Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Eastern Gray Squirrel

Check your trees before you trim!

Spring is a popular time of year to trim trees, however it is NOT an ideal time for wild babies. While most squirrels in this situation are injured when they fall from a tree as it is being cut, this patient was brought to us after a tree trimming service unintentionally injured it with a chainsaw.

Photos / Blue Ridge Wildlife Center

Luckily, the tree trimming service quickly realized what had happened and rushed this baby to a permitted rehabilitator, Kristi’s Caring Hands Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education. He was quickly brought to us for emergency treatment and surgery.

In addition to the laceration over the head, this patient was suffering from brain trauma, lacerations over his side, and difficulty breathing from the blood in his lungs.

We quickly assessed the wounds on his face and gave strong pain medications, sedatives, and oxygen support before surgically closing his facial wound. The lacerations on his back were covered with a hydrocolloid dressing with hopes to granulate over and heal.

After surgery, the patient was kept warm and well-oxygenated while recovering.

Eastern Gray Squirrels build their nests (also called dreys) out of dried leaves and twigs and you can typically find them about 30 feet up in the fork of a tree. In our area, squirrels generally have two baby seasons, the first in February/March and the second around July/August.

Please hold off on trimming trees while there are babies in nests. If you must trim for safety reasons, trim only what is necessary and be sure to check thoroughly for nests prior to trimming. If you do find injured wildlife, please call us right away so we can get that animal help as soon as possible.

Luckily, this young patient is healing well and is currently being raised with other squirrels his age at the Center!

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