whitedove
03-31-2009, 09:26 AM
Squirrel Tips - for the beginner
When feeding Grey Squirrels from four weeks up usually some time after they open their eyes, I use light weight cotton gardening gloves they protect your hands from the many tiny scratches inflected by the squirrels nails not that they are generally aggressive. However, if you have a pay- job away from the squirrels the public does not always look nicely upon scratched up hands, “such as my job I work in a Pharmacy and people don’t want me handing them their medications all scratched up.”
You can let the little guys cling to your gloved hand for security as much as they want with the gloves on.
If for some reason : some one else has to step in and feed your litter of squirrels, they use the gloves and most of the time the squirrels do not know foster mom stepped out.
Just as the squirrels have one set of syringe and nipple per litter the same goes with the gloves.
Another good use of the gloves:
When feeding with a syringe and nipple: Hold onto the nipple with one hand and gentle hold the squirrel in that hand I usually sit on the floor and let them balance on my knee ,or I hold them close to my body for support depending on their age. Use your other hand to depress the plunger of the syringe.
After feeding with a slow even pace, you decide the rate of milk not the squirrel, they can be a little piggy if they have there way. If they beg for it, you can speed it up some but if you go to fast, they will usually aspirate.
Always remember to keep a slow even pace watching the squirrel’s mouth and swallowing if they stop swallowing you stop depressing the syringe. But always leave the nipple in the mouth. They us your gloved fingers to kneed on. When your syringe is empty gently, pull it away from the squirrel leaving the nipple in the squirrel’s mouth. Have a good hold on the nipple! Refill the syringe with one hand and replace it back on the nipple never letting the squirrel lose connection with the nipple, this stops that frantic looking for milk during reloads. With the gloved hands they never really see the syringe move away.
Last tip
When you are done feeding leave the nipple in the squirrels mouth until it lets go. Let them get the last drop of milk, then it’s not a sudden action that the milk was taken away, if they stop suckling on their own there is less chance for aspiration .
One last tip, if you have trouble stimulating them to go potty , wait till after the feeding, or another favorite of mine put the nipple back in their mouth they think they are getting more milk and are relaxed so you can stimulate them.
I hope these little bits of wisdom can help jsut another way to do things.
Whitedove
When feeding Grey Squirrels from four weeks up usually some time after they open their eyes, I use light weight cotton gardening gloves they protect your hands from the many tiny scratches inflected by the squirrels nails not that they are generally aggressive. However, if you have a pay- job away from the squirrels the public does not always look nicely upon scratched up hands, “such as my job I work in a Pharmacy and people don’t want me handing them their medications all scratched up.”
You can let the little guys cling to your gloved hand for security as much as they want with the gloves on.
If for some reason : some one else has to step in and feed your litter of squirrels, they use the gloves and most of the time the squirrels do not know foster mom stepped out.
Just as the squirrels have one set of syringe and nipple per litter the same goes with the gloves.
Another good use of the gloves:
When feeding with a syringe and nipple: Hold onto the nipple with one hand and gentle hold the squirrel in that hand I usually sit on the floor and let them balance on my knee ,or I hold them close to my body for support depending on their age. Use your other hand to depress the plunger of the syringe.
After feeding with a slow even pace, you decide the rate of milk not the squirrel, they can be a little piggy if they have there way. If they beg for it, you can speed it up some but if you go to fast, they will usually aspirate.
Always remember to keep a slow even pace watching the squirrel’s mouth and swallowing if they stop swallowing you stop depressing the syringe. But always leave the nipple in the mouth. They us your gloved fingers to kneed on. When your syringe is empty gently, pull it away from the squirrel leaving the nipple in the squirrel’s mouth. Have a good hold on the nipple! Refill the syringe with one hand and replace it back on the nipple never letting the squirrel lose connection with the nipple, this stops that frantic looking for milk during reloads. With the gloved hands they never really see the syringe move away.
Last tip
When you are done feeding leave the nipple in the squirrels mouth until it lets go. Let them get the last drop of milk, then it’s not a sudden action that the milk was taken away, if they stop suckling on their own there is less chance for aspiration .
One last tip, if you have trouble stimulating them to go potty , wait till after the feeding, or another favorite of mine put the nipple back in their mouth they think they are getting more milk and are relaxed so you can stimulate them.
I hope these little bits of wisdom can help jsut another way to do things.
Whitedove