Indian Squirrel bloated with long lump in stomach

[Indian Palm Prince]

Hello,

I was able to get around the IP address issue and my father had been posting for me earlier at this thread: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35527

I have had a 4-5 week old Palm Squirrel in a village outside of Bangalore, India for the past week. His nest was shot out of a tree by children and he was the only squirrel that survived the fall. The mother would not come retrieve him. I immediately put him in a wash bucket lined with my sweatshirt and a milk jug that I have covered in a towel filled with boiling water that I replace every 3 hours. It seems to keep him plenty warm, and when he gets too warm he moves to the other side of the bucket.

He never was dehydrated, but it has been a hard process getting him the proper food here in India. At first all I could get him was fresh boiled milk with cream from a cow on our campus (not processed) out of my syringe. He actually did quiet well with it, and after a day of diarrhea he went back to normal. However, I worked to find him goats milk (which is really hard to get so I could only get a little bowl of it). He loved this and he grew overnight it seemed with this. Then finally I was able to find Nestle Cerelac puppy formula. (no Merelac or other suggestions could be found within my village and transportation into Bangalore is nearly impossible for me). Members from Thailand said they feed their squirrels this and it isn't the best but will do what is necessary to help him. I have started to try to ween him onto this over the past 2 days. First I used mostly goats milk and warm water with a small amount of Cerelac. He liked this. I ran out of goats milk so I used the cream I scooped off the top of the boiled milk and water and a small amount of Cerelac. However, I started to notice that his stomach was bigger than normal but he was pooping and peeing fine. I looked up what it meant to be bloated and it said that the stomach would be hard and it didn't seem THAT big. However, I am now noticing that he is barely pooping, and when he does it is much darker in color than it's normal yellow.

I have also noticed a thin ridge or lump that travels from his navel up the right side of his stomach near his arm. It is about the width of a q-tip. It is not red and there is no discoloration. It is more hard than squishy, but does give a little when I press on it. The skin is connected to it (ei.. it doesn't roll over it). It isn't perfectly shaped. Some parts are wide than others. It is about the length of the tip of my index finger to the first bend in the finger. It is hard to photograph because it doesn't show on camera. It is more something I can feel.

Because he is bloated I have soaked his bottom half in warm water for 7 minutes and massaged as he sat there. I then tried to stimulate him to use the bathroom like normal. He always ends up giving me a large amount of pee but very little poop. I have now stopped feeding him any formula and am using the pedyalite recipe of salt, sugar and warm water. He doesn't really like it but it will have to do until the morning to see if he is still bloated. It has been about 24 hours now where I thought his stomach looked bigger, but I only noticed the ridge/lump maybe 5 hours ago.

Please help. Me and this baby have been through so much together already. I am literally crying all the time because it will break my heart if he doesn't survive. THANK YOU!

[Jackie in Tampa]

no liquids until the stomach bloat is gone...
did you do warm soaks in a bowl of water?
helping to relieve the gas by massaging his belly..

[Indian Palm Prince]

Yes, I have massaged him in warm water a few times, but he only pees (in large quantities) but never poops after.

[stosh2010]

LONG DISTANCE prayers....I hope the continued Warm-Water soaks help somewhat....
Try to post a photo anyway...take several ....close & clear...maybe one will show the lump

[Indian Palm Prince]

Here are some pictureshttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4058890241968&set=a.4058889641953.155987.1573500009&type=1&theaterhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4058890681979&set=a.4058889641953.155987.1573500009&type=1&theaterhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4058892002012&set=a.4058889641953.155987.1573500009&type=1&theaterhttp://https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4058892602027&set=a.4058889641953.155987.1573500009&type=1&theater

[Indian Palm Prince]

trying to post these pics again

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4058892602027&set=a.4058889641953.155987.1573500009&type=1&theater

[Itchiku's dad]

Listen to Jackie and exactly as she says, as she knows her stuff. A photo would be really good, and as Stosh said take a few. Also when the bloat has gone down and he is able to eat again don't use the ceralac as I believe that is binding him up. I have never used it so I don't know about mixing.

[stosh2010]

e-mail to me
stosh@jpcfl.com
I will post them here

[Indian Palm Prince]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4058892002012&set=a.4058889641953.155987.1573500009&type=1&theater

[Indian Palm Prince]

It doesn't seem to want to let me post the pictures on my end. I do not have strong enough internet to actually upload them. I have them on my facebook. Here is the link if any of you can see them

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4058889641953.155987.1573500009&type=1

You can scroll through. There are 6 pics

[stosh2010]

Here is the current photo:

[stosh2010]

Please respond if the arrows are accurate ????

[Indian Palm Prince]

thank you so much!!

as you can see in the picture there is a tall ridge on the right side of his belly.

I've soaked him 3 times with massages and still nothing :/

[stosh2010]

here are some different views of the long lump

[Indian Palm Prince]

Thank you all for your help!

My three questions I guess are: 1) is he really bloated? compared to other pictures of bloated squirrels he doesn't seem that big. However, he hasn't pooped since this morning. 2) Does anyone have any idea what this lump is or what it could mean? Is it causing the bloating. and 3) He seems really hungry/thirsty. While I give him the warm water bath he keeps trying to lick up water and he then licks me every time I check on him. He is nice and warm, but he seems so hungry. He hasn't eaten Anything (not even pedyalite mix) since 4pm and it is now 9pm.

Thank you so much for your assistance. I appreciate that everyone cares about these squirrels!

[stosh2010]

Thank you all for your help!

My three questions I guess are: 1) is he really bloated? compared to other pictures of bloated squirrels he doesn't seem that big.
Is his belly very "tight" to the touch or is it still soft and squishy???

[stosh2010]

He is a CUTIE--I Pray his LUMP is benign...

[Indian Palm Prince]

He almost doesn't seem bloated at all anymore. His stomach is squishy

He hasn't pooped though still :/

One thing I have noticed is that he will use his leg to itch the long bump.... what would that mean?

And can I at least feed him pedialyte? i feel like he is really getting hungry

[Itchiku's dad]

If he's not bloated give him a small feed, but not too much and no ceralac. I don't know about the itching though. And try and simulate him to poo after. Use a bit of cotton wool dipped in warm water but not too wet. I used to do very fast small circular movements on the anus after I fed Itchiku. Some times it takes a while so don't rub too hard. You are trying to emulate a squirrel moms tongue.
You might want to water it down a bit too.

[Jackie in Tampa]

some sort of tumor???
:dono
will have to monitor this closely.

it is not uncommon to see digestive issues when switching formulas..
keeping everything clean is key as well..
that syringe is attempted murder...just kidding, sorta..
I can imagine it is really hard to get supplies where you are..but that is the first thing you need to surrender..
you need 1 cc syringes..
and if disposables are all you can get...GET ALOT!

syringe 101
two basic type plungers..
one is an O ring, a thin gasket on the end of the plunger..They are the bomb and last forever almost.
The second type plunger is disposable, with a black bulbous pencil eraser type rubber gasket, this is meant to be used once..so they lose their slippery appeal and start sticking..
so aspiration is bound to happen..
you can use mineral oil or cooking oil to keep these slippery, but it is inevitable..they're junk.

try to get smaller ones so you can control the flow better:thumbsup

[Indian Palm Prince]

ok, I gave him about half a CC of pedialyte. He LOVED that. I can tell he really is hungry but he will not poop.

Can I give him the puppy milk replacement Lactol? It might be gentler because it isn't as sick. My only other option is cow milk. I can't get fresh milk where I can get the cream until tomorrow evening. during the day tomorrow which should I give him?

I will keep the warm water and rubbing the anus trick.

Thank you for your help!

[Indian Palm Prince]

can i try putting neosporin on the lump? It seems internal but I just want to be careful of an infection.

This isn't like the squirrel chicken pox is it? From what I am reading it seems that that is incurable and kills. :/

On the positive side, he is still very alert and is acting well!

[Foamy the squirrel]

ok, I gave him about half a CC of pedialyte. He LOVED that. I can tell he really is hungry but he will not poop.

Can I give him the puppy milk replacement Lactol? It might be gentler because it isn't as sick. My only other option is cow milk. I can't get fresh milk where I can get the cream until tomorrow evening. during the day tomorrow which should I give him?

I will keep the warm water and rubbing the anus trick.

Thank you for your help!

DO NOT GIVE COWS MILK there is a sticky on that http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5842

can u get goats milk? this is the goats milk formula http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29904

[Foamy the squirrel]

can i try putting neosporin on the lump? It seems internal but I just want to be careful of an infection.

This isn't like the squirrel chicken pox is it? From what I am reading it seems that that is incurable and kills. :/

On the positive side, he is still very alert and is acting well!


yeah youcan im new as well and iv seen the rehabbers say to use put very little

[Indian Palm Prince]

Yeah..... we've pretty much exhausted this topic on the other thread.

There is no goats milk at all... Indians thought I was INSANE when I asked for some. I have no way of getting 2 hours into Bangalore where I can't seem to find any of the things online anyway because most of the places with phone numbers do not actually exist when you call them....

We decided on the other thread that the cream of the cow's milk is the best option besides the baby puppy formula. It is directly from a cow.. not pasteurized. When you boil it and skim the cream off the top the cream does not contain the anti-bodies of the actual cow milk itself. He really enjoyed it but there is only enough cream for 2-3 feedings and I can only get the cow to give me enough milk every other day.

The only two puppy formulas I can get (and trust me.. I have done EVERYTHING to track down formulas that have been suggested like Merelac, etc) are beaphar Lactor and Nestle Cerelac.

We went with Cerelac because people in Thailand use it on all the baby squirrels, and although not ideal, we at least know that it will give better nutrients than cow milk. However, although I thought it was really runny and diluted, perhaps it wasn't diluted enough for the baby.

Regardless.... over the night tonight I will only give him pedialyte so he doesn't rehydrate. Tomorrow during the day should I try the lighter formula of the Lactol?

I am also incredibly concerned with the lump/tumor on his belly. Whenever I touch it he scratches it, and sometimes he scratches it on his own. I put neosporin on it to protect from infection.

