new little girl?

[Goobertoast]

A friend of mine works at a vet clinic and someone brought in a little baby squirrel that was found in a parking lot. The squirrel ( I think its a she, her genitalia look female but the vet says its a boy cause the vulva isn't suppose to protrude) looks like an eastern grey (pics soon) and I think she is 3 Weeks. She has no injuries which just amazes me, but she is so tiny, she only weighed 29.1g this morning. one of the techs took care of her for 4 days before I got her on Friday night and she was being given KMR whenever she seemed hungry. the tech told me she didn't really know what to feed her, the vet told her that puppy formula was what she was suppose to have but couldn't afford to get it and the KMR was free (the vet said while not ideal it should be ok). After doing some research I found that not only does she need esbilac but also heavy cream to make up for lack of fat and a probiotic. (in case your wondering why the tech contacted me and not an experienced rehaber is I have rehabbed a cotton tail from 5 days to release, and got certified as a vet tech to pursue the career but I don't have a permit yet). I have switched her to Esbilac and cream and got her on a schedule. Since no one seems to agree on how much to feed and every squirrel is different, I have been weighing her at every midnight feeding and making enough to give her at least 5% every feeding. She got a little dehydrated yesterday so I did 4 hour rehydration. She is much more vocal now and has been getting hungry every 1.5 hours since. I know its hunger cause I can hear her trying to suckle and when I stimulate her nothing or very little comes out. I'm wondering if this is to soon. I don't want to try feeding her more per feeding
Lbecause her belly already looks a little Fuller than a deflated balloon (no hardness though so I know she isn't bloating). Any advice it tips are welcome. I have tuberculine syringes, and a human 10cc oral syringe. I haven't had trouble controlling flow though I do worry about air cause I don't use a nipple.

Aurora :thankyou

[Nancy in New York]

First off your little one needs Fox Valley formula 32/40.
Remember the rule: Warm, dark quiet.
She needs to be on a heating pad on LOW. Put the pad half under the container that you have her in and half off. This way if the pad overheats she can crawl off. You need to get 1 cc O ring syringes. These little ones can aspirate easily and you need nipples. Put her in a container with fleece, a nighgown cut up or anything without loops, no towels. She needs to be fed 5-7% of her body weight every 2-3 hours round the clock when on the Fox Valley.
Here’s a link where you can purchase the FV along with some proper syringes and nipples.
Thank you for helping this little one.
http://henryspets.com


edit: Don't forget to stimulate for pee and poo before or after feedings

[Jackie in Tampa]

:Welcome

[Goobertoast]

I ordered fox valley for her (btw Nick is awesome he really helped me out and saved me money by keeping me from ordering things I don't need) but she us doing really good, I mean really good. I don't think she is 3 Weeks anymore, i'm thinking that what I thought were teeth are just her gums. My question though is a 3g a day weight gain normal ? I check her belly a she eats to try and make sure she isn't overheating. I have not switched her from the esbilac yet because she is doing so well i'm worried about a setback.when I first got her she was very thin and lethargic, but in the week that I have had her she has gone from 25g to 37.7g, and is nowvery vocal and active when she is awake.

Aurora
:thankyou

[patjones]

I raised a baby on Esibilac one time before I found this board and it was a messy sick squirrel the whole time. I just thought baby squirrels had diarrea all the time and had to be washed 5 times a day and he almost did not survive. Get some fox valley you will be doing you both a big favor. Congratulations on the new baby and good luck they will steal your heart.

[Goobertoast]

i have the fox valley, but she is flourishing, her stool is nice a solid and she is gaining aprox. 3g a day. that is why i hesitate to switch her. i don't want her to go through having diarrhea or stop gaining weight since she is doing so well.

[CritterMom]

I would still switch her, but I would do it so gradually that she and her stomach won't know it. Esbilac needs to have heavy cream added to it in order to have the correct amount of fat for them even when it is working well.

