Re: NEED HELP! FLYING SQUIRREL rescued

[shanen29]

My puppy found a baby flying squirrel last nite and me and my wife took him in as a pet.... We notice that he has flees or bugs????? We were wondering how to get rid of flees or bugs???? In a safe manner...We don't want to hurt the little guy.

[island rehabber]

shanen I moved this post to your own thread so people will see it more quickly, instead of being at the end of an old thread.

A diluted solution of warm water and Dawn Dishwashing liquid is an excellent, safe way to de-flea this little one. BUT...some questions first before our flyer people get here and really give you the best advice

- Have you ever had a flying squirrel before? Do you know the basics?
- Does this baby have fly eggs or maggots on him as well as fleas? If so,. he will die if you don't get them off him. Capstar is an excellent medication that will kill maggots.
- Do you know how to re-hydrate a dehydrated baby? Chances are this one was on the ground for awhile before your dog found it.


Emergency Care for Baby Squirrels

Don’ts
Don’t try to feed the squirrel.
Don’t handle him more than you have to.
No loud voices, TV, music, or bright lights.
No children or pets in the same room!

1. Warm the Baby (never feed a cold squirrel!)
Quick Methods:
-Cup the baby in your hands or under your shirt next to your skin.
-Fill a plastic bottle with very warm water. Wrap in a cloth, place next to baby, and cover him. Reheat every 2 hours.
-“Rice Buddy”: Fill a sock with 1 cup of rice or dried beans and microwave for 30 seconds. Place next to baby and cover him. Reheat every 2 hours.

2. [b] Find a Box or Container[b]
A shoebox will do for small babies. A baby that can walk will need a larger box with a lid (with holes). Put a clean baby blanket, flannel shirt, or piece of fleece in the bottom of the box. No towels or terrycloth. Squirrels can get tangled in the loops. Place baby on the material and cover him with one flap. If you have a heating pad, turn it on low and place it under half of the box (not IN the box!) so baby can move away if he gets too warm. You can use the plastic bottle or rice buddy described above, but these are only temporary methods until you get a heating pad, since they must be reheated every 2 hours and won't keep baby warm all night.
NOTE: Monitor his temperature so he doesn’t chill or overheat. His feet should feel warm to the touch.

Note: If the baby is injured, is having trouble breathing, has fly eggs on his fur, or is very skinny or dehydrated, he needs emergency care by an experienced rehabber or vet.

3. Rehydrate the Baby

Most babies are dehydrated when you find them and must be rehydrated before you can feed them. Never feed formula or food of any kind to a dehydrated baby!

How to Check for Dehydration
Pinch the skin on the back of his neck. If it doesn’t spring back immediately, the baby is dehydrated. If the pinched skin stays up like a tent for more than a second, the baby is badly dehydrated. Other signs of dehydration: pale grayish gums, dry mouth, sunken eyes, whites around eyes showing, rough spiky fur, dry scaly skin.
NOTE: If baby is badly dehydrated, he will need subcutaneous fluids, which can only be given by a rehabber or vet.

[b] Supplies You Will Need: [b]
--Pedialyte (any flavor)*
--Plastic syringes (1 cc size; no needles. Ask the pharmacist to get these for you) An eyedropper can also work.
These are available at most drugstores.

*If you can’t find Pedialyte at the store, here is a recipe for homemade Pedialyte:

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

How to Prepare the Pedialyte
Use a plastic syringe (with or without a nipple). Never use pet nursers or doll bottles. They will choke the baby. Fill a coffee mug with hot water. Fill the syringe with Pedialyte and place it in the mug for a couple of minutes. Squirt a drop on the inside of your wrist to make sure the liquid isn’t too hot. It should feel barely warm on your skin.

Proper Position
A tiny baby should be held upright in your hand. A baby with fur can lie on a flat surface on his stomach. A baby that can walk can be held upright or he can drink sitting up. Hold the syringe so the tip points UP to the baby’s mouth and the handle is down. Don’t let the baby get cold. Keep him wrapped up while he eats.

How to Feed Fluids
Place the syringe tip on the baby’s lips (from the side) and squeeze out one drop for him to taste. Don’t squirt a steady stream. Let him swallow one drop before squeezing more. GO SLOW! It sometimes takes a feeding or two for them to catch on. Hairless babies are fed drop by drop. With older babies (once they catch on) you can squeeze slowly for one second, wait for him to swallow, then squeeze more.

