Keep Wild

Keep Wild Permitted wildlife rehabilitator in Dover, MA. Caring for orphaned and injured wildlife

I was expecting two baby Eastern grey squirrels today. And then the finder texted me this morning that “all four” made i...
08/27/2026

I was expecting two baby Eastern grey squirrels today. And then the finder texted me this morning that “all four” made it through the night. Surprise!

Unfortunately, the bigger surprise was the insane number of parasites on these tiny babies. I have genuinely never seen this many fleas on an animal this small. They were absolutely covered. (I’ll post a video in the comments)

They also had flystrike, and by the time they reached me, many of the eggs had already hatched. One baby had a number of maggots on its back, and there were scattered fly eggs, empty egg casings, and wriggling maggots covering the towel in the bottom of the box they arrived it.

After flea baths, a whole lot of combing, medication, fluids, and careful checks for flystrike/maggots, everyone is considerably cleaner and more comfortable.

The concerning part now is what I can’t see. There are currently no visible maggots on the babies, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t any hiding in wounds or openings where they can cause serious damage. That’s what I’ll be watching very carefully for over the next several days and why these four aren’t quite out of the woods yet.

And after writing this, I’ll be heading into the shower again. 😵‍💫

With a heavy heart, I’m sorry to say that Little Scrap took a turn for the worse overnight, and we woke to a massive GI ...
08/27/2026

With a heavy heart, I’m sorry to say that Little Scrap took a turn for the worse overnight, and we woke to a massive GI upset. Despite my efforts throughout the day to get things back under control and replace everything his body was losing, he passed away late this afternoon.

It’s the expected outcome in a case like this, if I’m being honest. But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier or any less sad.

I really cared about this tiny creature. I wanted nothing more for him than the chance to grow up and eventually feel the dirt beneath his paws, the wind ruffling his whiskers, the crunch of fallen leaves, and the frozen tips of grass after the first frost.

He never got to experience those things. But for the few days he was here, he was warm. He was safe. He was comfortable. And he had people rooting for him in every corner.

Sometimes that’s all we’re able to give them.

Rest easy, Little Scrap. I’m so sorry I couldn’t give you more.

Still hanging in there! We had a better day than yesterday. Lots of p**p and very active. Still some weirdness in his ga...
08/26/2026

Still hanging in there! We had a better day than yesterday. Lots of p**p and very active. Still some weirdness in his gait and he’s just an oddity to look at. A cute oddity, of course! 🐰

It hasn’t been our best day for our little scrap of a bunny.His size (or lack thereof) was concerning from the start bec...
08/24/2026

It hasn’t been our best day for our little scrap of a bunny.

His size (or lack thereof) was concerning from the start because of just how quickly baby cottontails grow. They’re born at around 30-ish grams, nearly naked, eyes and ears sealed shut. By day 3 they’re beginning to grow fur, and by day 5 they have a short but full coat. Their eyes generally open somewhere around 7–10 days old. By 3 weeks, they’ve left the nest but are still learning how to “rabbit” effectively. They’ll still nurse when Mom visits the area, but by around 4 weeks old they’re independent.

There are, of course, variations in all of this. Litter size, temperature, Mom’s milk supply and probably a whole host of other factors affect how quickly an individual baby grows.

But then there’s this little guy.

He arrived with his eyes open and a reasonably fluffy coat. Based on those developmental milestones and what I typically see, I’d peg him at somewhere around 10 days old.

He weighs 35 grams.

That is a REALLY small package to fit all of that development into.

And that leaves me wondering: what had to give?

There are some things about his little body that aren’t quite right. One back leg turns inward. One front leg seems weaker. His ears have that unusual curled appearance and even his nose and face seem almost disproportionately tiny. Are we seeing abnormal bone growth? Was he without Mom for a significant period but somehow getting just enough nutrition to survive? Is there something congenital going on? I really don’t know.

He actually reminds me a little of babies I’ve received after a well-intentioned finder tried to raise them on an improper diet, where you can sometimes see significant growth and developmental problems. But I trust that isn’t what happened here, which makes his condition even more puzzling.

Anyway. Poor kid.

