Help with Formula

[dsuguy2007]

OK so I found a baby squirrel about a week or so ago and followed the directions to a "T". ChipChip is doing well except for he has developed some diarrhea. After researching a bit I found that just the Esbilac formula was having that affect and that adding heavy whipping cream seemed to help. So I bought some heavy whipping cream but my math skills are horrible.

I have been following the 2 parts water to 1 part Powder rule and ChipChip seems to eat that up. I would guess he's about 7 weeks old. the formula says to add 1/4 part cream.

I've been mixing up 6 tbs water and 3 tbs of powder at a time. How much cream should I add to that mixture? OR can someone explain the formula to me a little better?

Thanks
Tommy

[4skwerlz]

Try adding a teaspoon of yogurt to the formula. I wouldn't add cream right now if he's having diarrhea. If you have a vet available, you could also get a fecal test done to make sure there are no parasites.

[dsuguy2007]

No vet at it is illegal in TN to keep squirrels. He had a broken leg when I found him. It was totally useless but after he started eating the formula really well it's like the leg is perfect now. It wasn't MBD because all other limbs were fine...and you could feel the break but it wasn't able to be taped up. I just did my best to keep it in a position and hoped it would heal ok.

When I found him, well my dog found him. No the dog didnt bite him or attack him but was scared of him lol. I watched him for a while, hoping he would be ok. Then I saw the broke leg and knew the mother wouldn't come back for him and it was also almost dark. I had no choice but to risk getting bit and pick him up. I'm used to being bit as i've raised all sorts of birds and animals in my life (this is the first squirrel). Being bitten is nothing new to me. I reached down and carefully picked him up. He made a growling sound and then grabbed hold of my hand and held on. Never once did he offer to bite me. I held him in my shirt and went inside. He was freezing. I kept him wrapped in my shirt as I went scouring the internet to find what to do. I found several sites and the all agreed...get him warm first....then rehydrate....then start formula. so I put him in my cat carrier with a heating pad and used some of my tshirts as bedding. ran to the store to get pedialyte. He never really took to it...but I did get it down him. After a day he was a different animal. much more active. I'm guessing from his size he was around 5 weeks old maybe. He was fully furred, could not hold his tail up yet, eyes open....i'm guessing 5 or 6 weeks...here's some pics of him a day or so ago. When I started the formula I didn't think I was ever going to get him to actually start drinking it. I'd squirt a little in the side of his mouth and he'd drink it...i could never get him to latch onto the syringe and suck. Then the next morning when I went in to feed him...OMG he ran up to the cage door and was trying to get out....when I opened the door he jumped out and grabbed hold of the syringe and started sucking it. I had to pull back on the plunger he was sucking so hard.

So as for the Yogurt....I have some Activia yogurt....would that work?

[Tomo]

No Activia, that will make him have worse poops. You need to try to find whole milk yogurt with the cream at the top and add the creamy top along with the lower yogurt to his formula. If that doesn't work, you can try giving him .25 cc of Kaopectate. 2-3 times a day for 2-3 days. Also you should try to give him hydration solution before his formula. You can use pedialyte or you can make it yourself (Squirrels prefer the homemade version) by mixing 1 cup water, 3/4 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix it, warm it a bit and feed it to him with a syringe. Try getting 5 cc into him at feedings to prevent dehydration from the diarrhea.

He's a cute little man! Hope he's better soon! :)

[dsuguy2007]

Once I added the cream to the formula his diarhea went away after two feedings. He is happy and appears healthy.

I'm wondering though I can't tell if he's a Grey or Red Squirrel. Anyone have a guess?

[CritterMom]

He's a gray squirrel - a cutie.

When I mix the Esbilac, especially when I was doing it at 3AM, to make it easier, I used a one teaspoon measure. 4 of the 1 teaspoon measures, 8 of water, and 1 of heavy cream. 4 is easier to calculate a quarter of than 3, especially for the math challenged in the middle of the night!

Once I started posting here I wanted to incorporate the yogurt because of the beneficial bacteria, so I just split that 1 teaspoon of cream between the yogurt and cream - filled the teaspoon partway with yogurt and toped it off with the cream.