New to squirrel board

[newsquirrelmommy]

Hi everyone. My name is Shawna. I came home from work friday to find 5 baby squirrels laying in my lawn by a tree. Ive done so much research over the last 3 days and am doing my best to take care of them as i have contacted 3 rehabilitators in nj that cannot take them but have given me wonderful advise. They seem to be between 3-4 weeks old and were severely dehydrated and must have been orphaned for a good day before i found them. well unfortunately i have lost 4 of the babies. The little boy that is left seems to be getting better, not fast but gradually getting rehydrated.

[stepnstone]

Hi everyone. My name is Shawna. I came home from work friday to find 5 baby squirrels laying in my lawn by a tree. Ive done so much research over the last 3 days and am doing my best to take care of them as i have contacted 3 rehabilitators in nj that cannot take them but have given me wonderful advise. They seem to be between 3-4 weeks old and were severely dehydrated and must have been orphaned for a good day before i found them. well unfortunately i have lost 4 of the babies. The little boy that is left seems to be getting better, not fast but gradually getting rehydrated.

What have you been rehydrating with? Rehydrating should only be for 48hrs, this baby needs food. What formula has been suggested, what would you be feeding him?
Has he been kept warm on heating pad, food given warm? Are you stimulating to potty before and after feeding?

[stosh2010]

W-E-L-C-O-M-E to T.S.B.
Glad to Have YOU Aboard

>>> from Rama Rota & Cruiser & RamaMama and Stosh




Emergency Care for Baby Squirrels
Don’ts
Don’t try to feed the squirrel.
Don’t handle him more than you have to.
No loud voices, TV, music, or bright lights.
No children or pets in the same room!

1. Warm the Baby (never feed a cold squirrel!)
Quick Methods:
-Cup the baby in your hands or under your shirt next to your skin.
-Fill a plastic bottle with very warm water. Wrap in a cloth, place next to baby, and cover him. Reheat every 2 hours.
-“Rice Buddy”: Fill a sock with 1 cup of rice or dried beans and microwave for 30 seconds. Place next to baby and cover him. Reheat every 2 hours.

2. [b] Find a Box or Container[b]
A shoebox will do for small babies. A baby that can walk will need a larger box with a lid (with holes). Put a clean baby blanket, flannel shirt, or piece of fleece in the bottom of the box. No towels or terrycloth. Squirrels can get tangled in the loops. Place baby on the material and cover him with one flap. If you have a heating pad, turn it on low and place it under half of the box (not IN the box!) so baby can move away if he gets too warm. You can use the plastic bottle or rice buddy described above, but these are only temporary methods until you get a heating pad, since they must be reheated every 2 hours and won't keep baby warm all night.
NOTE: Monitor his temperature so he doesn’t chill or overheat. His feet should feel warm to the touch.

Note: If the baby is injured, is having trouble breathing, has fly eggs on his fur, or is very skinny or dehydrated, he needs emergency care by an experienced rehabber or vet.

3. Rehydrate the Baby

Most babies are dehydrated when you find them and must be rehydrated before you can feed them. Never feed formula or food of any kind to a dehydrated baby!

How to Check for Dehydration
Pinch the skin on the back of his neck. If it doesn’t spring back immediately, the baby is dehydrated. If the pinched skin stays up like a tent for more than a second, the baby is badly dehydrated. Other signs of dehydration: pale grayish gums, dry mouth, sunken eyes, whites around eyes showing, rough spiky fur, dry scaly skin.
NOTE: If baby is badly dehydrated, he will need subcutaneous fluids, which can only be given by a rehabber or vet.

[b] Supplies You Will Need: [b]
--Pedialyte (any flavor) OR the recipe below (the homemade version is actually preferred)*
--Plastic syringes (1 cc size; no needles. Ask the pharmacist to get these for you) An eyedropper can also work.
These are available at most drugstores.

*Here is a recipe for the homemade version of Pedialyte hydration fluid:

1 tsp salt (teaspoon)
3 Tbsp sugar (tablespoon)
1 quart warm water
Mix all ingredients in warm water. Store in refrigerator.

How to Prepare the Pedialyte
Use a plastic syringe (with or without a nipple). Never use pet nursers or doll bottles. They will choke the baby. Fill a coffee mug with hot water. Fill the syringe with Pedialyte and place it in the mug for a couple of minutes. Squirt a drop on the inside of your wrist to make sure the liquid isn’t too hot. It should feel barely warm on your skin.

