Baby oposom

[sherbear59]

Baby found clinging on to dead mom . I know nothing about them but willing to help it I need to know how to tell how old and what to feed


thanks :thankyou :D :thankyou

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

post a picture and some more info so someone who knows about them can help you.
Only one baby?? any hair?? eyes open, where did you find it, how did mom die????

[djarenspace9]

I can give you instructions but need to know what SSM said...
Hair? Eyes open or closed?

Keep it warm and covered for now.
I'll be back in about 15minutes to see if you have posted details and I can guide you from there.

They do not suckle or nurse off a nipple like other baby mammals,
please don't try that. If they are old enough they can lick the fluids,
and you can try hydrating it first.

If it won't lick, it will need tube fed and we need to get the baby to an
experienced rehabber asap, because it requires special tools and experience.

[sherbear59]

Baby Possum found clinging to dead mom hit by a car , eyes are open and a few row of teeth on bottom and top ,hisses a lot ,I have no idea what to do for it . The neighbor has it I am hoping she will let me have it will find out in the morning .

[djarenspace9]

If you wrap it loosely in a towel so it feels safe and hidden but the tip of the mouth is pointing out,
use a dropper and put a drop right on the tip of the mouth just below the nose.

Be careful not to drop any fluids into the nostrils.
He may hiss and bare his teeth and be still for a while (5-10minutes) but just stay quiet and wait him out.
9 out of 10 will start licking if they feel the drop roll in their mouth.

If that doesn't work, then try putting him in a dark safe place and a dish to lick from.

Possums are very sensitive to sound and light and will freeze if they feel in danger.

You can start giving hydration (pedialyte or homemade rehydration fluid) and then formula.
Puppy replacer works (Esbilac is what the National Opossum Society recommends).

I'll type more in a bit...working right now and have to tend to a call for a bit.

[jo_schmoe]

Sending good thoughts for the Possie.....:thumbsup :grouphug

[sherbear59]

He/She is so cute I sure hope I get it tomorrow !

[sherbear59]

Sending good thoughts for the Possie.....:thumbsup :grouphugThank You !:grouphug

[fire-eyez]

Fox valley has formula specific to opossum you'll need the weight

[djarenspace9]

Waiting to hear today...
I start work in a few minutes so will check in now and then.
If you do get him and want to call me later on during my break I can talk you through it (2pm ET).

[sherbear59]

Thank you ! We got her today and got the formula letting her lap it up from the dropper she seems to be doing well :thumbsup

[sherbear59]

Here she is I hope ! I am having problems figuring out how to do this :dono

[djarenspace9]

Awesome. :thumbsup

We were not able to retrieve the photo from your FB.
My friend could not find your page.
Any way you can take a pic and post it.
It will help determine age and sex if you haven't figured it out yet or are not sure.
The weight helps determine what to provide foodwise.

I am going to email you a document with the foods recommended.

Here's what you can do in the meantime to make him feel safe and warm...

Make sure to continue providing heat (heating pad or rice buddy just like with squirrels).
He'd be on mom and piled with siblings all the time so he will need "body heat" from another source.
You can give him a stuffy to sleep with.
Make sure to keep him in a container with no openings big enough to squeeze through.
Their heads can be deceiving and if they twist and turn they can get out very small openings.
They are escape artists at a young age, don't take any chances.

If he is restless, pacing and making a hissing sound that means he's desperately looking for mom.
Stress can be deadly to them, so if he does not calm down when you bed him down with a stuffy, try holding him in a blankie and walking around.
The movement will make him feel safe like he's riding on mom and then when he falls asleep lay him in his bed all wrapped up.

If he opens his mouth and bares his teeth at you let him smell you up close especially your breath and talk very softly.
He will learn to recognize your smell and voice and you will be mom soon!

That's all for now.
I'll wait for a pic and/or weight so I can give you the proper feeding info.
Also if they are under 100 grams they need some antibiotics as preventative.

[djarenspace9]

Here it is resized.

Is it a girl or boy?

[djarenspace9]

What a cutie!

At that age I would start offering everything in a dish (water, formula, foods) and monitor to see if she is eating on her own.
She may or may not.
If not, keep hand feeding the formula and offering the dishes and she will learn.

For dishes the best thing is something shallow, like the plastic caps off peanut butter jars or mayo.

[jo_schmoe]

ok....thats it....THAT is the CUTEST creature I have ever seen!!!!!:wave
Pardon my elation....but possies are my all time favorite animal!!! :wiggle
I live in a part of the nation that has...ohhhh...about ZERO possies.
Thanks for making my day....does she have a name?
:Love_Icon possie baby:Love_Icon

[sherbear59]

ok....thats it....THAT is the CUTEST creature I have ever seen!!!!!:wave
Pardon my elation....but possies are my all time favorite animal!!! :wiggle
I live in a part of the nation that has...ohhhh...about ZERO possies.
Thanks for making my day....does she have a name?
:Love_Icon possie baby:Love_Icon Thanks I think so too !!

[sherbear59]

Here it is resized.

Is it a girl or boy? Thank You !! And I do believe it's a She !:D

[sherbear59]

All is good today ,she had to poop bad gotta to go a little last night before bed it was black so she was plugged up ,this morning she is cutting loose and has pooped several times good color ! Drinking and eating ,,,:thumbsup I have been watching video's on youtube all morning ! What an amazing little critter !! This is going to be fun :rotfl:rotfl