Baby Camper

[NStuart]

On Sept. 2, at work while going to lunch, I found a baby squirrel squirming on the sidewalk and another in the grass (dead). I used a piece of cardboard to move the baby under the tree that it must of fallen out of. At 5pm the mother had not come back so I took the baby home. I had to take him camping with us for the week. I have since tried to find a rehabber and none in my area will return my call except 1 (which is over 2 hours away) & she said she would try to come get him but was going out of town. It is now 4 weeks later and she still is not ready for him. His eyes are not open yet, he is very active, eats FV very well. How long before his eyes open? And what else should I be doing for him? I have a heating pad under 1/2 the box. He has a tshirt to sleep in along with kleenex to cuddle in. I also put in a HHB that I broke in half. Any direction would be appreciated.

[gs1]

hi norma... good job keeping him healthy for a month!!!

what city are you in ... i think we have some rehabbers or members in your state....

i'm assuming you'd still like to find a rehabber to take him ...especially if they've other babies for company for him....

:Welcome

[NStuart]

I am in the Midland area. I called my vet, they referred me to Chippewa Nature Center, they referred me to a licenced rehabber in this town, I called her, left message never heard back, called again and was referred to one 2+ hours from me, that is the one that is to busy to get him at this time. I tried 2 others in the town I live in (Bay City) left messages and have not heard back from them.

He is no problem to keep and take care of, just want to make sure I am doing the right thing for him.

[gs1]

norma he's adorable.....

so now we've got to discuss what formula you're feeding him ? edit: duh!!! sorry you said fox valley :) :thumbsup

although i'll also say that it's best if a loving rehabber/tsb member could help you out when he's getting a little older...he needs to learn how to be a squirrel and that's really better if he has littermates/friends.....

but meanwhile he's beautiful:thumbsup

i think you've been reading here for a while so please keep reading so much to learn.....:grouphug :D :thankyou

[NStuart]

I have been searching TSB since the day I found him. I am just worried that compared to other pictures of squirrels on here, that he is small. I weighed him on a baby scale on Tuesday and he is 2 ounces. I worry that I am not feeding him enough. He is on the FV 20/50 formula. I figure he is about 5 weeks old. I have had him 4 weeks today. And this is the picture of him when I found him on Sept 2.

[CritterMom]

At 2 ounces he is about 57 grams which means he should be eating 3 to 4cc if formula per feeding. You may need to slowly bring him up to that point. He looks a little bit thin.

They should eat 5-7% of their weight in grams per sitting.

[NStuart]

For most of his feedings he will take about 4 - 5 ccs. Then sometimes he will only take 2.5 ccs or so. I am feeding him about every 4 hours. I just don't want to over feed him and cause problems, but I don't want to under feed him either. I let him out to roam for awhile on papertowels then put him back in his box. His roaming consists of crawling backwards, flopping over, and going in circles backwards. If I put my hand down he will climb onto my hand and up my sleeve, or when I lay him on my chest and am reclined in a chair, he climbs up to my shoulder and likes to lay in my hair. How long before he should be opening his eyes?

I take him to work with me everyday just to be sure I can feed him often enough. He started climbing out of his first box, so I had to move him to a bigger box. I was going to wait until he opened his eyes before I put him in a cage.

[Nancy in New York]

Well your little one is adorable for sure.
His eyes will open at approximately 5 weeks.
Cardboard is very drying for them so if you could move him to a
plastic bin with a top, that would be perfect for now. What you will want to do, is drill some holes in it for air.
I will post a picture of what one of our members did.
You could even go with one a little bit smaller, just make sure you have plenty of holes.
And tons of fleece for the baby, they love to burrow in and get all comfy. Even a little stuffie is soothing to the little loners.

Also when putting the container on the heating pad, be sure to put it only half way under the container....
this was if the baby gets too hot, he can crawl off to a cool area.
Have it always set on LOW.
Looks like you are doing everything just fine....hang around,
we will help with whatever questions you may have.:thumbsup :grouphug

Here is the container you should put your little one in for the time being. Thank you Squirrely Steve for the photos....:D
150447

150448

You could even get a little carrier that they sell in pet stores. This is what I used last year taking a little pinky back and forth to work...
http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/August%202011/IMG_2045.jpg

[gs1]

heating pad only ever under the container never in the container... and only half way ...always....:D :thumbsup

[NStuart]

Yes, I only keep the heating pad under 1/2 the box. I had to push the box back farther to take the picture of him looking over the edge so it wouldnt blur in the camera lense.

I usually keep him in a plastic bin when I have him at home. But use the box to take him and and from work.

I have had him since Sept. 2. So a little over 4 weeks now, and really looking forward to him opening his eyes, but so far, no luck. I plan on going out and buying a kitchen scale this weekend to be able to weigh him at home. Right now I take him to work and the health dept. weighs him for me.

