PIP

[Mama Michele]

I am a school bus driver and one morning as my kids were loading the bus one girl said " Michele, I have something for you... She pulled open her sleeve cuff and there laid a baby squirrel she had found the night before." I am not new to taking care of animals in distress but I have never had a viable squirrel before. I am needing some support in caring for this baby. I did re-warm and pedilight for 24hr. I have been feeding diluted esbilac for 24hrs and we are up to full strength now. Am I doing this right? Suggestions?
:thankyou

[farrelli]

Sounds good so far. :thumbsup

I'll post some threads for basic care in a sec.

[farrelli]

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?36777-PROPER-FEEDING-TECHNIQUE!!

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?11782-I-FOUND-A-BABY-SQUIRREL-NOW-WHAT

I'd post an alternative to Esbilac, but the new version is good, as long as the label says that it has probiotics.

You are using a 1cc syringe to feed, are stimulating to poop/pee, and are keeping it on a heat source with a cool side to move to if too hot, right?

And how much are you feeding and on what schedule? 5-7% of body weight is the norm, but the schedule is based on age. How old? Can you post a pic? If you don;t have a kitchen scale to weigh, you should get one. They're about $20.

Finally, this is the nipple everyone's raving about. You can get it at a few places now:

http://www.henryspets.com/miracle-nipple/

[farrelli]

Btw, stop the Pedialyte after 24hrs as teh salt becoems a problem. Just go with;

3 Tbsp sugar (tablespoon)
1 quart warm water
Mix all ingredients in warm water. Store in refrigerator.

Between feedings if you feel he is still a bit dehydrated.

[stepnstone]

:Welcomeand :thankyoufor taking in this baby...
Any idea of age?
Eyes open yet, got fur, fuzz??
Can you try and post a picture?

[Mama Michele]

This is PIP today... How old do you think he is? What do I need to expect in the next two weeks ? Does he look good?

[farrelli]

Eyes are still shut, right? My inexpert guess is four weeks.

That 3cc syringe needs to be replaced with a 1cc. Pharmacists will give you them free usually if you say what they're for.

Looks good, but the belly might be tight? Check it to make sure it's soft liek a water balloon, not hard and round.

[Mama Michele]

Last time I weighed him he was 3.3 oz. That was before feeding. This was the first weight I took as I did not know any better.

[farrelli]

Btw, eye open at five weeks. They can suddenly be fearful of you, but it's short lived, and they take off to investigate the world. You'll have your hands full.

The scale is necessary not only to tell how much to feed, but to gauge proper development. It's the best gauge of health.

[farrelli]

That's 93.5534263125 grams, so you should be feeding 4.7 to 6.6 CCs about every four hours. Is that right?

[Mama Michele]

I am unable to find syringe nipples in my pet stores... I am getting discouraged because this baby really likes to suckle now that formula has been introduced. He pottys good but only poos during the night even after stimulation??

[farrelli]

Sometimes you have to stimulate for awhile. But it can be due to dehydration. Gently pinch the skin between shoulders. SHouldn;t tent. SHould go right back down like on the back of your hand.

[farrelli]

The Miracle Nipple you might have to buy online. People LOVE it. Squirrels even more so.

[Mama Michele]

That's 93.5534263125 grams, so you should be feeding 4.7 to 6.6 CCs about every four hours. Is that right?


I've been feeding about 1 to 2 ml every two to three hours.... I will find the proper feeding tools tomorrow as I have a few days off. I am just doing the best I can for the time being.. Please suggest??

[farrelli]

Sounds too little too often. Please follow as above. Too little too often can cause all manner of digestive issues or malnutrition. Are the poops golden or whitish?

[stepnstone]

That 3cc syringe needs to be replaced with a 1cc. Pharmacists will give you them free usually if you say what they're for.

Unsure of your States regulations but we like to suggest not telling anyone you have a squirrel as it is illegal in most States unless licensed and they can seize and euthanize.
We suggest asking Pharmacist for a 1cc without needle to nurse a baby kitten.

If you are concerned baby may have aspirated at any point you will need to pay careful attention to breathing sounds. Aspiration pneumonia will take a baby down quick unless antibiotics are given. Baby squirrels develop a "click" with aspiration pneumonia, you can familiarize yourself with what it sounds like here; http://s1088.photobucket.com/user/mstein1000/media/MVI_0318.mp4.html#/user/mstein1000/media/MVI_0318.mp4.html?&_suid=139547750624105461134744981414

It is also wise to plan ahead and see what antibiotics you may have on hand now or can get hold of.
For squirrels it only takes most treatments 1 or two capsules or tablets.
Cipro is a pretty common AB among woman. Whatever you have just let us know and we can tell you if it can be used and dose it for you if it becomes necessary. Better to be prepared now then regret it later...


I am unable to find syringe nipples in my pet stores... I am getting discouraged because this baby really likes to suckle now that formula has been introduced. He pottys good but only poos during the night even after stimulation??

The best nipples are the Miracle nipples. They provide the "pad" (like momma) that babies like to kneed on and there is less chance of aspiration with them. They also hold up better with growing teeth then other silicone types.

