2 little squirrels just fell out of the sky

[Materia]

This is really odd because just yesterday I was thinking about how I wanted a new critter.

I was sitting in the rocker about 30 mins ago when I saw a mouse laying on the side walk...wait a second that's not a mouse, too cute. I ran inside to grab a box and called my mother who raised a squirrel when i was about 12 years old.

She told me to throw a towel in the dryer and put it in the box for it. When I came back with the towel there were were two more. One dead :( the other still alive. So now I have them cuddled up in a towel on my front porch. Called my roommate who is going to grab me some pedilyte and a syringe on her way home in a couple of hours.

I'm going to take a couple of pictures right now so you guys can estimate how old they are, and what species and start guiding me along to getting them back to health. Be back in about 15 mins with pictures :)

[pamela lee]

HI and :Welcome , This has VERY important info in it. Good Luck. Having a heating pad under the container they're in is key to survival of a baby squirrel.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11782

[Chesters_mom]

Thank goodness you were there!!! waiting for pics!:)

[Materia]

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk101/mikebatton/DSCF0315.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk101/mikebatton/DSCF0316.jpg

[Materia]

They have their eyes open, but just barely, and have alot of skin between their back and front legs. Does this mean they are flying squirrels? Because I have never seen any around here, that i know of. Are they supposed to be that bony? Are they malnourished?

[Buddy'sMom]

Very young! You are doing a wonderful thing rescuing them! The warm towel is a great start! As Pamela Lee said, a heating pad will be needed to keep them warm -- one withOUT automatic shutoff (CVS carries them).

If you don't have a heating pad, a bottle of hot water, wrapped in a tshirt, will do but needs to be replaced frequently. Or a "rice buddy" -- fill a sock 2/3 with rice, beans or lentils; knot the end; microwave til very warm (maybe 20-30 sec); cool or wrap in tshirt if it's too hot.

Warming them is the key to their survival, so that's the VERY FIRST STEP. Once you have the warming started, read the Emergency Instructions in the link PL posted for you above.

:grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

Looks like it might be flyer babies, but, frankly, I haven't seen enough of them to be certain (more familiar with grey squirrels). Flyers have a web of skin between their front and back legs, that they glide on when it's outstretched. I can't really see in these photos. In any event, the first steps for taking care of them are pretty much the same.

First warm them up.

Then re-hydrate them. Either Pedialyte or the homemade recipe that's in the Emergency Instructions (but NOT until they are warm and toasty).

They will need Esbilac puppy formula, which can be purchased at many pet stores -- but probably won't need that until tomorrow as they must be rehydrated before starting formula.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Materia]

I have them in a shoebox with a hot water bottle now, going to make the trek to CVS and the pet store when my roommate gets back. As far as their eyes, when I was moving them I noticed one has opened its eyes, the other has not. So I guess this makes it pretty easy to gauge how old they are. At what age do baby squirrels open their eyes?

[Buddy'sMom]

Grey squirrels open their eyes about 5-6 weeks; don't know if flyers are the same schedule.

I don't know your situation as far as time commitments, budget, etc. These babies will need care and formula for months, likely needing to be overwintered. The formula is expensive and they will need a small cage soon and then a larger cage. Since they won't be old enough for release while there are still leaves on the trees, they will need to be overwintered, and will need a large outdoor release cage. I am telling you this to be upfront that --- although they are little and cute and helpless now, it turns out to need a fairly huge commitment to raise them, especially this time of the year.

We have a rehabber in the Charleston area, which is not that far from you and can put you in touch with her. If they go to the care of a rehabber, they will be with others their age and will be well cared for until they can be safely released to the wild. You don't need to make a decision instantly -- but it's only fair to warn you that these babies crawl right into your heart :Love_Icon and the decision will get harder the longer you wait.

