National Flying Squirrel Association Messageboards

Hello
I am new to this website but so thankful to have stumbled upon it. Four days ago a small female southern flyer fell from our pecan tree. I live in SC and had never seen a flying squirrel before so I am very new to this. She appeared to have been attacked by something as she has a large punture wound in her lower back and cannot barely use the hind legs. We put her in a softly bedded cage and within twenty four hours she was taking water and eating sunflower seeds along with seedless grapes. The legs and tale move some, with what appears to be great effort from her, but she drags them more often then not. She can grip with both feet which I would think is a good sign and I am so pleased that she is urinating and having bowel movements. The most astonishing thing however is that sometime during her first night with us she gave birth to a single pup. She appeared to be caring for it and then sadly killed and ate it. I imaging do to her injury and situation I should not be surprised as she must be under much stress. My concern at this point is. Now two days since the birth she still appears to be laboring. Her tail raised straight in the air and her little toes spread apart and she looks to be contracting. there is evidence of fluid being expelled and her tummy remains quite large for a mother that has given birth. Is there ever a delay in the birthing process and if so what should I do to help. She has been laboring since late last night with no results. She does take some time to eat a nut or two and drink, to my surprise, and then buries herself back under her bedding and goes back into what appear to be contractions. If this is not the case I fear the worst and need some instruction. She is bright eyed attentive and very sweet. How can I help her? I await some assistance and thank you in advance.

Cherri

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/index.htm
Look here for a rehabber in your area that might be able to give the the name of a wildlife friendly vet.
kay

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactN.htm#sc
scroll down for your area of SC.

I agree with Joan. If she retains a pup & it dies inside her it will kill her without immediate intervention. Also if her injuries were caused by a cat she will need an antibotic asap. Cat saliva can be deadly to flyers. South Carolina is a flyer friendly state so you don't have to worry about that. Good luck & please keep us posted.

Where in SC are you? I am in a neighboring state. We have a "wildlife" vet who is so good!!

I am in North Augusta, I may be able to help you find a vet. max

Hi to all
I just wanted to update you on my injured little girl. I found a small animal/wild animal vet and she was wonderful. She did an xray and sadly she found that due to a severe attack she has a broken back. She could not determine if there was a pup still inside of her. She though she might be seeing the slight skeletal outline of a pup but she could not be certain. She told me that doing a c section on her could kill her due to her weakened condition. The break to her back is severe enough that she doubts that she will ever get the use of her hind legs again. Yet she was surprised to see her flick her little tail repeatedly. She is not certain as to how well the break will heal but said she could not be returned to the wild. My biggest concerns and fears were confirmed however I just could not give up on her. She has fought so hard to survive and I just cant take that away from her. The vet told me that she appeared to be content and comfortable, bright eyed and alert. She could not get over how gentle and sweet she is. She gave me the option to put her to sleep but said that if I intended to keep her as a pet in her new environment with soft bedding and fresh water, food and a cozy log to rest in, then maybe limited mobility would not keep her from living a good life with some special care. I will have to monitor her bladder and bowel movements for a bit to make sure all is working as it should, and assist her if need be. She seems to be doing just fine in that department, thank goodness. I took her cage outside to the screened in porch and we sat ofr a long bit listening to the rain and winds caused by tropical storm Hannah. She got so excited and perked right up with all the sounds in the trees. Im sure a relative or two could be heard in the Pecan trees that surround my home. I kept expecting her to call out. It seemed like she had something right on the tip of her tongue that she was going to say at any moment, but never did. But she was obviously happy to be outside. If she had been well enough it would have given me great joy to have carried her to the tree she fell from and let her return to its top branches, free again. But I am so glad that she has survived and it was joy enough to see her excitement. She is eating peanuts as we speak, making quite a commotion in her gage. I wish she were drinking more as she seems less interested in taking water from the water bottle since yesterday. But she does eate the grapes that I know are full of water. Every morning I am so glad to see she is still with me. Keep your finger crossed and maybe she will make a full recovery. Or atleast one that will allow her to live a good life even if it is in captivity. I wish I had been able to save her pup/s. What a gift that would have been. Im sad that I didnt know enough about these precious little animals to try and feed it on my own. But I did what I thought was best and that was leave it with momma. I cant blame her for what she did. Instinct told her it was the right thing to do I suppose. But if I knew then what I know now, i would not have taken the chance.
I would love to find her a companion if she makes it though all of this mess. She deserves that. I think it would make her happy. Well see how it goes and cross that bridge as it comes. Thank you all for your kind words and quick response to my little emergency. I will keep you posted. Keep your finger crossed for her :0)

Cherry

These little furballs have amazing healing abilities. She'll be zipping around her cage in no time, with or without the use of her hind legs. I'm glad she's getting a 2nd chance after the ordeal she's been thru. She's lucky to have found you! Please keep us posted. Does she have a name yet?

