First Baby and with possible broken leg

[dingo]

Found a little guy who had fallen from a tree, he looks to be around 5-6 weeks old, just starting to get teeth. first day he had a good amount of pedialyte , and now i have him on milk formula..so here are my questions since this is my first squirrel :

He is dragging his rear leg, but he seems to still be able to move it. How do i tell if its broken or dislocated? Will it heal, and if so how long ?

He has urinated twice, but hasn't pooped yet. I'm assuming that might come soon though ( he just started on milk today )...i have been stimulating him with a warm towel but no luck with #2.

Any help and advice would be great..i tried calling a rehab center here in Columbia, but they said they aren't taking in any more squirrels

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Welcome:Welcome
How wonderful of you for helping this little guy!!
Be sure he is warm and not dehydrated first before giving milk.
Some one should be on soon, what milk are you giving him??
Read the nutrition thread on the board.
As far as his leg goes, keep him in a small area with lots of Fleece blankets to curl up in, I have a little boy with bad back legs too but lets see what the experts:D say

[dingo]

Welcome:Welcome
How wonderful of you for helping this little guy!!
Be sure he is warm and not dehydrated first before giving milk.
Some one should be on soon, what milk are you giving him??
Read the nutrition thread on the board.
As far as his leg goes, keep him in a small area with lots of Fleece blankets to curl up in, I have a little boy with bad back legs too but lets see what the experts:D say


Thanks, i tried to do as much research as i could before feeding him, the pedialyte definitely helped out, did the pinch test and his skin took a while to go down.. as for the food, the only stuff i could find was GNC Ultra Mega Premium Milk Replacer for Puppies, which is the exact same ingredients as the Esbilac formula.

He is nice and warm, i have him in an old bird cage with a few of my shirts that i cut up, and a "critter ball" house, in the spare room with a heater keeping the room at a constant comfortable temp.

[djarenspace9]

If his leg is injured I'd recommend not using a cage or anything he can climb.
You need to help him let it heal and not do further damage.
An aquarium with a lid would be ideal.
Make sure to pad the bottom so it's cushioned.

It's really hard to give guidelines on injuries without seeing the squirrel firsthand.
Let's see if we can find an experienced TSB member near you that maybe can do that for you.

Is your state legal (meaning can you take him to a vet without having to surrender him?)

[island rehabber]

Welcome, dingo -- and thanks for saving him!
He should be seen by a vet, to be honest. At his young age a leg can be set and heal very quickly so that he can be a normal squirrel; by the same token it may heal crooked and render him non-releasable. We can contact rehabbers in your area for you - -they will have vet contacts who can examine and x-ray his leg and determine the best course of treatment. In the meantime, if you are going to have him for the next couple of weeks or so I would order a 1lb bag of Fox Valley Day One for Sqirrels 20/50. It is THE best recommended formula for squirrels, and can be ordered either from www.foxvalleynutrition.com, or www.henryspets.com. We LOVE pix on this site, so post 'em if you can!

[SammysMom]

Okay, first...:thankyou for helping this little one. Now, on to the nuts and bolts of the matter.
1) Be sure that baby is on heat. You need a heating pad with no automatic shut-off set on "low" that is under the container the baby is in. A plastic container lined with fleece or flannel is really the best for keeping them warm.
2) Re-hydrate (It sounds like you are working on that, but you MUST be sure the baby is warm before you give anything). You really need Fox Valley formula or you can make the goats milk recipe yourself. I will find the recipe and post it for you.

I am sure that an expert will be along soon with more info. YEP...Here's IR...one of the best!!!

[lilidukes]

The only vet I know of in the Columbia area killed a squirrel through ignorance. If you can contact Lulu2010 I know she has a vet in Summerville or might know of one closer to you. Sorry! Baby boy needs a vet or an experienced rehabber to check him out for you.

If the leg is broken it should be easy to spot. This could also be from head trauma or a slight spinal or pelvic injury. Keep baby contained to a Very small space, no climbing at all. He needs a heating pad on low under 1/2 of his container/cage he needs direct heat. These kids need the heat to heal. A warm room is not the same thing.

If there is anything I can do to help please let me know. Get well quickly little one:grouphug :grouphug Good luck!

[dingo]

The only vet I know of in the Columbia area killed a squirrel through ignorance. If you can contact Lulu2010 I know she has a vet in Summerville or might know of one closer to you. Sorry! Baby boy needs a vet or an experienced rehabber to check him out for you.

If the leg is broken it should be easy to spot. This could also be from head trauma or a slight spinal or pelvic injury. Keep baby contained to a Very small space, no climbing at all. He needs a heating pad on low under 1/2 of his container/cage he needs direct heat. These kids need the heat to heal. A warm room is not the same thing.

If there is anything I can do to help please let me know. Get well quickly little one:grouphug :grouphug Good luck!


thanks for the info, i am actually going down to summerville next week so i will look into that.

[SammysMom]

Next week is an awful long way away. :sanp3 How's the little guy doing now? Did you get him into a smaller container with heat under half of it?

[Lulu2010]

Dingo pm'ed me and I replied back. I am actually heading down towards Columbia on Sunday to meet Fran. If that works for Dingo we can meet as well. I have offered to take the baby straight to the vet and drop him/her off so he can get checked right away and when stable, Keeper of the Wild will pick him up. I agree on a vet visit. I cannot raise any babies at the moment bc I have my hands full but when he is good to go, he will be happy with other babies his age and hopefully able to be released.

[dingo]

Dingo pm'ed me and I replied back. I am actually heading down towards Columbia on Sunday to meet Fran. If that works for Dingo we can meet as well. I have offered to take the baby straight to the vet and drop him/her off so he can get checked right away and when stable, Keeper of the Wild will pick him up. I agree on a vet visit. I cannot raise any babies at the moment bc I have my hands full but when he is good to go, he will be happy with other babies his age and hopefully able to be released.

thank you so much!! i will see you sunday!