Although Jannet Talbott lives on a ranch in rural Alberta, Canada, she’s never truly alone — her property is always full of animals, both wild and domestic.
As a devoted animal lover, Jannet keeps a watchful eye on all the creatures that share her land. One day, while watching a squirrel enjoying some food at her bird feeder, she noticed something unusual about his face.
“I could see there was something on the side of his face,” Jannet told The Dodo. “And when I got closer, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a huge tooth growing out of his mouth!’”
She later shared a “before and after” photo, showing the squirrel — whom she named Bucky — visiting her bird feeder again after she helped him. Perched on a tree branch, Bucky was even seen sharpening his newly trimmed teeth, hopefully keeping them worn down on his own now.
Typically, squirrels’ four front teeth grow continuously but stay short due to their constant gnawing on nuts and seeds. Unfortunately, this little squirrel hadn’t been able to keep his tooth in check. Jannet realized he was likely struggling to eat properly — surviving on powdered bird seed — as his tooth grew dangerously close to his eye.
Now came the tricky part — Jannet had to figure out how to catch Bucky, as she affectionately called him, so she could help him.
“One day, I spotted him at the feeder — it felt like fate,” Jannet recalled. “I knew I had to act fast, so I just reached in and scooped him up.” Holding the little squirrel close, she kept reassuring him: “Don’t worry, Bucky, I’m going to help you. You’re going to be okay.”
But once she had Bucky in her hands, Jannet realized his dental problems were worse than she thought.
“His mouth was a total mess,” she said. “His top incisors were curling around inside his mouth, and his teeth were actually rubbing against his face. It was heartbreaking to see.”
Not wanting to stress him out with a trip to the vet — and unsure if a vet could even help — Jannet decided to take matters into her own hands. After watching several YouTube tutorials on how to trim squirrel teeth safely, she carefully wrapped Bucky in a cloth to keep him calm and gently closed his eyes. Miraculously, he relaxed, and in just ten minutes, she was able to trim his overgrown teeth using a pair of cuticle trimmers.
According to CBC Canada, Jannet explained that squirrels don’t have nerve endings in their teeth, so Bucky felt no pain — and when she released him, he wasn’t in a rush to leave.
“He hopped onto a branch and started rubbing his little cheeks,” Jannet said. “It was like he couldn’t believe those huge teeth were finally gone — he just kept touching his face.”
The very next day, when Bucky returned to the feeder, Jannet was thrilled to see him looking happy and healthy. “He was smiling — the cutest little squirrel smile,” she said. “You could tell he was so relieved.”
Now, Jannet hopes her story will inspire others to help animals in need.
“Animals always seem to find me when they need help, and I feel such a strong bond with them,” she shared. “Helping them brings me joy, and I believe if everyone did a little, together we could make a big difference.”
Looking back, Jannet admits it was nerve-wracking to attempt “squirrel dentistry,” but she’s so glad she took the risk — because without her courage, Bucky may not have survived.