Unfortunately they are not on the "open market" as they were specially designed and developed for nursing squirrels. They can be ordered here; http://www.henryspets.com/miracle-nipple/
Shipping is prompt and arrives pretty fast.

Please feel free to ask any questions or express any concerns you may have
at anytime, we are here to help you in every way we can to ensure this little's survival.

[island rehabber]

Mama Michele you've gotten expert advice here so I won't repeat. He looks like a little fox squirrel, so I'm thinking you're somewhere in the midwest or Pacific Northwest? If you send me a private message I can try and locate a TSB member in your area who may have other babies his age -- it is very important that baby squirrels grow up with siblings, if possible, to ensure that they learn all the skills needed to survive in the wild.

I would say that I'll send you some 1cc syringes but since it's the weekend you could order and get the Miracle nipple & syringes faster than I could send you one from here. :grin2 Remember that formula should be very warm -- 100*-102*, because that is what baby squirrels expect when it comes right from mamma's body. They don't relate to lukewarm liquid as 'food'. This baby should be taking about 5-6ml/cc's every 4 hours. You can give him hydration fluid in between for a day or so -- at the 2hr mark offer him some sugar water to keep up his hydration. (2 cups warm water + 1 tablespoon sugar.)

[Mama Michele]

Pip seems to be doing well. He is a bit more vocal when time to feed. He pottys with stimulation and I got my first poo poo today the same way. He squeaked really loud two times today,that worried me a bit. I think its when the house is silent and he is in his nest box cause when I cuddle him he is fine. He is starting to nibble on my finger. Should I offer him any solid foods?

[farrelli]

Did you adjust his feeding schedule? Did you get a scale?

Solid foods aren't offered until about 8 weeks by most people, but are kept on formula for as long as they want it.

[island rehabber]

Pip seems to be doing well. He is a bit more vocal when time to feed. He pottys with stimulation and I got my first poo poo today the same way. He squeaked really loud two times today,that worried me a bit. I think its when the house is silent and he is in his nest box cause when I cuddle him he is fine. He is starting to nibble on my finger. Should I offer him any solid foods?

The loud squeak is like a child yelling "Mommy!!!!" when he suddenly realizes he doesn't see her and he is all alone. You did exactly the right thing, going in to cuddle him.

[Mama Michele]

I do Have A kitchen scale that weighs in ounces. Pip has gained 1 oz in the last two days as well as I can tell. I have started to change his feeding schedule to match more closely to what you suggest.

[farrelli]

Awesome! Proper diet and feeding as just oh so important. If they get constipated or develop diarrhea, it's just so life threatening at this age.

Your scale might have a switch on it for grams. Easier than always having to do the math.

[Mama Michele]

Pips belly seems to be full by looking at it after each feeding. I don't want to distend his abdomen by mistake. I have been feeding 3 to 4 ccs every 3 to 4 hours.... Please advise?

[farrelli]

What's his weight? Take that number in grams and multiply it by .05 and .07, and that will tell you how much you should be feeding. It's the recommended range. If the belly becomes taught, hard, or round and/or the poops become whitish (they should be golden) it's a sign of overfeeding and we will need to know to help you through it.

[farrelli]

Oh, and to be clear, say that he weighs 100g, that would mean that you would be feeding 5-7 CCS on the schedule you've specified.

[farrelli]

I think he weighs 4.3 OZ, based on what you posted so far? If so, then that's about 122g, so you would be feeding 6.1ccs to 8.5ccs. Looks like you've put him on the right schedule but are underfeeding, if I'm right about his current weight.

[Mama Michele]

I have been unable to find the nipples recommended... I made these and Pip seems to Love them!! They are silicone ear plugs (modified)..

[Mama Michele]

Pip weighs 3.5 oz.... Feeding schedule that you would suggest? When does whole foods come into the mix? Pip is nibbling on my fingers and has both top and bottom teeth although his eyes are not open. What can I expect soon?

[Mama Michele]

Just to be clear... Pip weighs 3.5 oz. I am feeding him esbilac. I feed about 3ccs every 3 hrs. How can I modify to insure a healthy baby?

[island rehabber]

We think in grams around here so I had to convert your weight -- he weighs just shy of 100grams. :)
He should be taking in between 5-7ccs per feeding. At his age you should be able to go 4-5 hrs between feedings, not 3, so spacing them out gradually will get him to that schedule of taking more, and less often.
Are you using the Esbilac with ProBiotics? That is the one we recommend for squirrels.

[Mama Michele]

Pip is doing really well. I took her to the vet two days ago as I thought she sounded a bit "wet" in her breathing. The vet said she did not have pneumonia and looked good. She weighs 3.6ozs compared to her 3.3 a few days ago. Her stool is caramel colored but soft (not diarrhea). Her eyes are still not open. I am thinking she was a bit younger than expected when I received her or she is just a bit slower than normal. She is so stinkin cute and makes the most adorable little noises. I moved her into a larger enclosure today as she is trying to explore a little bit (especially at night).I am feeding approximately every four hours but am now starting to wait until she stirs or fusses????:Love_Icon:grin2

[farrelli]

Sounds great! :thumbsup I think we need more pictures though!