Baby Squirrel eyes just opened

[Pond Luvr]

Appears to have a birth defect, maybe downs, maybe just nerve damage from dog that got ahold of it. It was skin and bones i beleive mom threw it out of the nest because it isnt normal.

Hydrated it with pedialite and warmed it up and so on. After 24 hours started feeding fox valley. Within a day it was bloated. Stopped formula went back to pedialite and warm soaks. Does not seem to be going away..Also decreased feedings and amount. I know we have done what were supposed to do.

Went and got baby gas drops, gave 1 drop last night, soaked again. she is pooping somewhat and peeing. Not sure what else to try. She eats fine, and is very vocal when we wont feed her more or more often. She shakes really bad, when she tries to walk she wobbles, she is a lover just wants to be cuddled.

Any advice is appreciated. I will get pictures soon as i can. Had her since thursday night, she was barely alive, now she is so much better except for tummy bloat.

[Pond Luvr]

Eyes opened sat am completely. They seem a touch cloudy not bright and clear like a normal baby

[Milo's Mom]

Do you have her on 32/40 or 20/50 FV? Are you giving it to her as full strength or watered down?

[Pond Luvr]

was 32/40 full strength, i do have 20/50 also, for the last 18 hrs just pedialite, and a drop of baby gas releif.

[Milo's Mom]

I would either stop the FV and get her on Goats Milk formula WITHOUT the cream, or water down the 32/40 until her little body adjusts.

You do want to make sure that the bloat is gone before feeding her more.

Also keep in mind that with FV you can spread out the feeding times, since it takes them longer to digest.

If you do the FV watered down...mix it in advance, allow it to soak awhile, then heat it up and feed her. In other words, do not mix it and feed it immediately.

Pics would be very helpful to our experts...I know you are working on them...just reinforcing/reminding.:D

[pappy1264]

Oh, if you went straight to full stregnth anything, that is most likely the issue. Get goats milk and start on that. Even being older, they still have to adjust and their little tummies can have issues digesting anything new. Lay her out on a ricre buddy, and gently run your fingers from her shoulders down to her tail, try to get things moving. Get her to squirm around and then massage some more. Then try the water massage.

[Pond Luvr]

Yes pappy without thinking i did go to full strength, and i know better. At that moment i was more worried about her being skin and bones. so anyway, now i am back tracking and starting over.

She is pooping and peeing, so im just waiting for the poor belly to go back to normal before i feed her any goats milk or anything else.

My daughter will email me pics and i will post them soon as i get them.

Yes Milo's mom i have stopped the forumla, and will make it watered down or use goat milk to get her used to eating again. poor thing.

[Pond Luvr]

hope these help

[Pond Luvr]

Laying on the warm rice buddy

[Pond Luvr]

This can probably be moved out of emergency help needed. I would like some input if possible your opinions on if she has downs or maybe just nerve disorder.

Thank you,

Lisa

[pappy1264]

His fur looks like he is a bit dehydrated. I would give him extra fluids between meals. His eyes do look off, he may be downs, he kind of has that look to his face, but still young so a little harder to tell. How is she eating today? What is her weight? She looks kind of small, legnthwise, to me, too.

[Pond Luvr]

Yes i know she's a little girl :) If i called her a boy it was out of habil lol

Her eating is fine, she is a pig. It's just if we're not really careful her stomach bloats and is really hard.

She does not walk very well she shakes and shimmies all over the place like one too many martini's.

[pappy1264]

Did she take a fall? They can be a bit shaky when they first open their eyes, but shouldn't be too wobbly. she is bloating even on gm?

[Pond Luvr]

The bloat is better now, it was the fv that bloated her. She was dumped out of the nest and then tossed around a little by a small dog. She was skin and bones so i do not think momma was feeding her.

[Pond Luvr]

She loves her food and is finally getting the hang of sucking on it.

[quagmire]

Too cute. I love feeding them when they are that little. Looks like she is doing well. Can squirrels get tremors? Does she shake all the time?

[Pond Luvr]

She is very wobbly and uncoordinated, like when she tries to play she kinda flops around not smooth at all. She is doing great though, she mumbles all the time, when you itch her pits, when you take the syringe away, always talking , very vocal in a weird sounding tone.

[Wonkawillie]

she does not look like she has downs or anything. her head looks strange because when they become a skeleton from starvation, the body shrinks but the skull does not. You loose the flesh on the face and begin to see the shape of the skull. I think she is just fine, but very thin. I have a boy that looks just like this, that I got in yesterday. It was the first thing my kids said...why does his head look strange? he was just a skeleton.
I have had him about 24 hours now, and he has plumped up a lot from hydration, but has a way to go til he is fat.

[Pond Luvr]

Thank you WonkaWillie, Her body was skin and bones, but her actions are not the same as a regular baby squirrel. I am hoping with feeding her and caring for her, that her symptoms will go away in time.

I would love for her to end up normal and free one day.

[pappy1264]

What are you feeding her now? Just gm is not enough, can you try to add in some fv to it?

[pappy1264]

Any updates on this little one?

[s.simons]

Regarding her moving around very shaky and uncoordinated, I have two babies right now, the one was really fast and coordinated after eyes opened, and the other was really slow to learn. I started thinking she was blind of something, as she would sometimes walk in circles and drag her back legs. BUT now she is doing great, took her about a week to catch up to her sister, and now they are both jumping and playing normally :) Give it a bit of time and she may catch up.