Proper Position
A tiny baby can be held in your hand. A baby with fur can lie on a flat surface on his stomach. A baby that can walk can be held upright or he can drink sitting up. Hold the syringe so the tip points UP to the baby’s mouth and the handle is down. Don’t let the baby get cold. Keep him wrapped up while he eats.

How to Feed Fluids
Place the syringe tip on the baby’s lips (from the side) and squeeze out one drop for him to taste. Don’t squirt a steady stream. Let him swallow one drop before squeezing more. GO SLOW! It sometimes takes a feeding or two for them to catch on. Hairless babies are fed drop by drop. With older babies (once they catch on) you can squeeze slowly for one second, wait for him to swallow, then squeeze more.

If fluids dribble out his mouth or come out his nose, you are going too fast. Stop and tilt the baby’s head down so the fluid drains out (support his head and neck like you would a human baby). Then wipe his nose and mouth with a tissue. Start over, slower. NOTE: There is now a chance your baby will develop aspiration pneumonia from inhaling fluid in his lungs. This is fatal. Please contact a rehabber or vet, or the people at The Squirrel Board, for assistance.

[newsquirrelmommy]

hi stepnstone. I fed him pedialyte for first 48 hours and started him on esbilac formula yesterday. He's been kept warm with my heating pad in his box and i only feed him when he is warm about every 2-3 hours but i check on him every 1.5 hours to check his temperature. i rub his belly with a warm wet cottonball before i feed him to make sure he's digested his previous feeding and a rub it a little bit after. the rehabilitator has helped me every day by phone. i also just bought a gram scale and he weighs 65 grams right now. Hes not eating as much as he should per his body weight but i was told that was because of how dehydrated he was. Im really trying to do everything i possibly can for this little guy as his 4 siblings did not make it. he was always bigger and when found he had no flies or fleas on him and he was still wiggling. his siblings had a lot of fly larvae on them and they were barely moving or eating. i hope he makes it so i can get him to where he needs to be for a proper release.

[newsquirrelmommy]

Thanks Stosh!!! Really great info :) I print out all the info i can get.

[stepnstone]

hi stepnstone. I fed him pedialyte for first 48 hours and started him on esbilac formula yesterday. He's been kept warm with my heating pad in his box and i only feed him when he is warm about every 2-3 hours but i check on him every 1.5 hours to check his temperature. i rub his belly with a warm wet cottonball before i feed him to make sure he's digested his previous feeding and a rub it a little bit after. the rehabilitator has helped me every day by phone. i also just bought a gram scale and he weighs 65 grams right now. Hes not eating as much as he should per his body weight but i was told that was because of how dehydrated he was. Im really trying to do everything i possibly can for this little guy as his 4 siblings did not make it. he was always bigger and when found he had no flies or fleas on him and he was still wiggling. his siblings had a lot of fly larvae on them and they were barely moving or eating. i hope he makes it so i can get him to where he needs to be for a proper release.

I hope when you say you rub his belly (to stimulate) him, you are just being polite to avoid mentioning his personal areas. :thinking
If not... your doing it wrong. :rotfl

My suspicion would be that the health of the other babies was compromised by maggots, even if you did clean off what you saw, they can get on the inside too. It's unfortunate you were not told or advised on what was needed to deal with that.

As for the esbilac, some rehabbers have and still use it but it's really not up to par for squirrels anymore,:shakehead it has caused them not to thrive and way too many deaths. Please read the attached post and at least transition over to the GM recipe.

TEMPORARY Goat's Milk Formula***

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***While waiting for the Fox Valley to arrive...

Temporary Formula for Infant Squirrels – The Goat’s Milk Formula

Because of recent manufacturing issues, Esbilac and other puppy formulas are no longer being recommended for squirrels or other wildlife. The formula that TSB recommends, Fox Valley Day One, is currently available online at www.foxvalleynutrition.com and www.henryspets.com. But those require shipping and this baby squirrel needs food NOW.

One of our senior members who posts as Jackie in Tampa uses an excellent temporary substitute, and it can be assembled from locally purchased ingredients:

3 parts goat’s milk
1 part heavy whipping cream*
1 part vanilla yogurt

Formula will last 48 hours in refrigerator.