If fluids dribble out his mouth or come out his nose, you are going too fast. Stop and tilt the baby’s head down so the fluid drains out (support his head and neck like you would a human baby). Then wipe his nose and mouth with a tissue. Start over, slower. NOTE: There is now a chance your baby will develop aspiration pneumonia from inhaling fluid in his lungs. This is fatal. Please contact a rehabber or vet, or the people at The Squirrel Board, for assistance. __________________

[shanen29]

well we checked him out and the only thing we have seen on him are two little worms that are reddish in color and we picked them off of him. He isnt dehydrated and he is very active. it sounds funny but he likes to crawl into womens shirts and sleep in my wifes bra, on the top. he has a box in the cage we set up for him and he has water and bird seed and some fresh vegi's. there is wood chips as well. we want to keep him happy and healthy and we definately want to get rid of the bugs........ we are real pet lovers we have 5 dogs, 2 doves, 3 painted slider turtles, 2 budgies, 1 finch, and now a little gray flying squirrel we have named Kookie. because he is cute enough to eat lol just ask our puppy Bully!:jump

[Cejemere]

all squirrels love boobs :o) im sure it helps that they are warm and they can hear your heartbeat.

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Shanen, can you post pictures. This can help us determine the age of your little Flyer. Then we can also determine what kind of flyer he is. A Southern or a Northern Flying Squirrel.
If you find any more red Worms like thing on this little flyer. Can you post a picture of them. I have never heard of a worm on the out side of the body of anything alive. Unless it was maggots.
Now you are going to need some FoxVally and Flying Squirrel Block. This cite is where you can order.
Visit the Henry's Healthy Pets website: http://henryspets.com
You can also order syringe and nipples from
http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/
(877)717-7748
(860)749-1129
Now for the health of this little Flyer please take the seeds out of the cage. Never feed bird seed, to a Flying squirrel They usually coat it with vitamin for birds. These guys need a balance diet. I have posted where you can buy some of the stuff you will need. They also are going to need a source of Protean! I feed mine wax worms meal worms freeze dried chicken chunk. You can buy all of this from Pets mart or PetCo! They will also need Fresh Vegetable and some fruit.
Please read the Squirrel Nutrition Forum.
This will help you understand what your little Flyer food needs are.
Do you plane on keeping this little Flyer, or releasing him? Because when he in in your wife shirt and bra. This is how they bond to you. It is almost like a bonding pouch. All of my Flyers shirt dive, and enjoy curring up in a Bra. When they get older and they are running all over you. They love pockets. My husband has cargo shorts with all the pockets. They make a day of playing in each and every won of them.

[Mrs Skul]

:morning Hi Shanen
:) How is the little flying squirrel doing today? Have you had a chance to read our Squirrel Nutrition ? Can you post a few pictures? This will let us help you better, and figure out how old little Flyer is. Hope every thing is OK!:thumbsup

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Has any won heard from Shanen29? How is the little flyer doing??

[shanen29]

hi everyone this is the wife now. kookie is doing great and ya i think we are going to keep him or at least do a soft release when he is old enough we live in the bush so that shouldnt be too hard. We went to the pet store here in sudbury ontario canada and they recommended food for a dago i think thats how its spelt. and way they said that is probably the closest thing to a squirrel. and we got him some meal worms. he has figured out how to drink from his water bowl and loves his food. i will be posting pictures this weekend i have been working so have yet to take a good picture of him he moves so fast that the pictures turn out blurry. the worms that were on him we think are flea larva and we got some all natural powder that we can sprinkle in our hand and rub into his coat. it seems to be doing the trick.ill post again in a few days and let you guys know how he is then. thanks for all the advice!!!:thankyou

[Skul]

Sounds like you're starting off pretty good.
I doubt that the "worms" you see are flea larva.
If you have an old tooth-brush (or use hubbies):D , you can gently brush the little one with that.
The mix of Dago food may be good, but, please consider feeding as many greens as possible.
They may be refused at first. Just keep doing it.
Your decision to feed mealworms couldn't be better. Big "atta-girl" for that one.
Please keep in touch.:)