2 week old baby squirrel won't pee

[Taina.Paige]

I have three 2 week old squirrels, I got them Thursday night.
I've been feeding them ever 2-3 hours, 1-1 Ebilasc/Pedialyt (or however it's spelt). I just read about the goats milk and ill buy it tomorrow to feed them until the actual food comes in the mail.
They eat about 2cc each feeding, they let me know when they're done.
Two of them have been peeing after each feeding and fairly regular bowel movements. But one of them hasn't at all, she eats the same amount. The only difference I see between them is she has a little bruise by her anus. It's a very very small mark.
Please respond quickly, I'm worried because it's been way too long especially with how much she's eating.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/photo.jpg
(Sorry if there is a double post, computer freaked)

[Jackie in Tampa]

where are you?
please do not make formula with pedialyte...use water
how does her belly appear in comparison to the other two...

[astra]

Hi and Welcome,

Like Jackie said - do not mix formula and pedi. You can alternate formula and pedi, but never mix them.
Also, pedi should not be given for more than 24 hrs. After that - just water, or slightly sweetened water, but not pedi.

What state are you in?.... so that if we have members there, they will be able to help you.

Also, it's 1.30am right now.
If you email me within the next half an hour, I can email you a number to one of our members who can help you and answer your questions at this late hour.

[astra]

When you say that two were peeing and the other one isn't.
It is not clear: do you mean they are peeing on their own, or do you stimulate them?
Babies need to be stimulated: use a q-tip or a soft wet cotton ball or something like that (or a soft brush) and gently massage them from top to bottom (some ppl start from their face, like a mother would lick them, and work down; other people start from about chest/shoulders area and work down), but they need to be stimulated BEFORE and AFTER each feeding.

Also, if that other little one is bloated, do not feed her.
Is her tummy distended and tight like a drum?... Do not feed anything if she is bloated.

I hope you can email me right now.

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Taina.Paige
Hear is my EMail Address cmsokla@nctv.com
Can you E-mail your Phone Number? I am Dyslexic and am Helping 4 other people. Not a lot of time to type.:D Your Babies Look About 1 1/2 week old. (Did the Fuzz just start coming in?) They should be eating every 1 to 2 hr.
One of them looks a little dehydrated. If you add a Little Extra water to your Esbilac that will help. (.10 Water the rest Formula.) That is in a 1cc Syringe. Are you adding Heavy Cream and a Full Fat Yogurt to the Esbilac?
The Pedialyte can be given every 30 min. Then feed Goat Milk Formula every 1 to 2 hr. That will get the Pee going. Do you know the Gram Weight on these Babies? I will Post the Goat Milk Recipe.
Hear are few Cits, You Need to order the FoxVally 32/40 for these Babies. The Nipples are Silicone Mothering Nipples. (Henry's Ship orders out the Quickest.)
I will call you to night if you need. I am always up all night long with my Flying Squirrels. Hang in their. Thank you for helping these Babies.
http://henryspets.com
http://foxvalleynutrition.com/main/prod.asp
http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/

[Taina.Paige]

I called my local wild life place and they were the ones that told me to mix, I'll make sure to do them separate if the pinch test is still coming out bad (they're all pretty well hydrated at this point though.)

They were peeing with help from me stimulating them with a cotton swap that was damp with warm water. I went to go check to see if there was bloating, and she had diarrhea without stimulus. She does not appear to be bloated.

I live in Texas.

[Mrs Skul]

TEMPORARY Goat's Milk Formula***

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

***While waiting for the Fox Valley to arrive...

Temporary Formula for Infant Squirrels – The Goat’s Milk Formula

Because of recent manufacturing issues, Esbilac and other puppy formulas are no longer being recommended for squirrels or other wildlife. The formula that TSB recommends, Fox Valley Day One, is currently available online at www.foxvalleynutrition.com and www.henryspets.com. But those require shipping and this baby squirrel needs food NOW.

One of our senior members who posts as Jackie in Tampa uses an excellent temporary substitute, and it can be assembled from locally purchased ingredients:

3 parts goat’s milk
1 part heavy whipping cream*
1 part vanilla yogurt

Formula will last 48 hours in refrigerator.

Goat’s Milk
This can be purchased at natural food stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, and at most health food stores that sell groceries. It is a product for humans. Do not substitute commercial formula made for baby goats or other livestock sold at feed stores.