[Indian Palm Prince]

I also have a much smaller syringe that only holds 1 tsp of milk but he really likes the other one because he can grab on and control the amount he gets by pushing or pulling in. I don't push almost at all... he suck it out and I help just slightly by putting pressure on the end. If this is bad I can force him to use the other but he doesn't like it at all and it slips out of his mouth during feeding.

[virginia_arce2280]

Would it (the lump) possibly be parasite related? Just thinking out loud here.:thinking

[Indian Palm Prince]

HE HAS POOPED!

I am sooooo thankful. I think the pedialyte did the trick. I am going to keep him on it until the morning though to clear his stomach

This still doesn't answer the problem with the lump. It almost seems slightly more pronounced to me.

I hope we can figure out what it might be

Please let me know what my next step should be in the morning :)

Thank you all!

[Charley Chuckles]

What a beautiful little squirrel :Love_Icon I will let the others tell you your next thing to do in the morning :thumbsup but wanted to say I will be thinking of your little one and hoping the lump is nothing that will cause any problems :grouphug

[stosh2010]

When my Rama was very little, he was fed Lactol ( puppy replacement formula) for several months ...before someone brought me Fox Valley.

[jazzrats]

Hello all-
This is Christy's dad and I was wondering if someone could bring me up to speed (she seems to be offline)-

Do we think the bulge is feed related? What are we recommending for feed right now? I think the Cerelac is out? Are we back to whole milk?

Could the bulge be constipation? It sounds like she is wearing thin, so appreciate encouragement!

Much appreciated

[Foamy the squirrel]

Hello all-
This is Christy's dad and I was wondering if someone could bring me up to speed (she seems to be offline)-

Do we think the bulge is feed related? What are we recommending for feed right now? I think the Cerelac is out? Are we back to whole milk?

Could the bulge be constipation? It sounds like she is wearing thin, so appreciate encouragement!

Much appreciated


did u try apple juice watered down ? (if shes still not pooing)

[Indian Palm Prince]

ok, I woke up after 3 hours for the first checkup over night. When I pick him up he is immediately having runny yellow stool without me having to stimulate him. This might be the pedialyte?

Also, the lump is still there

Advice? and should I give the Lactol next?

Dad- honestly, nothing has really been decided or even discussed...we just know the details of how he is doing right now.

thank you all for your help!

[Indian Palm Prince]

I think right now though... most important question first: he will start to starve son if I don't decide to feed him.....

our options. please pick one or provide me an alternative:
1)boiled cows milk unpasteurized but the cream is not there
2) lactol- maybe watered down alot
3)a much much lighter version of Cerelac

I want to be able to feed him in 3 hours when I wake up next

THank you for your help

[CritterMom]

I would go with the lactol. Start by watering it down more than they recommend and if it is well tolerated, you can begin decreasing the extra water in the formula very slowly until you are at the package recommendations.

If there is any way for you to get yogurt, I would add a bit of that to the formula. You can use plain, or a flavor like vanilla - it will add beneficial bacteria that aid digestion.

[Indian Palm Prince]

thank you Critter Mom! that is exactly what I will do :)

[stosh2010]

I would go with the lactol. Start by watering it down more than they recommend and if it is well tolerated, you can begin decreasing the extra water in the formula very slowly until you are at the package recommendations.

If there is any way for you to get yogurt, I would add a bit of that to the formula. You can use plain, or a flavor like vanilla - it will add beneficial bacteria that aid digestion.
Thanks CritterMom....I'm glad she has been given advice.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Hello all-
This is Christy's dad and I was wondering if someone could bring me up to speed (she seems to be offline)-

Do we think the bulge is feed related? What are we recommending for feed right now? I think the Cerelac is out? Are we back to whole milk?

Could the bulge be constipation? It sounds like she is wearing thin, so appreciate encouragement!

Much appreciatednot constipation, thinking fatty tumor..
so odd..
I will contact my vet in the AM..nothing I have seen before..
dilute lactol is my opinion..
and gradually increase until it is mixed as package instructs..
within the next 12-24 hours according to how she responds to it..
go slow...hold her head up tail down..if milk does come from nose, tip nose gently toward floor and allow time for fluid to exit lungs just in case.
wipe off excess..
keep the baby warm:) :Love_Icon
cold baby means organs are not going to function and food will sit in belly and grow yeast..
always make sure belly is empty before feeding again...
stimulate always...after feeding.

[island rehabber]

Thanks CritterMom, I agree totally with your recommendation. I wish I had something intelligent to say about the lump, but I've never seen such a thing before. Could it be a welt, from an insect bite? So long as the baby is pooping it can't be a bowel obstruction......damn I wish I knew more. :thinking

[pappy1264]

That is odd. Can you feel any holes near the bottom end of it, towards the back legs? I am just wondering if like a hernia, and perhaps some bowel has popped out.

[Itchiku's dad]

Definitely go with the lactol. I did post a list of the nutrients on the other thread, but no one came back on it and I'd never heard of it before.

Stosh, do you think you can remember how you mixed it. so she has a guideline to help?

[stosh2010]

Definitely go with the lactol. I did post a list of the nutrients on the other thread, but no one came back on it and I'd never heard of it before.

Stosh, do you think you can remember how you mixed it. so she has a guideline to help?
I'm sorry...but I do NOT remember. It was 2 1/2 years ago.

[Indian Palm Prince]

thank you for your help.

And no. There does not seem to be a hole of any sort. If the baby were bitten by a mosquito could the bite look more deformed than our typical welts? He scratches at it with his back foot. But nothing else seems to bother him. I press on it he doesn't seem to care.

and also... I can't find yogurt but found "curd" which is what they call yogurt. It is sweeter but has a similar (possibly milkier) consistency. Should I try this?

[stosh2010]

Some INFO on the WEB:

Remember these are directions for puppies...

Lactol Puppy Milk Beaphar
Puppy milk provides puppies with complete nutritional diet.




12345Viewed:528 timesSecure Payments
Credit/Debit Card & Net BankingAll India Free Shipping
Most Reliable Logistics PartnersCustomer Care
+91-9818809553, Mon- Fri (10 am - 6 pm)
Lactol Puppy Milk Beaphar



Quality Whey protein to match natural bitches/queens milk. Extremely palatable and of optimal biological value due to its excellent amino acid content. The special low-temperature drying process preserves fragile protein structures so that more of the protein in the product can be utilized by growing animals. Lactol provides the correct balance of oils, natural vitamins and minerals. Convenience in mixing. A complete food for orphaned puppies and kittens from birth to 24 days old. An ideal supplement for weaning kittens and puppies from milk. An ideal nutritional supplement even for the pregnant queen/ bitch and while suckling the young. For mothers suffering from milk failure, have contaminated milk or agalactia.

FEATURES:

■Quality Whey protein to match natural bitches/queens milk
■Extremely palatable
■Optimal biological value
■Provides the correct balance of oils, natural vitamins and minerals
■Convenience in mixing
SPECIFICATION:

Quantity - 250 g, 1.5 kg

COMPOSITION:

■Milk and by products
■Oil and fat
HOW TO USE:

■Add Lactol to warm, not boiling water and stir until completely dissolved
■Allow cooling at body temperature and it is ready for puppies and kittens
■One scoop=2.5g
■Add 12 scoops in 105 ml water and this is suited for 250 gms puppy., 500gm-160ml,1kg-250ml,2kg-400ml,5kg-900ml
■Complimentary feeding For adult dogs=11ml/kg body wt
■For sick animals=11ml/kg body wt

[Itchiku's dad]

Curd is what they call plain yogurt, so that should be fine. If it tastes sweet it may have been sweetened.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Thus far the baby has had only 2 feedings with incredibly watered down Lactol. There hasn't been any poop since he started eating again, but he isn't bloating.

The lump is still there

thanks again for your help

[CritterMom]

Then make his next feeding a little bit more concentrated. He needs the nutrients.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Ok. I strengthened his formula a bit... he pooped immediately after but it was dark brownish yellow and was solid... still not the normal that I was hoping :/

[Jackie in Tampa]

mustard color is what we want!!!!:thumbsup yeah!!!!!!!:bowdown

[Itchiku's dad]

Yep sounds good to me. Well done.

[UDoWhat]

Just a thought, since I don't know this baby's full story, I am wondering if this lump could be some kind of abscess? Is the lump hard or soft and squishy?? I once took a baby from another Wildlife Center with a hard lump on his chest. It was a puncture wound that had gone unnoticed by the center and had healed over. When opened by my Vet it began to drain. I don't know if this could be a similar lump but I thought I would chime in here. Could it be scar tissue?? Really just guessing now??? :dono Glad to see the GI tract is better.

Marty

[CritterMom]

It will take a while for him to have any waste to pass! What we are watchig out for is diarrhea. I would do two feedings at each strength of formula, and if things continue going well, make it a little bit more concentrated and do two more feedings - and so on until you have it up to package strength.

Once he is doing well on that, I think you will need to add a small amount of heavy cows cream to i - a very small amount and wait until he has been on the full trength for a while before even thinking about this. We used to use a puppy replacer here in the US for baby squirrels - many still do - and it needs the addition of yogurt and a little cream to really work properly for squirrels, and I assume it is the same with this brand - just a difference in nutritional needs between puppies and squirrels. But for now, you need to concentrate on getting him up to speed on just the formula with no diarrhea.

Here is a tip: Make the formula up in advance - if you can. hours in advance - and let it sit in the refrigerator. When feeding time comes, stir well and take out what you need, returning the rest to the fridge. The longer the water sits in contact with the formula powder, the better the absorbsion will be. Always STIR before serving time, don't shake - you don't want to introduce gas bubbles into the baby's stomach.

[Charley Chuckles]

Just a thought if it is a boil of some kind maybe a warm water with some Epsom salt (or even regular salt) on a cotton ball applied for a few minutes several times a day/if it doesn't help it to go down it won't hurt....I was just thinking it must be bothering him if he is scratching it

[Indian Palm Prince]

Well.. concerning the lump. Maybe it could be from his fall a week ago and it just took a week to appear? His nest was hit out of a tree by a slingshot, but he seemed to not be affected by the fall much. However, his brother died on contact and it was very bloody :/

Also. We don't have Epsom salt here... would just regular salt do the same trick? He does seem to really enjoy soaking in the warm water these past 2 days.