We are here for you either way.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[island rehabber]

Materia, they are flyers and they look like they've been without mom for a couple of days. They are dehydrated, so you should start them on Pedialyte as soon as you can and stick with it at least until tomorrow morning. More complex foods like formula given too soon may overtax their systems, with bad results. As others said above, WARM them thoroughly before giving them anything at all. Good luck -- we're here to help. :peace

Once they are stabilized, you'll want to take a minute to consider whether flying squirrels are the pet you've been looking for. They are wonderful, from what I'm told by all our flyer people here, but they are nocturnal. If you are not a night person (me, I smack my head on the keyboard if I stay up past midnight :shakehead :D) -- then flying squirrels are definitely not for you. In that case we can help you find a qualified rehabber to take the little guys and raise them to release. :)

[Materia]

It's funny that you mention that..a little about my situation.

I was living in Jacksonville working 60 hour weeks in marketing and got really burned out. My GF moved up here to take a new position for her company, so i decided to take my savings and follow her up here. Sold my car, quit my job, got a bike and moved up to SC. So I have nothing but time and a soft heart for animals, and besides...my bearded dragon is absolutely zero fun to care for :D

My schedule is about 1pm-6am home all day.

As I said earlier, first thing I did was call my mom who who helped me raise one when I was much younger. She promptly offered to drive the 3 hours to adopt them.

Is it selfish of me that I really want to try to raise them and release them in my backyard...maybe, but I really want to give it a try. If I have trouble, I figure that you guys will be the first ones to know as I plan on keeping you all up to date with their condition, and then I can take the appropriate steps on getting them to a rehab facility.

[island rehabber]

Whoops -- Buddy's Mom you said it first :D. Your mind works more quickly than mine these days :rotfl

[Buddy'sMom]

:) I THOUGHT they kinda looked "flyerish" :D Thanks, IR!

Here is a recipe for the homemade version of Pedialyte hydration fluid:

1 tsp salt (teaspoon)
3 Tbsp sugar (tablespoon)
1 quart warm water
Mix all ingredients in warm water. Store in refrigerator.

You can start this without having to wait to get the Pedialyte. In fact, this is preferable. But make sure they are warm first.

Is CVS "bike distance"?? If so, you can get syringes there (1 or 3 cc) -- tell them it is to feed an orphaned kitten. :)

[Buddy'sMom]

Materia, after you get your little friends settled in and started on rehydrating, here is some more reading marterial:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13332 - this is a recent thread in which one of our flyer experts posted some information that should be helpful (and there is also a picture of a flyer a little bit older than yours)

http://www.nfsa.us/ -- Don't think we are sending you away (we are NOT!) but there is a wealth of flyer information on this other site.

No, it is not selfish to want to release to your yard. Many rehabbers will work with you to do that if it is a suitable place, so you always could ask about that.

As far as the short term -- when you start to give them the (warmed) Pedialyte, keep them on their stomach and go VERY SLOWLY. Like a drop or two at a time. If they get liquid too fast, they can aspirate it into their lungs ... leading to pneumonia, which can be quickly fatal. So ... VERY SLOWLY. (It might take them a while to decide to drink from the syringe -- you know "THis is NOT Mom! Where's Mom??") Just keep at it, even it it's a drop at a time.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Materia]

I'm about to head up to CVS to grab the syringes and a heating pad. If the homemade recipe is better, should I even bother getting pedialyte?

[Buddy'sMom]

I'm about to head up to CVS to grab the syringes and a heating pad. If the homemade recipe is better, should I even bother getting pedialyte?
Sorry I didn't see this right away -- you may have gone already. The Pedialyte brand (or store brand) is well-liked by squirrel babies, but we have recently become aware that some of the additives (color, etc.) are hard on babies, especially their kidneys. Homemade would be my preference at this point, but many many babies have been rehydrated with Pedialyte and grew up healthy and strong. :)

[Penelope's Mom]

Good job finding these little tykes! As mentioned above, be sooo careful in feeding them-if they aspirate their formula and you don't act fast to correct it, they're pretty much goners-especially in the weak state that they're in. Be sure to research the symptoms of pnuemonia and watch for the signs. I know this sounds paranoid, but I recently lost a baby to this, and it is a terrible death, so exercise caution.

Best of luck!

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

PM we need you here in every thread reminding people good job.
Good luck with those babies.

