New to TSB

[rebekahbr]

Hi Everyone! My name is Rebekah and I love ALL animals. I am 2 months shy of having worked for the local vet for a year. I am being trained as her tech and I LOVE it. I have 4 horses, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 3 lovebirds, 1 dwarf hamster, soon to have a sugarglider, and the newest member is a fox squirrel. About 2 years ago, my daughter found a baby squirrel at my parents house that must have been only a day or two old, it was just a little blob. My husband and parents were like throw it out its a rat or a oppossum, and no one would touch it. I, of course could bare to do no such thing as I scooped it up in my hands and held it for a long time and warmed it. I said I didnt care what it was but I knew it was not a rat, and there was no way I was going to let it suffer if I could help it. We couldnt tell what it was for a while but finally figured it out. I got on the internet and read up a bit. I fell in love and named him Merlin, he was a little gray. I raised him until his eyes opened and a week later he died(I had him about 6 weeks). I am certain it was pnuemonia. I was crushed. I squalled and my husband went out and bought me my first lovebird that day because I was so heartbroken(sweet him, but at the time did not heal my broken heart). He searched around the house for other orphaned squirrels as did I for a while but never found another.
A little over a week ago, a lady called the vet clinic who had rescued a baby squirrel from her dog and wanted to know if we knew anyone willing to care for it, I was so excited. I said I would and she brought it to me within 30 minutes. This one is a female and a little fox squirrel. I named her Patsy. At first I was concerned because she had gotten a little bit of diarrhea. I watered her formula down(esbilac liquid until the powder I ordered came in, I live in a small town in Louisiana!). My vet also said we should do a drop of oral TMS in case it was coccidia. Which I did for 5 days. She now has her eyes open(they were still closed when I got her, I am guessing she is around 5 weeks?). I now have her on esbilac powder mixed with a fourth of the formula with whipping cream and her stool is now firm and a golden color. I keep a monkey biscuit in her cage and she has nibbled on it some. She has had a grape and nibbled on mashed banana. I wanted to know if there are any fruits or vegetables that I should NOT feed her. Also, (sorry this is so long) I would very much so love to become a licensed wildlife rehabber as we do not have any in our area. The closest one is over an hour away. Can anyone please tell me what I need to do to get a license. The vet I work for said years ago she was able to get a temporary one since she had so many orphaned critters come to the clinic due to a flood in the area. But she cant remember what she done to get it. Any help will be much appreciated! BTW, I love this site and I will try to post a pic of Patsy in a few minutes!

[FallensMommie]

:Welcome to the board. Sorry for the loss of your other squirrel so many years ago. We have a lot of knowledgable members and I am sure they will help you find the answers to your questions.

As long as she is taking in her formula don't go to crazy introducing solids yet...she is still young and her formula is important to her.






For when the time comes to introduce her to solids here is the Healthy Diet listed on TSB (the squirrel board)
I went over and over it when Fallen was about 5/6 weeks so I could keep it fresh in mind and printed it to!

Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels
(Revised March 21, 2008)

Your squirrel needs a balanced diet containing protein, fat, and vitamins and minerals, including lots of calcium. Feed a variety of foods from each category in the amounts indicated. Note: Amounts are for a 450-gram (1 pound) squirrel, and should be adjusted as necessary depending on your squirrel’s weight. For squirrels that are older, overweight, or less active, you should limit foods that are high in sugars, starches, or fat.

1. Rodent Block—2-4 small blocks per day. Below are two of the best:
Harlan Teklad 2014 and 2018 Rodent Diets. The cadillac of rodent chows. Vegetarian formulas contain no preservatives, phytoestrogens, or nitrosamines. The 2014 is a low-fat, low-protein formula suitable for older squirrels. The 2018 is for growing squirrels (under 18 months old). Store in the refrigerator. $5.00 for 5 lbs at the Crafty Rat:
http://www.craftyrat.com/Merchant2/m...tegory_Code=FS

KayTee Forti-Diet for Rats and Mice. A tasty vegetarian rodent diet available at pet stores. If you’re having trouble getting your squirrel to eat blocks, it can be a good choice. Does contain added sugars such as molasses, as well as preservatives for long shelf life. $3.47 for 2 lbs at Petco:
http://www.petco.com/product/5906/Ka...-Rat-Food.aspx
2. High-Calcium Vegetables—5-7 thumb-sized pieces per day. Arugula, beet greens, Belgian endive, carrots, celery, chicory, chinese cabbage (bok choy), cilantro (fresh), chrysanthemum flowers, collard greens, dandelion greens, escarole, fennel, kale, lettuce (looseleaf), mustard spinach, parsley (fresh), purslane, radicchio, radishes, romaine lettuce, squash (butternut; raw or cooked), swiss chard, turnip greens, watercress.

