Some bad squirrel news

[Nutkin]

I have many Red Squirrels which visit the garden and over the past few days there has been a baby red who has had it's left paw bitten off (i think it's bitten?).
Anyway, we have been monitoring it and unfortunately, just as someone we know was coming to collect it to take it to a wildlife hospital, it died on the back step with it's mother watching.
Anyway, it has been taken for a post mortem to see what the cause was - I'm sure it's not the parapox virus as there were no scabs - i think it could have been an infection from the wound.

Although this is sad news, the good news is there are plenty more reds in this area (for the time being).

[ron1863]

Hard luck Nutkin. You brought back memories of my partner's mother's cat Claudia. She lost her front paw as a young kitten when a sash window fell on it. It didn't stop her hunting, climbing etc. She died last year aged 19.

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Nutkin

...i think it could have been an infection from the wound.

It's probably the most likely. Maybe it lost it's paw in a trap?

[mrs fish]

Poor little squirrell , I expect it was an infection

[Nutkin]

Well the report of the post mortem has come back and it says the squirrel died of a hemorrhage somewhere in it's gut - although further tests are still being carried out to find out the cause of the hemorrhage.

The report also said that the parapox virus was absent which is good news.

Will try and keep you updated when the final report comes out.

Although I do realise that it's not that interesting to some

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Nutkin

Well the report of the post mortem has come back and it says the squirrel died of a hemorrhage somewhere in it's gut - although further tests are still being carried out to find out the cause of the hemorrhage.

The report also said that the parapox virus was absent which is good news.

Will try and keep you updated when the final report comes out.

Although I do realise that it's not that interesting to some

Sorry! about the squirrel..Nutkin
It makes you think of rat or some sort of poison that killed it. With the injury as well maybe someone has been trying to hurt them.

Please keep us up dated as some people follow this thread without commenting..As I have been.

[Nutkin]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Sorry! about the squirrel..Nutkin
It makes you think of rat or some sort of poison that killed it. With the injury as well maybe someone has been trying to hurt them.

Please keep us up dated as some people follow this thread without commenting..As I have been.

Thanks Kayleigh - you can call me Chris if you want

I laughed when I saw you had written about rat poison, as we had a call after we had the report saying that rat poison is likely (but not certain)
Also about the missing paw, the vet had diagnosed it as being genetic as there had been a few cases of Red Squirrels like this due to inbreeding!!

There are more tests being carried out so I will keep you up to date

At least it wasn't the parapox virus though

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Nutkin

Thanks Kayleigh - you can call me Chris if you want

I laughed when I saw you had written about rat poison, as we had a call after we had the report saying that rat poison is likely (but not certain)
Also about the missing paw, the vet had diagnosed it as being genetic as there had been a few cases of Red Squirrels like this due to inbreeding!!

There are more tests being carried out so I will keep you up to date

At least it wasn't the parapox virus though

Thanks Chris..

Rat poison contains digoxin a blood thinning drug that they use in very high doses that causes Heamoraging.