COLD AND STIFF - NEARLY DEAD

[red_vespa90]

I was given this squirrel by a lumberjack friend of mine who couldn't get the mom to come back after cutting down their home.

I've had him for 6 days and his eyes were closed at first, but have since opened about 2 days ago. He was doing great. Eating well, being active, and peeing and pooping on his own.

Well this morning I woke up to feed him and he was stiff and stone cold. I immediately roughed him up and rubbed him until he started moving again, and I put him under the heat lamp. I warmed some milk, but stopped after realizing he was too weak to eat.


I don't know what else to do.

[Milo's Mom]

Wrap him in fleece, put a heating pad on low under the container you have him in RIGHT NOW!!!!! While you are running through the house trying to find the heating pad, stuff the baby in your bra (I'm assuming you're a woman:D).

He must be warmed to survive and his formula must be warm too.

Make sure your heating pad does NOT have an auto-shut off. If it does, set an alarm so you do not forget to reset the heating pad.

Do not try to feed a cold squirrel.

[Scooterzmom]

:Welcome & :thankyou for taking this little one in.

We will need more info re. this baby but, for now, make sure he is kept warm - a heating pad under one half of a container, so he can move away from it if he feels too hot (do not place the baby directly on the heating pad). Some old t-shirts and/or fleece for him to bundle into. DO NOT TRY TO FEED HIM UNTIL HE IS THOROUGHLY WARMED UP! Feeding a cold baby can kill him.

What have you been feeding him until now? Is the baby dehydrated? Check by doing the tent test - lifting the skin from between the shoulders gently, if it comes down almost right away he's fine; if it stays up for more than 2 or 3 secs he's dehydrated.

Check his gums. What color are they? Are they pinkish or greyish?

How old is this little one ... does he have hair or not... eyes open or not... tail curls on its back or not?

I know, a lot of questions but this is the only way we can help you adequately.


EDIT: Ooops, I guess about 5 weeks old if a grey since its eyes just opened. Milo's Mom is great help for this baby, you can follow her instructions without fear.

[Milo's Mom]

Also, please make sure you keep hitting the refresh button...this way you will be able to see responses as soon as they are posted.

[Jackie in Tampa]

never feed a cold sq.... this will kill them if the cold hasn't already... once organs shut down... food will sit in belly and grow yeast... creating bloat... and even warmth will not correct the statis of the organs... not even water should be given.... body temps must be maintained evenly... not fluxuated...rice buddies and warm fleece.
heating pads are a must to save young sqs....
I hope you can slowly warm him and his organs were not damaged....
:grouphug
did someone get the finders email info.... someone needs to hang out with finder until this is corrected and sq is stable...ty TSB peepps.

[stosh2010]

PLEASE read all this TSB info---
ASK questions....lots of them
People here-- have the answers...

Emergency Care for Baby SquirrelsDon’ts
.
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.

[red_vespa90]

Sorry. I know details help. I was just in such a panic earlier.

(I've kept a few orphaned bunnies, so I know some basics, but not a pro)

I'm guessing he is 5-6 weeks. Fully fluffed, but tail isn't sticking up yet. His eyes just opened about 2 days ago.

He's been fed a mix of goat milk and KMR. I started with 2cc's every 2-3 hours and increased the cc's and lengthened the time frame as he began to eat more.


He is kept in a box with a heating pad on one side.

For the first few nights I would feed him at night, and then I left it up to him to squeak if he wanted to eat, which he would. I'm not sure what happened last night, I just assumed the last feeding (which was pretty late around midnight) was good enough to last him the night since he didn't squeak me awake.






CURRENTLY:

He is nestled in my shirt. He's eaten a bit more, but not much as he used to. I'm still worried about him, but he's looking a lot better than he did this morning. I was pretty sure he was dead when I found him.

I am only keeping him until I can get him to my friend in Atlanta who is licensed to rehab wildlife. I just hope he comes out of this alright.

[Nancy in New York]

Take a sock and fill it with 1 cup of uncooked rice, tie it at the top.
Place it in the microwave for 1 minute.
Take it out and squish it around so that there are no hot spots
Wrap it in a piece of fleece, and place next to the baby.
Put a little bit of molasses, Karo syrup, or maple syrup on his gums, his
blood sugar may be low.

[CritterMom]

He needs to stay on heat all the time still. If he was with his sibs, it would be a nestfull of warm bodies all packed together keeping each other warm - he can't generate enough heat to warm himself yet.

KMR is really not a food formula for squirrels - too much protein, not enough fat. May I suggest dropping the KMR and using

3 parts goats milk
1 part yogurt - flavored is okay - Stoneyfield Yobaby is best since it is full fat, not low fat like most yogurts.
1 part heavy cream*

Start by feeding without the cream. If poops look good, slowly add it in to the mixture feeding by feeding until it makes up 1 part of the formula.

[Baxied]

I am in Chattanooga and would be willing to take the little one if you like. I have Fox Valley and work with a rehabber here in town. Just let me know.

[kastillo]

In addition to all the great info. above, you said his eyes just opened and he was peeing and pooping on his own. Well, he still needs to be stimulated to potty even after the eyes open so he completely empties his bowels/bladder.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:thumbsup :bowdown
this is a very wonderful offer... and Baxied is awesome!:Love_Icon
I am in Chattanooga and would be willing to take the little one if you like. I have Fox Valley and work with a rehabber here in town. Just let me know.