Once he wasn't bloated it became much more pronounced. It is hard and doesn't move.

We can rule out the Squirrel Chicken pox though? (Fibromitosis)

thanks again for the feeding tips. Eventually should I give him the same amount as what would be fed to the puppy? it seems like a larger amount than for a squirrel... would anyone know a proper ration of water to formula?

[CritterMom]

It comes with a scoop, right? And the directions say 12 scoops to 105 ml water.

Using the scoop, how many scoops full of water it take to get to the 105ml? Once you know that answer, you can figure out the ratio.

Most puppy formula are mixed at 1 part formula powder to 2 parts water but I am not familiar with the lactol.

[Itchiku's dad]

1 scoop would need 8.75 ml of water to mix it at the same strength. 105 divided by twelve is 8.75

[Indian Palm Prince]

ok. I am not quite there yet then with the mixture. But unfortunately his poop has turned brown again. What exactly does that mean? Is he not liking the formula? Am I introducing it too fast?

[Itchiku's dad]

How brown is it ? Is it runny or well formed? Itchiku's was a pale beige color and like small pellets when he was a baby. Now he's older and they are very dark brown pellets.
Just wanted to ask. Are your little boys eyes open, as I can never tell from the pictures.

[Indian Palm Prince]

It is brown with grayish yellow tinting. It is a solid pellet. It hasn't been this color yet. All last week it was very yellow.

And no. His eyes aren't open, which has actually surprised me because he fits the description in all the other ways of a 5 week old

[CritterMom]

Different formulas will yield different color poops. Also, it takes a bit for it to go through his system. Don't worry overly much about color. That you are getting solid poops is GREAT - that is exactly what you want.

[Indian Palm Prince]

thank you so much :) it seems like we solved that problem. hopefully the lump will just turn out to be nothing

[Itchiku's dad]

I'm going to put up a link from a blog on caring for orphan palm squirrels. You may have seen it already, But it might be useful. From what I read your boy may only be around week four. looking back at the pics of him.
Don't worry too much if your boy is not eating as much as they list as he is tiny. Oh and ignore the use Esbilac as it is from 2009.

http://orphanedsquirrelrehab.blogspot.com/

Unfortunately not many pics.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Thank you... that link was helpful.

The past 2 feedings he has not pooped but just peed alot... does this mean he needs more nutrients still and it will be ok once I add more formula for the next feeding? Or should I be concerned that the formula is blocking him up?

Thank you again!

[stosh2010]

Thank you... that link was helpful.

The past 2 feedings he has not pooped but just peed alot... does this mean he needs more nutrients still and it will be ok once I add more formula for the next feeding? Or should I be concerned that the formula is blocking him up?

Thank you again!

Try some warm water soaks..in a small, deep bowl. Submerge his lower half completely while stimulating his underside...from armpits down to groin, with a very soft wet cloth (fleece ?), do both sides , gently, slowly and continuously.
Do this right after each feeding.

[CritterMom]

Hoe won't poop every time. Also, you are feeding a diluted formula so there are not that many solids for him to poop out. If he is not having diarrhea issues I would continue to bring the formula up to strength step by step. How dilute is it now compared to what it is supposed to be?

[Indian Palm Prince]

I made this last formula 1 scoop to 15 ml of water.... so it's 1 to 2 of what it should be. He pooped normal color this time but it was slightly less solid than we should hope (but it wasn't like diarrhea... it was just not solid hard but wet and mostly hard). I will feed him this one more time and then try full strength. I think it is just purely the nutrients that he needed.

Thank you!

[Itchiku's dad]

Not sure I'd go straight to full strength, maybe do a couple of feedings at 1 scoop to 12 ml water first to ease him into it.

[Indian Palm Prince]

ok. That sounds good.

My other question was in that link you sent me it says that a 4 week old should be eating 3-4 CCs (mLs) each feeding. My boy will barely eat 1 1/2 ccs before he gets full and his stomach gets big and round... is he that much smaller than the average indian palm squirrel or should I make him keep eating?

Thanks again

[Itchiku's dad]

It's all dependent on size really that's why one of the first questions is how much does the squirrel weigh. 7 percent of that weight then gives a guideline for how much formula per feeding.
At about 4 weeks old Itchiku was only eating about 1-2 ml when I was feeding him every 4 hours and he was this big.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/423341_10150611736741791_1553623823_n.jpg

The most he ever ate was 5.5 ml and that was at 9 weeks old on 2 feedings a day just before he weaned himself off the syringe.

If you click the link at the bottom of my post you can see him 7 weeks to now.
He is 6 months old and is about the same size as a 7-8 week old grey squirrel.

[Indian Palm Prince]

unfortunately I kept the 1 scoop to 12 ratio and he now has yellow partial diarrhea. It first came out hard, but then came out runny after a few more seconds of stimulation. What does this mean?

[Itchiku's dad]

Remember that when you stimulate him the poop won't be from the feeding you've just done but from one before. so, it might be he has more liquid moving through him. You'll know more when after his next feeding.
Are you adding anything to the formula. or is it just formula on it's own?
I have to get ready to go to work but will check back tonight, but I imagine one of the others will have checked in by now, Try not to worry too much, as his stomach needs to get a bit used to the formula too.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Thank you.

I am not adding anything to the formula. I have yogurt I will add once he is stabilized on this full strength formula. Hopefully it will get better soon.

[CritterMom]

Add a little yogurt to the diluted formula. The cultures in the yogurt will help him digest the formula.

[jazzrats]

Sounds like things are moving along- Thanks to everyone, and I'm proud of you Palm Prince!

[Jackie in Tampa]

Add a little yogurt to the diluted formula. The cultures in the yogurt will help him digest the formula.:thumbsup yep
glad to hear things are getting better...:wott

[stosh2010]

Please keep us posted on his POOP texture and size --until he has a stable firm stool.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Well, I tried yogurt for two feedings with 1 scoop to 12 ml... He still is having brownish yellow lite diarrhea. It is still somewhat solid but then very runny at the end with bubbles normally... :/ I am worried

[CritterMom]

Are you mixing the formula up well in advance? Like preferably hours in advance and letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator until time to use it?

Keep the yogurt in the formula - it takes a while to work but it does help. You might want to increase the dilution a little bit and then ease into strengthening it more slowly.

How are you heating the formula? You do not want to heat yogurt really hot - it should be added when the formula is almost down to feeding temp. Heat will kill the cultures in the yogurt that you want him to have.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Yes. After I finish feeding him what I do is boil water to warm his bed. I then place another bowl of water in the boiling water until it is warm. I put 1 spoonful of formula and 12 mls of water. I then added in 1/2 a teaspoon of yogurt because the the yogurt makes the consistency too thick for him to suck if it is much stronger. I then put this mixture in the syringe and put that in the fridge.

I then come back 3 hours later and boil more water with the syringe in the water. I take it out once it feels slightly warm but not hot. He then is very eager to suck it down so I try to feed him as slowly as possible so he doesn't get indigestion.

I will cut back the formula to 16ml instead if you think that would be better. It is bizarre how well he took the cow's milk but how poorly he is taking all these different formulas.

[CritterMom]

I just went back anbd reread the beginning of the thread - he did well on the goats milk and the goats milk with the cerelac but when you had to sub the cow's milk for the goats, didn't he start to bloat?

Is there NO way to ger your hands on goats milk? You can use fresh, powdered, or evaporated. If you use the powdered or evaporated, of course you have to add water first. You found it once, is it not available now? He liked it and did well on it and we can give you a tried and true formula for it. Goats milk is SO digestible, which is why it is the basis for so many baby animal formulas.

[CritterMom]

This is what you want and this place is in India - you can order it:http://www.health-mall.in/productdet/500/510/2017/meyenberg-goat-milk-powdered-goat-milk-vitamin-d-12-oz-340-g-.aspx

That with yogurt and heavy cream and he is good to go.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Thank you for the link I will buy it ASAP

Actually I went a week with cows milk and he had diarrhea the first day after I got him but then was fine the entire week. Everyone insisted that I switch to goats milk so on Friday I was able to get a tiny bottle that one of my students brought me from her goat. That was what I introduced to start him on the Cerelac. I used that for Friday. I then ran out and was told to use cream with the Cerelac and water. Between Friday and Saturday was when he began to bloat. I am fully confident that it was the Cerelac.

Honestly, it is proving nearly impossible to get it. My student is the only one I know of who has a goat and the goat barely gives enough to feed the squirrel for a day. She said she can't milk the goat every day or it will get sick. It is also inappropriate for me to pay her for it. It puts me in a dilemma. I have called every vendor that might sell things like milke... but here where I am in India there isn't even a place to buy regular milk and definitely NOT goats milk. If I can get into Bangalore I still am unaware of a place that has milk. I have called many of the big stores that tends to have imports. Nothing :/

His diarrhea is fully liquid now. I have diluted the formula very much. I think I am going to switch him back to the cow's milk with the cream until I get the package as it is the only thing I've had that he was fine with last week for 5 days with regular poop. I know long term it isn't enough nutrients but I think helping him through the diarrhea is the most important thing.

This is probably the most traumatic situations I've been in in a long time. I have not gotten to sleep for almost 2 weeks and he is always sick.. which is always scarying me. I tried to contact the author of that blog posted here because she lives in Tamil Nadu too, but she has yet to respond.

Thank you all for your help and input

[Itchiku's dad]

Right I just went back to the old thread and compared the nutritional information of the lactol to the royal canin and found that it has double the vitamin A and is way higher in B2, but is a lot lower in all the other nutrients.
I think you should go back to the beginning, like you said and see if it stabilizes.

[CritterMom]

Before going right to the new milk, give him several feedings of just rehydration fluid - he needs it because of the diarrhea and it will also flush this other stuff from his system.