Today hasn’t been his best day, and I don’t know how much gas he has left in the tank. But we haven’t given up on him. For now, we’ll keep him warm and comfortable, support what we can, and continue trying to problem-solve the symptoms in front of us. ❤️‍🩹

08/24/2026

Little scrap has way more energy today. And even a little twinkle in his previously dull and squinty eyes. He’s been bouncing along the front of the incubator whenever I’ve gone into the rehab room today. He’s eager to eat, I just have to hold him back for his own good. We’re still worried about that bloated belly and wishing things would start moving through just a little quicker. Slow and steady, slow and steady. 🤞 Tomorrow is a new day.

08/23/2026

Important to remain fastidious in your personal care, even when you’re not feeling your best.

Little scrap made it through another night. Still p**ping, still eating, less crusty and snuffly, but still has a bloated belly that needs resolution.

Don’t get attached. Don’t get attached. He probably won’t survive. Don’t get attached.This is me attached.Rooting so inc...
08/23/2026

Don’t get attached. Don’t get attached. He probably won’t survive. Don’t get attached.

This is me attached.

Rooting so incredibly hard and pulling out all the stops to try to get this baby into a stable place. His little wheeze. His tiny ears. His ridiculously tiny body. He’s like someone took a rabbit and hit “shrink.”

We had some p**p today, which means his GI system is at least trying to get itself fully back online. We’re not there yet. We’re taking things slowly and carefully-but we also can’t go too slowly because, you know… rabbits. Lightning-speed metabolisms and growing like someone hit fast-forward.

I keep telling myself I know his chances are really slim.

I also keep telling myself I want to save him.

And there it is. This is how you burn out. This is why I told myself I wasn’t taking tiny rabbits right now. Because somehow this impossibly small, wheezy little scrap of a bunny has already convinced me that maybe, just maybe, we can pull this off.

So for now: warmth, fluids, meds, tiny careful meals, p**p watching, and entirely too much emotional investment in a rabbit who weighs practically nothing.

Come on, little baby.

08/22/2026

Look at who made it through the night! No where near out of the woods, but we have p**p, better breathing, better energy and posture!

I got in some tough bunny cases today. Two severely emaciated little ones who will hopefully head to another rehabber if...
08/22/2026

I got in some tough bunny cases today. Two severely emaciated little ones who will hopefully head to another rehabber if I’m able to get them stabilized enough for transfer.

And then this tiny little scrap arrived late this evening, and I’m scratching my head about him a bit.

He is SMALL. Newborn small. Except he isn’t a newborn. He’s over a week old, with his eyes open and a full coat of fur.

He seems to be battling a respiratory illness, with crusty eyes and a goopy nose, and he also appears to be suffering from GI stasis. GI stasis is when the normal movement of a rabbit’s digestive tract slows significantly or stops altogether. For an animal whose digestive system needs to keep moving, it can become very serious very quickly.

For now, I’m doing my best to address what I can with pain management, antibiotics, fluid therapy, warmth and supportive care.

Bunnies are so very fragile, and even more so at this age. If I don’t see a significant improvement by morning, I don’t expect that he will recover.

But he has a chance. And whatever tomorrow brings, tonight he is warm, comfortable and safe. ❤️

A tiny new patient joined the crew last night.This approximately 3.5-week-old Eastern gray squirrel came to me from VEG ...
08/17/2026

A tiny new patient joined the crew last night.

This approximately 3.5-week-old Eastern gray squirrel came to me from VEG Newton, where the team felt his condition warranted giving him a chance with a wildlife rehabilitator. As luck would have it, I had another little squirrel almost exactly his size who needed a friend, so the timing couldn’t have been better.

This baby arrived with numerous cuts and puncture wounds. If I had to wager a guess about what happened to him, a cat would be at the top of my list. His most significant injury is a large laceration behind his ear, and he was clearly in a tremendous amount of pain when he arrived. The amount of crying from this little guy was heartbreaking.

Thankfully, after some pain medication and treatment for his wounds, he seems much more comfortable. He’s now settling in alongside his new foster brother.

Having a conspecific (another animal of the same species) is incredibly important in wildlife rehabilitation whenever possible. They provide comfort during an extraordinarily stressful time while also helping one another develop the species-specific behaviors they’ll need when they return to the wild. No matter how much care I provide, I can’t teach a squirrel how to be a squirrel quite like another squirrel can.

I’m optimistic about this little guy’s recovery as long as his wounds heal as expected. He’s full of vigor and very clearly wants to live.

I’m hoping I can give him that chance!

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Dover, MA
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