Goat’s milk is available fresh in a carton; evaporated in a can; and as a powdered milk. If you purchase either the evaporated or powdered versions, please blend them with water according to the package directions before using to make the formula.

Heavy Whipping Cream
This is found in small cartons in the grocery store near the coffee creamers and half and half. Regular heavy cream may be substituted if it is unavailable, but the heavy whipping cream has the highest fat content, and is preferred.

Yogurt
Yogurt has beneficial bacteria in it that soothes and settles digestion. Full fat yogurt is best, and a good choice that is very widely available is Stoneyfield Yobaby yogurt. However if it is unavailable, a low fat vanilla yogurt may be substituted. Avoid those that have artificial sweeteners in them. Vanilla and banana are both popular flavors, and the sweet taste of the yogurt helps to convince the baby to accept it.

It has been recently discovered that very small pinky squirrels may do better digestively if, instead of being given Fox Valley formula straight, mix the Fox Valley 50/50 with the Goat’s Milk Formula assembled WITHOUT the heavy whipping cream.

*It is recommended that when just starting to feed a new baby that the first feedings be made without the heavy whipping cream. This will give their digestive systems a chance to acclimate from mama’s milk to our substitute without the harder-to-digest whipping cream. Once they accept the formula and are eliminating properly, the whipping cream can be gradually added in.

When your Fox Valley formula arrives, please transition your babies to the new formula slowly, by blending the Goat’s Milk Formula with the blended and liquefied Fox Valley formula, increasing the ratio of Fox Valley with each feeding until you are no longer using the goat’s milk.

__________________
Island Rehabber
NY State Licensed
Wildlife Rehabilitator

[Mrs Skul]

OkTaina
Immodium For Babies or Children. Call if you can't find that one.
You need Fresh Goat Milk. If you cant find Fresh. You can get Can / Concentrate Goats Milk or powder Goat Milk. This is for Human Consummation.
You need Heavy Whipping Cream
Full Fat Yogurt. StoneyField makes a Organic Vanilla Yogurt.

[Mrs Skul]

Esbilac is a Very Bad Formula to Feed to Baby Squirrels.:nono Esbilac Will Cause the Diarrhea.
Call when you get home with the Stuff. If it is Children's Immodium. Give 2 drops to the Little girl Immediately. :thumbsup3
Hang in their Taina You are doing a great Job. :grouphug
I will help you threw this.

[Taina.Paige]

No more Diarrhea, all of them are eating, and they just finished their first meal without esbilac in it. We're off pedialyt now too, but if they seem dehydrated I'm adding a little water to the syringe like you said.

None of them are pooping now though, I'm sure it will get better as they adjust to the goats milk. They've had to get used to so much change in the last couple days xD

The one that had diarrhea is the one of the left, the boy is in the middle, and the other girl is on the right. I took this just before posting this.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/IMG_1691.jpg

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

change can be tuff.
When you get your fox valley slowly add to goat milks
like 3 parts goat to one FV and so on till it is all FV , just easier to do gradual change on little systems.
They look great:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Taina
They look wonderful. Are they Peeing ok?
They will start Pooping in 24 hr or so. Did you find a Gram Scale?

[Taina.Paige]

Yes, they always pee now.
One of them had a BM last time I fed them and stimulated and what not.
I asked around but no luck, I'm just going to go pick one up a little later today.
Thanks again for all of your help last night!

[Skul]

They're so darn cute at that age.
Just wait till their eyes open. :eek:

[Taina.Paige]

Here's just another update, I got a scale and weighed them all.
The girl that had diarrhea weighed 73g, the other girl was 79g, and the boy was 82g. Should I be concerned that she weighs so much less?
Here's an updated photo;
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/IMG_2014.jpg

[rocky63]

:Welcome to TSB they look very cute and look like they are doing fine.
Don't worry about the weight. so long she is eating and peeing/pooping she will catch up.

[Scooterzmom]

awwwww 3 precious little peanuts... so cute :Love_Icon

They look great, keep up the good work, you've been doing great so far :thumbsup

[cuteascnb]

Once you get the fox valley you will not have to feed as often...I would say every 4 hours...(someone correct me if im wrong). FEED AT NIGHT. It takes ALOOOONG time sometimes for a baby to poop when stimulated. They are too cute!

