I would like to try and fix the issue before it becomes worse. any help is greatly appreciated

Reply
Kathleen Nelson
10/6/2022 03:48:51 pm

I came here looking for help with an apparently injured squirrel. There are two of them, but one seems to be recovering well. The poor guys have what originally looked to be swollen puncture injuries. All the fur had been removed around the wounds. On the one that is recovering, the swelling got to be about 3/8 of an inch across and 1/8 inch in depth. For the healing one, there were originally 4-5 of these lumps, but they have receded, and look to be no longer swollen, the skin is no longer red, and there seem to be small, clean scabs in the remaining bare patches.

The other guy is not doing well. He has at least 8 wounds, each now swollen to about a cubic centimeter in volume. He has lost weight, visibly, but is still coming to my deck to eat and drink. Several of the wounds have ruptured in the last day or so, but there is no visible reduction in swelling or draining of the wounds.

Is there anything I can do to help him? I do have a squirrel trap (very useful for catching feral kittens), but these squirrels are in no way tame. They run if they even see me move inside the patio door.

Thank you for your time.

Reply
Gayle Connolly link
12/1/2022 11:16:14 am

Hello! I have a healthy happy family of squirrels that has just been joined by a little guy that has a completely bald body. I don't want to misdiagnose him, and must be careful with treatments as I do have 2 dogs that LOVE to eat nuts and seeds (we also have pet birds, so... yeah, the dogs started eating the "floor nuts").

Can you please contact me (email is great) with advice? I have a photo.

Thank you for any time and assistance you may be able to offer!

Reply
Gina Iannucci
2/15/2023 10:24:23 am

Hi William, I rehab over 200 squirrels per year and have much experience with mange and treatment. I just wanted to let you know that your latest antidote in MCT oil is not only easier to administer but works amazing. Thank you, you have helped save countless squirrels!

Reply
Lisa
3/12/2023 09:06:59 am

Hi William,
I feed all my squirrels and 3 weeks ago a squirrel with a skin condition started coming. It has gotten worse and I don’t think it will let me get near it how can I help? She is still eating well but the would has gotten bigger and I can tell her left leg hurts her. I would upload a picture but couldn’t see where to do it.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    William Sells is a Registered Nurse turned Squirrel Rehabber and Nutritionist. His passion is raising healthy, disease free squirrels through feeding them the right way and the treatment of common squirrel diseases. He's always open to questions and comments regarding Squirrels and their care and feeding.

    Archives

    September 2022
    December 2019
    August 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    November 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    February 2016
    January 2015
    November 2014
    May 2014
    August 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.