Found a New Baby! toronto rehabbers needed?

[squirrelgirl6]

hi:wave123
any rehabbers in Toronto?
we have a new baby since Monday morning; her name is Mooska.
She is very precious to us because we knew her mother; we fed her mother everyday, knowing that she was breast feeding little ones. But last Friday we found her lifeless on a road :,( We couldn't find any other babies except for this one. Can't believe that the baby could survive for full 3 days without mom.
So we've been taking care of her for a week. she is 6-7 weeks old, we think. But we don't have the proper resources to raise her.
We love her very much, and we owe it to her mom to give this baby the best there could be found. We're not sure that we have the best knowledge, experience and equipment as well as we can not give her the playmate as the rehabber would match her up with another orphan her age, which is so important for the little social being as a squirrel.
She's on puppy powdered milk (1:2) and has been introduced to walnuts and loves her banana. Weight: 190g (on full stomach), as of today. We've been following rehabbers' rules and suggestions but we certainly lack some
knowledge.
Not sure if we should wake her up for her feedings.
She's quite a sleepy head. Is it OK to let her sleep for 8 hours between the feedings for a night? What about day time? We try to feed her every 4-5 hours and often we wake her up.
Is it OK to stop the warmth source at this point or should we continue to put warm water bottle as her sleeping buddy?

[astra]

sorry, didn't get to read your entire post - in a rush,

but, please don't give her walnuts and bananas.
She is too young for that and those foods will develop poor eating habits.

By puppy formula do you mean Esbilac?
If you just started her on Esbilac, please switch to goat's milk formula.
Esbilac causes serious GI issues.
Goat's milk formula ingredients are available at any Metro, Sobey's stores (not sure if No Frills has goat's milk, but i am pretty sure it will), Canadian Superstore has them ,too.

There is a person in Toronto.
I am going to direct her to this thread.

Where do you keep her?
Is there a heating pad under her cage/container?
The heating pad should be no-auto shut off, on low, under HALF of the container (so that she can move off if she gets too warm).

Did you hydrate her when you first found her?
If she was w/o mom for 3 days, she must have been very dehydrated.

Could you post a pic of her?

SOrry, if you have already done all that stuff - again, I am in a rush, just saw a baby in Toronto and replied.

So, i will direct the person here.
Please keep checking often.

THANK YOU for caring!!!!!!!!:grouphug

[astra]

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.
__________________

[astra]

you need to weigh her and feed 5-7% of her body weight every 4 hours or so (I am wrong - please, experts, correct me).
Use 1cc syringe, never feed her on her back, in an upright position or on her stomach, pointing the syringe up, sort of into the roof of her mouth
(again, sorry, if you know all that, just thought I'd mention just in case)