Chico The Squirrel's Cinco de Mayo Miracle  5-5-09

This little squirrel adopted Sail and his shop.  He was tiny but kept coming in.  Sail took him back to his tree and put him in it and a said "you stay here (in the tree) and I stay there.  This is your tree and that is my shop."  The little squirrel just kept coming in.  He would come in and jump up on Sail and run up to his shoulder and sit.  He adopted Sail. 

Sail came to work a few days ago and noticed that Chico was not walking normal. He looked closer and saw that his little foot was hurt.  Sail called several local veterinarians and was refused service because Chico was a squirrel!  All Animal Care did not refuse to care for the injured animal. 

Dr. Ashley examined and x-rayed Chico and found that he had been injured severely and had both of his back legs broken and due to the lack of treatment and infection, he would have to have 3 of his toes amputated off of his left back foot.  

Chico is just a squirrel but he adopted Sail and Sail vowed to care for Chico through all this.  He agreed to pay for Chico's medical treatment and to care for him until he could go back to his tree.

This is Chico under sedation waiting for surgery.

His x-ray shows both femurs are broken mid-shaft and would require IM pinning to stabilize so they could heal.

This is Chico on the x-ray table getting his post-op x ray.  His tail is wrapped to keep hair out of the surgical site.

Dr. Ashley and Kim wait for the post-op x-ray to develop .  When it comes out of the processor, it shows both IM pins are seated well and the bones are in excellent alignment and should heal with no complication.  

Kim puts Chico back in his temporary home after surgery and not more than  5 minutes pass before all of the anesthesia wears off and Chico is sitting up and eating a cashew! 

Chico will go home tomorrow but he will have to come back in 3 weeks to have the pins removed. During that time, Sail will give him antibiotics to get rid of the infection that caused the loss of his toes and will keep his bandage clean and changed as needed.