Also, where do I find antibiotics for him incase they are ever needed? I have a vet that treats my cats & dog, but does not treat ferrets or squirrels. I would like to stock up on anything I made need in the course of raising him.

I did have a vet that treated my ferrett (RIP Phoebe) for the 12 yrs I had her, but he has since retired to Arizona.

[Nancy in New York]

Yes, I only keep the heating pad under 1/2 the box. I had to push the box back farther to take the picture of him looking over the edge so it wouldnt blur in the camera lense.

I usually keep him in a plastic bin when I have him at home. But use the box to take him and and from work.

I have had him since Sept. 2. So a little over 4 weeks now, and really looking forward to him opening his eyes, but so far, no luck. I plan on going out and buying a kitchen scale this weekend to be able to weigh him at home. Right now I take him to work and the health dept. weighs him for me.

Also, where do I find antibiotics for him incase they are ever needed? I have a vet that treats my cats & dog, but does not treat ferrets or squirrels. I would like to stock up on anything I made need in the course of raising him.

I did have a vet that treated my ferrett (RIP Phoebe) for the 12 yrs I had her, but he has since retired to Arizona.

Sounds like you have everything under control.:thumbsup Not sure where you could get antibiotics for him unless you were licensed. Just be careful who knows about your little one. It is illegal to have a squirrel unless you are licensed. I'm sure that if you ever ran into a problem something could be overnighted to you.:)
Are you overwintering him, I would assume so since his eyes are still closed.
Do you want us to try to find a rehabber for you? They definitely do so much better if they have a buddy. The single ones are hard, you get so attached, and they really do learn from each other. When release time comes, it will be that much harder on him and you to let him go.....alone. :Love_Icon

[NStuart]

:wave123 Overwintering him? Could you tell me what that means?

If you could find a rehabber in my area that would be great. The closest rehabber(over 2 hours away from me)that has returned my call (I have called 4) told me that as long as I was in contact with her and we were working on getting him to her I would not get into any trouble. I call her almost once a week and she asks me what I am feeding him, how he is acting etc.....then tells me she will call me when she can figure out a time to get to my area to get him. This has been going on since Sept. 6.

I love animals, so the attachment has already happend. But I love animals so much that I do what is right for them and not for me.

[Skul]

:wave123 NStu.
Have you considered adding full-fat natural yogurt, or heavy cream to the FV?

[NStuart]

He is starting to gain weight now. I have him on the FV 20/50. He is now up to 65g as of Saturday and has opened his left eye.

Should I start him on fruits and veggies in addition to his formula? I put a HHB in the cage and he still wants nothing to do with it.

I did have him on the GM formula until my FV arrived.

:thumbsup

[Skul]

Still a bit young for solids.
Maybe in two weeks.
A few small bits of shelled nut each day.
Small piece of apple or peeled grape.
Small piece of aspargus.
When you notice he's starting to eat it, you can bump the amount up.

[NStuart]

I will try that.

Also, is it normal for him to open just one eye? It is now Monday and he still hasnt opened up his other eye.

Contacted the DNR today to get some information on becoming a licensed rehabber, but the girl that takes care of that is out today, so I left a message AND emailed her. Hopefully I will hear from her tomorrow and can start the process.

Thanks

[Nancy in New York]

I will try that.

Also, is it normal for him to open just one eye? It is now Monday and he still hasnt opened up his other eye.

Contacted the DNR today to get some information on becoming a licensed rehabber, but the girl that takes care of that is out today, so I left a message AND emailed her. Hopefully I will hear from her tomorrow and can start the process.

Thanks

I have heard of a squirrel not opening the other eye for 9 days....:dono
Wonderful that you are going to become a rehabber....you are so needed!!!!!:bowdown

[NStuart]

Don't I know it. I am having a heck of a time finding anyone on the licensed list within a 3 hr drive of me to call me back, or actually plan on a transferr time or place for me to hand him over to them. I just tried to call the one woman that has talked with me, and again I had to leave her a message. It's so frustating.

I have a ton of woods in my back yard, so it would be a good release place. I have deer that come up to the patio to eat, A ton of birds and squirrels around and I feed all of them year round. We have ducks that come in when the pond is full in the spring ans summer. I just love sitting outside watching all the wildlife.

[CritterMom]

Whatever you do,
DO NOT TELL THE DNR THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE A SQUIRREL!!!!!
No squirrel. Nope. Not even a small one. That little sweetie of yours must not ever be mentioned.

[NStuart]

No way will I tell them I have a squirrel. Because I know they would come and take him and lord knows what would happen to him. I will work with the rehabber via phone if I have to until I can get my license. These are todays pictures of him at work with me.

[Skul]

Reminds me of a puppy, with those oversized feet. :rotfl :poke

[NStuart]

He has opened both eyes now(since Saturday) and seems like he is growing into those big feet so fast. He goes to work with me everyday and spends a lot of time wrapped in his blankie laying in my lap.