1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 quart water

Feed warm like the formula. He can have this as often as he wants for 24 hours. If you feel he needs it longer, make a new mix tomorrow without the salt.

Order the powdered - but ask locally too - people may have assumed you needed fresh goats milk and you do not - this powdered will work just as well (once it is mixed up with water).

[CritterMom]

A couple more things...

After you get some rehydration into him, please do this to the cow's milk:

Scald it. Do you know how? Here in the US we have become so reliant on microwaves for heating things and it does not work for this - you must scald milk in a pot on the stove over direct heat. Bring it to the point just before boiling, watching closely so it does not burn, then remove from the heat. Stir until it is *almost* cool enough to feed and then add some yogurt to it.

Scalding milk - truly scalding it, not just heating it in the micro - changes the molecular structure of the proteins in the milk and makes it easier to digest. The yogurt then adds lactobacillus, which is the bacteria that DIGESTS MILK to the mixture. I am HOPING that doing these two things will allow you to get some nutrients into the little guy until you can get the goats milk.

And regarding the GM - lie like a madman if you have to - tell them that you have a human infant that is lactose intolerant and you desperately need this to be shipped IMMEDIATELY so your CHILD doesn't starve...it appears that it is used in India in these cases and if there are any places near you that carry products for babies and infants they may be another place to look for GM - but get it on order ASAP. There appear to be a couple brands available over there - I found one site that sold it but the minimum order was 5 TONS!!:osnap

Good luck.

[stosh2010]

Thanks CritterMom
Does Nick ship Fox Valley to India???
Wouldn't that be our first choice ?
I realize that the F.V. would be about the 5 th. thing this poor little dude was given as food...but it would probably be best in the long run.

[Indian Palm Prince]

HE OPENED HIS EYES :) He just got even cuter!

And yes. Thank you. Excellent advice. I was scalding the milk already though! It is the only way to heat milk here in India. There definitely aren't microwaves... but that is so interesting about the way the heat affects the milk and yogurt. I will make sure to follow that perfectly.

He is still having diarrhea but I am hoping getting him off of the formulas will end it soon.

Thank you for your help

[Itchiku's dad]

Most of the lactose is in the milk and not the cream of the milk. As this in not homogenized milk like in the west the cream will separate and raise to the top of the milk if you leave it to stand in the fridge first. Once it has separated you can skim the cream off the top which will give him less lactose to deal with.
Oh! we'll need a new pic now his eyes are open.

[stosh2010]

OK >>>>> a package is ON the WAY from Costa Rica.... with half a pound of 20/50 Fox Valley Formula...2@ 5cc syringes...3 @ 3cc syringes...one needle for syringe ( if you need to sub-Q or other injection.)
I went to UPS store in town...they had a list of countries that they will deliver to a PO #...INDIA was not on the list. I asked him to weigh it anyway--and give me a price to ship, and I would try to get another address to you.
SIT DOWN !!!!! It was $117.00....for under a pound. YIKES...So I went to the regular Correos (Post Office) and got a much better price. he thought it might be 8-10 days.
I hope it get there this month. When it arrives keep it in the fridge.We will discuss mixing ratios later.

[Indian Palm Prince]

ok> I am really worried again. He has been on just pedialyte for the past 12 hours but his poop is purely liquid diarrhea still :/ What does this mean? I feel terrible that I really hurt him with that formula :(

[stosh2010]

Indian Palm Prince
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ok> I am really worried again. He has been on just pedialyte for the past 12 hours but his poop is purely liquid diarrhea still :/ What does this mean? I feel terrible that I really hurt him with that formula


BUMP !!!!
This Poor little squirrel needs NOURISHMENT... I wish I was experienced enough to give direction--but I'm NOT
Please Rehabbers--- what do you think...????

[Itchiku's dad]

Can you do the tent test? Gently pinch the skin together on the back of his neck. When you let go if the skin drops back down he is not dehydrated, if it stays up he is.

[Rhapsody]

How did the tent test come out?
Did he have loose stools before he started the new formula?
Are you following the feeding rule of 5-7% of their body weight?

[Indian Palm Prince]

He is not dehydrated.. skin went right back down.
He did not have loose stools before the Lactol... but he was bloated for 2 days because of the Cerelac... his stool never really was normal after that, but at least on Monday and Tuesday it was solid again... then on Tuesday night it became diarrhea (today is Thursday morning here)... We first tried yogurt in the Lactol.. that didn't work so for the past 12 hours he has been on pedialyte but he still has diarrhea.

I don't know how much he weighs... there is no way to tell i'm in the middle of nowhere with no tools to check.. however, he has ALWAYS eaten under the normal recommended amount... recently he has started eating about 3 or 3 1/2 ccs in the past 2 days but before he only ate 1 1/2 before he wouldn't eat anymore. Everyone told me that it was ok because he looks exceptionally small...

also. I can't post pictures on here again... maybe Stosh could take the new ones that I was able to put on facebook.

[Rhapsody]

I am also on Facebook through "Mother Natures Rescue" you can find me through my page if you want...... just LIKE the Page.

Here is the average weight of squirrels:

Based on --Wild Mammal Babies 2nd Edition

Birth ---: between 15 & 25 grams

1 weeks: between 25 & 60 grams

2 weeks: between 60 & 70 grams

3 weeks: between 70 & 80 grams

4 weeks: between 80 & 120 grams

5 weeks: between 120 & 150 grams

6 weeks: between 150 & 250 grams

7-8 weeks: 250 grams and greater


*weight may vary depending how long the orphan baby squirrel has been away from mom and food.

[Rhapsody]

I think your little guy prob has diarrhea now due to all the changes his digestive tract has gone through with in the last week....... he prob needs to be flushed with pedialyte, given some over the counter meds for diarrhea, then return to what was working for him in the first place.

[Indian Palm Prince]

What kind of meds? I am in a village in India.. I have human pills of Tylenol, Ibuprofen, anti-diarrheal pills, and pepto bismal. That is about it.

Also, he has been on pedialyte for 12 hours and hasn't gotten any better at all. He can only be on it for another 12 hours max. When should he start having normal stool?

Also, I think he is definitely under 80 g still..... he is very very small. Indian Palm Squirrels are much smaller than American tree squirrels. he weighs about half the weight of my blackberry, which is 3.11 ounces.

Thank you for your help!

[Rhapsody]

If pepto is all you got over there for otc meds for diarrhea then yes, give him a few drops of that. As far as when he will get better its hard to say..... I had three baby squirrels that had diarrhea for an entire month before they got better, I felt so bad for them and their little bottoms.

[Rhapsody]

I think he is definitely under 80 g still..... he is very very small. Indian Palm Squirrels are much smaller than American tree squirrels.Lets say he is between 60 to 70 grams then --he can eat 3-5 cc per each feeding, but no more @ every 4 to 6 hours, depending on how full his stomach is.

[Indian Palm Prince]

my pepto is not in liquid form. It is a pink pill. Should I try to dissolve it and put it in his pedialyte?

and I should stop the pedialyte 12 hours from now even if he still has diarrhea?

[Rhapsody]

The pedialyte can only be given for 24 hours...... then you can start the formula back up and give water in between if its needed for dehydration.

I would crack the pill in half and dilute with water, but I do not what the saturation amount should be for the pill....... maybe someone will come along that can dose it.

[CritterMom]

If you are going to try the pepto, one drop - only one drop. It won't work right away, so don't give more until it has had time to actually do something. Regarding rehydration, the ONLY thing he cannot have after 24 hours is the SALT in the recipe. You can make a batch with just sugar, no salt, or even use straight water.

Have you located or ordered the powdered GM?

[Indian Palm Prince]

The pepto is not in liquid form. It is a pill...

I do not have enough money to buy the specific powder you sent me. It is 40 dollars for a small amount. I am on a very tight missionary budget.

His stool is beginning to solidify finally... although it is very liquidy still. I don't want to feed him pedialyte after his next feeding because I can tell he is hungry for real nutrients. I will put him back on cow's cream until i can find something else

[stosh2010]

The pepto is not in liquid form. It is a pill...

I do not have enough money to buy the specific powder you sent me. It is 40 dollars for a small amount. I am on a very tight missionary budget.

His stool is beginning to solidify finally... although it is very liquidy still. I don't want to feed him pedialyte after his next feeding because I can tell he is hungry for real nutrients. I will put him back on cow's cream until i can find something else
Great News...every little bit helps. I hope his poop gets firm by later today.
I hope the Fox Valley pkg. I sent, gets there by end of next week.
( I also hope you get to relax and catch up on MUCH needed sleep>> Thank You for all your love and concern)

[CritterMom]

Even though the cream does not have as much lactose as the rest of the milk, it is very rich in fat which can aggravate the somach. Make sure you start with a diluted form and work up.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Ok.. so I've even given him goats milk now once the pedialyte has been given for 24 hours... a girl brought me a little bottle of it.

He still has diarrhea :/ Should I just keep feeding him like normal and hope the diarrhea goes away?

and is there a way to give a pepto bismol pill if I dissolve it in water in a small amount to him? Would that actually help at all?

[Rhapsody]

I would continue with the normal fedding at 5% of his body weight at first.
You can crush the pepto pill and mix with water..... then give 2-3 drops.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Good news!

His stool is getting a little firmer, and the lump is starting to get smaller I think! It isn't all the way up to his arm anymore and just on his belly. I wonder what that was.

thank you for all of your help. i will keep you updated :)

[jazzrats]

Good news!

[stosh2010]

Praying for Hard Poop and soft belly
Keep up the good work... The little one needs a NAME ...????

[Charley Chuckles]

I am so glad to hear he is doing so much better and yes NAME please :D :grouphug
Or he will end up like my 'Little Girl' /'Little One' :rotfl

[Indian Palm Prince]

sadly he is bloated after 1 1/2 days of goats milk :/ I don't know what this little guy needs :/

[Rhapsody]

sadly he is bloated after 1 1/2 days of goats milk :/ I don't know what this little guy needs :/
How is the goat milk being fixed / prepared?

[CritterMom]

Get the bloat down - soak his bottom half in warm water while stroking the tummy in downward strokes until it passes.

