advice

[c7salad]

hi i just found an orphaned baby squirrel he seems fine, im giving hime puppy milk replacer formula and he drinks it well. He sleeps mostly all day and when he does wake up he looks pretty dizzy.... is that normal for a baby because he's still sleepy? im also worried he might be blind...when i but him on a table he doesn't really know where hes goin and sometimes falls off tables and my bed by just walking off. Please tell me if this is normal, he's about 4-5 weeks old. if its all ok please give me some advice on how 2 take care of him. Thanks

[c7salad]

yeah im giving him ythe esbalic formula and no i dont hav a picture of him. im feeding him witha puppy bottle he drinks it fine but sometimes i think he drinks it to fast and starts coughing /sneezing is that bad or should i use a syringe. will the rehabber keep him because i want him

[molly]

yeah im giving him ythe esbalic formula and no i dont hav a picture of him. im feeding him witha puppy bottle he drinks it fine but sometimes i think he drinks it to fast and starts coughing /sneezing is that bad or should i use a syringe. will the rehabber keep him because i want him
:Welcome
I've raised two squirrels, with a lot of help from the advice on TSB.
You MUST feed a squirrel baby SLOWLY...with a syringe. VERy slowly.
If not, he will aspirate and possibly develop pneumonia. I'm sure Gamma will be able to help you with this.
Blessings~

[c7salad]

what happens if i here the clicking noise what can i do to make him feel better? do i feed him formula or the rehydrator?

[c7salad]

yes i do how much will all that cost?

[c7salad]

thank you but how will u pay it for meim soprry im asking but i dont have the money they said its about 150 with the exam and the antibiotics

[c7salad]

by the way is the clicking supposed to be loud i hear it softly when i press my ear next to him im pretty worried

[Pam]

:wave123 c7salad. :Welcome

Gamma is correct...the baby squirrel that you found it sick and needs to go to a vet. If you can't see a vet, please consider finding a rehabber. They will have meds and know what to do to help the baby.

[TexanSquirrel]

:Welcome and best of luck with this little one!

[FallensMommie]

Where in Florida are you? I'm in the Daytona Beach area and if near this area I have a great vet that won't charge you nearly that much! PM me if I can help at all.

The baby needs to be seen, get a hold of a rehabber they can help you too.

[c7salad]

im in homestead but the distance isnt that far how much will ur vet charge?

i dont think i can get him to a vet until tomorrow is that ok?

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

Rehabbers have the experience to recognize and treat problems, and can begin treatment immediately. Most also have negotiated arrangements with vets, too. Do you need help in locating a rehabber?

[FallensMommie]

Gamma she is in Dade County.

I'm too far that is a 4.5 to 5 hour drive to my vet. They have wild life centers in the Ft. Lauderdale area where I use to live. Will look them up and rehabbers....Broward County is the next closest county.

C7 your baby needs help today, a rehabber is the only way unless a vet can see him today, he can't wait till tomorrow.

[muffinsquirrel]

You really do need to get him to a rehabber. No, you probably wouldn't get him back, but on the other hand, you wouldn't have to bury him. And without the antibiotics and care that he needs, he will definately die!

Raising a squirrel is a difficult and expensive undertaking even if he is healthy. If he's sick, it's so much worse. PLEASE get him to a rehabber. Perhaps if there is one close enough to you, you could study with her and eventually become a rehabber.

The vet bills won't stop when you get him over the pneumonia (which is what the clicking indicates). So you will have to be prepared for the fact that you will have to put out quite a bit of money if you intend to keep him. Feeding a squirrel the correct things when he's older means that you have to provide a wide variety of fresh veggies and fruit, get a special light for him, and get a very large cage. Also, be aware that when he gets older, he will probably want to be wild - very few are content to remain in captivity. He will let you know when he wants to be free by biting and scratching you.

The fact that he will walk off of tables and the bed is to be expected. His eyes have just opened, and he still can't see very well. You have to be sure that you don't put him in a situation where he can fall. If he fell and landed wrong he could end up with a broken leg or even head trauma. So make sure he can not get in a location where he could fall.

Read all you can on here, and learn all you can about squirrels. Then the next time you find a baby, you will be better prepared to take care of it.

We all care very much for these adorable little creatures, and only want what is best for them. And in this case, with the baby already sick, the best thing for him is the care of a rehabber. Although I know it will be hard for you to see him go, it will be a lot harder to see him die.

muffinsquirrel

[FallensMommie]

There's a rehabber right in Homestead (CALL THEM NOW, DO NOT DELAY):

Florida, Southeast region, Dade county (Homestead)..... 305-247-7885

Freddy Vazquez, webmaster, South Florida Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
SFWRCINC@yahoo.com
Wildlife Species: The SFWRC accepts numerous forms of wildlife ranging from emus to several
species of monkey, but we specialize mainly in the care of big cats such as lions, tigers, cougars, and panthers.



