Ready for water? Worming?

[Wonderland]

I have 2 baby squirrels that I finally found last Wed/Thursday after finding their Mom drowned in my horses water trough last weekend...

They appear to be about 5-7 weeks according to the chart, but they are small. I assume that is because they went so long without food. They were extremely dehydrated when I found them. They can sit up and curl their tails.

I am a dog show breeder so thankfully I had ringers on hand and was able to give it to them sub Q. They also got the pedialyte and switched to formula on the second day. ( I found the male first) I have ordered the Fox Valley 20/50 and they are on the goat milk formula until it arrives hopefully in a day or so.

They are already chewing on the rat/mouse blocks too, so I would say they are coming along great. I do have some Baytril standing by just in case.... (I really researched the heck out of this on Wednesday :))

When can I put a water bottle up for them? Should I hang one now? If so, when do I start cutting back on feedings? They are eating 4 times a day right now, about 10-11 cc's each feeding....

I had to de-flea them... Should I worm them? I have Ivomec for my dogs, but don't know what the dosage is for a squirrel...

[Rhapsody]

You do not need to cut back on their formula atm - they usually wean themselves around 14 weeks of age, but they will let you when they are ready. I suggest that you offer them the squirrel blocks first thing in the morning when they are at their hungriest and then feed them formula (5-7 % of body weight) from that point on until they are ready for bed time at dark.

IF you are seeing fleas you can bath with Dawn dish soap to rid them of the fleas and make sure you thoroughly dry them after wards. We do not per say deworm squirrels up front, but some one that has more medicine exp can let you know what to use if you see worms coming from them (poss capstar).

[Rhapsody]

P.S.

I personally add a glass water bottle to the cage when I see the squirrels are drinking their fox valley formula with no problems and are steadily eating their squirrel block (hhb) and vegetables on a regular basis..... usually around 10 weeks old.

[stepnstone]

[QUOTE=Wonderland]I have 2 baby squirrels that I finally found last Wed/Thursday after finding their Mom drowned in my horses water trough last weekend...QUOTE] -{cut}

:thankyou for caring and taking care of these babies, please alter the water trough with some type of escape climb out for little critters...

[Wonderland]

You do not need to cut back on their formula atm - they usually wean themselves around 14 weeks of age, but they will let you when they are ready. I suggest that you offer them the squirrel blocks first thing in the morning when they are at their hungriest and then feed them formula (5-7 % of body weight) from that point on until they are ready for bed time at dark.

IF you are seeing fleas you can bath with Dawn dish soap to rid them of the fleas and make sure you thoroughly dry them after wards. We do not per say deworm squirrels up front, but some one that has more medicine exp can let you know what to use if you see worms coming from them (poss capstar).

I already used the Adams spray for the fleas. I just dampened a paper towel with it and rubbed them down. Then I put them on a towel in a bucket for a little while so the fleas wouldn't jump off in my house... it worked great. After about 20 minutes the towel had hundreds of dead fleas on it... Haven't seen a single flea on the babies since...

[Wonderland]

P.S.

I personally add a glass water bottle to the cage when I see the squirrels are drinking their fox valley formula with no problems and are steadily eating their squirrel block (hhb) and vegetables on a regular basis..... usually around 10 weeks old.

So it's okay to start offering them vegetables?

[Wonderland]

[QUOTE=Wonderland]I have 2 baby squirrels that I finally found last Wed/Thursday after finding their Mom drowned in my horses water trough last weekend...QUOTE] -{cut}

:thankyou for caring and taking care of these babies, please alter the water trough with some type of escape climb out for little critters...

My husband already cut some pieces of chicken wire and screwed them to the insides of the water troughs....

[Anne]

When my baby squirrels start to climb (jump) out of the plastic container, they are placed in a cage. As soon as they go into the cage I hang a water bottle, wither or not they start to use it then doesn't matter, it is available to them. I place block in with them when their eyes open and start to offer greens. I try to keep block in for them constantly and add veggies in the afternoon. Fruit or a nut as a nitey-nite treat.:D

[stepnstone]

[QUOTE=stepnstone]
My husband already cut some pieces of chicken wire and screwed them to the insides of the water troughs....

Good man! :D :thankyou :thankyou :thankyou

[Wonderland]

When my baby squirrels start to climb (jump) out of the plastic container, they are placed in a cage. As soon as they go into the cage I hang a water bottle, wither or not they start to use it then doesn't matter, it is available to them. I place block in with them when their eyes open and start to offer greens. I try to keep block in for them constantly and add veggies in the afternoon. Fruit or a nut as a nitey-nite treat.:D

Veggie suggestions?

