# Help injured chipmunk



## Voltage

Okay I don't know if this is an appropriate spot to put this but it is technically rat related.
We just got to the cabin and let the dogs in the backyard. While unloading Harley got his jaws on a chipmunk. Vicki got the poor thing away from him by chasing him away. The poor thing could hardly move. I tried to scoop him up with my sleeves but the little guy bit my sleeve. He got my finger but didn't break the skin. So I grabbed a bucket and scooped him up. We put some cereal and water in the bucket for him. 
He has calmed down and is resting.















I brought toast with me, is she at any risk of catching anything because I touched the chipmunk?
And do chipmunks carry any rat threatening diseases?
Also is it okay to feed him rat food?

The 'animal expert ' says the chipmunk is in shock and will become fully normal soon. Going into shock and not being able to move properly and looking injured doesn't sound like a defense mechanism 
She also thinks if he escapes that he will go to his little chipmunk home and be fine. Pretty sure a predator would snatch him up with ease in his state.

I wanted to put him in Toast's travel cage and put Toast elsewhere so I can bring the little guy back to health. But I'm not sure if that is a good idea.

If any one can help before he decides jumping up of the bucket is a good idea that would be awesome.

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## nanashi7

I would be very wary of messing with your rat before sanitizing yourself after the chipmunk, only because your rat is a pet and not prepared for illnesses contractible in the wild. Also be wary of mites.

Shock does happen in little animals. Provide a dark warm place, quiet with loads of yummy nuts (rat food probably okay). He can't use a water bottle so he'll need a bowl. His foot looks injured. Put him in the travel cage posthaste and observe. If his foot is injured, you can try to let him recover safely before releasing him or if possible contact wildlife rescue.

I've saved a squirrel with similar symptoms, just be wary of your other animals. Keep it in another room.


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## Voltage

The only issue is I only have a travel cage up here so I'm not sure where to put Toast

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## nanashi7

Oh, poo. Any box the chipmunk could have? Or old suitcase?


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## Voltage

Okay I guess it doesn't matter because 'animal expert' is taking things into her own hands and won't let me do anything.

She doesn't particularly even want to help the chipmunk. She'll take home a raccoon no problem but apparently rabies ridden vicious little demons are different. Maybe she relates to them : /

If we weren't in a small tourist town I would try to get a small cage for the critter but again she wouldn't allow me to do anything anyway. I'm sick of her diagnosing everything. If she had her way when she diagnosed Toast she would be dead.
If she would have listened to me when I told her Joel was sick maybe he would still be alive. But noooo we didn't catch it soon enough.
Bs I caught it a week before he died. She told me he was fine because apparently she knows everything and apparently she knows EXACTLY what killed him too

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## nanashi7

That's sad. Is she at least giving him a chance at quiet warmth to recover from shock so he can at least limp to safety?

A chipmunk with an injured leg is just an easy meal to snakes and birds.


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## Voltage

We are keeping him in the bucket with some paper towels for cover. 
He may not be warm but at least it's safe and quiet, as well as dark. He is in the garage right now. 

I mentioned that if he gets out of the bucket and escapes he would be easy prey. She looked at me and laughed like I was stupid and said, prey for what?
As if nothing could possibly eat him.
I said by his natural predators and stray cats.
She laughed and said there were no cats...
Despite seeing one the other week.


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## nanashi7

A nice treat for an owl, as well.
Not to mention the dogs that already TRIED snacking on him.

Man, I've never met this woman and she is frustrating me!


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## Voltage

Oh my gosh try living with her. She loves animals but she treats them like novelties and fancies herself an expert
She tries to diagnose everything.

I'm going to try and do everything I can for the chipmunk without making her mad. 
I only have to be here 24 more days....

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## Voltage

The chipmunk has relaxed more and has curled up. I think he realized the bucket is a safe place and I really hope he stays in it. 

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## Lesti

Aww, she sounds like a pain. And poor little 'munk. Hope he gets better.


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## Voltage

I hope so too. I want to call a wildlife center so they can nurse the chipmunk back to health as I know they would do a lot better than me or her...