3. Other Healthy Veggies—2-3 pieces per day. Asparagus, artichokes, avocado**, bell peppers (green, red, or yellow), broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carnations, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green beans, mushrooms (1 per week), okra, pumpkin, squash (all types; raw or cooked), sugar snap peas, sweet potato* (raw or cooked), zucchini.
*Somewhat higher in sugars/starches
**High in fat; also the skin and pit are toxic
Avoid: Dried vegetables, fresh corn, garlic, onion, palm hearts, potatoes, sprouts, yams

4. Wild Foods—Unlimited while in season. Magnolia cones, pine cones, pine branches and bark, branch tips of nontoxic trees, roses from your garden, wild rose hips, purslane, plaintain, lambs quarters, and dandelion greens can be gathered fresh daily. Look to see what the wild squirrels are eating in your area. Make sure the area wasn’t sprayed, fertilized, or treated with any chemicals.

5. Animal Protein. Live or dried mealworms, crickets, or live moths (2 per day). Another option is eggs (hard-boiled or scrambled, with the shell), cheese, or plain yogurt mashed with some fruit (1 tsp. per day). Mealworms are available live or canned from pet stores and online at http://www.exoticnutrition.com/Treat-Department.htm

6. Fruit—2 slices per day. Apple, apricot, bananas,* blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries* (sweet), cherries (sour), crabapples,* cranberries, grapefruit, grapes,* honeydew, kiwi, kumquats, lemon, lime, mangos,* navel oranges, nectarines, papaya, passion fruit,* peaches, pears, pineapple, pomegranates,* raspberries, strawberries, watermelon.
*Somewhat higher in sugars/starches
Note: Pits and seeds can be toxic, except for berries.
Avoid: Dates, dried fruit of any kind, figs, fruit juice, persimmons, plums, prunes, raisins.

7. Nuts/Seeds—Two per day, preferably in the shell. Acorns, whole roasted pumpkin seeds, and almonds are the healthiest, followed by hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, English walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and peanuts, in that order. Unlike other nuts/seeds, sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium.
Avoid: Cashews, sunflower seeds, dried corn, pine nuts (will cause severe calcium loss).

8. Something to Chew On. Antlers, tree branches, sea shells, or a walnut-sized rock from outdoors provide trace minerals and keep teeth from overgrowing. A cuttlebone or other calcium/mineral block should be hung on the side of the cage.

Foods to Avoid Generally
-Packaged “squirrel food,” “pet treats,” or seed mixes.
-Starchy foods: pasta, bread, grains, seeds, rice, potatoes.
-Sugary foods: candy, cookies, dried fruit, banana chips, soda, fruit juices, sweetened yogurt, granola, sweetened breakfast cereals.
-Junk food: french fries, potato chips, pretzels, crackers, anything salted.
-Legumes: beans (kidney beans, lentils, etc.), peas, and soybeans; except for green beans and sugar snap peas in the pod.
-Artificial sweeteners like Nutra-Sweet or aspartame.


Also Important for Good Health:

Natural sunlight. 1 hour per day in an outdoor cage or screened porch during the warm months provides Vit D and will help keep your squirrel healthy. An open window screened with aluminum screening or hardware cloth is another option. Indoors, a full-spectrum light (FSL) for 8 hrs per day is the next-best thing; although it does not provide Vit D, it is believed to have other health benefits.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight. Being overweight causes all kinds of health problems and is a major factor in diabetes in older animals. “Healthy weights” may vary: northern squirrels tend to be heavier than southern squirrels, and foxers are heavier than greys. In general, your pet should look like the healthy wild squirrels in your area.

[FLUFFYTAILNUT]

:Welcome :Welcome to the squirrel board:Welcome :Welcome
so..sorry for the loss of your first baby squirrel ..
cant wait to see pictures of your new baby now!!

im rachel my inside grey is.. bean...:Welcome again!
you'll have to excuse my no caps..injury only one hand working..for a while:thumbsup
i'll be back later for pictures:thumbsup

[Mars]

:wave123 :Welcome :wave123

I think you find a lot of your answers here

http://www.lawraonline.com/

[TexanSquirrel]

:Welcome

[rebekahbr]

Thanks so much for all the help so far. I dont see where I can attach any pics. Also I see at the bottom of the page it says I may not post any attachments. Is there another way other than attaching in a reply to post a pic?