Mix up both your esbilac and in a second container mix up the Fox Valley, both at the 2:1 ratio (2 parts water 1 part powder). Make a mixture that is made up of about 90% esbilac and replace 10% of it with the FV. Use that mix for a couple feedings. Then go to 80% esbiac and 20% FV and do that for 2 feedings. And continue like this, gradually replacing small amounts of the esbilac with the fox valley. Take a couple days to completely transition. She has no pressing medical needs that dictate you switch her quickly.

You will note that as more and more of the formula is made up of FV, that the time between feedings can be increased - esbilac goes through them quicker. Start watching the tummy instead of the clock to determine the next feeding.

[Milo's Mom]

I did Esbilac the first time too and my little guy, Milo did great. BUT, simnce then I have learned.
Now that you have your FV, you will need to slowly transition from the Esbilac to the FV. You think you baby looks good now...wait till the FV hits. I raised one on Esbilac and 11 on FV...the difference is AMAZING!

has anyone told you how to transition from the Esbilac to the FV?

[Goobertoast]

Ok you guys convinced me, i'm gonna start the slow transfer as you suggest critter mom. Thank you guys for all the good advice. I update after to let y'all know how well she takes to the fv.

Aurora
:thankyou

[island rehabber]

:Welcome Aurora -- you've gotten great advice here already. Looking forward to hearing how your little girl does on the FV once she's transitioned over. Unfortunately with Esbilac, the manufacturer does not even recommend that it be used for baby wildlife anymore, ever since thousands of squirrel and cottontail babies died after Pet Ag (parent company) changed the Esbilac process back in 2008-9. "Esbilac is for puppies" was their cold response, after they'd made millions off rehabbers for 20+ years. :shakehead

As you've stated, your little girl is most likely a little girl and girl squirrels DO have "outies" :rotfl. They just have them smaller and lower down than boy squirrels. :D

[Goobertoast]

Thank you for the clarification IR. I have seen information saying that Esbilac was no good anymore but not why after so many other sources said it was safe. I started the transition and she is only at 70% Esbilac 30% FV and she has already started gaining more weight (she gained 4.5 g today) and her stool has gotten a bit darker, more of an orangy yellow than mustard yellow and she isn't defecating as often either. I would definitely say I see now why everyone pushed me to switch even though she was doing well. I have noticed though that drawing up what is her 5% per feeding and while most of the time she finishes (with one or two short breaks) she doesn't always. Should I be concerned that she isn't eating enough?

Also, she did have formula come out her nose a few times when I first got the catac nipple but I stopped feeding and swung her, later when I listen to her lungs using the stethoscope I didn't hear any crackling or any other sounds indicative of lung debris. Is there any advice on ensuring she doesn't develop pneumonia?

Aurora
:thankyou

[Goobertoast]

also does anyone have a suggestion on where to buy good o-ring syringes that the marking don't come off after washing a few times? I got a 10cc o-ring at the drug store that the writing didn't rub off of but the plunger is jerky when it moves slowly. The one I got three days ago from Nick glides like a dream but the writing is gone so I have to measure in one syringe then transfer.

Aurora
:thankyou

[island rehabber]

Thank you for the clarification IR. I have seen information saying that Esbilac was no good anymore but not why after so many other sources said it was safe. I started the transition and she is only at 70% Esbilac 30% FV and she has already started gaining more weight (she gained 4.5 g today) and her stool has gotten a bit darker, more of an orangy yellow than mustard yellow and she isn't defecating as often either. I would definitely say I see now why everyone pushed me to switch even though she was doing well. I have noticed though that drawing up what is her 5% per feeding and while most of the time she finishes (with one or two short breaks) she doesn't always. Should I be concerned that she isn't eating enough?

Also, she did have formula come out her nose a few times when I first got the catac nipple but I stopped feeding and swung her, later when I listen to her lungs using the stethoscope I didn't hear any crackling or any other sounds indicative of lung debris. Is there any advice on ensuring she doesn't develop pneumonia?

