First Time - Feeding advice?

[Attic Light]

Hey there! I've just become the rather surprised mommy for a still quite young squirrel (I believe about 4 weeks-- very soft fur, closed eyes), and I'm having a couple questions about feeding. I believe we've been doing all right for now, although there are some things I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for.

The first is that I'm currently feeding with a bottle, and I'm concerned that he's not getting quite enough. I know he only needs a tiny amount of food, and he's not been bloated but looks pleasantly plump, although what concerns me most is how he feeds. He'll stop every few seconds and grimace quite pointedly before going back to feeding. Could this be due to bubbles of air getting in the nipple, or he's not using it correctly, or something to that effect? The formula's luke-warm.

Thank you in advance, and I'm sure you can expect more questions in the future!

[muffinsquirrel]

Hi, and welcome to TSB.

There are lots of people on here that will help in any way they can. First off, it is much easier and safer to use a syringe (without needle) for feeding. With a bottle it is very easy for the squirrel baby to aspirate, which can lead to pneumonia, and often be fatal. If you see any milk coming from his nose while you are feeding, stop feeding, hold him with his head down so that gravity can help get the milk out, and blot his nose with a kleenex or something. If he should start making 'clicking' sounds when he breathes, he will need antibiotics from a vet immediately.

The formula we recommend is Esbilac - you should be able to get it at PetSmart or Petco or other pet stores, at some feed stores, or from a vet. It is better to get the powder rather than the pre-mixed.

The formula should be VERY warm when fed, like it would be from the momma squirrel's body. Not being warm enough could be the reason he is making faces.

What kind of squirrel do you have? Do you have a scale that weighs in grams? If not, you can get one at WalMart or something like it. They usually run about $30 or so. You will need one to judge how much your squirrel should be eating, and to make sure that it is gaining weight.

There will be a lot more information on here for you soon. Do you intend to raise the squirrel yourself or would you like for us to help you find a rehabber that will take him?

Thank you for stepping in to save this baby - we'll help all we can.

muffinsquirrel

[Apple Corps]

The fuzzer should be held with his head and chest upright at about a 45 degree angle - higher than his tummy.

Feed slowly and do not force the Esbilac - as muffinsquirrel pointed out - aspirating the liquid can lead to big problems quickly.

Here is a link for supplies - including nipples for the syringe:

http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/category/1434/oring-syringes.htm

[foxsquirrels]

Welcome Attic Light!:Welcome :Welcome There is so much good information on this website you will be amazed! If you will scroll down to the bottom on the page where it says 'Forum Jump' and click on 'Baby Squirrel ABC's' you will find an answer to many of your questions. If you have anymore specifics, just ask someone will get you an answer.

[Apple Corps]

As a general rule - you feed him/her by the 5% rule:

Multiply the babies weight in GRAMS by 5% - that equals the cc of formula that should be fed:

So - 50 grams of baby weight x .05 = 2.5 cc of formula

There are about 32 grams in an ounce / 16 ounces to the pound.....

So a 1/4 pound squirrel = 4 ounces = 128 grams

Also - Pedialyte (grocery or drug store) should be on hand if you need to hydrate her first.

It is usually best to dilute the Esbilac to a weaker formula than full strength (2/3 Esbilac 1/3 water)

[foxsquirrels]

How is your baby this morning?

[Attic Light]

Thank you all so much for the advice all ready! I'll try to sum up what I can.

I believe that he's an Eastern Grey Squirrel, approximately 4 to 5 weeks old. In all honesty, I don't have a scale right now, although I'll have access to one later this afternoon and I'll be using that to weigh him. I do have a syringe, and tried this morning to use it-- He would grimace less often, although not long after I saw that it looked like a tiny bit of blood on the syringe. I think he's not used to the hard edge, and might have cut his lip or tongue on it. Is there a possibility that I could try to modify one of the bottle nipples for use on the syringe, or does that just sound like a bad idea?