[Rhapsody]

Veggie suggestions?Here is a list of a Healthy Diet:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32218

[Wonderland]

Here is a list of a Healthy Diet:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32218

Got it :) Thank You. Will make a grocery store trip in the morning.

They are eating their block really well now. I have seen the female drinking water from the bottle. She does not take as much formula now. I hope that is okay. She is only drinking about 1/2 as much as her brother. I let them both eat until they don't want any more. The male only takes about 10cc's until he's full.... Am I supposed to MAKE them eat more if their body weight calls for it? Even if they don't want it and are looking really good?

When do I take away the heat source? I didn't have a pad, so I just used a warming lamp that I use for my puppies. It is in a corner so they can get away from it when they want to... Just wasn't sure if they still needed it. One person here mentioned that they took away the heat and their baby got hypothermic. Don't want that to happen....

[Rhapsody]

I have seen the female drinking water from the bottle. She does not take as much formula now. I hope that is okay. She is only drinking about 1/2 as much as her brother. I let them both eat until they don't want any more. The male only takes about 10cc's until he's full.... Am I supposed to MAKE them eat more if their body weight calls for it? Even if they don't want it and are looking really good?

At eight weeks old its more important they get formula (fv) over straight water..... if they are filling up on water before hand, as it sounds like the little girl is doing them they are not going to want the formula when its comes time to eat. I would suggest that you offer them their formula before you give them their vegetables..... this way they will fill up on good nutrients with the formula first and then eat the rest.

I would not force feed the babies, you say they are eating their blocks, taking their formula, drinking water and eating their vegetables --so they should be fine and remember when we include other food items besides the formula the squirrels will decrease their drinking of the formula on their own.

two questions.........
1. How much do they weigh?
2. Are you using a syringe & nipple?


When do I take away the heat source? I generally remove the heat source around 8-10 weeks old, when they can regulate their own body heat.

[armykees]

I'm new to rescuing squirrels, but I just wanted to say to be careful with whatever you give small animals like squirrels.

I was lucky enough to research (back at the end of October) before buying and administering a flea product to my mini-lop Holly that would have killed her as I had no clue that a rabbit could not handle the dog version of most flea repellants.

So now I make sure to research products before using them on her such as a wormer. She recently had a flare up of what the vet and I believed to be e.cuniculi (I didn't have the money for extreme testing). So she was put on rabbit safe antibiotics and Panacur for 28 days which would get rid of worms (which she didn't have) as well as killing off the live microorganism.

[island rehabber]

I'm new to rescuing squirrels, but I just wanted to say to be careful with whatever you give small animals like squirrels.

I was lucky enough to research (back at the end of October) before buying and administering a flea product to my mini-lop Holly that would have killed her as I had no clue that a rabbit could not handle the dog version of most flea repellants.

So now I make sure to research products before using them on her such as a wormer. She recently had a flare up of what the vet and I believed to be e.cuniculi (I didn't have the money for extreme testing). So she was put on rabbit safe antibiotics and Panacur for 28 days which would get rid of worms (which she didn't have) as well as killing off the live microorganism.

Good posting :). You are absolutely right: I have had baby squirrel finders actually kill the baby before I got to them to pick it up because they saw a flea, panicked, and dumped a dog or cat-sized dose of Advantage or Frontline on the tiny baby. :shakehead NONE of that topical stuff should be used on squirrels.
ALSO: since we were talking about bunbuns, some folks don't know that bunnies are not rodents, they are lagomorphs. Watch the wildlife rehab manuals for when they list under a certain medication: should NOT be given to lagomorphs. THAT MEANS BUNNIES. :nono

:peace

[mpetys]

I'm new to rescuing squirrels, but I just wanted to say to be careful with whatever you give small animals like squirrels.

I was lucky enough to research (back at the end of October) before buying and administering a flea product to my mini-lop Holly that would have killed her as I had no clue that a rabbit could not handle the dog version of most flea repellants.

So now I make sure to research products before using them on her such as a wormer. She recently had a flare up of what the vet and I believed to be e.cuniculi (I didn't have the money for extreme testing). So she was put on rabbit safe antibiotics and Panacur for 28 days which would get rid of worms (which she didn't have) as well as killing off the live microorganism.

Welcome armykees! Thank you for posting good advice and a reminder for all, to research and ask questions when you are not sure of a product or treatment.

[armykees]

Welcome armykees! Thank you for posting good advice and a reminder for all, to research and ask questions when you are not sure of a product or treatment.

Thanks for the welcome. I always research; ever since my Keeshond was diagnosed with diabetes I research all treatments and procedures that I come across and now that extends to whatever I might give to any animal.