Mixture of Questions

[BeeFernandez22]

Hi gang! I have a few different questions so I figured I would lump them all into one thread and see if anyone could help me out. If you guys remember, I have 2 babies that I have "guestimated" to be about 6 weeks old. (They opened their eyes last weekend). Originally Ollie, the little girl, was growing at a much quicker rate than her brother, Pistachio, but lately Ollie has stopped growing and Pistachio has far surpassed her. They are now on straight Fox Valley formula (20/50 I believe it is..Bag isn't near me but its the one for sq's older than 4 weeks) and they have been getting 5cc's every 5 hours. Pistachio weighed in at 100 grams yesterday and Ollie at 90 grams. So here are my questions....

1.) After finishing the 5ccs of FV, the babies always act as though they want more. I have not seen any abnormal stool so I could increase their amounts, but their little tummys feel so tight and full after eating the 5cc's. Do I give them more?

2.) They are beginning to nibble on my fingers (Ouch!!), my jacket zipper, my shirt folds (as we speak- haha) and everything else they can sink their little teeth into. I offered Pistachio a cheerio but he just nibbled on it and broke it into pieces. Didn't eat any of it. I also held onto it because I was afraid he would choke on it if I let him have it. Am I being too over-protective? haha. Also, what else could I offer them to nibble on this early?

3.) This is entirely un-related to the other two questions. I have noticed little Ollie always appears to have a bad case of "bed-head". Theres no bald patches or raw/exposed skin, but it does look like she may be loosing a little bit of fur behind her neck. I know it is not from formula because of the location. I remember reading in another thread somewhere that their fur can be linked to nutrition. Any ideas on what could be the issue?

Sorry for the long post..:soapbox I appreciate everyones help!

[astra]

I don't know the answer to the question about increasing the formula - let's hear the experienced people.

As for giving smth for nibbling, it is strongly suggested to give them a squirrel/rodent block as their first solid food.
They won't eat it at first, they will sort of nibble, crumble it, play with it, stash it, pee on it etc etc. BUT they will eventually start eating it, and if their first solid food is a rodent/squirrel block, it will guarantee pretty much 99.9% of the time that they will continue eating the block when they become picky (because most squirrels are picky;-) adults.
This will ensure that after they wean themselves (don't wean them, let them wean themselves) off formula, they will be getting all the essential nutrients they need from the block (combined with the overall healthful diet as explained in Nutrition section).
As TSB often says, helping them like eating blocks will be your insurance against MBD (and many other possible health issues related to nutrition).
So, you could give them a block or two to nibble on and play with.

As for fur... - again, let's hear the experienced rehabbers.
I'd think that as long as they are on formula, they shouldn't really have any nutritional deficiencies... unless they have some absorption issues.
But I don't have enough experience with this, so let's wait for the experienced ppl.

[Rhapsody]

I would try giving them another 1cc and see how they manage that for a few feedings and if it goes well then keep their feeding at 6cc and increase per 1cc as you feel they are asking (needing) it..... increase slowly per week not days.

Once a baby squirrels eyes has been open for two weeks you can start to offer them HHB from http://www.henryspets.com/ as a daily supplement right along with their Fox alley formula and dry cheerios as a treat and peeled chopped apples and walnuts...... give them pieces big enough to hold.

As they get older, say 2 months, and older you can also give them Rodent Block (HT # 2018) from http://www.thecraftyrat.com/ to eat if you want to along with vegetable and fruits from the acceptable list @ http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16093

Before I can offer any advice about the hair issue I would like to see a picture of what you are talking about..... to make sure its a real issue and not natural hair still trying to grow in.

[island rehabber]

You are definitely underfeeding. The 5-7% thing is a GUIDELINE, not a law of the land. Most of us feed more than that and just watch the poopies as a guideline. My three are 4.5 weeks old and they suck down 9-10cc 5x a day, with perfect poops. No way could they subsist on only 5cc.

[BeeFernandez22]

I felt as though they should be getting more but as I said, their tummys are sooo full after 5cc so I was afraid to give more. I will definitly increase the feeding amount. I will try to get some pictures up shortly. She's such a squirmy-worm and is so hard to get pictures of! Hopefully after eating she will hold still long enough.

[UDoWhat]

At 6 weeks old, IMO, these babies are a bit underweight and need to be fed at least every 4 hours. At least until they catch up. I would add an extra 1cc at each feeding. Don't add too much too soon, as per Rhapsody's advice. It could cause diarrhea. The hair loss could be from being slightly malnourished from being under fed. Would need to see photos to make an educated guess. I would put some kind of rodent block in with them. They will begin to nibble it after some time. Cheerios too. Let us know how it goes.

Marty, Licensed Maryland Master Wildlife Rebabilitator

[djarenspace9]

I usually start with the 5-7% range and if they seem like they are still hungry then slowly increase.

I do notice a lot of times they act hungry right after because their brain has not recieved the message from their tummy that they are full.
If they settle down in a minute I don't worry too much, but if they keep looking then I give them a bit more.

It's your call, you should trust your instinct.
Do follow the advice to increase slowly to avoid bloating or diarrhea.

Also bear in mind that squirrel sizes vary throughout the country.
I don't know where you are, but in Florida for example, our E. Grays are very small compared to their northern and western cousins.
When talking in cc's it's best if you compare with folks in your near area,
otherwise referring to the percentage guidelines is more useful.

[NaturesGift]

Here is a comparison for you

My lil Girl I got in on Friday is eyes closed she is 113 gram dehydrated and starved

Merlin just opened his eyes Thursday and he is 130 grams and he came to me really skinny and behind in weight.

Your a beginner you will get it! My babies food amount goes up every day
I weight them in the morning and update how much they need for 7%

You got good advice here:thumbsup


If you want I can Pm you my number and you can call me any time and I'll help you anyway I can

[Missouri]

Bee - my twins ( Kate and Lix) are the same ages as yours. They are eating between 7-10 cc's per feeding now. They weigh about 135 g. Increase the feedings. They are hungry !

Also ,when they bite, be the momma squirrel and "bite them back". I just pinch them with my finger nails at the base of the neck between the shoulder blades when they bite. It will stop them from biting you.

Mary

[BeeFernandez22]

Thanks for all of the great advice guys! I had been feeding them more but their little tummys felt so full that I thought it would be uncomfortable/unsafe to keep doing it so I backed off to 5cc's. I have increased to 6cc's every 4 hours since starting this thread. How long until it is safe to bump up to 7 and so on? I know someone mentioned you're supposed to go slowly to avoid problems.

DJ- They do settle down after a minute or so, they only "search" immediately after they finish

NG- That would be excellent! I appreciate any help I can get :)

MO- That is funny about being the mama squirrel. I will try that! These little buggers have some sharp teeth!!

[BeeFernandez22]

Any thoughts on possibly adding some full fat vanilla yogurt or whipping cream to the FV to help them gain a bit of weight? I have some in the fridge right now that I was mixing with their Esbilac prior to the switching formulas..

[Rhapsody]

Many rehabbers on here do it all the time....... :thumbsup :thumbsup
BUT NOT "whipping cream" - use heavy cream with ff yogurt (or) one or the other

[Rhapsody]

P.S.
its even included in the homemade formula

*Homemade Recipe - until FV arrives
1 cup Goats Milk
1/3 cup Full Fat Vanilla Yogurt
1/3 cup Heavy Cream

(lasts 72 hours in frig)