I am working on getting licensed, but can't do that until next spring which is when the class is offered. So I am working with a licensed rehabber so that next spring I will have the experience and the necessary information and a vet set up so I can get my license. I need the class and a letter of recommendation from a licensed rehabber and also one from a treating vet. Then the state inspects my home to make sure I have the required set up. With the help of the rehabber I should have no trouble.

This little one has stole my heart:Love_Icon (but then again, all animals steal it :)). I feed all the wilds at home and its going to be great to be able to rehab orphaned squirrels and have them hopefully stay around home when released.

I am so thankful for everyone at TSB and the knowlege they have and the help they offer.
:grouphug :multi

[NStuart]

Here is an updated picture of baby camper. He is in his new hammock in the small cage on my desk here at work. Stupid camera, everytime I put in new batteries it resets the date. This picture was taken on Sept. 18th.

I am still waiting for one of the 4 rehabbers here to return my call and take him from me. Right now I am raising him as a single squirrel, he is about 8 weeks old, weighed 135 g last night. Eating a little bit of HHB and taking about 15cc's of FV 20/50 per feeding. I have one room in the house that I let him roam around in every night. I stay in the room reading and working on my scrapbooking while he roams and climbs. He is such a joy to have. This board has been a tremendous help to me and baby camper. Thanks so much.......

:wave123 :jump

[Nancy in New York]

Adorable....these rehabbers don't know what they are missing.....:)
Just did a little resizing and took the date out.:thumbsup

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/Fall%20babies%202011/100_4035-1.jpg

[NStuart]

Thank you so much for fixing that picture. I actually reduced the size by 50% before it would attach it, and it was still to big.

Yes, they don't know what they are missing. This squirrel is such a sweetheart and couldnt of come into my life at a better time. On Sept 1st, the day before I found baby camper, my Yorkie that was 13 yrs old was just diagnosed with diabetes and I had to start giving him insulin injections 2xs a day. Just last Tuesday I took him in for his weekly checkup, and found that he was actually getting worse and not expected to recover. I had to have him put down and just yesterday I picked up his ashes. It was a sad day. I went home and let baby camper out of his cage while I sat and read a book. He came right over, crawled up to my shoulder and nested there for quite a while. He seemed to know that I was upset and needed comfort.

[astra]

Yes, they don't know what they are missing. This squirrel is such a sweetheart and couldnt of come into my life at a better time.
that's how squirrels are: they know when to enter your life and leave an indelible pawprint on your soul and you are never the same...:Love_Icon :)

I am sorry for your loss... :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[Nancy in New York]

Thank you so much for fixing that picture. I actually reduced the size by 50% before it would attach it, and it was still to big.

Yes, they don't know what they are missing. This squirrel is such a sweetheart and couldnt of come into my life at a better time. On Sept 1st, the day before I found baby camper, my Yorkie that was 13 yrs old was just diagnosed with diabetes and I had to start giving him insulin injections 2xs a day. Just last Tuesday I took him in for his weekly checkup, and found that he was actually getting worse and not expected to recover. I had to have him put down and just yesterday I picked up his ashes. It was a sad day. I went home and let baby camper out of his cage while I sat and read a book. He came right over, crawled up to my shoulder and nested there for quite a while. He seemed to know that I was upset and needed comfort.

Awe I am so sorry to hear about your Yorkie....it's so very sad to lose a great companion and part of the family.:shakehead :Love_Icon
You know I have heard of squirrels sometimes sensing what we need from them. How insightful that little baby camper knew you needed extra lovins....You're his mama for sure.:Love_Icon :grouphug :Love_Icon

[NStuart]

He he is at work with me again. I figure he is about 10 or 11 weeks old. He is growing quite big. Still on formula, and FINALLY starting to eat his HHBs. His ears are starting to stand up, he is really getting to look like a squirrel now. :) :) :)

[sweetecureuil]

Hi!
I do not have a squirrel but ihave 3 siberian chipmunks!
I do not know a lot about how to help them grow but your little buddy looks well!
He or she is very beautiful!
Good luck with the baby and hope you'll become a great rehabber!
:jump

[SammysMom]

He certainly looks like he is ready to "lend a hand" at work!:crazy :crazy :crazy

[patjones]

great work pictures I sure miss my foxer at work Watch the keyboards Pixel peed on all of mine even 2 laptops I had to replace the keyboards on,

[sweetecureuil]

My chipmunks pee on my keyboard as well when they are too excited.

[NStuart]

Here he is again this past weekend, helping me with my scrapbooking......

Anything I am doing, he feels he has to have a hand in........

:jump

[Dan&Sofia]

We loved reading your posts and seeing all the pictures of baby camper.

[NStuart]

Well, he has decided that it was time to go up the curtains this morning. It was actually quite easy to get him to come down, which was surprising.

I have also bought a HUGE 11.5" ball that they have for hampsters to run around in. He loves it!