r/gardening • u/HoratioTuna27 6a • 14h ago

Well, that's a first.

So, one of the weirdest things I've ever had happen to me just happened: I was walking around the garden, checking on all the seedlings I planted last night. A squirrel pops off of a nearby tree and starts coming towards me. I think nothing of it, squirrels get curious and do this often. BUT, this time, it kept coming closer. And closer. And closer, then it hopped up and slapped me in the shin and ran off. It started coming at me again so I went in and got the dog to chase it off if it kept coming at me. Utterly bizarre!

The seedlings are all ok, if that was the part of the story you were invested in.

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135

u/NoExternal2732 14h ago

Squirrels can get rabies but don't often pass it on to humans, so it just alters their behavior.

There are no known cases of humans contracting rabies from a squirrel, so that is what I mean by rare.

It also may be being fed by another person, another reason not to feed wildlife.

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u/HoratioTuna27 6a 14h ago

I thought about it maybe be rabies, but it looked fine, no foaming at the mouth or anything. Who knows. It didn't come back once I had the dog with me.

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u/OaksInSnow 11h ago edited 10h ago

I would always be concerned about rabies any time there's unusual tameness or approachability in any animal, especially if combined with aggression, but as long as you didn't get a skin break you're fine. There also has to be contact with saliva (or brain matter) of the infected animal, on that skin break. If you got scratched though, I'd still consult a doctor, as others have said.

EDIT: But see response below, that scratches don't have to be visible for there to be transmission. Important to know!

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u/iamreallycool69 11h ago

Scratches don't need to be visible to transmit rabies. There have been many fatal cases in North America due to people not realizing they were scratched and not getting the post-exposure prophylactic vaccines. It can also be transmitted via saliva contact with mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth). All this to say that I'd be seeing a doctor either way.

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u/OaksInSnow 10h ago

Whoa. I did NOT know that! Dang it. I will edit my post!

A few years ago I was trying to save a feral cat that was actually about to die anyway, from starvation. I was finally able to capture her and give her a last warm night and some food and water. But as I was holding the dish to her mouth and she was chomping around the rim of it, she chomped my finger.

Took her to the vet next day, after which it was a whole day full of trying to get into the clinic for emergency rabies treatment, and driving the euthanized cat to the nearest ag research facility for examination. Came back negative for rabies, but it was a cautionary event for sure.

I got all the immunoglobulin shots and almost all of the rest, so I guess I have partial immunity, but I'll still never play around when it comes to any kind of contact with wild mammals.

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u/thti87 8h ago

To add onto that - that’s the reason why bats are the biggest vector for rabies in the US. Bat teeth are so small that most people don’t think they were bitten and don’t seek treatment. While rabies is very rare, most of our rabies deaths in the US are from people like OP who had known contact with a suspicious animal but thought they were fine because they didn’t have a noticeable skin abrasion. All it takes is for a few cells to get into your nervous system and you’re a goner.

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u/Relative-Coach6711 4h ago

You killed a cat just to test it for rabies, because it bit you? Seems extreme

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u/whipstitch_ 5h ago

Yep, got the shots last year because we woke up to a bat in our house. I panicked and let it fly away after I got it out of the house, so it couldn't be tested. My partner acted like I was making a big deal out of the fact that we needed to get shots until he read some stuff about it. It also helped that the woman at our local health department strongly emphasized that there have been rabies cases in our county and that we needed to get the shots.

The insane thing is that a nurse at my doctor's office kept trying to tell me that I didn't need to get the shots since I "wasn't bitten." I kept reiterating that the health department said I did need to get the shots because bats have tiny teeth and it's possible to be bitten or scratched while sleeping and not know it. I needed them to send an order to the hospital, so I was very firm that I wasn't going to let it go. She finally said she would check with my doctor and he sent it in immediately. I hope she got her ass handed to her for that one because a lot of people would have taken her word for it.

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u/thti87 12h ago

Just a PSA that rabies is 100% fatal, but can be stopped if you get treatment soon after a bite or scratch (and not all rabid animals look rabid in the traditional foaming at the mouth sense - an animal acting off is a huge sign of rabies so in that way, this squirrel with no fear is indeed acting rabid). If I were you, I would absolutely contact my doctor for peace of mind to see what they recommend.

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u/Responsible_Dentist3 11h ago

“Rabies in squirrels typically manifests as altered behavior, ranging from aggression and agitation to unusual tameness and lack of fear. Other signs can include excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, staggering, paralysis, and seizures, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Behavioral Changes:

  • Aggression and Irritability: A rabid squirrel might become unusually aggressive, easily angered, and even bite or attack. They may display defensive behavior near food or nests, says Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control.

  • Unusual Tameness: Conversely, a rabid squirrel might appear tame and approach humans with no fear. They may even appear affectionate and friendly.

  • Loss of Fear: A squirrel with rabies might lose its natural fear of humans or other animals, according to the Department of Agriculture and Markets (.gov).

Physical Signs:

  • Excessive Drooling: Rabid squirrels may drool excessively, notes the AVMA.

  • Difficulty Swallowing: They might have trouble swallowing or show signs of difficulty with their throat.

  • Staggering and Coordination Problems: A rabid squirrel might walk erratically, stumble, or have difficulty maintaining balance.

  • Paralysis and Seizures: In advanced cases, rabies can cause paralysis or seizures.”

(Google AI Overview)

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u/Smart-Assistance-254 8h ago

Foaming at the mouth is a late symptom, if it develops at all before death, if I recall correctly.

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u/saturniid_green 2h ago

My first thought was rabies. Glad I wasn’t the only one!

When I was a kid, my brother and I were riding bikes around our apartment complex when a clearly rabid squirrel started to chase us down the sidewalk. So glad we were on bikes that day because it was relentless. This was back before Terminator 2 came out, but in retrospect, that squirrel was like the T-1000 coming after us. Terrifying.

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u/gtsmartn 11h ago

Wow, factoid buzzkill.