BOB - Bob is a grey squirrel who was brought to TWRC on 8/22/06.  He had a dirty face and body, and a small abrasion on his belly.  He was a little thin, and the top of his head and his left eye were swollen.  He was so young he had not opened his eyes yet.  Two weeks later his eyes opened and he started trying to walk.  However, he walked with his head to the left side and was not using his left front leg very well, and we realized the trauma to his head had been more severe than we had hoped.

His rehabber, Shannon Beliew, worked with him until he was able to climb and move like the other squirrels, but there is still something not right with him.  When he eats that is all he thinks about.  He doesn’t react to sounds and strange movements like the other squirrels.  And he never just flips out and goes running around his cage like the other squirrels.  He also has a hair problem right now and we are trying to determine what is causing it.  The problem may be from not being able to absorb the nutrients he needs due to the head trauma.

SYLVIA - Sylvia was admitted to our Center on 11/1/06 weighing 72g.  She had 2 brothers that also came in with her.  They both didn’t make it.  There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with her until she got bigger and started to eat nuts.  We noticed that when she was eating a nut she would stand straight up and fall backwards.  We believe, like Bob, she must have had some head trauma when she fell from the nest.

She also has a head tilt.  She does not jump around and get scared by noises or cats.  When she is reaching out for nuts or even Shannon's finger, she moves her front paws funny like she is grabbing the air.

As squirrels are communal animals, they love having friends about.  Surprising, Sylvia is the only squirrel Bob accepted in his cage when we were trying to find him a cage mate.