[Materia]

OK, just got done with the first attempt of rehydration, used the homemade pedialyte per Buddy'sMom's advice. This was also my first real up close examination of them. The one with open eyes seems to be much more active than the one with closed eyes, he is crawling in my hand around and making little clicking sounds while drinking plenty. The other one (much smaller) is not nearly as active and is not taking the pedialyte very readily, while the larger one is going after it. Would it be ok to give them some of the formula now, or should I wait until this evening. I'm not too sure how long they were without their mom, but they could not have been out of the nest for more than one hour.

And what is the best way to administer the heating pad, should I use a buffer between the pad and box, a towel or something? What temperature should the blanket they are be?

[Buddy'sMom]

Good job!

Heating pad: Set it on Low. Put it under half of the box. Test out how warm it get -- yes, it's ok to put a towel or something in between if it's too warm to put the box on it directly. Give them some tshirt or fleece material to snuggle in.

Hydration: Since they looked pretty dehydrated, a few feedings of hydrating fluid will be best. If they aren't nicely hydrated, they will have trouble digesting the formula and you will have to start all over again. To test how they are doing, pinch the skin behind their neck -- it should go down quickly. If it stays tented, that's a sign of dehydration and they need more fluids.

Pee/Poop: Babies need to be stimulated to pee and poop after they feed. Take a damp tissue, paper towel, Q-tip or your finger and quickly, ligthly stroke the genital area. Mama squirrel would do this with her tongue and that is what you are trying to mimic. It may take a while and you need to be patient. If they are very dehydrated, they might not pee right away, but as they get fluids they should pee readily. It may take some time after they start the formula til you get any poop, especially if they have been without Mom for very long.

Let us know how they are doing during the evening and then we can talk about when you can start the formula. we start it out diluted, then gradually go to "full strength." I'll post the dilution schedule for you to follow.

As they rehydrate, they may get more active. At their age, they can climb out of the box if they have a mind to. It should have a lid with holes in it, or a large piece of cardboard with holes or something like that.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

How are we doing? :dono :dono

Hopefully they have now taken more of the fluid. Are they becoming more active? Any pee yet? Skin on the back of their necks rebounding any faster?

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Materia]

I gave both of them all the pedialyte they wanted for the 2nd time, the larger one is less active and the smaller one is so active it's hard to keep in my hand. I'm worried about the larger one, it is lethargic and dosen't even seem to have the energy to get in that little sleeping ball thing they do. They have both peed, no poop yet. While feeding i noticed the larger one is pretty banged up, it has what looks like bruising on the inside of one thigh, i'm hoping it's just abrasions and not something more serious, and also had some dried blood underneath his front legs. The marks on his thigh worry me the most because they fell from about 30 feet and he is the only one that landed on pavement.

[Buddy'sMom]

Good news about taking the pedialyte ... and they PEED!

With the larger one --- was his pee clear or yellow vs. any signs of blood? That would be one thing to watch for signs of internal injury. Let's just keep going with the hydration for now and hope that he perks up with more fluids. Try giving him some every 30 minutes for a couple of hours and see if that helps.

Also -- do you have any pancake syrup (not real maple syrup) or Karo syrup? If so, yoou can put a bit on your finger and place it on his tongue. This will give him some additional sugar and calories, in case that is making him lethargic. (:D the little one can have a bit, too, so as not to play favorites with the yummy stuff :D )

I don't think there is anything else you can do just now, but we can re-evalute tomorrow and see if he needs rehabber or vet care for injuries. As you said, hopefully it is just abrasions.

The smaller one seems to be responding well! :thumbsup

[Sammy in Canada]

good luck :Love_Icon

[Materia]

I just finished typing a long message about the larger one's condition and stopped to check on it before I sent to look at the bruises and he wasn't moving :(

I think he had some internal problems, his other nest mate took a real hard fall from about 30 feet with him, the only one that made it happened to land in a clump of moss about 6 inches from the sidewalk they landed on. It's tough, I'm already attached to them :(

[Chesters_mom]

So sorry you lost one.

[Buddy'sMom]

I'm so sorry. RIP little ones. :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

Sadly, sometimes all we are able to do is give them a safe and warm place, a full tummy and loving hands --- and that is a wonderful gift to have given. :bowdown We understand that they crawl straight into your heart :Love_Icon .... and it changes you forever. You are doing a wonderful thing, despite the sad outcome with the larger one. :grouphug

The fact that the smaller one is responding well to rehydration is a more encouraging sign. :)

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

RIP sweet baby.