Goat’s Milk
This can be purchased at natural food stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, and at most health food stores that sell groceries. It is a product for humans. Do not substitute commercial formula made for baby goats or other livestock sold at feed stores.

Goat’s milk is available fresh in a carton; evaporated in a can; and as a powdered milk. If you purchase either the evaporated or powdered versions, please blend them with water according to the package directions before using to make the formula.

Heavy Whipping Cream
This is found in small cartons in the grocery store near the coffee creamers and half and half. Regular heavy cream may be substituted if it is unavailable, but the heavy whipping cream has the highest fat content, and is preferred.

Yogurt
Yogurt has beneficial bacteria in it that soothes and settles digestion. Full fat yogurt is best, and a good choice that is very widely available is Stoneyfield Yobaby yogurt. However if it is unavailable, a low fat vanilla yogurt may be substituted. Avoid those that have artificial sweeteners in them. Vanilla and banana are both popular flavors, and the sweet taste of the yogurt helps to convince the baby to accept it.

It has been recently discovered that very small pinky squirrels may do better digestively if, instead of being given Fox Valley formula straight, mix the Fox Valley 50/50 with the Goat’s Milk Formula assembled WITHOUT the heavy whipping cream.

*It is recommended that when just starting to feed a new baby that the first feedings be made without the heavy whipping cream. This will give their digestive systems a chance to acclimate from mama’s milk to our substitute without the harder-to-digest whipping cream. Once they accept the formula and are eliminating properly, the whipping cream can be gradually added in.

When your Fox Valley formula arrives, please transition your babies to the new formula slowly, by blending the Goat’s Milk Formula with the blended and liquefied Fox Valley formula, increasing the ratio of Fox Valley with each feeding until you are no longer using the goat’s milk.

[newsquirrelmommy]

Thanks again for all this info. It is greatly appreciated :thankyou . I was actually thinking about ordering the fox 20/50 but i didnt see too much info on it and all i was being told was to use esbilac. The price isnt to bad either and if it will make that much of a difference and get my baby healthier, i will probably order it today. The nearest whole food store to me is over an hour away. Can i at least use the esbilac until i get the fox valley in the mail and slowly transition him? oh and about rubbing his belly, technically i rub the in between part below his u know what but belly sounds softer:D

[stepnstone]

Thanks again for all this info. It is greatly appreciated :thankyou . I was actually thinking about ordering the fox 20/50 but i didnt see too much info on it and all i was being told was to use esbilac. The price isnt to bad either and if it will make that much of a difference and get my baby healthier, i will probably order it today. The nearest whole food store to me is over an hour away. Can i at least use the esbilac until i get the fox valley in the mail and slowly transition him? oh and about rubbing his belly, technically i rub the in between part below his u know what but belly sounds softer:D

As long as his :poop is as it should be, going regular and eating well, you should be alright until the FV arrives. You will see the difference FV can make for these little one's once he's transitioned to it.
You may want to call in your order for faster response http://www.henryspets.com/ and ask them whatever you need about the FV, very wise folks on squirrel nutrition and really easy to talk with.

:eek: You rub where!! :rofl4

[newsquirrelmommy]

i ordered the fv from nick, he said i should have it by weds.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:Welcome :wave123
If you haven't already, Nick sells great syringes and nipples...
so does Henry's
O ring syringes, makes feeding a dream..
you could call back and have him add some...
Welcome to TSB..
you are getting great advise, it may seem like alot to read and take in..
but someone is always willing to help...
The general info here is tried and true, thousands of babies thrive because of...:thumbsup
can't wait for a pic:Love_Icon

RIP baby squirrels:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

[newsquirrelmommy]

Thanks Jackie. I got home from work today and noticed he was a little sluggish and pretty much stayed where i put him and he only ate 1/2cc of water & formula. He also is not bloated and he had some hard poop stuck to his bottom. i cleaned him up and checked if he had to pee, not much just a few drops and then i put him back in his bed. i waited about an hour or so and tried feeding him again with a little more water added this time and he drank 1 1/2 cc's. His weight is 65grams so he should be drinking about 3.2 cc's. Also do they bite the nipples? He was biting his nipple pretty good almost like a teething bite. is this normal at 3-4 weeks old? Also i layed him down and he started to air suckle. i went to grab him again and he started suckling and nibbling on my finger. And then he curled up in my hand and fell asleep. is this normal too? Also Is it normal for them to kick their foot up as if they have an itch? i noticed he did this today but only once. sorry for all the questions but after losing 4 of them i cant bare to lose another. any info is much appreciated.