When you feed: make sure HE is warm. I know you are using water bottles which is tough to do right, but make sure that the baby is nice and warm before and after you feed or he can't digest. Make sure the GM mixture (add the yogurt, helps with the tummy) is also warm - it should be 105 F at least. I know you don't have a scale - we say 5-7% of body weight is the right amount to feed each time, but if you hold him in front of you under his little armpits, with his body hanging down his tummy should look like a half filled balloon - teardrop shaped but not completely full.

Also, make sure he has digested the last meal. Don't keep feeding if he hasn't - mixing fresh food with the fermenting stuff in the tummy causes bloating. Feed, wait till his tummy has gone down, THEN feed again.

[jazzrats]

Wanted to give you guys an update- The Squirrel is doing well but I don't have a lot of details because my daughter's school has been without power for the better part of a week- Apparently they had diesel backup at first, but that has failed, but the good news is the poops are apparently solid and the lump seems to be less of an issue.

Will let you know more when we have it and thanks so much for all the help and prayers!
Christy's dad

[CritterMom]

Oh, that is great! I worried all weekend! I love good news!

[stosh2010]

Wonderful news....Hope this is a GREAT week for " ??? ". ( "insert Name here" )

[jazzrats]

Yes Stosh, he needs a name and hopefully will emerge from the news blackout with a good one-

BTW that is a really cute baby in your photo- I'm just starting to learn about squirrels- what is he?

Thanks again!

[stosh2010]

Yes Stosh, he needs a name and hopefully will emerge from the news blackout with a good one-

BTW that is a really cute baby in your photo- I'm just starting to learn about squirrels- what is he?Thanks again!
That is a VERY youthful Rama Rota in my Avatar photo on TSB. he is a Variegated Tri Color Costa Rican Tree squirrel. There are 7 species of squirrel in CR, with the Variegated being only one of them.
HOWEVER...there are 14 SUB-species of the Variegated type. Rama & Cruiser are 2 of the 14 different color combinations.

[Itchiku's dad]

Good to hear he's o.k. I thought name was probably Prince as in the thread title, but after hearing about the power problem you could call him Vin NO Diesel.:jump :jump Just kidding:D

[stosh2010]

BTW that is a really cute baby in your photo- I'm just starting to learn about squirrels- what is he?

Thanks again!
Rama was darker in his coloration whwn he was under One Year Old.
>>>But he is STILL the Handsome One.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Hey everyone.. I'm so sorry! there was a power surge that knocked out our generator and then it turns out it fried my computer battery. :/

So... the squirrel has been doing great (we are narrowing down the Hindi names as we speak.... we almost have one) but in the past 2 days he has stopped wanting to eat at certain times. I was feeding him every 4 hours including at night but it seems like once we hit 10pm he stops wanting to eat almost at all until late the next morning. At first I thought it was maybe the milk that was bad and I just couldn't smell it yet, but I tried to offer two different formulas that I have and he wouldn't take either of those either. What would cause him to do this? i am afraid he will dehydrate (he won't accept the pedialyte mixture either). This is night number two of this. It is 3am 4 and a half hours after he last ate before 10pm (and he only ate 1 cc at 10pm) and he won't eat anything right now. Normally he is very hungry.

Please help!

Thanks so much :)
Christy

[Indian Palm Prince]

As a side note: I do warm everything I give him (and I scald the milk), it was goats milk, I also tried cow/buffalo milk, and I stimulate him to pee/poop and try again. He pees and sometimes doesn't poop. He is not bloated... and there is lots of extra tummy skin just hanging which makes me feel like he is hungry.

Is it possible he was eating too much the past few days (3-4 ccs) and now he just needs some time?

please help! thank you

[CritterMom]

The extra tummy skin concerns me. Try giving your baby some water - just plain water - warmed by syringe - in between feedings. He may be getting dehydrated. If you feed at 2 and 6, give him some water at 4. When he stops eating, first, re-warm the formula so it is a bit warmer, and try again.

Is there ANY way to get any kind of a weight on this guy?

[Indian Palm Prince]

ok. Ill try all those things... when I do the tent test his skin falls back almost immediately still.... after I feed him i force him to drink pedialyte (i place a drop on his lips and he licks it to get it off... and i put another one... it isn't that he wants it though). This time he drank a cc of the Cerelac and a cc of the pedialyte but his tummy definitely didn't look full, round, or any of the things that the internet says it should be like when he is full. I will go and reheat the formula now and try again.

thank you

[Itchiku's dad]

o.k Asian squirrel tip. Can you get fresh young coconuts? If so, you can use the water from that. Now he my not want it from a syringe. If he doesn't try dipping you finger in it and let him lick it off.

[Itchiku's dad]

Can you do a couple of things if possible?

Can you take a new picture of him in the palm of you hand so, I can compare it for size.

Give me a list of each feeding time in 1 day and how much he ate.

Is he active during the day now that his eyes are open?

[Indian Palm Prince]

I will try to get a picture uploaded... it takes forever for me here

strangely at 11am I tried to feed him again and he sucked down the milk- about 4 ccs. I prepared it the exact same as I have every time. It is like he doesn't want to eat at night and waits for the day time....

Ok... before this weird thing happened he was eating exactly 2 1/2 ccs (i was amazed that every time it measured exactly that when he pulled away and stopped wanting food) every 4 hours. My schedule was roughly 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm, 12am, 4am, 8am.

For the past two days it has been much different. 8pm 2 1/2 ccs, 12pm 1 cc and I tried again 30 minutes later and nothing, 4am 1cc, 8am barely 1 cc, 10am 3 ccs, 2pm 3 1/2 cc, 6pm 3 1/2, 10pm- 1 cc.. tried again at 12 and nothing, 3am 1/2 cc, 7am 1cc, 9am nothing, 11am 4 ccs. and I haven't fed him again

He has always been active even bfore his eyes were open, but now during the day I take him out and play with him for 10 mins (but I dont want to let him get cold) about 3 times a day a few hours after a feed and a few hours before a feed so the coldness won't affect his digestion. When he isn't with me he is exploring and climbing the sweatshirt in with him or he cuddles up in the fold closest to the hot milk ceramic jug that is in there with him and sleeps. However when he comes out with me he curls up in my hands and falls asleep and doesn't want to play... sometimes he is wanting to explore so I let him on my bed and he normally just sticks to climbing around on me.

I hope that helps

[Itchiku's dad]

is he eating any solid food now? any idea on weight now?
remember adults only get to about 100 grams or so. A new picture would be great.

[Indian Palm Prince]

I've tried banana, apple, apple sauce, and kiwi. He will lick it for like 10 seconds and then turn his head... then i put a small enough piece he could eat on my finger and touch it to his lips and he takes it for a second then spits it out. I can't seem to find pine nuts but I can find any other kind of nut. I won't try those yet they are too hard. Should he be fulling eating solid foods now?

and I really don't know the weight but he is leveling out with my blackberry... so maybe about 55? He is definitely still growing. I will work on his picture.

[stosh2010]

I've tried banana, apple, apple sauce, and kiwi. He will lick it for like 10 seconds and then turn his head... then i put a small enough piece he could eat on my finger and touch it to his lips and he takes it for a second then spits it out. I can't seem to find pine nuts but I can find any other kind of nut. I won't try those yet they are too hard. Should he be fulling eating solid foods now?

and I really don't know the weight but he is leveling out with my blackberry... so maybe about 55? He is definitely still growing. I will work on his picture.


Try grape ,pear, peach or plumb. The grape should be peeled--seeds removed- and cut into thirds. First time..... hold the piece firmly between your fingers and let him chew. If he gulps it--he can choke. Do you have romaine lettuce, celantro or Chard? My guys like greens(sometimes)

[Charley Chuckles]

I am glad to hear he is doing well :thumbsup Food is funny one will like it the next will not...or one day they like it the next day no :thinking keep trying :D

[Itchiku's dad]

Don't worry too much about nuts for now. You could try papaya which is a hi calcium fruit. also have a look and see what the wilds eat. These squirrels are only native to India ans Sri Lanka.

[stosh2010]

Here is a new PHOTO from Christy.... ( of old "What's His Name..." Ha ! )

So Beautiful...I hope he stabilizes soon and begins to eat well, poop well, and BE WELL !
I hope your Fox Valley package gets to you soon...but Costa Rica is NOT KNOWN for Speedy Anything>

[Indian Palm Prince]

Thank you so much for posting the picture! Can you get a weight idea from it?

Last night was strange as well... He ate at 8pm about 3 !/2 mls but then wouldn't eat again until 3am.... which concerned me because that was a long time. He ate 3 1/2 at 3 am and then only ate 2mls at 7am this morning. I tried a pear and he wouldn't eat it either... I am not sure about the other fruits if I can find them here except for the papaya. I am going to cut up a watermelon and see if he likes that. I put the apple at first then switched to the pear in the crate with him like the internet suggests but they just got soggy and gross after a few hours so I stopped doing that.. it's a waste of precious resources for me. I have also read that these squirrels like bread and oats and pretty much any vegetarian food that people eat.... should I try him on oats?

Should I maybe not be feeding him as often? His stomach is never full whenever I do start feeding him.. or should I feed him much less even though he nibbles at me whenever I take the syringe away and he's not done (at which point I've tried scruffing him and saying NO NO... not working though lol). thanks for the suggestions!

[Itchiku's dad]

I would say keep to the same feeding schedule for now and just note down what he eats at each feeding. If he doesn't want to eat at 1 feeding time don't try and make him eat, just wait to the next one.

Don't give him oats or human food, as there is too much phosphorus. What vegetables and fruit can you get locally? Have you been able to watch any of the wild squirrels in your area?

Another thing has he got both sets of teeth now?

[Indian Palm Prince]

He only has his bottom teeth with a little white spot where the top teeth are coming in

Here is the website I have been using: http://pashupati.99k.org/The%20Squirrel%20Tale%20.htm it is the one that said he eats many wheat/grain products.

we can get banana, pineapple, apples, custard apples, (maybe) pears, and watermelon. I've not seen papaya yet.