[island rehabber]

They look VERY good, Taina! You're getting excellent advice here, so keep up the good work :thumbsup:thumbsup

[Mrs Skul]

:Love_Icon :grouphug :Love_Icon
They are Looking WONDERFUL Taina!
Good Work. Talk to you soon. :thumbsup3

[Taina.Paige]

Okay so they're all having BM's, peeing and eating a regular amount but the boy's little pee hole was a little red yesterday and just this last time i fed him i noticed he had a little red mark going upwards on his genitals. He eats, pees and has BM's normal and regular, should I be worried?

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Taina
It sounds like the other are sucking on him. How often are you feeding? Are you feeding the Full strength Fox Vally? Do you have a Current Weight on them all? How much are they each eating Each? :dono
Try Putting a Baby Sock on him. Slip him into it like a little foot, up to his Arm Pits. :D You might need to separate them. You might also try feeding a little more often to see if that helps.
Hang in their. We will figure things out. Good Luck! :thumbsup3
Christal
PS
Is the little Boy Peeing ok? Are you still stimulating them to Potty?:thinking
Do they get really excited just before you start feeding?
Try feeding him first and then put him in something by himself until they are all feed.:thumbsup5

[skippy]

Yes, I agree Mrs. Skul.
"It sounds like the other are sucking on him"

Keep an eye on that Taina. Some will suckle on the others. I have had babies suckle on themselves! Make sure his urethra doesn't scab over and blocks him from peeing. You can use warm water soaked soft clothes, cotton balls and gentle swabbing to remove the scab and some neosporin w/pain relief or bacitracin on the sore areas around the opening.

There is a product I've used called YUK. Much better than Bitter Apple. You can find it at Squirrelsandmore.com for 7.00. It is a gel that you'll put on his genital area but not on the penis. It is very bitter. It works with most but if it does not deter the sucking you may have to separate him for a while to heal. :( You can keep him close to his sisters in a separate basket/cage.

This can be a serious issue if it's happening and not addressed. Their penis can become very deformed and does not recover back to a normal size/length and then it drags on tree limbs and other sharp objects and will get injured, bleed. etc. I know of 2 squirrels that were left too long that ended up needing surgeries to repair the damage that just some preventative care would have alleviated the need for all of the surgeries.
Enjoy them. They are so precious.
:)

[MiriamS]

Someone told me what sounded like a really simple solution for the sucking problem. I tried the sock thing once and it was comedic how it didn't work but my babies were older. If you put the baby that's getting sucked on in a pillowcase, you can keep it with the others and they can all still cuddle for warmth and bonding between the cloth but the little boy's penis will be protected. Just make sure it's sort of folded in a way that he doesn't squiggle out of it. If the suckling is really bad he might need some extra fluids but from the last pictures I wouldn't be too worried. They look really great. And they're gonna be SO much fun!

[Taina.Paige]

I feed them every 2-3 hours, I feed them 2-1 Water to Fox Valley, I weigh them before each feeding. I don't know their weight off of the top of my head, but they are staying around the same weight that I said they were in my last post.

They used to only eat 2cc tops but they're going to 3cc now. He pees every time. The boy does get really excited before I feed him each time, but the girls don't usually.

[Chickenlegs]

Your babies are gorgeous! Having had boys and girls who suckled on each other, I know it can be awful. You hate to separate the little guys but suckling on parts can cause health problems and it HURTS. Better in a pillowcase than raw and maybe infected. Oh--make sure anything you put on parts doesn't have anything in it that'll sting like fire. If they've been suckled on they're raw and sore enough without anything that burns. You're a good mommy. :wahoo

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Taina
How are thing going. Are any of the Babbie's awake when you go into feed them? )Try to see which one is doing the sucking and about when it starts.) Do you think he might be sucking on him self? :thinking
Try feeding him a little more, see if that helps. Are you trying the Sock or Pillow case? :dono
Your doing Great. Hang in their. They will out grow this. :thumbsup3

[Taina.Paige]

I don't have a picture, but just an update:
I keep the boy separate and he's gotten a lot better.
It's a little bruised looking, but it's no longer red and inflamed.
One of the girls opened her eyes yesterday and she is adorable and very curious.
They are getting really good and holding themselves up too.
When they know their about to be fed they stand up and try to walk around.
They're very adorable, and look very healthy :)
Thanks for all of the help everyone!!

[redwuff]

:Welcome :worthless

[Taina.Paige]

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/IMG_51281.jpg

Couldn't get the third one to sit still, but I took this one yesterday.
All of them have their eyes open now, but for some reason the boy is still getting suckled on. :/

[astra]

they are adorable!

if he is still being suckled on, keep him separated - suckling can result in serious health issues later on.
There are different causes: do they eat enough?... sometimes, when they don't get enough and feel hungry they start doing that; other times, it might be that they need extra nurturing (suckling=momma squirrel)... sometimes, there is no apparent reason/cause...