I've been feeding him approx every 3 hours on a formula which is 1 part Esbilac, 2 parts water, and .5 parts whipping cream. When we first found him, he was extremely cold and extremely dehydrated, although he warmed up quite quickly and we spent the first night giving him pedialyte. He wasn't very happy with it, however, and yesterday was still quite dehydrated after 24 hours on the pedialyte, so we gave him subQ fluids. (We both have some experience with young kittens, as well as giving subQ before to them, and got advice from our vet first :) ) He's since been doing much better, and is completely rehydrated. We don't have a heating pad right now, although will be buying one this afternoon-- we've been using a hot water bottle wrapped in a cloth, and he seems to be doing quite well keeping warm. His bedding is currently made up of cotton batting, with the bottom layer as a commercial pet bedding-- not pine shavings, I can't remember the exact brand/name right now, although we had originally purchased it for a skinny pig (hairless guinea pig) we had some while ago. He's also grown fiercely attached to towels, which I've alternately read is fine or shouldn't be used at all.

I am interested in looking for a rehabilitation centre, although we're completely willing to do all the work we can to keep him happy and healthy, as I understand it adult squirrels can be unpredictable pets who need large enclosures (I was told 6'x6'x6'). I live in Hamilton, Southern Ontario, Canada, and so far I've had little luck with a rehabilitation centre in my area. We had been planning to contact one which serves the Greater Toronto Area, although their website says they do not take squirrels from outside the region, and we're just past the limit. I plan to call them later this afternoon and see if they have any advice and/or can give me contact information for a rehab centre nearby. If anyone knows of one which takes Hamilton animals, that would be marvellous. The rehab centre in Toronto says that if a rehabilitation centre isn't available, our best choice would be euthanasia to protect him from being raised by generally unqualified people (i.e. us), and to protect people from him when he's an adult and possibly mean and without a fear of people. At the moment, I really don't think we're ready to even consider that as an option, although their reasoning seems sound. Still; we're big softies and he's damn adorable. I've really only gotten one good picture of him, but I'll attach it for people to give a guess of age / species. (He's got extremely fine fur all over his body, although his belly is still quite pink with barely-there white peach fuzz for fur, and his eyes have not yet opened)

Thank you all for your help already! He doesn't seem to be aspirating-- we usually hold him close to up right while feeding him, although he does like to try and curl his feet up into a ball while we do. I'll work on moving him over to the syringe, although like I said, it seems to be hurting his mouth.

http://i36.tinypic.com/s6oewx.jpg

[Attic Light]

-- to add on, as you can see in the picture, his 'nest' is currently a fanny pack. He does have a cage as well, although he prefers the pouch. I probably should have mentioned that above, sorry!

And he's doing pretty well this morning-- he was quite active before we fed him, moderately active afterwards, and then just curled up to sleep. He's certainly loud when he wants something, though!

[JudyB]

He is beautiful!:thumbsup Good luck with him! :jump

[pamela lee]

For a baby that young I only use a 1cc syringe. I use the elongated nipple that came with a bottle set. Here's a pic of how I stick on to the syringe. Good Luck and that's one beautiful baby fuzzer.

[Attic Light]

We've got those exact same nipples from our set, so that's not a problem. He likes the longer one. Our syringe is a little bit bigger, though, so I'll see if I can't get a smaller one when I go out in a bit! Thanks a lot.

[skye]

Hello There:D and :Welcome glad you joined us there are many good people to help you out with your sweet baby.
Great photo what a little darling Good Luck and hope to see more pics and watch this baby grow.:D

[foxsquirrels]

