An Eastern Gray Squirrel Arrived Holding One Swollen Paw Against His Chest — We Didn’t Know If He Would Use It Normally Again

The squirrel's injured paw was impossible to miss.

He lay low inside the intake tray, his body pressed against a folded towel and his tail curled loosely behind him. Three limbs rested against the surface beneath him.

The fourth did not.

His injured front leg remained pulled tightly against his chest.

The paw itself was dramatically swollen, making it look oversized compared with the other. Much of the fur around the wrist had been rubbed or torn away, exposing irritated skin underneath. Several abrasions crossed the same area, and every time the squirrel shifted his body, he made an obvious effort to keep that foot from touching the towel.

He had been found earlier that day beneath a mature tree in a residential neighborhood.

The person who noticed him initially expected him to run.

He didn't.

Instead, the Eastern gray squirrel moved only a short distance using three legs, keeping the injured front limb tucked against his body.

Then he stopped beneath the tree.

No one had seen what happened to him.

There was no obvious trap, damaged nest, or other clue nearby that could provide a simple explanation.

He might have fallen.

He could have caught the limb somewhere.

Another animal could have been involved.

The combination of missing fur, abrasions, and significant swelling made trauma an obvious concern, but without witnessing the event, we couldn't responsibly turn any particular possibility into fact.

What we did know was that the squirrel wasn't using the limb.

And for an animal whose survival depends heavily on climbing, gripping, landing, and manipulating food with its front paws, that was a serious problem.

When he reached our wildlife rehabilitation center, the first priority wasn't to make him demonstrate whether he could walk.

He had already shown us enough.

The injured limb needed veterinary assessment.

The swelling extended through the paw and wrist area, and the damaged skin had to be evaluated carefully. Beneath dense squirrel fur, wounds can sometimes be more extensive than they initially appear.

The fact that he was holding the limb tightly against his chest also suggested significant discomfort.

So we kept the initial examination focused and controlled.

His overall condition mattered too.

Was he dehydrated?

Was there evidence of trauma elsewhere?

Was his breathing normal?

Were the other limbs functioning appropriately?

Could he move his head and spine normally?

A dramatic injury can draw attention toward one body part, but wildlife trauma doesn't always remain conveniently isolated to the place that looks worst.

Fortunately, the front limb remained the primary concern during those early assessments.

For the first stage of recovery, we gave the squirrel something he probably didn't appreciate at all.

Rest.