Where do I go from here??

[My New Busy Tail]

Just a few questions for those wiser than I. My hubby found our squirell in the middle of the road at work and followed protocol and attempted to return baby with mom. Mom showed no interest in bringing baby back home, so at the end of the day we adopted "Buddy". Buddy was emaciated and we where sure would not survive the night. BUT...thanks to Mr. Google we where able to nurse him back to health and he in 24 hours went from weak to playful, his eyes went from cloudy to clear, his tail from limp and weak to bushy and beginning to curl.

So my questions:

1. we determined his age about 6 weeks, but as he has recovered we think he may be older, how can I accuratly determine his age?

2. how do I wean him onto solid foods when the time comes?

3. I have him in a cage with a small box of cedar shavings and a cuddle towl. I keep hearng the term "nest box"...what do i need for my babies nest box?

4.We initially intended to release him, but we fear he is too domesticated. after the 2nd day he happily played with and cuddled with all four of my children, my husband and I (and to my horror my dog~who is very gentle and cuddles with our flier); and he still does. he will "squeak" until one of us gets him out of the cage! So in assuming the reponsiblity of having a lifetime squirrel pet... where do I go from here?

5. What kind of squirell is buddy??? please forgive the fingerprints on the screen (compliments of my 2 year old)

Thank you in advance to all who respond!

[CritterMom]

Buddy is a sweet little Eastern gray squirrel.

Please don't use the cedar shavings. They should not be sold for any small animals. The same aromatic qualities that make it so good for odor control are also doing respiratory damage. The paper Carefresh bedding is good, if you like the wood chips, ASPEN shavings are nice and don't have the smelly oils that cedar has.

Squirrels like to nest in tree cavities so a box that silulates that - small, dark, cozy with something to cuddle into in it and a small single opening feels very safe.

A singleton CAN learn to be wild - right now he is a wee baby and you are mom so he has no fear. That will come with time. Do NOT let him interact with the dog, and he should not see YOU interacting with the dog if you plan on eventually releasing. It is not ear that YOUR dog will turn on him but fear that another outside dog will because he has learned from watching his mama that dogs are good...

[Anne]

Re-sized picture of cutie!
184589

[My New Busy Tail]

@CritterMom: Cedar Chips gone. I switched him into one of my fliers bonding pouches until i can run to the store. Can you questimate how old he is? He showes ZERO interest in any kind of solid food and I don't want to run into a nutrition problem

@Anne: Thanks for resizing, the pic I posted was 1/2 the size of the original LOL

[CritterMom]

7-ish weeks maybe? I will let some folks that have raised some more recently than I take that one.

Most of us use pieces of fleece - polarfleece and microfleece - as bedding because you can wash and re-use it, and because squirrels LOVE the luxury of soft bedding - and because it does not ravel into threads that can wrap around toes and necks.

Baby squirrels are kept in the nest and just barely allowed to peek out every once in a qhile by their moms until they are in the 10 week old timeframe, so this baby would not be out and about to the point he is if his real mama was around. At this age I would let him have JUST rodent block for solids - just put a couple in the cage - and concentrate on formula feeding. Our formula of choise is Fox Valley, which is ordered at www.foxvalleynutrition.com and www.henryspets.com. They will nibble and play with their food for a while before they finally decide to taste it.

[HRT4SQRLS]

:wave123 MNBT
:Welcome to TSB

I'll answer another of your questions about weaning. The answer is, They don't weaning them. They continue to give them formula until THEY reject it themselves. Many NR adults here still enjoy their formula. They drink it out of a bowl. That is the best insurance you can have to protect against Metabolic Bone Disease due to inadequate calcium in the diet. By the way, a very important question for you. What formula are you using? Most formulas out there do NOT meet the needs of squirrels. Some are actually VERY harmful and will cause the death of the baby.

Even though the baby shows no interest in solid foods, he is old enough to begin nibbling on solid food. Please resist the temptation to give him nuts. The problem with nuts is that once they taste nuts they don't want to eat healthy foods and you will have a picky eater on your hands. Nuts are very unhealthy for squirrel in captivity. There CA:P ratio is not good and a diet consisting of too many nuts will lead to MBD and death. The first food he should have is a quality rodent block. At first he will sniff it, and pee on it but he will start nibbling on it. Once he eats this you can start introducing veggies and other things. When he is eating healthy foods he can have a nut as a treat. Go to the nutrition section and you will find detailed instructions for feeding your baby properly.

