Broken leg???

[babybleu]

I found a baby squirrel on 9/1/08 and have been nursing him back to health since then. Mom is in the area and I've put him out on several occasions and she hasn't taken him ack. On 9/5/08, I weighed him and he was 100 grams. Today, he is at about 80. I am feeding him "just born" puppy replacement, approximately 9 cc, every 4 hours, except during the night. I've tested him for dehydration and he doesn't seem to be dehydrated when I pull his skin up. I'm estimating he is about 6 weeks old... his eyes are open (last Sunday) and he's doing his business on his own. He fell from a nest very high in a pine tree and at first, was not using his left front leg. He is becoming more active and using that leg more. . . the break seems to be about at the elbow... or what should be an elbow... In he past day or so, I've noticed this large lump on his injured leg on the inside. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it but want to know what to do now???

[Mars]

My guess is your baby has diarrhea as you are over feeding her. A baby should receive 5% of her body weight in grams per feeding. So a baby of 100 grams would be fed only 5cc per feeding. I know they want more :D but there is a disconnect and they don't realize they are full for a moment or two. The tummy should feel like a soft water balloon - never hard or tight.

Hope this helps

[Mars]

The lump on the leg - is it hard? or soft? does it move beneath the skin?

[Anabelle's Mommy]

Hi!

Just wanted to add a little something...Anabelle did not use her leg...just as you are describing. A knot came up and then it had a large yellow spot on it. The vet was going to pop it but it popped open itself and he just took a q-tip and cleaned out the place. :crazy

I thought I would mention this, because I really thought she had 2 broken legs and then this happened, so watch for a yellow spot on the knot. If that happens it may be infection and will need some attention.:flash3

Hope you baby gets better....Sorry if I have stepped on toes.:multi

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Sounds like an absess of some sort.

[babybleu]

His stomach is soft but full when he's done eating. I have a 3 cc syringe that I fill about 1 1/2 times but he spends so much time goofing around that he doesn't actually consume all of it. He does not have diarhhea and his stool is normal. I don't want him to have a problem with bloat. I haven't palpated the lump on his leg but I have touched it and it's semi soft. He is using that leg that was thought to be broken and it's still larger than the other at about his "elbow" if that's what you call it. His shoulders seem fine and working properly. The lump is on the inside of his left leg. It wasn't there when he fell and became apparent about a week and 1/2 after I found him. Now that his eyes have been open about a week, I think that he's seeing more clearly and is very active when I take him out to feed him.

Thanks for the help,

Bleu