# Okay, Wild Muskrat.



## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

There is a pretty big Muskrat living in the yard. When she walks, it seems like she has a severe limp, but on no single leg. When she tries to run, every three feet or so she rolls uncontrollably on her side. 

She's really pitiful. There is nothing I can do for her, other than perhaps start feeding her (Which may be illegal) or put her down. It's only when she panics or get excited by someone that she cannot control her rolling,she rolled right down a sewer the other day. So I'm thinking it's neurological. She definitely makes an effort to eat. 

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas of what it could be.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Be careful in the chance that it might be rabies.Also could have ingested Clorox bleach. I used to work at an animal shelter taking care of hundreds of free roaming cats. Some of them had ingested Clorox bleach and it caused nuerological damage. One cat in particular, his whole back side didn't work well and he fell all over the place when he tried to walk


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I did consider rabies, a few raccoons or possums around here have been found with it recently. But She's been acting this way for over a week, so I'm guessing it is something neuro as you said - and I wouldn't doubt it about the bleach, actually. I cannot imagine why she'd drink it, but living on the water a lot of bleach bottles do wash up, falling off boats and such. 

Everyone else has said call animal control, or someone like that, but all they will do is kill her after severely traumatizing her for hours. I felt so horrible when I handed a really messed up squirrel to them recently, I was afraid he was rabid, looked like he'd been attacked by an animal judging by his semi-healed wounds and torqued neck, but he wasn't afraid of me at all, and even chased me, before veering up and down a wall and trying desperately to eat a pecan but it's like he didnt' know how. I really regretted sending him off (also wondered if he was my squirrel I raised and released), and I don't want to do that to her. She has her fear of humans still, and is making an effort to graze. It's very pitiful.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

It does sound like your "muskrat" may have been poisoned, rat poisons are slow to act and kill over time. Look around for any sources of poisons or bait stations your neighbor put out. Antifreeze is actually more likely than bleach.

Also, I've never seen a muskrat on dry land more than a few feet from water, and we had plenty of muskrats living up at the lake. They usually build their nests so they can swim directly out of them. There is a wildlife poster in the park our rats play. It is labeled "muskrat" and has a photo of a ground hog on it. The laminated tabletop type wild life "poster" is situated near several ground hog nests. If your rodent is wandering around on land, and you live right next to a lake pond or stream, it might be a really sick muskrat, otherwise I'm thinking I've never seen a healthy muskrat on dry land more than a few feet from water. 

When I was a kid there were supposed to be muskrats in the drainage creek near our other house, they were actually just normal rats that lived under the bridge and apparently were very good swimmers, using the creek to get in and out of their nests and even fishing for food. It was easy to see why folks thought they were muskrats, and it gave the rats a pretty good cover so folks didn't hunt them. And yes, I actually saw a rat eating a fish on the banks of the creek when I was a kid, I don't know if he caught it or it died and floated up, but it was a rat not a muskrat.

I don't see any harm in looking around for the source of the poison or accidentally leaving some leftovers where the poor creature might find it in hopes the poison makes it out of his system.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

If you actually have rabies in your area.... I'd keep my distance. If you have small kids running around it's something you should consider. Rabid animals can last for a while before they go south completely.

But I agree, if there is no clear and present danger to children or other animals and the rodent isn't behaving aggressively, you can watch and wait a little bit longer.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Well, her home is under the pier/in the rocks, so right on the water, but she comes up in the yard to eat on the grass and clover. We have normal wild rats down in the rocks (and in the pampas grass in the yard) too. 

I'll leaves from fruits and other stuff out there for her, her babies are with her, too and would probably appreciate it. 

I'll see if I can get a video of her next time she's out. 

Poison is possible too, the neighbors definitely put it out, and perhaps with the recent storms a bait station was blown down the shore and she found it. 

I'll keep an eye on her, luckily nobody on this road has small kids or loose pets.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

She's still alive. I did get some video of her..

She rolls, and walks really odd but it's hard to tell if she has no used of some legs, or if it's purely neuro. But man, it's weird. She still has a good appetite.


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