[FLUFFYTAILNUT]

Thanks so much for all the help so far. I dont see where I can attach any pics. Also I see at the bottom of the page it says I may not post any attachments. Is there another way other than attaching in a reply to post a pic?
start a photobucket account its free..once you've up loaded your pics....you copy the bottom....choice....for web n forums..
then come back to the squirrel board and paste..you wont see the pics right away..till...you post reply..
see your pics soon..

[rebekahbr]

That is horrible about the squirrel haters, how can anyone hate a squirrel???:dono Hope these pics don't show up to large. btw, Patsy's tee tee is clear but has a strong odor, Is that normal? I am guessing it is, but wanted to make certain. oh, and the cage is temporary until she gets a bit bigger. The vet I work for has a large squirrel cage she had for her flying squirrel she is giving me. Thanks, and sorry for any typos, Patsy is curled up in my other hand.....lol!


<a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/?action=view&current=DSCF1860-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/DSCF1860-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Patsy"></a>

<a href="http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/?action=view&current=patsy010.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/patsy010.jpg" border="0" alt="Patsy"></a>

[rebekahbr]

http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/?action=view&current=DSCF1860-1.jpg

http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/?action=view&current=patsy010.jpg

not sure if any of these are showing up for you??

[rebekahbr]

Thankyou! I think she is adorable too! And I'm not sure about her straining....I dont think she is. Well, a few times a day I will let warm water run over her tummy and genitals to get her to go potty(she goes on her own now though, i do this after I feed her so she wont tee on me while I hold her). Any ways, I have noticed she does tee in little spurts. But the times she has peed on me, she seemed to have no probs at all. Plus I had her on oral TMS(cant remember the other name for it right now) but that should have taken care of a UTI, right? Could the medicine be causing the odor? Oh, and why mix whipping cream in esbilac, whats its purpose? TOO cute, Patsy is making little squeaking noises in her sleep! :thankyou

[skye]

Hello There and glad you could join us:D

[rebekahbr]

I will do that, thankyou! I will also ask my boss about the medicine. It was great chatting with you all, me and Patsy are going to bed now. I have to work tomorrow, and one of the coolest things about my job is that Patsy and Wicked Felina(my 3 and a half pound chihuahua) can go to work with me every day! I bring so many pets with me, that I have had pple drive up as I am unloading my animals to go to work and say I didnt know the clinic would pick up....lol! ttyl, Goodnight!

[TinyPaws]

Hi :wave123 and :Welcome to TSB...Patsys a beautiful baby...It does not take long to lose our hearts to Gods beautiful critters...Glad you joined us...:wave123

[rebekahbr]

Well, today I weighed Patsy again. Last wednesday she was 77 grams or 2. 7 oz. Today she weighed in at 90 grams or 3.15 oz:wahoo Also wanted to let ya know that I took your advice and removed the monkey biscuit, although I think she was doing a good job nibbling on it, I would be devasted if she were to choke! Also just to let you know, I have had her on full formula, I only diluted it with water the day she had diarrhea. I did want to know when/if I should stop adding the whipping cream to her formula, or would it hurt to continue to add it?

[pamela lee]

:Welcome Your baby is adorable. I have always kept Rodent blocks and monkey biscuit in my baby squirrel's cages and they have always grown-up LOVING it. It's the first food they get other then their milk. I put it in right before their eyes open so they can start teething on it. I've never even seen them choke on it. If your baby was fine with it in there then I'd leave it, you want it to be the babies staple food source once it's weaned.

[rebekahbr]

:Love_Icon I am soo in love with my baby:Love_Icon I took her outside about an hour ago and held her in my hands in the sunlight. At first she moved her ears alot(mostly the highway noises near the clinic)listening. Then she got really relaxed in my hands as I talked to her and she just layed out and you could tell she really enjoyed the sun on her little self! Right now she is in a little fleece pouch I made and wear around my neck. She is on her back and is just darling! Had to share!:thumbsup

http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/?action=view&current=08-18-08_1450.jpg

[rebekahbr]

:poke Got a question. Should I let Patsy have more than 5 cc's if she is wanting more? When she finishes the 5 cc's she still roots around looking for more, but after about 30 seconds or so she is ready to curl up and sleep. Also, I am mixing the powder esbilac with whipping cream and I read on one site that it keeps for 3 days but another site 1 day. I have been mixing fresh everday, but I was just wondering about the 3 days:thinking .