I agree - you did the best thing you could. Newborn flyers are not for the novice rehabber!
I have had many injured squirrels, and she may recover quite well. Try to keep her in a small cage for the next 2-3 weeks, until she has a chance to heal a little bit, then let her take it at her own pace from there. Wild animals mask pain symptoms very well -- a great survival instinct. If there is bladder control and movement in the tail, she has a good chance of at least a partial recovery. I'm surprised she didn't send you home with antibiotics. Didn't you mention a puncture wound? Unless you know it is not from a cat, I'd ask about medication.
Anyway, keep us posted about her progress! The best outcome would be to see her chewing you out from the top of a maple tree!

Just a quick update on my little flyer. she is doing well and adjusting to her new environment. I was in hopes that she might get some use of her hind legs back but it does not appear to be the case. as a matter of fact, the little bit of movement that she once had with her tail and the ability to grip with her back feet seems to have disappeared. I know her injury was severe and I find myself amazed to her her running in her wheel and climbing about the cage as quickly and easily as she does. she seems to enjoy her log and sleeps quite well throughout the day. No more panting or heavy breathing. she is eating well however she is not to fond of the small animal foods that I have provided? she loves pumpkin seeds sunflower seeds peanuts and grapes but doesnt even sample the pellets or dried fruits or mixed seeds and grains in the dish. I have two watering systems for her in the cage. the bottle and the small bowl. I cant tell if she is drinking much from either. I tend to believe she is getting the fluids she needs from the seedless grapes that she has become so fond of? can you suggest a food source that I can get for her from Petsmart or some place similar. I know she needs a source of calcium. any suggestions that you can give me to keep her healthy through diet would be appreciated.
I will say this, she has really become quite a character. she no longer likes to be picked up and held for any great length of time. she will as before let you hold her but when she has had enough she will struggle to get free or nip to let you know she has had enough. I am glad to see her natural personality coming back out in her. she has never bitten hard and remains amazingly sweet for a wild animal. she is never afraid when I reach in the cage to pet her and likes to be hand fed. she is just asserting her own will and I believe that is a good sign of her recovery.
I have wondered if releasing her would be a good thing and have mixed emotions about it. I know that the animal kingdom has little tolerance towards the injured or weak. I do not know is she can sore as she has no way of speading her hind legs and this concerns me. I do not want her to try to fly and fall to the ground. a second injury to her already frail body might kill her. what do any of you think? I have no objections to caring for her for the rest of her life and have become very fond of her. My girls call her roxie.
thank you for putting my mind at ease about the pup. Im sure you are right and it would have had little or no chance with me trying to feed it. still i wish the outcome had been different. None the less, she did what she felt she needed to do and that is natures way. I am just happy to report that she herself is doing well. I am hoping that she makes a full recovery and is able to live a long life. she deserves it. she is a little fighter.

I will keep you updated on her continued progress and look forward to any suggestions regarding her care.

thanks again.

Sounds like she is coming along nicely. She is definitely not releasable so you can quit worrying over that decision. Looks like you have a new buddy! As far as dry feed goes most of us use Wild Delight Nut N Berry wild bird seed. You can get it from Walmart. I buy mine from Pet Supermarket. There are lots of different sources for calcium. A popular choice is Reptocal powder for reptiles. You can get this at Pet Smart. You want the pink label, fine ground. Just sprinkle on top of her fruit a couple times a week. L&M liquid hamster vitamins can be added to the water. Just be sure you provide 2 sources. One with & one without. She knows what she needs. Also you want to add fresh veggies to her diet. Kale, brocoli, spinach, carrots, sweet potatos, etc. I would limit the fruit & add more veggies. There's a link on here somewhere with more detailed info on diet. You might look under "Adult Flyer Diet". My Bobo Squirlz is very picky about his food. I've found that what he won't eat fresh he will eat in baby food (particularly sweet potatos). Just be sure to choose stage 1 or 2 with no added sugar. They LOVE yogurt. Make sure whatever brand you buy has the live active cultures. It's a great source of protein & calcium. Bobo loves the yogurt drinks too. These guys have a sweet tooth so no matter how tempting watch the sugar. They can develop diabetes easily. Just because she wants to share that popsickle with you doesn't mean it's a good idea lol. Cheerios are another big hit but should be given more as treats, 1 or 2 a day. I wonder if the Cheerios folks know what a niche they have in the animal world. Seems to be the starter food for all mammals. Anywho, check out the diet links & ask lots of questions. Also... I think maybe it's time you named her! She's not going anywhere

