Sometimes you’ll see a squirrel acting odd and it’s hard not to worry. Seizures often happen because of head injuries, poisons like pesticides or rodenticides, infections, or even things like low blood sugar or calcium deficiency.
If you spot twitching, stiff limbs, loss of balance, or a squirrel collapsing over and over, those are usually signs of a seizure. The animal needs help fast.
If you know the common causes, you can act quickly and make better choices. Trauma, toxins, infections, nutrition problems—each has its own signs and risks.
You’ll want to know when it’s time to call a wildlife rehabilitator or vet, both for the squirrel’s safety and your own.
Primary Causes of Seizures in Squirrels
A handful of things usually cause seizures in squirrels: brain injuries, poor nutrition or metabolism, environmental toxins, and infections.
Each of these can lead to sudden twitching, convulsions, or a total loss of coordination.
Head Trauma and Injury
A fall from a tree or a run-in with a predator can really mess up a squirrel’s brain. Even a small skull fracture or a bit of swelling might set off a seizure.
After an injury, you might see tremors, the whole body convulsing, or the squirrel moving in circles.
If you come across an injured squirrel, try to keep it warm and quiet. Don’t handle its head if you can avoid it.
Take the animal to a wildlife rehabber or a vet who knows small mammals. They’ll check for skull fractures, help with pain, and give anticonvulsant meds if needed.
Sometimes, the effects stick around. Scarring in the brain can make future seizures more likely, so it’s best to get help early.
Nutritional and Metabolic Disorders
Young or malnourished squirrels often get seizures because of low blood sugar or messed-up electrolytes. Diets missing calcium or vitamin D can cause metabolic bone disease, which messes with nerves and muscles.
You might notice weak legs, shaking, or trouble climbing before a seizure happens.
If you’re caring for a pet or a rehab squirrel, offer a balanced mix of nuts, fruits, insects, and special feeds. Rehabilitators might need to give fluids, glucose, or vitamins to fix these problems.
Chronic liver or kidney trouble can throw off blood toxins and electrolytes, making seizures more likely. A vet can run some simple blood tests for glucose, calcium, and organ function.
Toxin Exposure
Poisoning is a big, urgent cause of seizures. Rodenticides, pesticides, antifreeze, and heavy metals like lead can all bring on sudden neurological symptoms.
Squirrels get exposed by eating contaminated bait, treated plants, or trash. You’ll often see trembling, drooling, confusion, and strong seizures.
If you think poisoning is the cause, skip home remedies. Move the squirrel away from the danger and get it to a vet or wildlife rehabber right away.
They might use activated charcoal, fluids, or antidotes, depending on the poison.
To prevent poisoning, secure your trash, skip toxic baits where wildlife might feed, and use safer pest control options. Acting quickly can really help the squirrel recover.
Infectious Diseases
Viruses, bacteria, and parasites sometimes get into the brain and cause seizures. Things like viral encephalitis or migrating roundworms can really do damage.
Sick squirrels might run a fever, act strange, or grow weak before the seizures start.
Diagnosing infections often takes blood or stool tests, and sometimes only a post-mortem gives answers. Treatment can include antibiotics, antiparasitic meds, fluids, or anticonvulsants.
Some infections can spread to people, so always wear gloves and call in the pros instead of handling wild squirrels yourself.
If you spot several sick squirrels in one spot, let local wildlife authorities know. That could mean there’s an outbreak that needs attention.
Other Factors and When to Seek Help
Inherited brain problems, environmental hazards, or injuries can all lead to seizures in squirrels. Watch for changes in behavior, remove dangers if you can, and get expert help if seizures are bad, keep happening, or follow obvious trauma.
Genetic Predispositions and Neurological Disorders
Some squirrels have genes that just make seizures more likely. You might notice the same animal having repeated episodes, even if nothing obvious set them off.
Genetic problems can include odd brain development or congenital metabolic issues.
Look for sudden, repeated seizures, trouble with coordination, or lasting changes in balance or behavior. If a squirrel twitches once after a fall, that’s probably not genetic—but if it keeps happening for no reason, it might be.
Wildlife rehabilitators can do bloodwork or neurological checks to figure out if it’s metabolic or something inherited.
If you’re caring for a pet or rehab squirrel, keep a log of episodes—when they happen, how long they last, what seems to trigger them, and how the animal recovers. That info helps the experts decide what to do next.
Environmental Stressors and Human Impact
Urban environments bring their own risks. Pesticides, rodenticides, and heavy metals often trigger seizures.
If a squirrel’s been foraging near treated lawns, spilled chemicals, or trash, think about recent exposures. Extreme heat, dehydration, or cold can also cause collapse that looks like a seizure.
If you notice several animals affected in one area, that’s a red flag for environmental contamination. Don’t handle the squirrel without gloves—call a wildlife rehabber or animal control.
They can test samples and give advice on cleanup or public warnings.
Remove hazards right away: secure your trash, stop feeding wildlife where chemicals might be present, and report any pesticide misuse. These steps help keep other animals safe.
Recognizing Seizure Symptoms
Seizures can look different, but usually you’ll see convulsions, loss of consciousness, stiff limbs, or jerking movements. Sometimes there’s drooling, paddling with the legs, sudden collapse, or a blank stare that lasts a few seconds or minutes.
Most seizures start out of nowhere and end pretty quickly. Afterward, the squirrel may seem confused, weak, or even blind for a while.
If seizures keep happening, last more than five minutes, or come in clusters, you need to get help fast.
Don’t try to hold the squirrel during a seizure. Just clear away anything dangerous nearby, keep people back, and get ready to transport the animal when it’s safe—use gloves and a ventilated box if you can.
Role of Wildlife Rehabilitators
Wildlife rehabilitators jump in to assess and stabilize seized squirrels. They decide on treatment or, sometimes, humane outcomes.
These folks handle exams, set up blood tests, and provide care like fluids, warmth, or even anticonvulsants if that seems right. They’ll also make sure the squirrel gets the nutrition it needs.
If you notice repeated seizures, long episodes, trauma, or clear signs of injury or poisoning, it’s time to call a licensed rehabilitator. They’ll walk you through how to safely capture, transport, and quarantine the animal to keep things safe for everyone.
When you call, try to share what you’ve seen—how many episodes, what the squirrel actually did, where it happened, and anything nearby that might be toxic. Those details really help the rehabilitator figure out what’s going on and give the squirrel its best shot at getting help.
