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View Full Version : Hi there fellow squirrel lovers -newbie here!



RocketsRehab
08-30-2010, 03:14 PM
Hi, I go by the nickname Rae & I'm glad to have found a place like this!!!

I am currently raising my very first Eastern Grey Squirrel, It's definitely a boy so I named him Rocket after the squirrel in Rocky & Bullwinkle... because 2 weeks before my Aunt found him fallen from his nest outside her work, I was joking with my friends being the absolute squirrel fanatic I am; that IF I ever got a real squirrel (since I collect squirrel stuff) & it was a boy I'd have to name him Rocket (as we watched an episode of Rocky & Bullwinkle on netflix haha) Little did I know; that was a bit of clairvoyance on my part.. bc as I said about 2 weeks later (at the most) my Aunt posted on my FB wall that she had found a baby squirrel, tried to find somewhere to take him but wasn't having much luck, so she couldn't think of anyone better to adopt him than me!! <3

I had to do a lot of research because I never actually thought it was a possibility to raise my very own squirrel.. only a dream of mine!? Boy do I wish I had educated myself before hand, but at least the resources were easy enough to come by!! :) So I did my studying, took notes and quickly become a Squirrel Mommy, complete with panic of possible aspiration, sleepless nights, double researching & being thrown off, until finally I took what I had found to make the most sense & decided I just had to be content with going on that & my natural instincts.. because the more information I was reading the more confused I was at what I should or shouldn't be doing, so I think in the long run that was a good choice; I have been much calmer & not so full of anxiety, I know me being freaked out all the time wasn't good for my little tiny baby squirrel so0 I sucked it up and we've been doing great!!!:wahoo

I approximate his age to be around 5 weeks although he has not opened his eyes yet. As of Saturday August 28th I've had him for 3 weeks. His bottom/front teeth were already poking out & grown in within the first week I had him. His top teeth in front are starting to poke through as of a few days ago and he really seems like he's ready to open those eyes.. but not yet.

The first week was hectic, I freaked out over everything, I would listen to him for like an hour after I fed him thinking even though nothing came out of his nose at all, that somehow he was aspirated, I was feeding him JustBorn powdered milk replacement with a bottle at first because my aunt ran & got what she could right then to get him some nutrients. After I took over & had done some research, I decided to go with Esbilac. When I found out that corn isn't really good for them while growing-- I checked the powder seeing as its actually for puppies not squirrels & saw that the 1st two ingredients were corn related in the JustBorn powder, so I ran out to get the Esbilac. I use the liquid form -- (I read about mixing the Esbilac powder with heavy cream, but I did the best that I could afford in the instant of realizing I did not want him to have the other kind anymore.) He seemed to like it better right away, so I stuck with it because I decided switching his diet too much can't be good either.

We got through a point of constipation & a point of diarrhea, and he's still with me 3 weeks later so I must be doing something right!?:thumbsup This past week (3rd week) I was moving from where I was to a new place & his heating pad got unplugged for a little bit of time somehow!?!?!?:nono But he was just fine, I warmed up his "rice-buddy" [rice -i used white- tied up in a sock then heated up in the microwave for 20-30 seconds] & got him warmed back up & he was crawling all over in no time. He did fine with the car-ride too, just slept, the heating pad stayed warm & he had his "rice-buddy" warm too. He was the last thing to be taken out of the old place & the first thing to be brought into the new place to keep him comfortable as possible.

I want him to grow up as healthy & happy as he can being raised by a human. I am planning on raising to release but I'm not making any promises - he is an "only child" & I'm told will be a bit more likely to stick with me since I'm kind of all he has.. I'd love for him to be with me as long as possible but want him to be free if that's what he wants of course.. which I'm also told he will. So "we'll see what happens" is all I'm saying on the subject of release.

He is getting way more active the past few days & eats much better now than in the beginning (it used to take him a bit to get a good suckle on the nipple but now he's a pro) I have been slowly introducing a rodent block to him: yesterday I really showed it to him and he actually nibbled it, I had put it in his incubator with him roughly 4 days ago to get him used to the smell since I read its a bit hard to get them to eat it once you introduce fresh foods. He seemed to like the idea of chewing at it... I figured he was ready when he started nibbling at my fingers instead of suckling on them! & at one point yesterday when checking on him in between feedings he was totally nibbling at it on his own. :wott

I just can't wait for his eyes to open!! I'm getting so impatient haha :dono

So that's our story so far, hope you enjoyed it. & I hope to find many more fun stories here on The Squirrel Board!!! :wave123

Suki Mixson
08-30-2010, 04:11 PM
Hey! I was blessed with my Zipper right after her eyes opened and she has been a hoot! If you plan to release you have to treat this completely different. In the long run its best for both of you. I didnt even think about not bonding with Zipper or not letting her play with my other animals. If I were to let her go now she would never make it. There is also the harm that may come to anyone that were to wonder under a tree that she is nesting in. She is very ugly to strangers. Best of luck!! Im so very excited for you!:jump

wheezer
08-30-2010, 05:43 PM
:Welcome :Welcome
That is a great story:thumbsup :Love_Icon

Best of luck. Being a Mom and bonding with Rocket isn't a problem even if you are going to release....until he is fully weaned. Then just lessen your play time. They usually "wild" up naturally at this point.