Aurora
:thankyou

Oh that's great news, I'm so glad she's doing well on the FV. FV takes longer to pass through their little bodies so they will take a bit less and go longer between feedings. (i. e. it is a more efficient food :)) And yes, FV poopies have been known to range from golden yellow to BRIGHT orange!
As for the pneumonia, your best insurance aganst a squirrel getting it is to feed slowly and with attention to the squirrel's eating rhythm...they are all different. Wait for the baby to swallow before pushing the plunger again. I use the "push, wait" method, where I control the plunger and just zip a little bit in at a time, wait a second or two, then push again. I never allow the squirrel to suck on the syringe as if it was his mamma -- the syringe is way too easy and he will aspirate.
You're doing great -- good work! :thumbsup

[Goobertoast]

Ok i'm at 50% esbilac 50% fv and her last stool was formed but soft. I'm concerned this is what her stool will always be like. It's not that big a deal just messy cause it squishes alnd smears on her bum when I whipe it.

[island rehabber]

Ok i'm at 50% esbilac 50% fv and her last stool was formed but soft. I'm concerned this is what her stool will always be like. It's not that big a deal just messy cause it squishes alnd smears on her bum when I whipe it.

Go to 75% FV and I will bet her poops firm up. I don't believe anyone answered your syringe question: I use Sklar O-ring syringes -- 1cc or 3cc only -- and order them from either Chris (squirrelsandmore.com) or Leigh (henryspets.com). They last forEVER and the numbers don't peel off.

[Goobertoast]

I am getting worried about my little girl I can tell, she is hungry but she won't take atneny more

[island rehabber]

Is the formula VERY warm? Most squirrels don't like anything less than 100 degrees, the temp of mamma squirrel's body....

How much is she taking at each feeding, and how often?

[Goobertoast]

It might nit, be warm enough then. I'm worried about burning her throat so I don't make it to hot. I was afraid she might have boated because parts of her belly still have a roundness to them but her belly isn't hard. She hasn't pooped since I went to 75% fv so I don't know if that is better yet.

[Goobertoast]

She is taking about 1 ml to 1.5 approx. Every 3 hours but it's been taking longer and longer for her to get that down. 5% for her is 2.1 ml

[Goobertoast]

She also lost .8 g :(

[Goobertoast]

Update: she seems to doing better. I heated the syringe in, hotter water and took of, the catac nipple. Since she was only eating 1 ml that's all I heated up and she ate very enthusiastically. It was also her first just FV syringe. Her belly went flat before I feed her so I don't think she he's bloat anymore, I think I was just being paranoid. She has pooped and her first one was still soft but didn't squish when I whipped it away, the second time it was formed and maintained shape. I think the transition went well now I just have to get her to start gaining again :)

Just wanted to say thank you ir for being so helpful and answering all my questions. And giving me great tips
:grouphug

[island rehabber]

No problem -- glad she's better! One of my three brothers (the Bayside Boyz) kept me up for three nights because he wouldn't eat....should have been taking 3cc and barely managed 1cc. I tried everything -- hydration in between feedings, hotter formula, you name it. Some of them just like to test us :D

BTW: You can always try the hydration-in-between trick. Sometimes babies really are dehydrated even though they don't look it. Dehydration = loss of appetite. What we do is offer some Pedialyte or homemade pedialyte in BETWEEN feedings...this can work miracles on babies who are not eating enough. :thumbsup

[Goobertoast]

I will try the homemade pedialyte, ( the last bottle I only used about 8 ml before it went bad). Further update: she is a grade A popper now, nice solid but not hard poops and lots of per, as well as eating all but .4 of her 2 ls. she is much more picky about, temp of the FV, has to be just right. and I tend to think it's too hot when it's not

[island rehabber]

she is much more picky about, temp of the FV, has to be just right. and I tend to think it's too hot when it's not

Remember, her mamma's body temp was about 102* and she only relates to food that comes at that temperature. :)

[Goobertoast]

Ah, I did not know mommy squirrels ran so hot, makes more sense now.

[spamrestricted]

:poop a really good thing :)
I feel for you, because I remember how hard this time can be. Fox Valley is the best, my squirrels did great by it, but I wish I introduced more slowly.
Best of luck to you goobertoast, Aurora is lucky she found you.

[Goobertoast]

She has gained back the weight she lost and.gained another gram she is still eating small portions but 2x as often.