Have you tried a sock?

In either case, separate the suckling and the one being suckled.
Suckling can lead to serious health issues

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Taina
You are doing a wonderful job with these Little Angels.
The Girls look really good. I'm glad they are doing so well. They are growing like weeds. :D Have you had a chance to read about Squirrel Nutrition yet? :thinking
I am also sorry they are still sucking on the little Boy. How often are you feeding them? How much are you feeding? If you get a chance, Call me tomorrow some time. I have a few things for you to try.
Now Have You Decided On NAMES YET!!! :rofl4

[Taina.Paige]

They all eat 5cc every 3 1/5 hours.
I know which squirrel does it, and sometimes right after feeding her she'll run right up to him and start suckling on it. I have him separated now.
What about squirrel nutrition? I'll be sure to give you a call tomorrow.

[skippy]

Yes, I agree Mrs. Skul.
"It sounds like the other are sucking on him"

Keep an eye on that Taina. Some will suckle on the others. I have had babies suckle on themselves! Make sure his urethra doesn't scab over and blocks him from peeing. You can use warm water soaked soft clothes, cotton balls and gentle swabbing to remove the scab and some neosporin w/pain relief or bacitracin on the sore areas around the opening.

There is a product I've used called YUK. Much better than Bitter Apple. You can find it at Squirrelsandmore.com for 7.00. It is a gel that you'll put on his genital area but not on the penis. It is very bitter. It works with most but if it does not deter the sucking you may have to separate him for a while to heal. :( You can keep him close to his sisters in a separate basket/cage.

This can be a serious issue if it's happening and not addressed. Their penis can become very deformed and does not recover back to a normal size/length and then it drags on tree limbs and other sharp objects and will get injured, bleed. etc. I know of 2 squirrels that were left too long that ended up needing surgeries to repair the damage that just some preventative care would have alleviated the need for all of the surgeries.
Enjoy them. They are so precious.
:)


Hi Taina: Boy are they beautiful. You've done a nice job with them.
I always hate to separate because I don't want them to be alone, but he seriously can become deformed and have life altering issues.
I re-quoted what I wrote when this was first happening only because I've seen it and experienced it when I had my first gray squirrels. His penis got caught on a piece of stick in the cage and bled terribly. It never shrunk down. You could see which one was him in the trees when he would come around for nuts. Please spare him the suffering that this could cause. Just want to see you have a happy ending for all. :)

[Taina.Paige]

So just an update. The boy has been separated and is getting much better.

We had a little problem though, the little girl who was suckling had pneumonia.
In one day her appetite started to go down, but i couldn't notice anything else wrong with her. Then later that day she started to breathe a little heavy and there was a very faint clicking sound each time she inhaled. Called Mrs Skul then got to the nearest 24 hr wildlife hospital there was.

Luckily we caught it early, and she is already feeling much better. She is on Baytril, .015cc every 24 hours. She's got a humidifier, and it left to rest in a warm dark place so she can sleep. She is already getting much better, she eats and finishes every meal and is chewing on her squirrel block.

They are coming up to their 5 week mark, and we are about to start building their larger cage. I'm thinking of naming the suckling/sick girl Lulu, the other girl Pix, and I'm not sure whether to name the boy Tadders or Ziggs.

They are eating about 5cc every 3 1/5-4 hours, and coming in around 125g+.

Here are the two girls together
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/qwerqwe.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/photo-2.jpg

The girl who was sick (Lulu)
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/asdf.jpg

And the boy
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/dfgh.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd112/pandahugluv/ME/qwerqwer.jpg

[jo_schmoe]

They all eat 5cc every 3 1/5 hours.
I know which squirrel does it, and sometimes right after feeding her she'll run right up to him and start suckling on it. I have him separated now.
What about squirrel nutrition? I'll be sure to give you a call tomorrow.
something that may help for future reference.....well...two thing.
I used a product called Yuck when this happened with my foxers....stopped it dead in its tracks. I found it at my vets office....its used to keep animals from licking after surgery.
With my Reds I hung small pieces of rope extending down into the enclosure with the tips soaks in formula.....when I saw suckling happening.....I placed them on these...seemed to do the trick....either method.