But if I did she would flip. And this woman is psycho I want to save the guy but I also don't want to risk her doing something drastic. She threatens to take the keys to the truck all the time and I'm afraid she will take them to prevent me from moving or something....
I'm afraid of that regardless though. 
She doesn't know I've got my ticket already only knows I'm considering it and she has been trying to convince me not to. Saying it will end mine and Zach 's relationship because he would never move... As if he wasn't planning this with me.

I'm really hoping I can find something cage like to put the chipmunk in if he is still there in the morning. Gonna see if he will let me touch him with a pair of garden gloves doubled up and maybe see if I can find the injury and put antibiotics on it. Or maybe make a splint if it's his leg. I don't know, whatever I can do.

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## nanashi7

He probably won't like a splint; it might make him flip out.


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## Timberlee Fields

I would agree on the splint thing, in the event you could get it on him, he would likely injure himself further trying to escape the "predator" latched onto his leg. In the event that he is still there in the morning and you cannot find him a cage, I would find a hollow in a tree and put him there, then cover him up with leaf litter so he is hidden and let nature take its course. It sounds mean but I fear that your "animal expert" will do more harm than good in trying to help the little guy recover. Try to get a little bit of antibiotics on if it is not to stressful for him but otherwise I would find a safe place to put him outdoors and let him do what he grew up doing - survive, rather than have negative human interference from her. It could very well end up injuring him more or killing him by the sound of it.


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## Voltage

Unfortunately he did not survive the night. There was blood on the napkins so he may have had internal bleeding as well.
She let me bury him. And when I went to go pick a spot she got impatient and snatched the spade from me and dug a hole herself despite JUST saying that if I wanted him buried I would have to do it myself.
So he is buried by the side of the cabin. I wish I could have done more for him.
Thank you so much for the help.
Harley just did way too much damage to the little guy. I really hope he doesn't catch any other critters. 

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## Lesti

Aww  you did all you could to help him.


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## nanashi7

That's so sad. 
From experience, you will want to put a rock over the grave. It is not a fun experience to bury an animal so your dog can dig it up later...
I had to bury a bird two foot deep, place sticks a foot above him and below the ground, and have rocks above the grave to discourage digging up a nice snack...


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## Voltage

We buried him before the gate to the backyard so at least these two dogs won't get him. I will go out there and do that.

I mentioned making the hole deeper so an animal wouldn't get him but again apparently there are no animals that would dig up an easy meal...
I will go out there and put a big stone over the grave than to hopefully prevent any animal from dining on him 
Thank you very much

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## Voltage

Then*
Of course I use the wrong one

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## nanashi7

How does this woman FUNCTION.

My god. Doesn't everyone know about raccoons? How about Coyotes -- if we have them here in Ohio, I'll bet my life on them being in Michigan! At least she should think about not wanting animals sniffing around when she ahs dogs who_just bloody killed an animal_.

I've been irritated by internet people, but never wanted to shake sense into someone like this. And she isn't even the one spewing nonsense on here -- I imagine that'd make it so much worse.


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## Voltage

Haha if she had an account here she would take it upon herself to diagnose everyone 's rats.
And give everyone bad advice.

It's funny because she loves raccoons. She keeps one in the kitchen
(which at this point I think it's wrong. When she was a baby I could understand)
This little monster has made not particularly like raccoons all to much. She is pretty docile in the house unless I go near her scruff. Since she grabs the raccoon by the scruff. I prefer to pick her up by lifting under her arms and supporting her butt. Jewel much prefers that. But raising her was a pain as I was left to do it by myself for the most part and Vicki takes all the credit.
I think she is ready for the wild... As when we took her outside her instincts kicked in and she turned mean and tried to run away. Vicki had me try to catch her then screamed at me when I got bit cause apparently I was doing it wrong.








The dog there is Harley, the one who killed the chipmunk. He is extremely poorly trained. I tried to train him myself when he was younger but kept getting barked at for doing it wrong, so she trained him herself.
He runs away, doesn't come when called, nips and relieves himself in the house. 
Wasn't hard to get him away from the chipmunk all you have to do is approach him and he runs.

Sorry for the ranting


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