I know the temptation is to keep him as a pet because he is SO cute and adorable. Actually, grey squirrels are NOT like flyers and usually do not make good pets. I have a sweet little flyer myself and they actually do bond nicely and make good pets. On the other hand, greys often times begin to wild up at a certain age and can become aggressive to their owner (captor). Of course there are exceptions, and those that must be kept due to disabilities (NR) require a lot of effort to keep them happy. Nothing worse than a NR that is unhappy and angry. No need to worry about this now, but in the spring you should probably at least give him the choice to be free or kept. Some actually choose to be kept (as a pet), but most don't.

Get that baby some fleece for his bed. Babies love to snuggle in fleece. Fleece is safe because they can't get their nails injured in loops like towels. The nest boxes are different kinds. The ones for little guys in a cage are small wooden boxes like the ones for birds (Petsmart, etc) Jackie in Tampa makes beautiful fleece cubes that hang in the cage. Squirrels love them. Your flyer would love one also. When my Bon got this JIT cube and a bag of cotton balls he was busy for 2 days moving cotton into his new home. As Jackie says ,"He is a little guy with a big mansion." :rotfl
When squirrels go outside nest boxes are very different. They are larger and are predator proof so the construction is solid.

This is a little input but others will sound in also. Again, welcome.


edit. I am a slow typer. By the time I finished typing, CritterMom has it said and moved on! LOL

[pappy1264]

I would go to Henry's Healthy Pets and order the growth blocks to start giving him. Yes, I would say he is the 6-7 week area. Do you have a weight on him? He should be eating 5-7% of his body weight at every feeding. Make sure you warm it up really good, too. He is most likely pottying on his own, but I would still suggest you stimulate him if you can (helps to assure he is going, but also helps to keep bedding cleaner, too.) Piles of fleece to snuggle into. I would still have him half on heat (heating pad on low under half of enclosure) as well. First solid food should be the block. Then from there, greens (I use spring mix). There is also good foods to feed (and not) on the henry's website. Just google Henry's Healthy Pets. Little cutie pie!

[My New Busy Tail]

Alright, now I have a little more information under my belt. I am using Hartz version of esbalic because the pet store was out of stock when we went and my priority was to get him hydrated then fed. I plan on switching to something more squirrel expert approved after I do a little more research/gain input.

We planned on releasing him, we just became concerned about his ability to survive when he began socializing with anyone and everyone. But, if it is the popular opinion that he will outgrow this, we will give him the choice of freedom when the time is right. With that point, I am still parusing the board looking for information on how to accomplish that goal.

My flyer is a rescue who spent his ENTIRE LIFE in a cage and we are SO AGAINST ignorance in raising a pet... hence my concern with this little guy.

Now, how about bathtime? I'm split on that decision... can his body at this age regulate his body temp well enough to have a small bath or do I need to wet a towel and sponge bathe him?

[HRT4SQRLS]

:eek: Oh I'm so glad I asked about the formula. From all I have read, Hartz is the WORST formula you can feed. You really need to switch to the temporary goat milk recipe until your FoxValley arrives. Unless it is coming today or tomorrow, I would switch to the GM. The Hartz is THAT bad. I have copied a sticky with the recipe and details.

Oh, about baths, they are usually not bathed unless they get soaked with urine, then you would need to use warm water and not let the baby get chilled while drying. Warm sponge baths are OK for chin and neck cleanup of formula.

Here is the info about the temporary GM 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.
__________________
Island Rehabber

[pappy1264]

Yes, please do not feed Hartz....it will eventually make that baby quite ill (or worse). As posted, I would start on the gm recipe and then order Fox Valley (google Fox Valley Nutrition). No babthes unless absolutely necessary (and by that, I mean covered in stuff). Otherwise, if needed, a warm face cloth with just warm water (but be sure to dry very well and lots of fleece to keep him warm after, and on heat on low, which he should be anyway all the time, under half the enclosure.)