You will find lot's of help and support here on the board for release tips:thumbsup
:grouphug

mattnjeana
08-30-2010, 08:14 PM
Welcome!!!! I am kinda new here too .....also have my first little fox squirrel named Roo she has been an absolute delight ....have had all the worries and sleepless nights too ....if I get any new grey hair it will be from all my fears with her.....lol Roo is close to Rockets age too she is a little over 4 weeks now ....of course thats just an estimate.. Good Luck and Enjoy.:)

astra
08-30-2010, 08:21 PM
:Welcome
A wonderful story! Looking forward to photos, too!:tilt

RocketsRehab
09-01-2010, 11:35 AM
I'm trying to figure out the whole picture process too being new-
I have plenty of them & will post asap!!:thankyou :peace

michelle7749
09-01-2010, 11:42 AM
:Welcome Rae & Rocket! :D
I too am sorta new to the board. I can surely relate to what you're going through haha

Out little guy E.T. was about a week old when we found him in the back yard. He's now 7 months old and totally spoiled rotten :Love_Icon
We plan on keeping him as a forever home. There's no way he could be released now as he's totally people friendly.

Anyway, we look forward to hearing more stories and seeing pics of your little guy!

Jackie in Tampa
09-01-2010, 11:42 AM
:Welcome :wave123
about the resizing..
I googled free picture resizing download...and wahla...
I now click right and a window opens and offers resizing!
and trust me...I am not a computer person, just barely type, oye!:shakehead
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

lilidukes
09-01-2010, 11:50 AM
:Welcome :Welcome :Welcome I'm 13mo old Ella's mom. Every time you think that you've outsmarted them they will come up with something new to give you gray hairs.:wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :multi :multi :multi :multi :multi looking forward to pics

michelle7749
09-01-2010, 02:46 PM
:Welcome :Welcome :Welcome I'm 13mo old Ella's mom. Every time you think that you've outsmarted them they will come up with something new to give you gray hairs.:wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :multi :multi :multi :multi :multi looking forward to pics

Awwww man! Cool! Lilidukes, I am crazy in love with gray hair haha just found my first one and wanted to have a birthday party for it, but my husband just didn't see the need :D

RocketsRehab
09-01-2010, 02:47 PM
Thank you all so much for the warm welcomes- It is really so0o0 awesome to be able to come on a website and know that everyone else here :Love_Icon 's squirrels as much as I do!! I kind of thought I was :crazy silly or crazy :skwredup for a while.. bc I've loved squirrels FOREVER, since i was little... now collecting little figures or anything I could find with a squirrel on it hahaha
but to know I am not the only person out there who looks at these little critters: seeing adorable, clever & funny gifts of nature is incredible!!!:grouphug

I would love to post pictures as simply & quickly as possible so I am trying to find a way to link you to the album I have dedicated to Rocket on my Facebook page. I will hopefully have that all figured out shortly & since I just uploaded my newest pics you will get the first to current shots all in one place!!:thumbsup

Ronda
09-02-2010, 07:48 PM
Welcome! We are looking forward to lots of pics:crazy

RocketsRehab
09-03-2010, 08:44 PM
:osnap Rocket has opened ONE eye!!!! :osnap
:wave
His left eye slit opened up around 3:30 this afternoon. My friend Dee was over & I was preparing for a feeding so I took him out a little early to let her see him since she hasn't really seen much of him once we moved (she was with me through the first couple hectic weeks mostly every day as moral support and also contributing to his supply needs; we call her "Auntie" hehe)
So she was holding him and we were talking about his eyes opening; I said yeah doesn't it look as if he has already opened them & just has them closed or something?! & she was saying "yeah it kinda does" when before she could finish she was saying "Oh my god, this one IIIISSS open!!!!!???" so0o I went running and sure enough it was starting to open!!!

We must have caught it right as it was happening because only a tiny bit was open when I first looked then within a few minutes it was fully open & he was blinking at me like a little Pirate Squirrel!!! :rotfl
:jump
I am so excited, still trying for those pics- believe me I want to share them!!!
At least now you'll probably get some of the eyes open by the time I get it figured out!!? lol

acaringhand
09-05-2010, 09:41 AM
Hi,

I am brand new to your sight, and wish I had stumbled upon it one day earlier. I am sitting here at my computer, wiping tears as I type. I too, rescued a baby gray squirrel, on 8/31/10, my first one. I did all the research, and did everything to the T, however, I believe my baby boy squirrel, Rascal, had aspiration pneumonia. He had the signs, the clicking, and rapid breathing. I immediately called our local vet hospital, who gave me a number to a rehabber. I called her and left her a message, but in the meantime I became very worried. I called the vet back, and they told me to bring him in and they would have one of their employees, a former rehabber, take care of him. After I dropped him off, I received a call from the rehabber who told me he likely needed baytril. She would go get him as she had several baby squirrels, and he would snuggle to them after she treated him. She called me back to tell me that they had to euthanize him, because he was too ill. I sobbed!! She said she was surprised that they did that, as what I described and the length of time he was likely ill was not long at all. She asked me if he had blood coming from his nose, and I told her no.

