I NEED HELP!!

[rolo02]

My best friend found two baby squirrels today that had fallen from a really high nest! The little boy died a few mins after she put them in a box with a heating pad under it like she was supposed to! Now the little girl won't drink anything! I am trying to give her pedialyte and she will not take any of it. Her breathing keeps changing but when I rub her it gets good. She does have some brusing but i don't know how much. She is grey down the back and has a tiny bit of fur but eyes and ears are still closed! this is not my first baby but it is the first one i've had that won't drink anything! What do i do?????/

[rolo02]

Please help!!!!!!

[lilidukes]

One drop at a time. She has to be warm first.

[Skul]

Givr us a few minutes to respond.
Pedialite is good.
Make sure the baby is warm and comfortable first.
Do you have access to formula?

[rolo02]

she's been on the heating pad for four and a half hours now and still won't take anything! She is peeing on her own well twice that I've seen. I am doing just one drop at a time but she won't even try it!

[rolo02]

Yes I have the puppy formula we keep it on hand just in case

[lilidukes]

Little girl is possibly in shock and stressed. I would hold her against my chest and rub softly.

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

Is the Pedialite warm?

She may also be simply rejecting the artificial nipple. Keep trying drop by drop.

[island rehabber]

Hold her up against your throat and purr very softly like a cat. Just do it rhythmically for a minute or so...you may see her start moving her mouth and then you can try the syringe. MOST of the time this works; it triggers their sucking instinct because they think mamma is near. :)

[rolo02]

I have noticed what looks like bruising on her tounge. do you think this is why she won't take the fluids? She fell from quite a distance so I'm sure she is hurting some where. She has peed a little bit three times and has pooped twice but it is soft and sticky like. the more i mess with her the more her breathing changes and she seems more stressed but when i put her back on her towel with the heating pad she calms down and her breathing is more rythmic.

[lilidukes]

How about a rice buddy. Is she dehydrated?

[Lanatwo]

Did you see them fall? I'm just wondering how long they had been without their mom - I know that my girls were so dehydrated that they started to shut down and would not take any pedialyte. I took them to a vet to get subcutaneous fluids, so you may want to do that if she just refuses to drink.

Remember, warm, dark, and quiet are the best things you have to avoid the stress they feel. She has just lost her brother and singles need LOTS of love and attention. So station yourself in a quiet room, turn the lights down low, put a heating pad in your lap, cuddle her a bit and do the 'purring' thing, then try to rehydrate her with warm pedialyte drop by drop with your 1 ml syringe (that's 1cc). I usually put a little bit in their mouth, just a drop, and then sort of move the syringe around in their mouth - basically annoying them into drinking it. They make the cutest little 'ewwww!' faces and they wiggle but if you make them into a squirrel burrito they can't escape. Eventually she will be thirsty but you have to make her drink the first few times before she will get it. The syringe, the taste of pedialyte and the replacement of her mommy will take some getting used to.

Stick with it but be VERY careful not to aspirate! This baby sounds tiny and forcing her always presents the risk, so go SLOOOOOOOOWWWWW.

If you could get us a picture of her we could help more!

[Kristal]

Given that she is peeing and pooping so well, she may well be neither dehydrated nor starving. Did you try the pinch test to see? Hopefully she is not taking fluids because you are just giving more than she requires atm... I recall a case not long ago of when a newly found baby got aspiration pneumonia from overfeeding and died, so be careful that you are really treating for dehydration. Describe the poop, though, as that can give a lot of info. Maybe she is a recent orphan and/or the nest was destroyed.

[Lanatwo]

Given that she is peeing and pooping so well, she may well be neither dehydrated nor starving. Did you try the pinch test to see? Hopefully she is not taking fluids because you are just giving more than she requires atm... I recall a case not long ago of when a newly found baby got aspiration pneumonia from overfeeding and died, so be careful that you are really treating for dehydration. Describe the poop, though, as that can give a lot of info. Maybe she is a recent orphan and/or the nest was destroyed.

I think she said the poo was 'soft and sticky-like' but I am no expert on what that means in their digestive tracts.

EDIT: I should amend that I am no expert at all! :) Correct me if I am wrong, please!

[Kristal]

Well, I am just going by what I know. When my kits came they were horribly dehydrated. I did not get a good pee out of them for about 3 days. On the second day I got very dry and dark poop out of them, then nothing. Sticky is maybe not right, so more info or photos would be good. I am not an expert, either, but one can learn a lot from poop.