White spots on squirrel liver

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Wadcutter

Wadcutter

Member
Jun 23, 2015
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IN, United States
It was a nice morning and I decided to thin down the squirrel population on the property. One of the squirrels had white spots on its liver.
After a little research, the best I could come up with is that these white cysts are larval forms of the tapeworm.
Anyone else ever run across this? I have processed many critters and this is the first case I have seen.



 
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I showed the picture to my wife, she is a vet, and she said it does look like worms but from just looking at a picture she can't tell what kind. What ever it has, she said it looks really bad. "Parasites encysted worms" are her exact words. She was quite fascinated by the picture. She has never seen anything like it. If I saw that, I would run for the hills screaming.
 
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"linsfreak"Honestly, could never eat one.
They are just big rat's. Perfect example above.
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I usually slow cook them in a crock pot till the meat falls off the bone. Next, put the meat in a pan smothered in sweet baby rays bbq sauce and then pop it in the oven for awhile.
Makes great bbq sandwiches.

Although the meat looked clean, the infected animal was disposed of. It isn't worth the health risk.
 
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"linsfreak"Honestly, could never eat one.
They are just big rat's. Perfect example above.
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My wife says the same thing about consuming wild animals. She said after studying all the different types of parasites an animal can get, she will not eat a wild animal. She said the picture she saw above she has never come across that in the office because most people take care of their animals by giving them the right food, giving them vaccination shots, and giving them shelter and protection. Animals in the wild almost have none of these.
 
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I popped a JSP into a cotton tail in the front yard a couple of weeks ago and it had four or five whites spots exactly like those in the picture. I have read that the white spots indicated "rabbit fever". So I disposed of the carcass and the gloves I was wearing. I don't shy away from eating wild animals but I keep an eye open for this stuff and cook all meat well.
 
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For those of you finding parasite infested squirrels and rabbits, where do you guys live? What state?

Hunting, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, I have never had a rabbit or squirrel that had parasite issues. Probably 99% of my small game hunting has been in Ohio so don't have alot to go on from the neighboring states I have hunted in.

Just curious if this tends to be an issue in warmer parts of the country. Or maybe even in more populated areas where small game like rabbits and squirrels are coexisting with domestic animals and such?
 
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Parasites have to have amazing life-cycles in order to survive, and most of this type have evolved** with stages in two or more species.

Good hygeine by the hunter, safe disposal of obviously infected carcasses, and thorough cooking of all wild game are the keys.

Rabbits with similar appearance of the liver sometimes turn up in the UK.

**Evolved - (Or were created, if you prefer).


 
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"Robonline"Keep in mind that not too long ago trichinella parasites were not un common in farm raised pork and we ate it without much trouble. 
I eat bass with little white grubs in the meat, just cook it right. There must be info on all of these that tells us if the parasite is safe to eat after proper cooking.
Rob.
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I live in southern Indiana and have caught many fish with dark and sometimes light colored spots in the meat. When cut open these egg sacs contain small wriggly worms.
I have read somewhere they are larval flukes that have burrowed into the flesh of the fish. Sometimes they are visible through the scales in which I return the fish to the water. Once the fish is filleted though, I will cut them out before cooking. If the meat is infested then I toss it. I do not want to deter the family from eating wild game.
 
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Stumbled across this old thread trying to figure out what this yellowish thing is on the squirrel’s liver. Anyone know? Unfortunately I cannot see the OP’s original photo. The description seems different from what’s in my photo.
0327A3E3-3C3D-4761-8D7C-FCD439976ABC.jpeg
 
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Ezana4CE said:
Stumbled across this old thread trying to figure out what this yellowish thing is on the squirrel’s liver. Anyone know? Unfortunately I cannot see the OP’s original photo. The description seems different from what’s in my photo.
View attachment 294065
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I am absolutly shocked even the vet could not figure out that this indeed is the squirrel galbladder. perfectly normal. Which sucks because I just disposed of a amazing squirrel yesterday that looked incredible but seen this same thing but little bigger and got grossed out and disposed of it. after researching I found this indeed is normal and is the gallblader
 
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