[Itchiku's dad]

The reason I'd advise against things like rice, wheat and similar foods is the calcium phosphorus ratio is not good. As his teeth have not yet come out only soft food for now anyway. Squirrels will eat what people give them. For wild squirrels that's not too much of a problem as they can supplement their diet, as their mother teaches them to eat good food. What you can get there are all o.k but no skin, pits or seeds for now.

[Indian Palm Prince]

I went out and bought him all varieties of fruit. but he just won't eat anything. What is the right approach to get him to eat solids? Should I try him on the Cerelac again since that is technically supposed to be more of the consistency of oatmeal once it isn't so diluted? Could that get him used to more solid foods? Also... should I continue to feed him with the syringe or start to leave small bowls of Cerelac or Applesauce in there with him at all times?

His food habits are really strange. In the the middle of the night last night he ate 5 mls. This morning he ate 2 1/2. The two feedings were spaced 5 hours apart because he was still slightly full when I check him at 4 hours.

Also, at what point can we both start sleeping through the night?

thanks for your help!

[Indian Palm Prince]

He won't eat at all today! It is 7:50 pm and he hasn't accepted anything since 10am. He drank 1 cc of milk at 2pm. He started to nibble on a grape (finally) but quickly stopped and refused any more. He then drank 1 cc of coconut milk but refused anymore at 5pm. What do I do?!?!??! He is starting to dehydrate!!!!!!!

What is causing his weird eating habits?? He ate well through the night last night but won't eat at all today :/

[Itchiku's dad]

like i said before the water out of a young coconut is a good natural hydration fluid. it has a sweet taste, and he might lick it off your finger or drink out of a shallow dish. I don't think he'll eat mush in the way of solid food until his teeth come out more, so just leave a bit near him for if he wants it but don't force the issue. He'll eat solid food when he's ready.

As for his strange eating, it's hard to say. Itchiku was difficult to feed like your boy is. see how is at next feed and if he eats a lot maybe go 5 hours to the next.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Well... he refuses to drink the coconut water no matter how I try to give it to him.... last night at 10pm he started drinking 5 mls, and he did this every 5 hours throughout the night until this morning at 8am where he only drank 1 cc and then was through.

Should I maybe not feed him at night and only through the day? It is as if he only wants to be fed 3 times in a 24 hour period.

I also feel like he is not the same as a 6-7 week old squirrel according to all the websites. His teeth are not all the way in, he isn't going for anything but milk, and I still have to stimulate him to pee and poop... He only sporadically pees if I pick him up but never in his nest. I made a little area for him too with paper towels.. but nothing

Could it just be the difference of the Indian Palm Squirrel?

** By the way. I have decided to name him Bachaya (phonetic spelling) which means saved in Hindi :) It is pretty and it is relavant.

[stosh2010]

** By the way. I have decided to name him Bachaya (phonetic spelling) which means saved in Hindi :) It is pretty and it is relavant.
Love the name... I sure hope he starts to get a regular eating pattern.You have offered so many options...and yet he refuses. I do not have any credible advice, sorry

[Itchiku's dad]

I know that most of the stuff you find on the internet seems to be on western squirrels. I have tried to give you some advice from my experience here in Asia.
Maybe try 6 hour intervals 6 am 12 pm 6pm 12 am first and see what happens
Ideally you want him to be eating during the day more before trying to stretch the time over the night.

[Charley Chuckles]

I just want to say I went to the pictures of him and the one laying with his arm under him is priceless I hope you don't mind but just had to copy it :grouphug
I also am at a loss of feeding :thinking but just keep trying they are all so different what works for one might not for the next but hope you find what he will eat/then as soon as you do they will change and want something different :osnap :rotfl :rotfl :rotfl
Also love the name :thumbsup

[ZonaB]

Do you have any way to get a weight on him?
Try figuring out just how much of his body weight he's eating at at time...
(with greys I have heard 5.7% of body wieght per feeding)
At 6 to 7 weeks greys are eating big meals 5 or so hrs a part and are usually not night feeding...
Maybe he's just a little slow...
I would try pushing him to eat durring the day and sleep...
Are palm sqls more active durring the night maybe?

[PennyCash]

I just wanted to pop in and let you know I absolutely love the name and the meaning. :wave123

[Indian Palm Prince]

Thank you so much for your advice, and yes I really appreciate the Asian palm information because most people are only referencing grey squirrels.

the 6-12-6-12 schedule has seemed to do better than anything else I've tried... but he still won't eat exactly on time during the day.. Today he waited two hours more from 6am to 2pm.

Another thing I tried was putting him back on the Cerelac as he should be eating solid foods.. and he is eat 6ml-7ml of this! (more than he would ever drink of the milk. Maybe this was the secret. He wants more substance in his liquid since Cerelac is wheat based.

I have been corresponding with the vet that wrote the link that I posted about Indian Palm Squirrels. He believes that the squirrels can eat wheat fine as long as i supplement it with verol/vengro drops. I have NO idea what these are but I will look into finding them. He says that the squirrel should be eating 5 times a day... He is barely eating 4. This is somewhat concerning. He also said that Bachaya should be eating lots of fruits. He still won't take anything.

Hopefully he is internally healthy... he seems fine with lots of energy on the outside.

let me know what you think about what the doctor said :)

[Itchiku's dad]

If he weighs 55 grams then 7 percent would be 3.85 grams per feeding if he is eating a lot more that would explain why he's not hungry at the next feeding time. You could try restricting him to say 5ml per feeding and see if this helps.
Leave him a piece of fruit with him between feedings to see if he gets hungry and nibbles on it.

[Indian Palm Prince]

That's a great idea, but he has always stopped eating at less than 5mls on a regular basis...averaging around 3.5mls. Today on Cerelac is the only time he's ever wanted 6mls. It surprised me. It still makes no sense why he just won't ever eat for 8 hours at a time. Tonight he is doing it again. It is 9:15pm and he hasn't eaten since 2pm.

I have left fruit in there with him this entire week. He has never touched it. I have left parts of pears, apples, and peeled grapes. Most of the fruit just goes bad (which is really inappropriate here to throw away food. My authority has told me that I am not to do this anymore). Tonight I am going to leave him Cerelac in a bowl in the cage.

At this point I want to stop waking up at 3 or 4am to feed him, but I am worried that he won't eat before I go to bed at 11-12 tonight. He hasn't gotten dehydrated yet though. I don't know.

Thank you

and Stosh.. still no package :/ Would you want to track it to make sure it isn't lost in transit?

[Indian Palm Prince]

Well.. is it normal for him to be aggressive and biting at this point?

my friend who has been helping me this whole time to feed and watch out for Bachaya came to his cage to change his hot water bottle and he started to his and jump at him. I then reached in to get it instead because he probably knows me the best but he jump and bit me pretty hard (and yes... his teeth must be pretty much in because it drew blood). I then scruffed him like I do when he would accidentally nibble at me in the past and normally he calms down and gets really cuddly afterwards. This time he reach back and bit me again. It was enough to make me drop him to the floor. He seems fine thankfully, but he immediately ran up my leg and up to my neck like he always does. He likes to perch on my collarbone snuggled in my hair. It was the strangest thing.

I am also really worried. He has not eaten in hours and he refuses anything I'm trying.. even just water. I don't want to sleep until he eats because I'm afraid he will starve.

[Itchiku's dad]

O.k. 5-7 percent body weight would be 2.75-3.85 ml per feeding so if he's somewhere in that range then don't worry. Like I said Itchiku was only eating formula twice a day at 7 weeks, but he was eating some solids at that time.
To give you an idea as to what I fed him if I gave him banana is was 1 quarter of a thin slice, so it was very small pieces. Just a couple of things not more.

Now, biting. Yes they can be aggressive, and it could be a number of reasons. Things like smell. A change of soap or deodorant. I've been bitten five times and had a couple of close calls. I have to make sure he's in his cage before I have a shower or brush my teeth. One day a few weeks ago I wasn't thinking and brushed my teeth. I was in the the kitchen bathroom area of my apartment and he was in the living room sitting on the back of a chair. I washed my mouth out and he was in the kitchen sitting on the handle bars of my BMX where he likes to perch. I started to walk over to him and he leaped onto my face and bit just above my lip. So, I chased him back into the living room doing my angry squirrel noises and went and cleaned my lip up,had a coffee and left him in the living room. He's fine otherwise, so I've had to adjust my routine a bit.
The first couple of times I got bitten I couldn't understand why. Now looking back I know exactly why each time I got bit.
Oh! as you've been bitten welcome to being a sqammy. Make sure you clean it with some alcohol or betedine.

[Indian Palm Prince]

ok- I am really concerned at this point.

He will go for almost 12 hours without eating anything but 1cc. I literally was forcing his mouth open and seeing if he would even try to lick at any of the options i give him. He refuses to even touch the Fox Valley (thank you Stosh!! I finally got the package!), he sometimes will eat the Cerelac, he will not drink Lactol and he will not drink any variation of milks/creams.

He refuses to eat any solids... He finally took one swallow of a pinch of banana (like the size of a piece of rice) but refused anything else. At this point I have left a sliced up kiwi, a sliced up pear, a sliced up banana, a sliced up apple, many peeled sliced baby grapes, plain biscuit cookies, a slice of bread in his cage for a day. And he did not touch ONE of them.

However, I find him gnawing on all sorts of material things like cords, plastic, my finger nail.... but he won't open his mouth or bite or even lick actual food!

Somehow he isn't dehydrated though.. which is bizarre. He is finally using the bathroom by himself. He definitely has teeth. He makes the very loud squeak that his outside brothers and sisters make that wakes me up the moment the sun rises. he climbs EVERYTHING and hates being locked up... he wines so much. He loves to jump. It is impressive how far he can go. It doesn't seem like he is lacking energy.

The Indian doctor seems to either not understand me or just doesn't know whenever I ask him questions so that has been kind of a dead end.

I am pretty worried though... and at this rate he is SO dependent on me. I can't start the process of weening him for the wild until I actually get him to eat on his own. :/

thanks for your help!