Sounds like you are doing your homework. Your baby is adorable and looks be be almost 4 weeks old. I would NEVER recommend any type of bottle for squirrels. A Syringe is always best. I'm glad that you knew how to do sub-q fluids. These little guys can sometimes be hard to hydrate. If you need to orally hydrate because of diarrhea Pedialyte is good. Too much Pedialyte can cause other problems. A good hydration liquid is 1-2 parts pancake syrup to 5-6 parts of water. That is just plain old pancake syrup, not real maple syrup. It can be used along with a feeding just for hydration. They love the taste of it. I do not know of a safe shaved bedding for squirrels other than what is found naturally in their nest, ie. leaves, etc. I would NOT use that unless someone told me it was SPECIFICALLY safe for squirrels. The minute they have a tooth in their mouth they begin to chew on whatever they find. So many things are toxic to babies. Any soft cloths like baby blankets, flannel sheets, anything without loops so their toenails don't get hung up.
Since I rehab squirrels, euthanasia is not in my vocabulary, unless they are severely injured and have no hope of recuperation without suffering.
The question of squirrels as pets is always a debate. Personally I think they make wonderful pets if you understand and appreciate them. I have a pet squirrel because he was not releasable. He was a grown when I got him and his back legs really don't work they way they should. But he is not in pain and lives a wonderful life. He is spoiled rotten and would bite my fingers off if I tried to play with him. He still has the temperament of male squirrel and is very aggressive during mating seasons.
On the other hand, the babies that I raise are so sweet that is breaks my heart to release them. In the state I live in it is illegal to own a captive squirrel. Mine could be confiscated if a game warden should see him in my house.
I know that someone on this board will help you find a rehabber in your area. I am not familiar with the Canada rehabbers. But we have a lot of wonderful people on this board that are in Canada.
I hope this has been of some help to you. There will be people posting this morning that will be of tremendous help to you. Good luck and congratulations on that precious little one. Bless you for taking the time to save a tiny life.

[foxsquirrels]

I did not ask if anyone had told you how to stimulate a baby to make him pee and poop. I guess I just assumed since you had researched things yourself that you knew.

[Attic Light]

Ha, yeah-- we do. I've raised a few infant kittens, and I had talked to a woman who used to work at a wildlife rescue for some basic details, and she said that was a part of it. I've found a lot of websites that have conflicting information, although pretty much all of them have had that.

I just fed him now, using a syringe with a nipple on the end, and it seemed to work quite well. I think we'll be using that method from now on. I'm going to weigh him this afternoon, like I said, although what I just fed him was about .8cc, and he seems pretty full but not bloated. I'm trying to just feed him what he'll take, as often as I can get him to.

Anyway, I need to run for an hour or so, but I'll be back later this afternoon, hopefully with a weight.

Once again, thanks to everyone for being so helpful!

This is a male squirrel, and at the moment it looks like we may keep him long-term. I was wondering if anyone could give me some more information on life spans (I've heard anywhere from 1 to 10 years), and how much space he would need. We do live in an apartment, although there's a closed-in (screen panelling) balcony currently used for storage, approximately 4'x6.5' and 8 or 9' tall. Could this be converted into an acceptable 'cage' for when he's an adult? Should I even be thinking this far ahead? I know every time I leave him for any amount of time, I get worried that he might not survive, and we're trying to be ready for this possibility. Is there a point where it would be safe to say he'll probably survive, or is it just something I need to try and chill out about?

God, I have so many questions, sorry. >>

[foxsquirrels]

Sounds like you're doing a wonderful job:thumbsup :thumbsup and already making wonderful fuzzer parents.:grouphug Aspiration is always a concern. Just feed slowly. He should be fine. There are many people here to help with any questions and we don't care how many and there are no silly questions. Better to be SAFE! People on this board will get you all the help with whatever you need, so don't worry about that. Emergencies are the #1 priority on this board. Enjoy raising your baby.

[Apple Corps]

More good news for a Wednesday morning :thumbsup :thumbsup

[Apple Corps]

I have to take EXTREME EXCEPTION to Gammas Baby's comment:

You must be aware of what all is involved in owning a squirrel...

Truth be known - YOU will be :owned

:jump :jump :jump


mjs

[Attic Light]

As sweet as he is now, I know that things could change in the future, and I really do have his best interests at heart, which is mainly why we're looking for a rehab centre. But if nothing's available, well. Then we're going to have to work something out.

I'm just going to weigh him now, I'll report back in a bit.

[susanw]

Awe, your baby is very cute! You are getting great advice and doing a great job! The little bit of blood you saw, could have been him cutting a tooth. We have had a couple of squirrels come in with what we call gag reflex, it kind of looks like a grimace. They do grow out of it, not sure if that is what your squirrel has but I wish you the best of luck with him! Hope you find a rehabber!:thumbsup

[Attic Light]

Thanks for the luck! That is possible-- I was noticing today that it looks like his top teeth might be coming in, it's hard to tell.

He's not big on his pouch any more and is REALLY active-- already he just wants to climb all over everything and his eyes aren't even open yet! I've weighed him, and he's 77 grams, which I believe works out to be just under 4cc.