It doesn't sound as though 'Roxie' will recover normal use of her legs and tail, therefore, she is not releasable. As long as you are aware of the wildlife laws in your state for keeping wild animals, I'd say she has a pretty good setup. Thanks for giving us more to the story!

Roxie is as good a name as any
In addition to a diet of fresh leafy greens, and other veggies, some fruit, and an occasional treat, she needs several other things. She needs to be provided things to chew that will keep her rodent teeth from overgrowing. Nuts in the shell are very important for this. Pecans and hickory nuts are favorites, but most of our flyers will try many other kinds of nuts that are not found in the natural enviroment of the southern flying squirrel. I know you cannot easily find these nuts this time of year, but in a couple of months, you will be able to score her enough to last through the year. Just keep them in a big contaier in the fridge or freezer, and hand them out regularly. For chewing in the meantime, go outside and cut small branches of trees that have the type of chewability that flyers love. These would be most any oaks, Hickory and pecan, and fruit tree wood such as apple. Try to find wood that has some lichen growing on it as wild flyers eat it and she will miss it in her diet.
she also needs some regular protein, and as a previously wild flyer, Roxie would have been eating lots of moths, and other bugs at night. If you turn on your porch light and go out there and bring her in a live moth, she will knock you down to get to it We teach our little house-born monsters to enjoy mealworms and waxworms that are easy to bring home from the pet store, but we still like to impress them with a moth every now and then .
they appriciate loys of 'free' stuff from outside. Just stay with stuff that has not been sprayed with pesticids. They like lots of different flowers, roses, and the rose hips in the fall. Also mushrooms. Don't worry so much about poison ones, flyers know what is and is not good for them. But anyway, mushrooms from the grocery store are fine too. And the immature acorns on the trees right now are good. They all like acorns, ripe or not.
So start experimenting. Give her all sorts of veggies, a little fruit, grains, seeds and nuts, yogurt most every night. And remember her wild roots, and that she will be most appreciative of your efforts to provide her with some of the foods she grew up eating that still have the smell of outside on them. She has already proved to have an exceptional ability to survive as an indoor squirrel. There is a very strong possibility that she will overcome the little bit of natural caution that she is displaying with you now that she is getting stronger. She will probably become just as cuddly, clingy, and annoying as the rest of our chuckleheads
Give her a kiss from Aunt Deborah when your sure she won't bite your lips off I also had a parapeligic flyer that I got from rehabber, Tom Hauk. His name was Tiny Tim, and he was as sweet as can be. He could also get around as fast as the other flyers. Keep a close watch on her butt and make sure it is clean. She will get matted back ther sometims and can't poop. A warm soak with you holding and massaging in a small bowl will take care of that. Good luck with her