[stosh2010]

ok- I am really concerned at this point.

He will go for almost 12 hours without eating anything but 1cc. I literally was forcing his mouth open and seeing if he would even try to lick at any of the options i give him. He refuses to even touch the Fox Valley (thank you Stosh!! I finally got the package!),
Even my guys will sometimes refuse the FV. Please try several times... serve it very warm...Take a tiny sip, yourself, just before feeding him. It should be WARM on your tongue--NOT HOT ! It has a slight vanilla aftertaste.
Bachaya has been offered so many different flavors...and formulas-- I hope that the Fox Valley eventually is accepted.
I feed my baby LUNA the FV with a syringe with a nipple, She fights me at every feeding, until I manage to get a drop or two into her mouth. Then she drinks a little. The nipple does not feel like a Mama squirrel nipple, so the trick is to get it into his mouth.

[Charley Chuckles]

It smeels like Carnation Malted Milk yummers :D

Hope he is eating better now :grouphug
Even my guys will sometimes refuse the FV. Please try several times... serve it very warm...Take a tiny sip, yourself, just before feeding him. It should be WARM on your tongue--NOT HOT ! It has a slight vanilla aftertaste.
Bachaya has been offered so many different flavors...and formulas-- I hope that the Fox Valley eventually is accepted.
I feed my baby LUNA the FV with a syringe with a nipple, She fights me at every feeding, until I manage to get a drop or two into her mouth. Then she drinks a little. The nipple does not feel like a Mama squirrel nipple, so the trick is to get it into his mouth.

[PennyCash]

I just wanted to pop on and say that you and Bachaya are in my thoughts. I cannot offer any advice since I am too new at this squammy stuff myself. I can say this board is full of people who go the extra mile everyday for fuzzies, and know what they are talking about. I will keep hoping for the best for you and Bachaya...:grouphug

[Itchiku's dad]

Most of the Asian squirrels seem to wean somewhat quicker than the western ones do. Maybe something to do with the climate here. I have 2 wilds that come to my window and they are really young. You could try offering the formula in a shallow dish if he's refusing the syringe.
If you can go to the tree where his nest was and get a small twig from it, it should be safe for him to chew on. Once they get their teeth they will chew a lot, so be careful to watch him like a hawk when he's out.
As for solid food just keep trying, but don't put too much in at one time.

Oh. squirrels get up with the sun and go to sleep with the sun. You might be able to to delay that if you cover his cage at night with a cloth.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Thank you all for the advice. The towel over his cage at night was a perfect idea!

Also, interestingly enough he will eat cheerios but no other food! is this safe enough for him? He loves them.

and he really really does not like the Fox Valley... it's weird. He definitely prefers milk over it.

[Itchiku's dad]

Cherios aren't really good for him. too much sugar. I'm sure Asian squirrels are like the the people there. sweet tooth if you know what I mean. Will he eat the cerelac by any chance. If so, you could try putting a tiny bit of fox valley with it. Did you manage to get a bit of the tree branch for him to chew on?

[CritterMom]

Thank you all for the advice. The towel over his cage at night was a perfect idea!

Also, interestingly enough he will eat cheerios but no other food! is this safe enough for him? He loves them.

and he really really does not like the Fox Valley... it's weird. He definitely prefers milk over it.


Blend the milk and the Fox Valley together and slowly over a number of feedings reduce the milk so the taste change isn't so drastic. The FV is packed with nutrition that he needs.

[PennyCash]

Any updates? How's Bachaya doing lately?

[stosh2010]

Still hoping that the Fox Valley is accepted...it is sooooo good for him.

PLEASE Oh PLEASE...new Photos...

[Indian Palm Prince]

Hi! Sorry, the internet really doesn't like working here these days so it's hard to keep in contact.

He really doesn't like the FV... I force him to eat it but half the time he spits it out at me. To keep him with the right nutrients the Indian doctor Stosh put me in touch with told me to use 2 different baby oral suppliments with calcium and other vitamins.

He will eat grapes and he will eat twigs off of Indian Cherry Trees (but he won't eat the cherries). He will also eat biscuit crackers. He is so picky

He also hates me forcing him to drink from the syringe but he still isn't accepting enough food for him to sustain himself without it. Water is also a problem. I have been looking everywhere for a hamster cage water bottle but hamsters are a strange/weird pet here... There might be one store in Bangalore that I will have to find someway to drive 1.5 hours to get to to pick one up. Besides that, I put a tupperware lid filled with water in his cage and he barely touches it.. I also found a squirt bottle that if he sucked hard enough on it would give water but he hasn't caught on to that yet.

I have made him sleep through the night at this point which was MUCH needed for me. He is big. He prefers to spend more time outside his cage on my curtains than in the cage.

He also is totally willing to bite if he doesn't like what you are making him do (like drink from a syringe). However, I know it is good that he bites since we want to get him to survive in the wild.

so thanks for your concern and help... he isn't easy

[stosh2010]

Good evening ( It's almost 7 pm in India )
I know picky eaters sometimes are fed Fox Valley mixed with goat's milk or yogurt ....Are you still using scalded milk ?? If he takes that--maybe add the FV to the milk?
PLEASE----Send me some PHOTOS...we're DYING to see how Bachaya looks these days....

[stosh2010]

He also hates me forcing him to drink from the syringe but he still isn't accepting enough food for him to sustain himself without it. Water is also a problem. I have been looking everywhere for a hamster cage water bottle ,,,,,,,, I put a tupperware lid filled with water in his cage and he barely touches it.. I also found a squirt bottle that if he sucked hard enough on it would give water but he hasn't caught on to that yet.

.

so thanks for your concern and help... he isn't easy
I was just wondering if there were any labs near you ?? They would have a variety of glass pipettes , etc. that might work as a temporary water dispenser, when turned upside down.???
It the top was left uncovered, the water might come out when he licks the tip ???

[Indian Palm Prince]

I really can't get any pictures uploaded onto any of my webpages :/ I might have to wait until october because we have very limited bandwidth because we exceeded our allowed GBs earlier (which is why it is a challenge for me to get on here often).

So here is an update :) Bachaya is eating FV!!!!!! I literally forced it on him enough times (because he wouldn't drink it even when mixed in small amounts with milk) and then only gave him water and real food for 8 hours that he was desperate for any kind of tasting milk and so he started drinking FV. Now he isn't as picky.

He is eating anything I give him now but only in small amounts. I give him a cluster of 5 grapes but he only eats one. I give him a branch from a tree his siblings love to eat and he nibbles for 10 minutes and then never touches it. I give him an almond and he eats 1/3 of it and then never touches it again. I feed him FV 3 times a day. He eats about 5-6ccs.

How much should I be feeding him?? I know he isn't the size of the normal grey squirrel so the other suggestions on the board for a 10 week old is too much. He hasn't grown much this week and I think he is about 80g. I feel like he might not be eating enough.

Also, I noticed his pee is turning more yellow... is that a sign that he isn't drinking enough water? I leave out a lid filled with water and he never touches it, but has pooped in it before. I have also a small squirt bottle that i cut a bigger hole in the top for him to drink from... it pretty much drips out water constantly but I thought that means it should be easy to drink from it as long as I constantly refill it.

I noticed that it has been chewed on but I've never seen him drink from it. It has never been empty before either. I can't find any lab supplies to use as Stosh suggested.

Should I start feeding him water in between FV feedings?

Also... he has started chewing on my walls and eating off the paint whenever I am not looking at him for one second. I am concerned that that could hurt him to ingest paint. As I am in India I have NO idea what kind of paint they used our what could be poisonous in it. How should I keep this from happening? I have taped over the holes but he just rips it off and keeps eating.

Also... potty training... literally every time he jumps on me he pees. I dont ever see him pee anywhere else. I have been stimulating him to pee over newspaper that I leave in his cage but he doesn't ever use it. Should I just get over this and how annoying it is to change my entire outfit at least 2ce a day? If I can help it before I pick him up I try to stimulate him but often he will just jump on me, pee, and then come snuggle....

I do love how affectionate he gets at night though. He will come curl up on my shoulder or tummy and sleep. He licks me and nuzzles me. It's rather precious and my favorite time with him. Its sad every time I have to transfer him to his cage to sleep.

anyway, I know this is alot! Thank you for your help

[Jackie in Tampa]

sounds like things are improving...slow is okay..at least he is doing better..
the paint, that is scarey...somehow you will need a cage asap..
good job being persistant and getting that Fv in him:alright.gif
can't wait til October..:flash
It sounds like you are between a rock and a hard place but making it work...:bowdown
:thumbsup

[stosh2010]

I really can't get any pictures uploaded onto any of my webpages :/

If you can e-mail...send photos via e-mail??
So here is an update :) Bachaya is eating FV!!!!!! I literally forced it on him enough times (because he wouldn't drink it even when mixed in small amounts with milk) and then only gave him water and real food for 8 hours that he was desperate for any kind of tasting milk and so he started drinking FV. Now he isn't as picky.

GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
His poop will turn golden if he gets enopught FV....
Greta news...


He is eating anything I give him now but only in small amounts. I give him a cluster of 5 grapes but he only eats one. .
I peel the skin, and remove seeds, and cut my grapes in half before feeding to Rama & Cruiser...Just to prevent choking...
I feed him FV 3 times a day. He eats about 5-6ccs. He hasn't grown much this week and I think he is about 80g.
At only 80 grams Bachaya should be getting 4 to 5.6 cc of Fox Valley...at least 3 times a day . 4 is better.

.


Also, I noticed his pee is turning more yellow... is that a sign that he isn't drinking enough water?
I am not sure...but water/liquids are vital for normal bodily functions. The fruit helps...but water is BEST. Try adding just a touch of some juice to the water.


. I can't find any lab supplies to use as Stosh suggested.

Should I start feeding him water in between FV feedings?
I was just hoping --about the labs.... I would offerwater (or ... juice & water) between meals...gottta flush out .


