NOW IM WORRIED

[EmmasMummy]

OKAY NOW IM WORRIED! My squirred are kind of breathing hard, and their urine stinks and now im starting to think they are dehydrated which i have NO idea how they would be since they should be getting water from their formula right? I am so confused I guess i am going to give them some pedialyte and hope that works.

[TexanSquirrel]

I think this should be in Emergency...

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

What does their urine look like? Is it dark yellow or clear. It should be clear, if it is dark yellow then they are dehydrated. You don't want to overreact and switch everything up on them, or they may get diarrhea, which will only make dehydration worse. I would recommend giving them some pedialyte in between feedings, but keep the feedings the same, perhaps a little less at each feeding but do not change the times of the feedings, etc.

[EmmasMummy]

Their urine is clean the only thing i see wrong is they are breathing a little fast

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Baby squirrels do breath pretty quick. Have you noticed them breathing faster lately than they used to?

[Mars]

Can you hear any "clicking" in their breathing??

[EmmasMummy]

I never looked at their breathing before. No clicking though.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I would not be too worried then, they do breath fast. You will want to keep listening for clicking in their noses though because that is a sign of pneumonia. You can hold them up to your ear and listen. You should not hear any clicking. Sounds like you are doing a great job!

[Mars]

The clicking comes when people feed too fast, forgetting they need time to swallow and formula gets down into their lungs. It's is called asperation and even a practiced rehabber can make this mistake. It is a common mistake in first timers. The babies can only feed at their own pace and each baby will be a bit different.

[EmmasMummy]

Thankyou very much. I guess im just being paranoid. Should I still give them pedialyte between feedings to be on the safe side? Today has been a stressful day, i am sick, my daughter is FUSSY, my house is DIRTY!! I am so tiered. Thanks for all your help.
Sera

[Mars]

Fluids never hurt. Warm your fluids and give about a cc half way between feedings. They should be fine. If problems continue or get worse just type LOUDLY. We won't be far away. :D

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

A little bit of pedialyte between feedings won't hurt, but it doesn't seem like it is necessary. If it will make you feel better though, then go for it. I would only give each one about 1 cc two times a day in between their regular feedings, if you choose to give fluids.

[thundersquirrel]

aww i hope you ALL feel better. :(

you don't want to force anything on them. if they don't want fluids, don't insist on it. you could try diluting the formula more just for a day to see if it helps. or you could mix the formula with pedialyte instead of water.

if they like the fluids, then go ahead and give it to them. just try not to bloat them up. keep an eye on the tightness of their bellies. ;)

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

You do NOT want to mix the powder with just pedialyte. The pedialyte is digested very quickly and leaves the powder to form a goo inside the babies. Not a good thing. If you want to add pedialyte to their formula, mix the formula with water in the same way you have been making it and then add the pedialyte to that as extra, not in place of the water.

[EmmasMummy]

They have taken the fluids happily. I think everything is fine but just in case I am going to keep giving them the fluids. They are sleeping right now.

[EmmasMummy]

oh yeah and they havent lost any weight. Theys good right :)

[EmmasMummy]

Oh I ment to ask how much do you think they should be weighing. I am thinking they are about 4 weeks since they dont have their eyes open yet.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

You are doing a great job with them! Keep up the good work! How much do they weigh? I would think 90 to 100 grams would be normal for that age.

[EmmasMummy]

They weigh 85 grams. I am not sure how old they are.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

EM great you got a scale!!

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

That sounds like a good weight, mine usually weigh 95-100 grams when their eyes open so yours should be right on track. Keep up the good work! You are probably right, sounds like they are about 4 weeks old. They should be opening their eyes sometime in the next week. We will definetly want pictures of that. I love that sleepy look they have when they first open their eyes.

[EmmasMummy]

Thanks Everyone.

[EmmasMummy]

Oh and I will deffinantly post pics

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

EM I seen you post something yesterday about wanting a larger syringe.
A 5cc. personally I believe would be too large for you to feed them with for a good while yet. Stick with as small as possible for a while..less worries of aspiration. And aspiration can be caused by expierianced rehabbers let alone first timers. I just like to prevent possible problems that could arise. :peace
Also if you could get the nipples from chris that would be better yet. Hows the nursing on each other siguation coming?

[island rehabber]

EM I seen you post something yesterday about wanting a larger syringe.
A 5cc. personally I believe would be too large for you to feed them with for a good while yet. Stick with as small as possible for a while..less worries of aspiration. And aspiration can be caused by expierianced rehabbers let alone first timers.

Rippie, you are so right and I :bowdown to you on this one. EM, it's true. Personally I never use larger than a 3cc syringe, even when my squirrels are taking up to 15ccs at a time -- or 18! I have six 3cc syringes going at once, sitting filled in a cup of hot water, so I can feed each squirrel quickly and then refill all the syringes. I know good rehabbers who are able to use 5cc syringes and larger and never aspirate their squirrels, but I don't trust myself. I did it once....the little girl got pneumonia and died. After that you get really really cautious. :nono

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I agree, I never use over a 3 cc syringe either. I tried it once and the poor little guy sucked so hard that he sucked down 2 cc at once. It all came right back out his nose. Luckilly he did not get sick, but I won't try it again. Good idea having all the syringes filled and ready to go. I haven't ever tried that and it is so hard trying to hold them and refill because they want the milk and they want it right then, if you know what I mean. I will have to try that.

