Questions on a orfaned squirel

[michele]

Hi, i found a baby squirrel thats about 2-3 weeks old and i have some questions on how to take care of it. I called my vetinarian and she said to give the squirel KMR formula for kittens. On every site i read it says to give it Esbilac, but ive been feeding KMR to him and he seems to like it. When i try to feed him he gets very excited and sucks on it really fast. I try to feed to slow but i cant stop him from drinking that fast, im not sure if hes aspirating the food. How do i feed him to make sure hes not. Right now we are using an eye droper, is a syringe or baby bottle better? He somtimes sneezes but hes very active and doesnt seem to be breathing with any dificluty. Any advise would be appreciated. Also, I give him 1 1/2 dropper fills per feeding 5 times a day and it seems to want more. I heard its not good to over feed it but he always seems to want more.
Thanks,
Michele
You can email me at Amy12joe9@aol.com

[thundersquirrel]

i'm guessing that his eyes are closed?

KMR formula is not what rehabbers use. esbilac powdered puppy formula is the best. sometimes baby squirrels are so hungry that they're willing to eat things that aren't nutritiously correct for them. i strongly urge you to get the esbilac.

signs of aspiration in baby squirrels include sneezing, shaking the head, or formula coming out of their nose. was the squirrel sneezing when you got him? if not, he may be aspirating.

for feeding, a syringe is better. that way, too, you can be more precise about how much food he gets. if you go to the drugstore, they might be willing to give you fresh syringes (1 ccs and 3ccs for the squirrel's age). just make sure that if there's a needle attached, you can take it off.

to tell how full he is, feel his belly. it should feel like a slightly deflated balloon. that means when you press it gently, it gives a little bit.

to monitor his health, keep track of his poop. it's like a record of what's going on inside. at his age, his poop should be small, brown to light (almost tan) brown, oval-shaped, moist but not drippy or slimy in any way. if you switch to esbilac, you might see some strange poops in the transition, but that's normal.

remember that baby squirrels can't regulate body heat, so you need to keep him warm. in the meantime, i suggest you find a wildlife rehabilitator to raise him. i'm not sure about the legality of keeping a pet squirrel in new jersey. with a rehabber, he'll have a better chance of survival and he'll likely be placed with other squirrels his age.

if you think you want to keep him, however, as we say here on the board, let the squirrel decide. at a certain age, squirrels usually display signs of wanting to be wild, or agreeing to be a pet. having a squirrel is a big responsibility, so make sure you're ready for the committment before you decide to keep him.

other than that, welcome to the squirrel board! :flash3

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

:Welcome to the squirrel board I will let thundersquirrel continue to help you if you need any more information. All of her advice is very good. I would definetely get the little guy off of the KMR and onto Esbillac. When you transition you don't want to just stop using one and start with the other. You will either need to give just fluids (pedialyte) for 3 feedings and then start with the esbilac or you can do 75% KMR mixed with 25% Esbilac and then slowely increase the amount of Esbilac and decrease the amount of KMR until he is on just Esbilac. Good luck with the little one. I would recommend taking him to a wildlife center as well, so he can have friends his own age to grow up with. It is your decision to make though, we can help you find a rehabber if you would like to do that or we can give you advice on how to give the best possible care for the little one if you choose to raise him yourself.

[thundersquirrel]

has anyone emailed michelle and heard back from her? if not, and if she doesn't respond by tomorrow, i think i will try emailing her instead of using this thread.

[GhosTS]

I emailed her..No reply yet..

[michele]

Hi Thank you everyone for responding.
I'm changing his formula today to Esbilac,starting with 3 parts KMR and 1 part Esbilac. By Thursday night I should have him on Esbilac alone. I also bought a syringe which is much better.then the dropper I was using. He is not wheezing so I think he's ok. I've been using a Qtip and warm water to stimulate him at every feeding but he isn't going. It's the 3rd. day I've had him. He went to the bathroom on the first day but I can't get him to go now. I'll try the cotton today. Should he go everytime I stimulate him? If I can't get him to go to the bathroom, any suggestions? Maybe the first formula is the problem for him not going to the bathroom? I read on another site that if you couldn't get the squirrel to go, that you should give him a couple of drops of apple juice in his formula? Please Let me know. know .
Thanks again,
Michele

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

It may just be he wasnt getting enough before thats why he has nothing to have a bm with. A dropperful isnt a large amout? How is he doing with the new syringe? Is he peeing ok? If he is 3 weeks he will still need a middle of the night feeding also. Is he on a heating pad thats kept on low? Thats very important also. Keep us updated. One more thing keep things as quiet as possible for him to keep from getting stressed.