I feel that if I had just found you guys just an hour sooner, I may still have my little guy today. Maybe I am just having wishful thinking, and maybe the vet decided he was too sick, but he/she was not the one who deals with the wildlife. I am hopeful, that I will be blessed enough again to come across another baby. I will be contacting this rehabber, to get more exposure and work with her, to one day, obtain a license.

Thank you for letting me vent my emotions here, as I feel everyone seems very helpful. :thankyou

Ultra Peepi
09-05-2010, 03:02 PM
:Welcome Rae and Rocket! You're gonna love this place! Can't wait to see pics!

@ acaringhand: :grouphug I'm so sorry you lost your little friend and hope you'll stick round here.

acaringhand
09-06-2010, 09:16 AM
Thank you. I am hoping to stumble upon another little baby in need of help. The four days that I had this little one were an absolute joy. I never imagined how wonderful one could feel trying to help a little wildlife animal in need.

I truly enjoy this sight, the stories, the wisdom and all of the help and suggestions. I know that If I am lucky enough to have another baby in my hands, that TSB is the place for me to be.

Thank you again,
Carrie

astra
09-06-2010, 02:08 PM
Thank you. I am hoping to stumble upon another little baby in need of help. The four days that I had this little one were an absolute joy. I never imagined how wonderful one could feel trying to help a little wildlife animal in need.

I truly enjoy this sight, the stories, the wisdom and all of the help and suggestions. I know that If I am lucky enough to have another baby in my hands, that TSB is the place for me to be.

Thank you again,
Carrie
I am sorry to hear about your loss...especially sorry because it sounds all too sadly familiar. Bringing a tiny baby that is not well to a vet/wildlife center/etc will result in the baby's being euthanize in 99% of cases. They just don't seem to bother with animals that require extra or special care, unless it is an exotic animal... had to learn it the hard way.

...but another one will fall on your lap, and with TSB's help you will be well equipped to care for another tiny life.

Gina
09-06-2010, 05:29 PM
:wave123 Rae & Rocket. Sounds like you are off to a great start with your little guy. I got my first babies last year and still have them. One is a definate non-releasable due to his teeth and the other may one day want his freedom but so far is just a momma's boy. You will soon get the hang of the photo's thing, I had a hard time with the re-size too. Now I use photoshop elements and just drag pic into a default web frame. This way I can add words, color, etc if I want.

Can't wait to see your little angel:grouphug

acaringhand - so sorry for your loss:Love_Icon

acaringhand
09-07-2010, 09:00 PM
I truly hope that I find another little baby. I am so heart broken and guess I've lived and learned through this experience. Every where I go and walk I am always on the look out for a little baby who is in need of my love and care.

Thank you all for your support. I will remain a member and hopefully one day i'll have a wonderful story to share. :thumbsup

RocketsRehab
09-11-2010, 12:40 AM
I just wanted to inform everyone that unfortunately I had to hand my little Rocket over to the professionals. He became very lethargic on us the evening of the 7th & had not improved but actually started ceasing the next morning.. so I brought him to the closest vet & he is currently still being tube fed because he isn't taking the food on his own; I guess he was really dehydrated which I don't really understand, because he was eating fine & i even watered down the last feeding he took on his own- fearing that was the problem.. until I could get pedialyte, but it was apparently too late for pedialyte?! I am just glad I got him in when I did. The Dr. that took over his care has been outstanding.. we are keeping in touch daily & they told us today that they would let my boyfriend & me transport him to the rehabber when he gets better. That news was amazing to me. I cant tell you how much I appreciate this Dr.'s dedication to keep fighting for him & not just give up & put him down. I can't ever thank her enough for that!! So I will keep you updated as well so you know how things turn out for him & with my progress on trying to become a rehabber myself someday.

So Rocket is fighting, hanging in there.. PLEASE WISH, PRAY, HOPE (what ever it is you do to send positive energy out please do it) FOR ROCKET JAMES to get well soon so he can cuddle up with some new adopted squirrel brothers/sisters at the licensed rehab & learn to be a better wild squirrel than I could ever have offered him even doing the best I knew how.

***Acaringhand-- I am sorry for your loss & glad you got to share your story but just so you know; you can also start your very own thread to get comments on. You are in the right area; "introduce yourself" but if you 'start a new thread' you can keep track of the people just talking to you and not be confused because here people are commenting on my story mostly-
I don't mind but just to say; I was quite confused because I thought people were first responding to my situation but upon a second glance people are talking to you actually.. I hope another squirrel finds us both, but only once we can be sure we will provide it with the very best, most knowledgable care. It's easy to think we are doing the best for them, we are; I mean, the best WE can; BUT we aren't squirrel mommy's and that's a fact. Good Luck in your journeys & stay strong:peace ***


I will be remaining a member of this forum because I think it is one of the most welcoming, helpful places I've ever found on the internet. SO thanks again for all your support & I still want to post pictures.. I will get to that tomorrow. Thanks for being patient:grouphug