[rebekahbr]

When will I be able to post pics for the picture contest? I have been a member for a few days and would like to enter a picture for the contest. I also tried to leave a reply in the tips and tricks thread but couldn't. Just wondering:dono

[rebekahbr]

:thankyou :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown :thankyou

[rebekahbr]

Here are a few pics I wanted to share....these are of my children and our other animal family members!

The first few are of my 3 1/2lb AKC Chihuahua, Wicked Felina.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/christmas07083.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/moreanimals2001.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/moreanimals030.jpg

Notice her back leg in the last pic. No one wanted her just because she was missing her foot, but as soon as I laid eyes on her I adopted her!

Here are my cuties! Aubrie is 7 and Shayde is 3...
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/mycuties.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/welcomehome097.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/DSCF0543.jpg
Here is Aubrie Barrel Racing Mayor Drew(Drew died from Herpes-the paralysis form 2 years ago...We miss you dearly sweet Drewbie!) The next pic is of Aubrie on her young horse she is training, Leah. And last but certainly not least is Aubrie and Tippy Toes, they are in first place to win a saddle this year!
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/myspacebackground.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/nobody014-1.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/brieandtip.jpg

okay, I was gonna put one of my birds too, but I cant find it....I hope you enjoy these, they are some of my favorites. I will be posting lots more of Patsy as she grows too! If these dont show up, I will try again later. I gotta get to bed now, night:wave123

[rebekahbr]

Is Esbilac also the best formula for wild baby rabbits? Have you ever heard of mixing in a tiny bit of flagel to their formula as well? I ask because several months ago, a lady I work with has the sweetest motherly dog. And one morning she ever so gently brought to the porch and set down a tiny hairless wild baby rabbit and looked up at her owner and back down at the baby and back to her owner. Jess, the lady I work with, immediately went and got a box and paper towels and when she came back her dog had brought yet another one. As she set those two inside the box, her dog(Flip is the dog's name and someone had abandoned her as a pup at a dumpster, Jess had her spayed and she never had any pups but she mothers all the pups that Jess raises to sell, she is soo sweet!) anyways, Jess's dog brought a third baby to her. She brought them to work and asked if I wanted them to care for. I said sure. I used a puppy formula from the clinic called gastormate with IGY in it and mixed a bit of flagel in it. The vet I work for said that someone in wildlife had mentioned that they add flagel to their bunnies formula to kill a parasite, bunnies most often get and die from. Anyways, the first night one of the bunnies died. I get to work the next morning and Jess said you aint gonna believe this, but as soon as I got home from work Flip brought me up a fourth bunny the same way she did the others. We hope that the babies were orphans and poor Flip just didnt think they were abandoned because mom was no where around, poor momma if the latter:( Anyways a few days later I lost another one. This one, I believe choked itself. I had bought some of that bird nesting stuff that looks like strung out cotton balls and put them in that and I found the baby under some of it away from its sibs and some was wrapped around its little neck, I was sick to my stomach. I immediately removed that nesting stuff. A few days after that the one bunny whose eyes had opened died in my hands. I truly think it choked, I was feeding it and it was eating just fine and all of a sudden its eyes got big and it opened its mouth and it tried to take several deep breaths and died. I was horrified, I could only think that possibly a small piece of the flagel pill wasnt crushed enough and came out through the syringe and the poor baby choked on it:dono The last baby's belly swelled up on me the next day and couldnt poop and didnt make it either. These were the first bunnies I ever had that I cared for so young and I was wondering about the formula, should I have used that or something else?

[Lady Squirrelly]

Patsy is beautiful.


When they are babies and on Esbilac, their pee can have a strong smell.
Some are quite stinky.

But then again a UTI as Gammas Baby suggested can be a real problem.

Just keep an eye on her. Since you work with a Vet. you might want to have her tested just to be safe.

Sounds like Patsy is a lucky little girl.

Oh yeah,
:Welcome :Welcome :Welcome :Welcome :Welcome :Welcome

[Lady Squirrelly]

I posted at the end of page 1 and did not see the page 2

Your other fur baby (dog) and you two skin babies (children) are beautiful too.

Sorry about the little bunnies.