Also... he has started chewing on my walls and eating off the paint whenever I am not looking at him for one second. I am concerned that that could hurt him to ingest paint.
OMG...no paint !!! that can be very dangerous...possible LEAD poisoning...
[Also... potty training... literally every time he jumps on me he pees. I dont ever see him pee anywhere else. ......I pick him up I try to stimulate him but often he will just jump on me, pee, and then come snuggle....
You are "owned"-He is MARKING you as his territory. I wear a second shirt--ALL THE TIME --with CRUISER.. He loves to " DO a STINKY on His DAD"

I do love how affectionate he gets at night though. He will come curl up on my shoulder or tummy and sleep. He licks me and nuzzles me. It's rather precious and my favorite time with him. Its sad every time I have to transfer him to his cage to sleep.


That makes all the worry---WORTH IT.....

[Indian Palm Prince]

I am trying with the pictures, but no.. my gmail always freezes as I try to upload the pic.... I also tried my yahoo account. The internet bandwidth just won't allow it (think the speed of the internet on phones that are NOT smart phones.... that is how long it takes). We shall see

I know. The paint concerns me, but I also know it is incredibly important to not keep him caged because it will mess with his growth. What is a good way to prevent him from eating the wall? Why would he want that? I have talked with a man on campus whose brother is a carpenter... while metal is out of the question, maybe he can figure out an alternative cage with wood?

Also... you mentioned his stole will turn yellow... well his poop has been dark brown (and there has been large amount of it) since he started eating real food for about 2 weeks now. Is that bad? It looks like the pellets of small hamsters or mice. I assumed that was normal as I was told he only had yellow poop when he was only on formula.

Also- keep in mind, he is 10 weeks old. Shouldn't he be weened soon? I am less concerned about the amount of FV that I give him but would rather like to know how much normal food I give him.

and the grapes here are TINY... about the size of the nail on my pinky finger. I have always peeled them but my friend gave him one without peeling it and I was so surprised that he had intricately peeled it himself!

Today I gave him a long green bean (he LOVESSSSS them), an Almond, 3 baby grapes, a small apple cube (half a slice), a twig from a nearby tree (it's ok that he literally inhales the wood?) and FV. He ate everything except for the apple entirely.

So how often should I feed him water with a syringe and how much? I don't have juice but maybe I could squeeze some for him :)

Also... does the squirrel board have an opinion on which nuts to feed them?

thanks for letting me ask all the big questions!

[PennyCash]

I am so Happy that he's doing so much better...:thumbsup

[stosh2010]

LONG Time ---since we have had an UPDATE..
Please ...post some status...
Hoping for GOOD NEWS....
My e-mail is stosh@jpcfl.com
if you need photos posted....

[chickoo]

hey there,

i live in bangalore..........sorry i could not see your thread earlier because of IP issues on TSB - i can only access TSB from work!!

if there is anything i can do to help, let me know!

hope your baby is doing well now.

[Indian Palm Prince]

Hi All!

Sorry Stosh, I just saw your post.. I guess I didn't get an email about yours. :/

Bacaya is doing very very well! He eats anything and everything, and is so much more easy for me as he just needs me to put the food in front of him :)

I spend the morning with him for about 2 hours out of the cage before I go to work at the school... then he gets another hour out around 3pm and then from about 9-12am he is out with me... he normally goes to bed around 11pm and curls up on my tummy and eventually I put him in his cage when I'm ready for sleep. it's the cutest thing. He also has a giant cage I had built for him (there are pictures on Facebook!)

He is fast, he climbs, and he's as sweet as can be.. he has never ever bitten me again after that one incident even when I take food away from him or something.

However.... the one dilemma is that I am leaving in a few weeks and I'm still not sure what to do with him! As it took me until 12 weeks to force ween him off of milk he got so used to being with humans that he will run and jump on anyone that enters my room and snuggle into their shoulder... not exactly the right kind of attitude to let him lose in India. He might get killed for jumping on a stranger on the streets of Hosur.

Also, he hates it outside! I have taken him out many many times and he hides in my shirt and refuses to come out even if he's just sitting in my hand as I stand outside. I put him cage outside for an hour and he whimpered inside his rag-nest like I've never heard before.

I was looking into maybe letting a family that loves animals take him because they want him badly... but they have an 8 and 13 year old boy. I let the boys babysit him for a week with very specific instructions written out and they barely even fed him correctly, much less took care of his cage or changed his water. He looked rather battered when I came home :/ I could try to teach them how to better care for Bacaya before I leave, but I am scared to leave my baby that i love so much with someone who might not take great care of him.

I looked into bringing him to the US but I think he would be quarantined in a kennel for 6 MONTHS! it's ridiculous. He would hate me after that...

Do any of you have any suggestions?

Thank you!

[stosh2010]

Hi All!

Sorry Stosh, I just saw your post.. I guess I didn't get an email about yours. :/

Bacaya is doing very very well! He eats anything and everything, and is so much more easy for me as he just needs me to put the food in front of him :)

I spend the morning with him for about 2 hours out of the cage before I go to work at the school... then he gets another hour out around 3pm and then from about 9-12am he is out with me... he normally goes to bed around 11pm and curls up on my tummy and eventually I put him in his cage when I'm ready for sleep. it's the cutest thing. He also has a giant cage I had built for him (there are pictures on Facebook!)

He is fast, he climbs, and he's as sweet as can be.. he has never ever bitten me again after that one incident even when I take food away from him or something.

However.... the one dilemma is that I am leaving in a few weeks and I'm still not sure what to do with him! As it took me until 12 weeks to force ween him off of milk he got so used to being with humans that he will run and jump on anyone that enters my room and snuggle into their shoulder... not exactly the right kind of attitude to let him lose in India. He might get killed for jumping on a stranger on the streets of Hosur.

Also, he hates it outside! I have taken him out many many times and he hides in my shirt and refuses to come out even if he's just sitting in my hand as I stand outside. I put him cage outside for an hour and he whimpered inside his rag-nest like I've never heard before.

I was looking into maybe letting a family that loves animals take him because they want him badly... but they have an 8 and 13 year old boy. I let the boys babysit him for a week with very specific instructions written out and they barely even fed him correctly, much less took care of his cage or changed his water. He looked rather battered when I came home :/ I could try to teach them how to better care for Bacaya before I leave, but I am scared to leave my baby that i love so much with someone who might not take great care of him.

I looked into bringing him to the US but I think he would be quarantined in a kennel for 6 MONTHS! it's ridiculous. He would hate me after that...

Do any of you have any suggestions?

Thank you!
Oh Boy !Seems that you have several issues...
The outside,is it much hotter? is your room cooler ???, or is it the sounds and activity of being outside?
No fear of people. Always a problem with releasing a critter.
No suitable foster family...

You will need to start a soft release-and soon-if you don't find a trustworthy family to adopt him. His cage will need to be outside for him to get used to the sounds and smells.
Are there cats and other predators in your vicinity?
Are there wooded areas close by for him to survive in?
Are you feeding him much natural fruits and nuts that he might find out there
Are you leaving India permanently?Is there any animal group that might take care of Bacaya ??
Do you see other Palm Squirrels in your area? Do they actually live & nest in the palms?

Please keep looking for a foster family if you don't have at least 3 or four weeks to "wild him up"

[pappy1264]

Stosh, if he is this human friendly now, I don't think he will wild up. Can you ask around if anyone can watch him until you return? Is anyone on here near enough to help you? I think releasing this boy is a mistake, one that could be deadly for him. He may when he is much older change, but the fact he will go to anyone, nope not safe to release him. I am sure others will chime in.

[Indian Palm Prince]

To answer some of the questions: yes, there are TONS of predators.. cats, dogs, cobras, monkeys, and crows all over our campus... It makes me uncomfortable leaving his cage outside.

It is the same temperature outside as inside as there is no AC and I leave my windows open all the time.

There aren't really wooded areas close by.... there is our walled campus with a bunch of trees and then farmland.

There really aren't fruits or nuts, but i feed him a bunch of twigs and leaves from the local trees.

There are a whole bunch of palm squirrels... one has come to my door almost every day and hung on my screen looking for Bacaya.... they seem to be very brave little creatures because they often venture into our dorms. They do have nests in palms and in other trees.

I am leaving India for at least 3 years for law school... so yeah. I spoke with the doctor you got me in touch with and he thinks that maybe Bacaya could be let out in his animal reserve outside of Bangalore and make friends with the other squirrels without too much people interaction.... but it sounds like he will just let him outside one time and just walk away... I am really sad because I am not sure how Bacaya would handle the people separation.

Now... one thing is that I know that people sell indian palm squirrels from India to America.... is there a way i could legally bring him back if I become an official palm squirrel seller or something? Does anyone no a way around international custom rules?

thank you!!

[jbtartell]

Ohhh I would be soo scared to release him.. I am with the others find a trusting person for him or like you said check the laws.. :dono :Love_Icon

[stosh2010]

Hi! Sorry, the internet really doesn't like working here these days so it's hard to keep in contact.

He really doesn't like the Fox Valley... I force him to eat it but half the time he spits it out at me. To keep him with the right nutrients the Indian doctor Stosh put me in touch with told me to use 2 different baby oral suppliments with calcium and other vitamins.

He will eat grapes and he will eat twigs off of Indian Cherry Trees (but he won't eat the cherries). He will also eat biscuit crackers. He is so picky

He
Hola Christy--
How is Bachaya doing ??? Is he still around your area?? I havent seen any updates in severaL months.Hoping ALL is WELL-

I was wondering if --by chance--you still had some of the Fox valley powder left , that I mailed to you ? Another NEW member in INDIA has a young, baby squirrel...and could try it--if you had some.

Here is a link to the NEW thread :
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39298

[stosh2010]

EDIT:
Nov.2012----However.... the one dilemma is that I am leaving in a few weeks and I'm still not sure what to do with him! As it took me until 12 weeks to force ween him off of milk he got so used to being with humans that he will run and jump on anyone that enters my room and snuggle into their shoulder

When I read this in November-I thought it was a short vacation away from India. I thought it read "leaving FOR a few weeks"....but it said leaving IN a few weeks.
..was it permanant??
If so---Wat happened to Bachaya????