[Critter_Queen]

Wow. You guys are FANTASTIC! :bowdown So much info in such a nice way... :)

I agree with everyone else. 5cc or larger syringes are very hard to control the flow of with a hungry squirrel or inexperienced hands. You actually have to hold the plunger back and know when and how much pressure to release to allow the squirrel to suckle from it... I do use 5-10 cc syringes but only after they are nearly weaned and don't want much to do with the formula anyway. (eg: they aren't sucking it down like they're starving...it's more like a supplement to a better solid diet and they do it for comfort and fluids)

Sounds like you are doing great! Keep up the good work! :thumbsup

[island rehabber]

I'll just describe my feeding setup for whoever wants to try it -- it works for me but there are many other ways that work, too:

I have a small glass beaker -- shot glass size -- full of warm formula and it sits in a small bowl of hot water (it's actually one of those flan/custard cups that are flat on the bottom). Then next to that I have a coffee mug full of hot water. The syringes get filled with the formula in the beaker -- then they go into the hot water in the mug. As I feed the squirrel each syringe the empty one goes back into the mug to get washed off. if necessaary I'll empty the mug a couple of times to keep clean hot water in there. The added bonus to this, besides formula that stays warm: the syringes are getting washed off as they come out of the hot water mug -- so your squirrels do not get formula all over their mouths and chins the way they do when you pull the syringe out of the formula and give it right to the squirrel. Besides being messy, formula left on the squirrel's fur can result in "milk burn", which is painful and causes hair loss around the face.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Great setup idea Island. I will definetly have to try that this year!

[Gabe]

It's also important to replace your nipples frquently. As they are used and chewed upon, the squirrel is able to suck more, faster. Keep the hole small and it is more difficult to aspirate.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I tried your technique with my new squirrel today Island, and it worked great. I have a modified version of yours until she gets older and needs more than one syringe. I just get a coffee cup and fill it with hot water and then I put the container with the milk in there (it fits perfectly and has a rim that catches so it doesn't tip) and it keeps the milk warm for the feeding. Then I don't have to keep reheating it in the microwave 3-4 times each feeding. It will keep the milk warm for half an hour and probably longer. Thanks for the idea!

[island rehabber]

I tried your technique with my new squirrel today Island, and it worked great. I have a modified version of yours until she gets older and needs more than one syringe. I just get a coffee cup and fill it with hot water and then I put the container with the milk in there (it fits perfectly and has a rim that catches so it doesn't tip) and it keeps the milk warm for the feeding. Then I don't have to keep reheating it in the microwave 3-4 times each feeding. It will keep the milk warm for half an hour and probably longer. Thanks for the idea!

Glad it worked for you. There's even one school of thought that says when you microwave Esbilac, it changes the formula -- sugars get changed or something like that. So it's good that now you don't have to. :)

[Gabe]

IR has a valid point about the microwave. In the hospital where I worked we never microwaved baby formula for that very reason.

[island rehabber]

Thanks Gabe, I knew I heard it somewhere -- SR&B2, you can also get one of those inexpensive desktop coffee-cup warmers, a little coaster-type thing that you plug in, to keep the hot water cup on? They don't overheat but they help keep the hot water bath from cooling off. I only needed to use it when I had 5 pinkies at once, because they take so long to feed that everything would get cold.

[muffinsquirrel]

I found a small, wide-mouthed thermos cup type thing at Walmart. I put hot water in it and let it heat for a minute, then refill it with more hot water, and it keeps everything nice and warm. I have also used the electric cup warmers, but am always afraid that I'll forget and leave them on!

muffinsquirrel

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Any updates on the babies?

[acorniv]

Island Rehabber, I love your feeding method. I have a question though. Miss Hickory probably won't ever aspirate since if she gets too much in her mouth, she is quite expert at dribbling the excess down her front.:D I keep cotton balls handy and dip them in some warm water and wipe her down. Sometimes she lets me and other times she fights like crazy. Her lips do look red. Is this the burn you mentioned, or are squirrel lips that color anyway?

Tia,

Laurel

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Hi acorniv can you post a picture??
p.s. squirrels will still aspirate even though they do let it run out of their mouth, that could be a sign they are getting to much at once?

[island rehabber]

Island Rehabber, I love your feeding method. I have a question though. Miss Hickory probably won't ever aspirate since if she gets too much in her mouth, she is quite expert at dribbling the excess down her front.:D I keep cotton balls handy and dip them in some warm water and wipe her down. Sometimes she lets me and other times she fights like crazy. Her lips do look red. Is this the burn you mentioned, or are squirrel lips that color anyway?

It's not typical for a squirrel to have formula running out of their mouths unless they are getting too much in one gulp. Try to hold back the syringe plunger so that she can't get that much, and watch her swallowing so that you can "get her rhythm" so to speak. I find that after a week or so I learn the rhythm of each squirrel baby's feeding style, and we do the "push (the plunger)....pause...push...pause" thing together. I do not let mine suck on the syringe without controlling it.....:nono. See if you can go a little more slowly with her and the dribbles should stop. As for the red color, some squirrels do have reddish lips....could be her natural cosmetics :)
Also -- if you feel she is weaning herself, which at 8 weeks she could be, try offering formula just once in the morning. She may take more at that one time than she would at intervals during the day. I have had squirrels who barely nursed for 8 weeks, and gave it up cold turkey.....and then I have had mamma's boys who loved their Esbilac until they were five months old. :shakehead