29/03/2023
Groot is an Eastern Grey Squirrel. He was born in Volusia County, Florida in September 2018. He was found in the nest with only his brother. Unfortunately, both babies were injured in a tree-trimming accident. Groot's brother did not survive. Groot was found to have many injuries to his lower body from being nicked by the chainsaw. He was badly bruised and had deep cuts in his lower area. Due to his injuries, I was unable to reunite him with his momma. I was forced to intervene.
After he healed up from his initial trauma, we tried getting him ready to be released back to the wild. It seemed he had other plans. He was a special case and wasn't able to climb as well. He was a clumsy squirrel and never developed the "wild" nature needed to survive in the world.
Over the years, he struggled with many little issues, like balance. He exhibited some seizure-like activity and had a few falls. After every setback, we nursed him back to health.
In February 2023, he started eating less, drinking less, would cry out when eating, and having sinus issues. We took him to see a local vet that specializes in squirrels. It was then that we learned he had odontomas of various sizes on all his incisors. This was very scary news. Odontomas are very bad for squirrels. They can grow so large as to cut off their little airway or grow through their palate.
The vet told us that the two odontomas on top were the worst and those needed to be removed to save his little life. We started him on antibiotics and scheduled his surgery to remove the first odontoma which was the largest.
On March 3, 2023, we brought him in to have the first surgery. That was a tough day. The waiting was the worst. I finally got the call to pick him up. The surgery went well but he had a lot of blood loss. He was slightly anemic before the surgery but the blood loss from surgery dipped him lower. They placed a stent to help drain his sinuses. The vet said it was one of the largest odontomas she's ever removed.
His stent was removed on March 6, 2023. He bled a bit when it was removed. They stitched it partially closed so it could still drain.
We almost lost Groot the next day. His little sinus cavity was swollen and it started to block off his airway. With the combination of the odontoma still being on the other side and post-surgery swelling, he was having difficulty breathing. When he started open mouth gasping, I knew he was struggling. Squirrels breathe through their little noses and not through their mouth. So he wasn't getting the oxygen he needed. He was rushed to the emergency animal clinic. Unfortunately, not many vets have experience with squirrels. Luckily for us, one of the vet techs that was working that night worked with our vet and knew how to help. His little gums were starting to look grey and white instead of pink. I helped the vet tech work on little Groot for over 5 hours to stabilize him. It was a rough night. We had to remove the sutures on his head and open it up to help him breathe. We also had to suction his sinuses. Once he was breathing easier, we went home for a few hours of rest.
In the morning, the vet wanted to see us emergently to assess him. She found that he had a few clots that were blocking his sinus cavity. Those needed to be removed before they dislodged to the brain. Very serious and scary day. Once he was cleared by the vet, we headed home.
Due to his anemia and the scare, we had, his next odontoma surgery was postponed until he was stronger.
We waited 2 weeks before thinking about doing the other upper odontoma. He was almost completely healed from the first surgery. He was more active and back to eating solid foods. His gums were pink. Even though it was a scary prospect to put him through it again after everything he just went through, we knew that if the other odontoma got bigger, it would grow through his palate and cause him more problems. So, we scheduled the next surgery.
On March 24, 2023, I brought Groot to the vet's office to have the other side removed. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come home with us that day. My worst fears came true. I got a call late in the day about him. The vet tech called me. She started with the surgery went well but ... those words made me break into tears. I heard the words I never wanted to hear, "his little heart stopped beating". They said he fought to come back 3 more times but, on the 4th, his little heart was too weak. The vet said a blood clot dislodged and went to his brain. Everything shut down. Little Groot gained his angel wings.
If you'd like to help by donating to cover the costs of his vet bills and his cremation. We would really appreciate it. Here's the link to the gofundme page: https://gofund.me/6d97e8a8