:grouphug

[rebekahbr]

As of today I have had Patsy for 2 weeks. My, how fast she grows! Seems like everday her tail gets a bit thicker with hair. She has become alot more active now and stays awake a bit more. She also has started to grunt and wiggle around in her pouch trying to get out when she wants to come out to tee tee. :thumbsup She loves to sleep in her pouch, I wear it around my neck most of the time at work when she wants to sleep in it. The other day at work I opened the pouch up to admire her(it is a drawstring pouch). I was in the exam room about to pull up some shots and was standing fairly close to the front of the air conditioner. She was asleep and apparently felt the draft, because with eyes half open she reached up with one paw and tried to pull the opening of the pouch over her....it was too cute!:flash3 Here are quite a few new pics of her,:Love_Icon I am guessing she is around 6 weeks old, her eyes have been open about a week. What do you think?

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy001.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy008.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy019.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy015.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy032.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy041.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy009.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy027.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy047.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/rebekahbr/morepatsy056.jpg

I would like to add how much I enjoy this site. Everyone is soo wonderful, and it is like a breath of fresh air hearing about so many babies being rescued! I have been reading some of the threads and enjoy it so much. ALL the pictures bring a smile to my face and I LOVE looking at them, Thank you so much for having me!

[tatcat]

omg you are such a good mommie!!!:Love_Icon

[rebekahbr]

Thank you! :D

[tatcat]

your kids are gorgeous!! so cute...:jump

[FLUFFYTAILNUT]

omword..
such great pictures..
love the horsie ones..
im recovering from my horse injuries..had surgery yesterday..a plate to my wrist that got broken when i fell...
we have two tenn walkers..

love your baby foxer!

great stories..beautiful kids..:thumbsup

on a protective note..do you make them wear helmets when they ride?:peace
speaking from..lots of pain at the moment...:peace

:peace your no doubt..an excellent mom..please dont be offended..:peace
:Welcome welcome..again to the squirrel board:Welcome

your just like me..you have a zoo..too!!:jump :jump nice to have you..! on board!:D

:wave123 rachel n bean:wave123

[geocat52]

Welcome to TSB! I know you will enjoy sharing your stories and learning from others here on the board. I have only cats and a dog, but enjoy the squirrels when we are back at our other home in Louisiana. Judging by some of the advertising on the signs in some of your pics, you can't be far away from our place! Small farming community, house on a bayou. Enjoy your time here.

[CupCake'sMomma]

Patsy is sooooo cute, looks just like my Cupcake! Shes lucky to have such a great mom , and TSB! :Welcome

[rebekahbr]

Thanks again, everyone for the nice comments. As far as the helmets go, I grew up riding without one. My dad used to ride bulls back when no one wore helmets or vests. And so he never thought about putting one on us girls(I am the oldest of 3 girls). I used to Barrel Race and Pole Bend in the high school rodeos and all, and grew up riding horses. We always look at it as-You take a risk of getting hurt everytime you get on a horse sure, but you also take a risk driving to work or doing just about anything else. HOWEVER, my children havent been riding in helmets thus forth, but I have told my husband not to long ago, that we definetly need to get helmets for when they ride the big horses. They mostly ride the pony right now. Also my daughter rides sheep and calves at the rodeo as well(outriding all those cowboys I might add!:D ). She Always wears a vest and a helmet with the protective face shield too. Thankyou so much for your concern and caring enough to ask - We are getting helmets, though! I am sorry to hear about your injury, Hope it heals fast!

Geocat- aahh, that is so cool we are so close! I never thought about the advertisements in my photo! How often are you in Louisiana?

Glad everone enjoys my pics and stories, I enjoy sharing them. :thumbsup

[rebekahbr]

Just created a signature and wanted to see how it looked! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

[tatcat]

:wave123 hi rebekah, and :Welcome ..how are all of your babies this afternoon??:jump

[rebekahbr]

:wave123 All of my critter babies are great! Myself, my husband and babies I gave birth to are a bit under the weather though. But we are fine thanks for asking. How are you and yours?

[Sciurus1]

We are getting helmets, though!


I had a really bad fall myself last year off a hunter into a rail. I broke three bones in my back, but if I had not had a helmet, a head injury would have been added to that as well, as my head bounced off the rail too! Some years back, there was a top lady jumping competitor, who wore a helmet, but because she didn't like the harness to hold it secure, she opted to not wear that part of itt. Sadly, she had a bad accident jumping where she incurred a severe concussion to her skull, because her hat had come off when she fell! She was out of jumping competition then for over a year, and she was LUCKY! Now she wears a helmet with the harness, always! At our barn they will not allow any child who rides to get on a horse without one, and no one in a lesson either! Falls are not unexpected when it comes riding horses, and because there is often no second chance when it comes to severe head injuries, it is best for everyone who rides to bite the proverbial bullet and wear a secured helmet.