[CrazySquirrelLady]

Thanks for posting the good info. I am making a grocery list just in case to have on hand here at my house.

Crazy Squirrel Lady

[stosh2010]

Thanks Jackie. I got home from work today and noticed he was a little sluggish and pretty much stayed where i put him and he only ate 1/2cc of water & formula. He also is not bloated and he had some hard poop stuck to his bottom. i cleaned him up and checked if he had to pee, not much just a few drops and then i put him back in his bed. i waited about an hour or so and tried feeding him again with a little more water added this time and he drank 1 1/2 cc's. His weight is 65grams so he should be drinking about 3.2 cc's. Also do they bite the nipples? He was biting his nipple pretty good almost like a teething bite. is this normal at 3-4 weeks old? Also i layed him down and he started to air suckle. i went to grab him again and he started suckling and nibbling on my finger. And then he curled up in my hand and fell asleep. is this normal too? Also Is it normal for them to kick their foot up as if they have an itch? i noticed he did this today but only once. sorry for all the questions but after losing 4 of them i cant bare to lose another. any info is much appreciated.
Yes he should eat 3-4 cc at EACH feeding...
The air sucking...?? Was it right after his feeding?? I think that is what we call guppy mouth...like a fish. It usually lasts only a few seconds, but can be quite scary to watch !!
If you have photos--and can't post them--If you wish, send them to my e-mail
stosh@jpcfl.com
and I'd be glad to post them here--for you.

[newsquirrelmommy]

hi stosh. i just emailed you photos from an hour ago and one from the day after i found him. Yes he only air suckled right after feeding for about 10 seconds then stopped and went to sleep. he will only eat 1-2 cc's at each feeding. should i feed him pedialyte again in between the formula? or water? or just keep giving him the food? thanks again.

[stosh2010]

Shawna,
Here are your great photos...He's a beaut !

Got a NAME yet ???

[newsquirrelmommy]

Thanks so much Stosh for posting my pics for me. Not sure of a name yet. I wasnt trying to get to attached but how can i not and a name will come soon im sure:) He looks so cute in them. Also i wanted to let everyone know that last nite about 2 am he finally ate his first full recommended amount of formula for his weight. He also ate the same this morning at 530 and had a great poop!! Never thought id be so excited over a bowel movement but at least i know he's not clogged..lol...I did notice about an hour after this he had about a drop size soft stool that looked like a dark brown mustard color when i cleaned it. Is this normal being that he's just starting his formula? thanks again everyone:D

[Jackie in Tampa]

:poop :poop :poop :poop :poop
:wahoo :wahoo
yes mustard color is perfect!

great pics...he is gorgeous!:D:Love_Icon
If he is poopin' and peein' normally...no need for pedialyte for him...:thumbsup

[newsquirrelmommy]

Thanks Jackie:thankyou

[newsquirrelmommy]

I have a silly question. I have to vacuum today and my little boy is in a seperate room. Will the vacuum noise bother him or should i move him completely away from the sound or vibration?

[stosh2010]

I have a silly question. I have to vacuum today and my little boy is in a seperate room. Will the vacuum noise bother him or should i move him completely away from the sound or vibration?
That depends on the squirrel.I'd try --in seperate rooms --and observe reactions....
I have 2 and one gets frightened and the other can be in the same room---and ignores the Vacuum. >>>> But both HATE the sound of crinkling plastic bags...Really get Spooked !!!!

[CrazySquirrelLady]

My squirrel hated the vacuum so much, I just gave up on trying to use it... hahahahaha what a good excuse not to clean heeheeheehee

[shellyb1018]

Skeeter hates the vacuum too, especially when I have to do the back cracks of the wall where her cage is. She climbs all the way on the top and stays till i am done. Then when I am done, i put my hand out to her and she comes, then tries to eat the vacuum hose :D So she approaches it the way they do...all flat and stalking like, then hops on and starts chewing :rotfl