[Buddy'sMom]

Materia, if the remaining baby continues to do well with the hydrating fluid, pees and remains active, you can begin the diluted Esbilac in the morning. Did you get the powder formula or the liquid ready-to-use? With that information I can give you the dilution schedule to use.

:grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

I'm going to go ahead and post the dilution schedule for POWDERED Esbilac, starting dilute and gradually increasing to "full strength" Esbilac:

3 feedings 1 part Esbilac powder in 4 parts water
3 feedings 1 part Esbilac powder in 3 parts water
then go to all feedings 1 part Esbilac powder in 2 parts water (this is "full strength")

[IF it's the LIQUID Esbilac, the first step is 1 part Esbilac to 1 part water; then 1 part Esbilac to 1/2 part water; then the liquid Esbilac with no water added (full strength)]

Frequency: 6 daily feedings, every 3-4 hrs + 1 at night

Amount: Usually we recommend feeding by the 5% Rule -- by weight. If you have a kitchen or postal scale you can weigh baby on that. You want weight in grams but ounces can be converted here: http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_common.htm

The 5% Rule for feeding goes like this: Round off the weight in grams (42 becomes 40). Drop the last number (0) and cut the remaining number (4) in half -- that gives you 2, so your baby would be fed 2 ccs. As he gets bigger, he gets more formula. Remember, this is an approximation. Sometimes they want more -- a LITTLE more is ok, but some don't know when to stop, so mom must decide when to cut them off.

If you don't have a way to weigh the baby, start slowly -- very slowly -- and watch his/her belly. When "full" it should be like a partially deflated balloon. Not taut. And the fullness should go down before the next feeding. (If it does not come ask before feeding again)

I'm sorry but I have no idea that approximate amount a flyer will take at this age. Perhaps before you get started one of our flyer experts will be along with more guidance. [NOTE TO TSB: If you are reading this and can provide more guidance as to approximate amoutn per feeding, please jump in! Assume that there is no scale available :) ]

G'nite! If you have any questions, even during the night, please ask away. There frequently are people available during the night to answer questions or provide support. I hope you have a quiet night. You're doing great!

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Materia]

I had to go grab a bite to eat, I spent all day cooing over them and forgot to eat myself. I grabbed the ready to go stuff in the can, I was planning on giving it one more feeding of petialyte before I started up with the formula.

I was really worried about what the "ol' lady" would think about me nursing a squirrel back to health, because frankly...it looks more like a bat than a squirrel right now (It's definitely a flying squirrel btw), but she was totally cool with it.

Also, I want to thank everyone here for the quick responses and informative answers to questions you have all probably answered 1000's of times. And a special thanks to Buddy'sMom, I feel like I already know you :)

[Materia]

Just finished giving him pedialyte, this was the first time he has eagerly taken it all down, it was so nice to see his little tongue flicking out after it. As far as the skin on its neck, there is not much skin to speak of there. It has plenty on its back, which still stays tented when I pinch it. Time to start with formula? Or should I keep to the pedialyte, as this is the first time it seemed that he actually "wanted" to accept the syringe?

[muffinsquirrel]

You will LOVE flyers! They are the sweetest of all the squirrels. (Yes, I am biased - just a little!!! Right now I have 9 flyer babies that I am feeding - had 10, but one little boy went to live in Arkansas today. Mine are captive born and bred, from captive parents, but I do have 2 little rescues as well as my pet babies.) Since you will be raising this one as an 'only child', you will form a very close bond with it. Flyers are very social, and will become very tame, should you decide to keep it.

Your baby will probably take 1/2 to 1cc per feeding, but keep an eye on it's tummy - don't feed it enough to make the stomache really full and hard. If you can get a 1cc syringe and a nipple for it, things will be easier for you. You can order the nipples from Chris' Squirrels & More - in fact, you can order everything you will need from her. Be sure to replace the towel it is lying on with fleece or an old tee shirt - they can get their toes caught in any loose woven material and seriously hurt themselves.