[rebekahbr]

I know that being scratched in the armpit is not unusual for a squirrel to like, but I have found something else that Patsy really seemed to enjoy! I took her little ear between my thumb and finger and gently rubbed and after a few seconds she layed her little head on my hand and got really relaxed. Eventually her little eyes were half closed, and you could see it in her little eyes that she thought it was grand, it was so CUTE! Do other squirrels enjoy this too usually?

[FallensMommie]

She's a cutie pie...I think I would like one of each squirrel species :D

[rebekahbr]

I know what you mean, so would I:D

[JudyB]

:Welcome Welcome!! TSB is the best and will always be here to help! They have helped me tremendously.:jump
Patsy is a doll, good job with her.mjs

[skye]

Oh my what a little darling:D great photos:thumbsup she sure looks good and best of luck to you. Hope to see more pics soon.:D

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Is Esbilac also the best formula for wild baby rabbits? Have you ever heard of mixing in a tiny bit of flagel to their formula as well? I ask because several months ago, a lady I work with has the sweetest motherly dog. And one morning she ever so gently brought to the porch and set down a tiny hairless wild baby rabbit and looked up at her owner and back down at the baby and back to her owner. Jess, the lady I work with, immediately went and got a box and paper towels and when she came back her dog had brought yet another one. As she set those two inside the box, her dog(Flip is the dog's name and someone had abandoned her as a pup at a dumpster, Jess had her spayed and she never had any pups but she mothers all the pups that Jess raises to sell, she is soo sweet!) anyways, Jess's dog brought a third baby to her. She brought them to work and asked if I wanted them to care for. I said sure. I used a puppy formula from the clinic called gastormate with IGY in it and mixed a bit of flagel in it. The vet I work for said that someone in wildlife had mentioned that they add flagel to their bunnies formula to kill a parasite, bunnies most often get and die from. Anyways, the first night one of the bunnies died. I get to work the next morning and Jess said you aint gonna believe this, but as soon as I got home from work Flip brought me up a fourth bunny the same way she did the others. We hope that the babies were orphans and poor Flip just didnt think they were abandoned because mom was no where around, poor momma if the latter:( Anyways a few days later I lost another one. This one, I believe choked itself. I had bought some of that bird nesting stuff that looks like strung out cotton balls and put them in that and I found the baby under some of it away from its sibs and some was wrapped around its little neck, I was sick to my stomach. I immediately removed that nesting stuff. A few days after that the one bunny whose eyes had opened died in my hands. I truly think it choked, I was feeding it and it was eating just fine and all of a sudden its eyes got big and it opened its mouth and it tried to take several deep breaths and died. I was horrified, I could only think that possibly a small piece of the flagel pill wasnt crushed enough and came out through the syringe and the poor baby choked on it:dono The last baby's belly swelled up on me the next day and couldnt poop and didnt make it either. These were the first bunnies I ever had that I cared for so young and I was wondering about the formula, should I have used that or something else?

I rehab many bunnies and what I use is Zoologic 33/40 or esbilac (they have the same fat and protein ratios) mixed with Zoologic 30/55. You could use puppy milk with heavy cream too. Just plain puppy milk does not have enough fat for baby bunnies, but it wouldn't kill them. Bunnies that come in with their eyes closed are very hard to take care of and despite our best efforts often die. Had you given the bunnies any greens or anything to eat besides milk? Bunnies have a special gut bacteria that they get by eating their mom's number 2s. Without that, they will get diarrhea and die or bloat and die when given any regular food. Without the bacteria, they just can't digest anything but milk.

I am sorry you lost the little bunnies :Love_Icon .

[rebekahbr]

Sorry I havent posted any new pics of Patsy in a while. :shakehead I have been trying to prepare for the hurricane. I am packing things for my critters as well as my family. I am taking my animals, including my horses and kids to my parents house. They arent to far away, so we are still gonna be in some bad weather but we will be in a better house and with more family. My husband, unfortunately, is on call. He drives the wrecker truck for the local body shop and they do not want him to leave with us. He will have to be part of the clean up of the town or help in any emergencies. So he will go to our Church across the road if he needs to if he isnt out in the storm. PLEASE keep Louisiana in you prayers. I pray with all my heart that NO ONE is harmed in this storm, but God's will be done.

Alright I will post some pics of Patsy soon, I promise. It might be a few days or longer though. Take care everyone and God Bless!

[JudyB]

Best wishes to you and your family. Stay safe!:)