island rehabber
08-19-2010, 07:37 AM
You've found a baby squirrel, and you've found The Squirrel Board. :thumbsup
You're here in the Emergency Forum and you've read a little bit about how to keep the baby alive. Maybe you've warmed the baby up and he's starting to get active and nuzzle your hand. Maybe you've tried a little warm Pedialyte and he loved it and he looks so cute while he's slurping that syringe and when he's all curled up in a ball. And you figure, smart person that you are, that you're doing so well, it can't be THAT hard to raise this baby yourself.......
Yes, it can.
Please ask yourself the following questions:
Are you prepared to go out NOW and find goat's milk to start him on formula, followed by Fox Valley Squirrel formula that can only be ordered ON LINE and costs upwards of $11 per canister?
Are you prepared to go wherever you have to go, NOW, to get a 1cc syringe to feed this baby properly without aspirating him?
Are you prepared starting right NOW to feed this baby as frequently as required by its age and condition, including getting up in the middle of the night?
Are you prepared to use, or go out and buy NOW, a heating pad without the automatic shut-off feature? It is an absolute MUST for baby squirrels. Other heat sources will not be adequate and the baby will die.
When your baby starts "clicking" and becomes lethargic because he accidentally inhaled a bit of formula, will you be able to get prescription-only antibiotics within the next 2 hours to save its life?
Are you prepared, LATER ON as the squirrel grows, to buy or build a series of appropriate cages for the animal's age, to buy expensive fresh produce which the squirrel requires for good health, to seek out skilled veterinary help even if you are in an "illegal state", and to learn how to "soft release" the squirrel in an appropriate release site so it will have a chance to survive in the wild?
Are you prepared to resist ALL temptation to "introduce" the squirrel to your household pets, thereby giving the squirrel the delusion that cats and dogs will not kill him when he is out in the wild? Are you prepared to keep the squirrel and the pets separate for the entire life of the squirrel?
If you have answered NO to even one of these questions, you need to contact a qualified wildlife rehabilitator and we will help you do that.....
NOW.
You're here in the Emergency Forum and you've read a little bit about how to keep the baby alive. Maybe you've warmed the baby up and he's starting to get active and nuzzle your hand. Maybe you've tried a little warm Pedialyte and he loved it and he looks so cute while he's slurping that syringe and when he's all curled up in a ball. And you figure, smart person that you are, that you're doing so well, it can't be THAT hard to raise this baby yourself.......
Yes, it can.
Please ask yourself the following questions:
Are you prepared to go out NOW and find goat's milk to start him on formula, followed by Fox Valley Squirrel formula that can only be ordered ON LINE and costs upwards of $11 per canister?
Are you prepared to go wherever you have to go, NOW, to get a 1cc syringe to feed this baby properly without aspirating him?
Are you prepared starting right NOW to feed this baby as frequently as required by its age and condition, including getting up in the middle of the night?
Are you prepared to use, or go out and buy NOW, a heating pad without the automatic shut-off feature? It is an absolute MUST for baby squirrels. Other heat sources will not be adequate and the baby will die.
When your baby starts "clicking" and becomes lethargic because he accidentally inhaled a bit of formula, will you be able to get prescription-only antibiotics within the next 2 hours to save its life?
Are you prepared, LATER ON as the squirrel grows, to buy or build a series of appropriate cages for the animal's age, to buy expensive fresh produce which the squirrel requires for good health, to seek out skilled veterinary help even if you are in an "illegal state", and to learn how to "soft release" the squirrel in an appropriate release site so it will have a chance to survive in the wild?
Are you prepared to resist ALL temptation to "introduce" the squirrel to your household pets, thereby giving the squirrel the delusion that cats and dogs will not kill him when he is out in the wild? Are you prepared to keep the squirrel and the pets separate for the entire life of the squirrel?
If you have answered NO to even one of these questions, you need to contact a qualified wildlife rehabilitator and we will help you do that.....
NOW.