I'll be back on tomorrow to see how you are doing - right now it's nearly time for me to feed all my babies. You will find a lot of really good information on NFSA (address below my signature). I post there as Judy or Judy C., depending on how lazy I am at the moment!

Good luck with your baby - give it an extra kiss from me!

muffinsquirrel

[skye]

I wanted to say:Welcome and wish you best of luck with your baby. You will fine alot of good info here and great people to help you :)

[Materia]

Just wanted to update you guys...the baby is doing great, really active this morning and eating alot. I started it on formula at about 3am this morning and have been giving about 3cc's about every 3-4 hours, which it takes every drop of.

[Buddy'sMom]

:goodpost Whew!!! Great posting!! :wahoo :wahoo

I had good feelings about that one, becoming so active after a couple of drinks. :thumbsup

I know it must have been heartbreaking to lose the other one last night. :Love_Icon :Love_Icon If it had internal injuries and/or head trauma, it is likely that it couldn't be saved no matter whose hands it was in. You did a good job caring for them .... and I am thrilled that the remaining baby is responding so nicely! :flash3 :flash3

Just keep remembering at each feeding to go slowly. IN CASE of too much formula too fast, immediately turn baby upside down so the formula can drain out its nose. But prevention is the very best thing :)

Liquid Esbilac -- This is absolutely fine to use, but it spoils faster than baby will possibly drink it (only 3 days in the 'fridge). You can freeze most of the can in ice cube trays, then take out a cube or two as you need them.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[hannersnlittleflyer]

They look just look my little flyer! Well, by the looks of it they are at a safe age, and they look like Southern Flying Squirrels :) They are all ADORABLE! mjs

[Materia]

I haven't been able to get it to pee or poop since last night, which worries me. Should I just keep at it? Should I try to stimulate it between feedings as well? How often?

[Buddy'sMom]

You can give some of the hydrating solution in between formula feedings, which should result in pee. That (no pee) would be my biggest concern for the moment and I would hope you get pee by the next feeding. It may take several formula feedings before there is enough substance in there to get poop.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Materia]

Just wanted to put a couple more pictures up, he is doing great...very active and very hungry!

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk101/mikebatton/IMG_1865.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk101/mikebatton/IMG_1861.jpg

[Buddy'sMom]

Oh, how sweet! :Love_Icon Such a teeny thing! :Love_Icon I just LOVE the one curled up in the palm of your(?) hand :Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

Is he peeing?? (I'm guessing since you didn't mention still being worried, that he started peeing again?? :dono )

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Blue Fantasy]

I'm sorry you lost one. :( The others are right, though. You will fall in love! We've only had our Icarus a week and already he's got my husband wrapped around his little claw. ^-^ Just be prepared once he gets older and starts moving around. He'll be very very quick, so make sure there's nothing he can get hurt on!

[Materia]

Yes, it is peeing and pooping just fine now :)

[Materia]

Another update...

Well it's a girl, and from comparing her to numerous pictures of other squirrels her age she does look a little malnourished. She has that whole starving baby look to her...ie. head WAAAY to big for her body :D. As far as her recovery goes, everything is going great. She is extremely active (as long as I wake her up first), she has peed several times in the past 24 hours and has had 4 bowel movements. She has and iron grip, I don't think I could shake her off my thumb if I tried :P

I will try to get some more pictures up tonight, can't seem to find any batteries for the camera. Thanks again to everyone who helped her through the last couple of days.

[oldsoldier]

I couldn't be happier for both of you. Just found this website and these great folks today because I am in the same position you are in... had three baby fliers "fall out of the sky" on the 9th of October and lost the little female (the third was dead when I found them) after a couple of days. Angus - the little male - still doesn't have his eyes open and scares me to death at every feeding because he won't slow down! My biggest fear is that he will aspirate formula into his lungs - I believe that is the most likely cause of the little female's demise - and I am wrapped around his little paw so completely it doesn't seem real!
Thanks again to you and the wonderful people who are part of this forum!

[jme2323]

oh your baby is so sweet! thanks for taking care of her...best wishes :)