3 babies eyes opened

[boners954rr]

I had an eastern grey squirrel a few years ago, but got 3 more yesterday, only problem is i can't get them to take much formula for me yet. I can get a little bit in them, but not what I'd like to see them eat. They all seem active, not sure of their age and when to give them hard foods. thanks

[SammysMom]

What formula are you using? There have been some changes to Ebilac that have rendered it not the best choice.
Here is some generic information that may help:
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)*
--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.

*If you can’t find Pedialyte at the store, here is a recipe for homemade Pedialyte:

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 should be held upright 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 toilet paper. 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.

[Milo's Mom]

Welcome to TSB!
Do you have them on heat? (heating pad on low 1/2 under the container they are in)
Did you hydrate them before trying to feed them? (if you feed a dehydrated squirrel it can kill them)
Are you stimulating them to go potty?

If you do not have a heating pad, you can make them a rice buddy for warmth. Tube sock filled with uncooked rice, tie the top of the sock closed, nuke for 30-45 seconds, smoosh rice around in sock to make sure there are no hot spots, then give to babies. Reheat every 90 minutes or so.

What kind of formula are you trying to feed them?

[boners954rr]

yes have heating pad, they all have their fur, I'm going to post pics in a few minutes. Like I said before, I had a squirrel a few years ago and raised him and then let him go, he stayed for awhile then left, so here are the pics. I got some goats milk for now, they've taken it, so will see in a few more hours.

[SammysMom]

OMG they are adorable! Be sure to add the full fat yogurt to the GM as it does not have nearly enough fat for them to grow.

[Milo's Mom]

Yes, yes, I know you said you had a squirrel before....I was just providing the info as a friendly reminder....just in case you were in a panic and it slipped your mind. :)

They are adorable.

There are a few other reasons why they might not be taking as much as you would like....
...is the formula warm enough? (is cools down pretty quickly and they like it WARM)
...to them it tastes funny...not MOM
...surrounding noises distract them after they eat a bit (cover their little heads with a flap of fleece while feeding, it helps to keep them calmer and concentrating on eating)
...they might be getting cool (as in their body temp) - keep them wrapped in fleece while feeding

Just a few ideas for you to try. Not "telling" you what to do, as you have done it before.

[boners954rr]

Thx, milo, thx for your help.... I only had one last time and now I've got 1 girl and 2 boys.... Now here is the thing, the biggest one was nipping at my wife's finger today, so we got him to drink until he was done...... I'm just unsure how old they are and when to try them on squirrel blocks from henrys

[SammysMom]

Putting blocks in as well as giving formula is just fine!:thumbsup They can start to nibble them at their own pace. Just remember that they do not have preservatives and change them up often. Cut them into smaller pieces (not small enough for choking issues though) and put them in with the babies. They surely can't harm them!

[boners954rr]

Is there a page on here that says what I should be giving them by the week. They're eating about every 4 or 5 hours and then sleeping most of the rest of the time. When I was on here a few years ago, someone said to give them tums for calcium..............Is this still acceptable to do, but I'd say they'll not touch it yet as they look to small to want hard items? Feel free to correct me, just trying to give them a chance on life as the mother was killed when a man cut her tree down

[SammysMom]

It is not necessary to give Tums when they are getting proper formula and/or Henry's blocks. Are you going to use Fox Valley formula? It is truly the very best and quite inexpensive compared to other formulas. Henry's sells it too if you are ordering blocks there anyway. When feeding formula use the 5 - 7% of their weight per feeding and you will be fine.

[Milo's Mom]

I'd get them onto Fox Valley Formula and keep them on it as long as possible.

Since their eyes are open, the first solid food they should get is Henry's Healthy Blocks (HHB's). Get the Growth Formula. They will do EVERYTHING but eat them at first, then they will start eating them. Only AFTER they are eating blocks do you start to introduce veggies from Group 1 of the Healthy Diet.

For now though their diet should be Fox Valley Formula primarily.

As for how much per feeding...you need to weigh them in grams. The guideline per feeding is 5-7% of their body weight.

[boners954rr]

Here is some new pics if you want to see them............... I went to Wal-Mart and got some tissue paper................. or did I...........LOLmjs

[SammysMom]

OMG they are too cute!!! That's a box of "Puffs" I'd be happy to buy...:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon
How's the eating going? Did they take to the Fox Valley?:Love_Icon

[Nancy in New York]

Now these are calendar photos for sure!
KLUNK too much cuteness.....:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

[boners954rr]

YES, I think I'm about to take the 2 big ones off of it, they seem to be eating great for me.............their names are SHELDON, BERNADET, and Leonard from big bang theory, kids and wife love the little slink eeeeeeeeeeeeessssssss

[SammysMom]

Oh NO!!! Never "take them off it". There is no better insurance policy than FV. Let them eat it as long as they will. They look fantastic!!! Awesome job with them!!!:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

[boners954rr]

My wife told me that I had one of the names wrong.........It's SHELDON, PENNY, and LEONARD.........my bad....... Here is some more pics............Three little squirrels bedtime.........:wott

[SammysMom]

Nighty night babies...:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon