possum help please

[Kelly Brady]

I have a friend who found a baby possum laying in a field in the sun. Very odd for the middle of the day and they could not locate a Mom.
She is on her way over for formula (which i have for her) and she cannot get it to open its mouth to even hydrate with pedialyte.
i have never had a possum, any tricks? Also what is the best nipple for them.
this possum is 3 inches long so it is a tiny one.
Thanks guys.

[NaturesGift]

If you could get a weight on the baby and maybe a pic I can help you more

Their mouths are hinged shut at young ages and it's safest to tube them b.c it very easy to aspirate otherways

[Kelly Brady]

When they arrive I will get a weight but I am no way prepared to tube feed.

I will need to find a local possum person I think. Thanks so much natures gift.

I will come on with some more info when I see the wee one.

[Rescue04]

depends on the size of the baby. i use syringes...with no nipples or let them lap at the formula if they are old enough. to bad you are so far away. i love possums and have alot of experience with them. i raised and released 10 of them last season. pics would help. also getting the possum on heat like a squirrel would be great. good luck with it.

[SquirrellyMom]

Does it have any fur or starting to fuzz?

[Kelly Brady]

Thank you so much for the help but the poor little one was dead on arrival here. So sad. I had located a possum rehabber here in St. Pete too but it wasn't meant to be. It was about 3 to 4 inches long and back side was dark so fur was beginning but just barely.
Thanks again you are awesome:thankyou

[Rescue04]

so sad...but it happens. at least she tried.

[lilidukes]

When babies get old enough to ride on Mama possies back if they fall off she will slow down but does not stop for them If they can catch up they can get back on if not........poor baby.

RIP little possie:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[Kelly Brady]

Oh dear heavens lilidukes, I bet that is what happened.

I am glad humans aren't that way. I'd be the baby distracted and fall off.
I have always been distracted easily.:dono

Poor little baby was adorable. I can't stand to see a dead baby. He/she was going home to a proper burial. The lady that found the possum was very special and fell in love with all of my squirrels and would love to help learn to rehab.
Squirrel power I say. :wave123

[NaturesGift]

:sad Ty for trying!

[stosh2010]

Poor Little Opossom..... No more Pain or Problems...

[Gina]

So sorry the little babe did not make it but it was not for lack of trying, and it was not alone. :grouphug

[Rhapsody]

Their mouths are hinged shut at young ages

May I take a moment and ask WHY to this and HOW they eat during this time?



:grouphug for the LOSS :grouphug

[Rhapsody]

May I take a moment and ask WHY to this and HOW they eat during this time?
I found this.....

The possum embryo emerges from the possum's vagina and basically has two tiny hands that are capable of grabbing the mom's fur as they make their way into her pouch. The mom licks her fur to make a path for the embryos to follow. Once inside the pouch, the baby basically swallows a nipple and continues to grow, momma possum has 13 nipples.

Something of interest... the babies mouths are sealed shut. Only a tiny hole is opened at the very front of their mouth where the nipple is. As they baby gets older, the lips unseal and the baby can let go of the nipple. It is funny to get a group of babies and some will have more of their mouths opened then others. One sad thing, if the babies are so young that only a tiny portion is opened, it is virtually impossible to feed them.

If a person finds an injured or dead opossum and tries to remove the babies from her pouch, it is almost impossible to get the babies to let go of the nipple as it is far down their throat. When a rehabber gets baby opossums, we tube-feed them. That means we take a small feeding tube and actually go through their mouth into their stomach and slowly inject the milk, then pull the tube out. These babies don't suckle like a baby raccoon or rabbit.

[NaturesGift]

:goodpost

Tricky lil cuties! A friend rehabber in Mo has a litter of possies she got at 5 grams and she us now on day 10 with them all gaining weight

Praying her miracle comes through!

Here's a pic of a baby I got this spring that didn't even register at 1 gram
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg143/naturesgift1/2ebcc9a4.jpg
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg143/naturesgift1/3578e13b.jpg

[Rhapsody]

WOW!! thats a baby possum? - would that be the baby while it should be in the pouch growing?

[NaturesGift]

WOW!! thats a baby possum? - would that be the baby while it should be in the pouch growing?

These babies were hours old just newborns. I took them off their mommas nipples.