found baby squirrel. question..

[hhhilary]

it's a baby grey squirrel not too young, but it is small and seems to love people. we would like to reunite it when it's mother but i am not sure when they leave their nests or are abandoned. but if you gave me a number age, i wouldn't know what it looks like. so if you know the answer please let me know.

[hhhilary]

looking at the recently posted age determination it looks to be about 6 or 7 weeks old.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

In the wild they are weaned at about 8 weeks of age. How does the baby look? Is the skin loose and wrinkly or does he look nice and healthy. Usually babies do not go in search of food until they are absolutely starving, so if he looks healthy his mom is probably still alive. If you think he looks healthy you can put him back out and keep an eye on him from a distance to see if his mom comes for him. Make sure you are far enough that the mother feels comfortable approaching her little one.

[TexanSquirrel]

Well? Well? Well?

[hhhilary]

my brother's friend has raised a squirrel before so he bought us some puppy formula and so we fed the squirrel as we left it out and no parents came for it. we also fed it peanuts and it fell asleep so we are keeping it warm and when it wakes up we plan to see if it's mother comes again. it was pretty healthy, i think. when we first found it, he was acting quite sickly and it looked like he was perhaps injured. but i don't think he is after observing him. thanks for your reply!

[hhhilary]

here is a photo of it. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a396/hi_lary_w/100_6223.jpg
for a while it had its paw raised like that but i think maybe it was just to be able to defend itself.

[Gabe]

I think that little squirrel needs help. It would not just be wandering around if it's mother was nearby. Perhaps something happened to the mother and it is an orphan. What is the name of the puppy formula you got?

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

He looks like it has been a few days since he has eaten to me. If you pinch the skin between his shoulder blades and watch how long it takes to come back down you should be able to tell if he is dehydrated or not. If it bounces right back he is well hydrated, if it takes a few seconds he is dehydrated. Try that and see if he is dehydrated.
I am thinking that something happened to his mom. Are you feeding him Esbilac puppy formula? That is what most of the people here on the squirrel board use with baby squirrels.

[hhhilary]

oh i will check the hydration thing in a few minutes. but yes, we fed him esbilac.

[Gabe]

He also needs a heating pad. A warm blanket is not enough. Do you have one?

[hhhilary]

He also needs a heating pad. A warm blanket is not enough. Do you have one?
oh! okay yeah i do have one. thank you!

[hhhilary]

i just checked on him but did not check for hydration because he is asleep. but my mom and i plan to as soon as he wakes up.

[Gabe]

What are you using to feed him with? A syringe with a nipple or a bottle? How much does he eat? I would offer 5-8 ml 4 times a day for a few days to catch him up on his weight.
Are you familiar with any rehabbers in your area?

[hhhilary]

What are you using to feed him with? A syringe with a nipple or a bottle? How much does he eat? I would offer 5-8 ml 4 times a day for a few days to catch him up on his weight.
Are you familiar with any rehabbers in your area?

we are using a small bottle, "pet nurser", that was recommended by the employee at the pet store. he ate a few peanuts. he also drank only a small amount of formula, but ended up spitting a tiny bit back out, so we just let him rest. and acutally, no i am not familiar with any rehabbers, do you know where i could find that information out?

[Gabe]

We'll dig that info out for you. They tend to spit up when they eat to fast after not having eaten well for a few days, that is another indication that he is in trouble.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Here are some links to rehabbers in Michigan. See if you can find one near you. If not, you can PM me where in the state you are and I can find one down for you.

http://wildliferehabber.com/modules/xoopsmembers/index.php

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactA.htm#mi

[hhhilary]

thank you, that is very helpful and i will probably be looking into that soon. with those links i have found quite a few near to my area. so do i just call them and explain my siutation? i don't really understand the procedures...

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Yeah, just call them and tell them that you found a baby squirrel that you believe is orphaned. If they ask tell them you tried reuniting it with its mother but you think something happened to the mother and you think the squirrel looks weak. They will probably ask if you have fed it, how long you have had it, etc. Then they should come up with a meeting place to pick it up or if it is a wildlife center you will probably have to take it to them. Just give them a call and they should be glad to help.

[Gabe]

Just call, they will know what to ask you. That is what they are trained to do. Please keep us posted, we hate it when people don't come back and give us progress reports. We act like a bunch of old hens sitting around saying " Did anyone hear back from so and so???" :)

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Good work hillary, the baby will be able to be with others his age, which is very important!

[hhhilary]

wow thanks for all the great feedback. and of course i'll keep you all posted when something is going on ! haha.