IF this doesn't work out let me know I will find you one in Broward County.

[miraclesquirrel]

She's about 4-5 hours South of Daytona. Are there rehabbers closer to her on the board?

[Jackie in Tampa]

:grouphug How are you and the baby doing?

[c7salad]

i dont think its necessary anymore he looks better and drinks his formula perfectly now and he's stopped clicking i think it went away when i listen to him breath all i hear is breathing!

[Jackie in Tampa]

:thankyou for the update. If it is pneumonia it will not go away. It must be treated with meds. Can you post pics?
If he does not have clicking/pnuemonia...please read the threads on proper feeding. Hold him upright and if he starts aspirating, turn him upside down, so fluid can run out of nose. Please try to get rehabber to see him and advise you. A good rehabber will show you the do's and don't's if you have decided to try this on your own. If he starts going down, please ask for help. We are here to help you!:grouphug Also, baby must be on heating pad. This is less than $20 at any drug store or some grocery stores, Walmart etc.
This can be expensive. Please don't let this baby die. We will help you:grouphug
Do you have 1cc syringes?
please keep us updated.:Love_Icon
Thank you:Love_Icon

[c7salad]

hey everyone thanks 4 all the concern but my little guys alot better now he jumps all around the house drinks his milk perfect and the diareah has stopped he's always playful and looks great ill keep u guys updated and post some pictures! thanks 4 all ur helpmjs

[c7salad]

hey u guys how do i post pictures?

[c7salad]

thanks for all the concern you guys .. well heres my little guy which i've decided to call spunky! i have a question spunkies cheeks dont have that much fur is it a rash when i try to straighten the hair some falls off is that normal?

[c7salad]

hey spunky is doing great but could you give me some brand names of hard food to give him now that he's eating solid foods

[SaraK]

Here's the healthy food list for squirrels: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11323

Also, I can't tell if that's a grape he's got in the picture, but if he is eating grapes, peel them first!! He could easily choke on the skin.

[c7salad]

HEY YOU GUYS SPUNKYS DOING GREAT BUT TODAY HE STARTED TO THROW UP... DO YOU THINK ITS WHAT HE'S EATING? I GIVE HIM MOUSE FOOD WHICH COMES WHICH A VARIETY OF SEEDS AND NUTS BUT ALL HE EATS ARE THE CORN AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS... I ALSO GIVE HIM APPLE ,BANANA AND PLUM PIECES oh AND I DID GIVE HIM SOME YOGURT WHICH I THINK IS THE PROBLEM. COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME SOLVE WHATS WRONG. IF ITS THE FOOD COULD YOU TELL ME SOME GOOD FOOD FOR SQUIRRELS AND WHAT I SHOULD AND SHOULDNT FEED HIM. tHANKS

[Frickster]

i had the same problem with frick...i'm not sure the mouse food is a good idea...anyone else? with frick - we took away everything but formula and rodent blocks. then we started with 1 fruit and 1 vegetable for a week or so...then we'd re-introduce 1 more fruit or vegetable for a week or so. then 1 more fruit or vegetable and so on and so on so we could tell what EXACTLY made her tummy upset. we haven't had ANY more problems since we did that....don't mess around with it though...do whatever the rehabbers and squirrel gurus :) on her tell you to do. they KNOW what they're talking about and it could save spunky's life. trust me...if you try it a different way and it doesn't work...you WILL regret it and you WON'T get over it. not trying to be mean...but i'm speaking from experience and it's a hard thing to lose one of these little babies.

[c7salad]

thanks gamma.... I have a question that nobody answered on the nursery. Spunky makes a purring noise when I hold him or am next to him, what does this mean? and is it ok he eats the mouse mix food?

[Sciurus1]

The noise you are describing is likely the noise they make when they are hungry. It sounds like a low grunt, or oink as some call it. Purring is something squirrels do too, but it is very soft sounding compared to the oinking, a continuous hmm, not a series of sounds run together, like the oinking is.

[c7salad]

this the the mouse mix im feeding him... is it ok

[pamela lee]

These are the only processed bagged foods you want to feed your squirrel. The rest should be fresh veggies and some fruit.

http://www.petco.com/product/5906/Kaytee-Forti-Diet-Mouse-and-Rat-Food.aspx
http://www.craftyrat.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=FS-006&Category_Code=FS