Hello to all
I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of you for your wonderful tips and advise on Rockies diet. My kids have Rockie instead of Roxie. Two reason they say. One being she is a fighter and a winner and two for the most obvious, Rocky the flying squirrel I think that works just fine for her and she certainly is a little champ. We all just love her and she is the talk of the town. Everyone wants to know how our little girl is doing and even the pet stores are just amazed by her story of survival. I am going to gather her some pecans and put them away for winter as suggested. Right now they are all green or have already been eaten by her friends and neighbors. But I know that soon I will be able to fill buckets with them and she will enjoy them later. I dont know about the acorns but I am keeping my eyes open for them. Fresh broccoli and veggies I can handle and I will start giving her yogurt. I had bought her some yogurt treats from the pet store. Blueberry to be exact, but she has not found them to be to her liking??? I will put the vitamins in a separate water dish and try to find her a moth or two...too funny. I know that when I take her outside and let her sit with me in her cage on the porch she just loves it. I need to get her a piece of wood from the pecan tree or the pear tree to chew on and then I think she will be a happy little camper. I have not been handling her too much these days because she got so nippy but I know I need to start again so she will get over her fear and hesitation when I am around. She loves to be fed her sunflower and pumpkin seeds by hand and even the grapes. And she likes or atleast tolerates being pet. She is really a little doll. I hope she enjoys her life and lives a very long one with us. As she gets stronger I think we will try to give her a bigger space to live in. She is such a little climber and loves to "fly" around her cage all night long. I get such a kick out of watching her in the dark. She is finally adjusting some to being active in the daytime as well. I will keep and eye on her bowel movements and her little hind end so she doesnt get matted. The vet told me to make sure she was having good bladder movement as well. She said with her hind legs being paralized she might have difficulting emptying her bladder and I might need to keep an eye on her little belly to make sure she does not get too full and develope a bladder infection. Lots to remember but we are doing well so far. I really enjoy this website and like to share her progress and hear suggestions and tips from those of you who have so much experience with these amazing little critters. I was told that South carolina was a flyer friendly state. I hope that means that it is okay to keep her. At this point I suppose it really wouldnt matter as she can not be returned to the wild in her condition. But I would love to have another some day. I suppose I should check into it to be sure. Would she be happy with a companion? Or is it best to keep her by herself? I saw that there are some sites that actually offer the little flyers for sale? Anyway, just a thought as I think it would be great to offer her a friend. But if it doesnt happen, we will do the best we can to offer her our love and hope she is content. I cant believe that she dropped, litterally, into our lives and how much fun it has been to see her heal and become healthy and happy again.
Better go. Thank you again for all your help and please keep in touch. I will do the same and keep everyone posted on Rockies recovery and new life.

Thanks for the update. We are all happy to hear about Rocky's progress as well. She has quite a story. I don't think I have ever heard of anything like the situation you found her in. Her survival is amazing.
Keep us posted about her and about you as well. We would love to have you join the NFSA. And also come to some of our meetings. We are having our annual conference in Natchez, Mississippi in November. We would love for you to attend.
As far as a companion for her, if she tames down enough to be cuddly and sleep in your shirt, it will be enough for her to be your baby and have you all to herself. If it does not happen that way after a long time of trying, you might consider another girl. You certainly would not want amale for fear of her becoming pregnant again. The problem with adding another flyer, is that without her closly bonded with you , she and the new flyer will bond with each other, and you will still be ignored by both of them There are ways of getting around that to some extent, but don't worry about it right now. See if you can get her into your top and settled down to sleep there most of the day. It's the very best way of getting them to learn to trst you.

[quote="chemor412"]... Everyone wants to know how our little girl is doing and even the pet stores are just amazed by her story of survival.

These little guys are tough and respond well to loving care. We've had several members wilh flyers of similar injury and they can do well without the use of legs. Just make sure you keep and eye out for drag injuries and broken skin.

I dont know about the acorns but I am keeping my eyes open for them.

If you get some, she will love them ... green or brown. Just know that acorns cause the urine to smell and stain so you don't freak out and think somethings wrong.

Fresh broccoli and veggies I can handle and I will start giving her yogurt. I had bought her some yogurt treats from the pet store. Blueberry to be exact, but she has not found them to be to her liking???

Don't waste your money ... they like the real thing better. Pet stores are out to make money. Your family eats everything she needs .... or should start. LOL They eat healthier than most of us.

... and try to find her a moth or two...too funny.

She will LOVE moths. Also June bugs, crickets, praying mantis & locust, to name a few.

...As she gets stronger I think we will try to give her a bigger space to live in. She is such a little climber and loves to "fly" around her cage all night long.

She'll really enjoy that. She will use as big as you can handle.

...The vet told me to make sure she was having good bladder movement as well.

That's really good.

I was told that South carolina was a flyer friendly state. I hope that means that it is okay to keep her.

Actually S.C. is flyer UNfriendly, but you have a vet who will care for her and no one's going to turn you in for a "long tailed hamster"

Would she be happy with a companion? Or is it best to keep her by herself?

She really doesn't care about a companion and is happy with you. I would be worried about another flyer maybe injuring her. Get another for yourself if you want, but I'd keep them separate.

You've got a little angel to care for and she will change your life.

Info on physical therapy for paralysis: viewtopic.php?f=55&t=4229&p=35690&hilit=paralized#p35690

this is such an amazing story. i'm so happy rockie pulled through. you've got one special little friend now with tons of personality!