I am a new mommie full of questions.

[Madamelipstick]

Hello all,
I am so glad I found you. I hope I am posting at the right place. I will tell you I am a virgin to both posting and raising a Squirrel.
I would like to tell you about how I came across my little guy. First I want to say that I think we were both blessed on this day. It started by me looking out the window of my grandmother window who I care for 24-7. She suffers with dementia so I have moved her in with me. I cant bare to put her into a home, I just wont do it. Anyway, while looking out the window at the bottom of the lilac bush in a mound of snow over two feet deep laid something all curled up. Oh course my first reaction was oh no it froze to death. I threw on my boots and ran out side. I was cautious at first we are talking wild animal. I reached down with my gloved hand. Nothing no motion at all. I pulled off my gloves and cried, he had started to turn stiff and he was cold through and through. I( was so heart broken that I had not been able to find him soon enough. As harsh as it sound I new I needed to discard him before one of the dogs or cats ate him. I sat there with this little ice cube in my hands and I cried. Then I felt something say honey this one is not dead. I continues to hold him I felt the snow and ice in his fur puddle up in my hands. I thought to my self is he starting to warm up or is it just my own body heat. Then I realized no he was warming up. I prayed and the I say it. His tail twitched. He was alive. I immediately got him a heating pad. Delegated someone to get on the web immediately and do research. I had a syringe, so started preparing him some warm water to start warming from with in. I held him and tried to keep him warm by putting him on my chest so that he could hear a heart beat. I sent some one for some milk just incase he made it. Well six hours later he had a name a house a family, hope and a woman who doesn't know the word quite, who is guided by the Lord. He made it through his first night and many since then. He has a very noble name, let me introduce to you Precious Infectious Fenwick. So I am now here so that I might learn how to be the best mom I can be. He was found March 27,2014. I thing after looking through pictures he is approx. 5 weeks old. I think he is a fox squirrel. The next day before feeding he let out a squeaky cry. I video taped him hoping I might lure the mother back. I played it out on the porch. Oh I did get a reaction. Three different squirrels came but then jumped into there nest, I think to count their own. Then a couple hours later I tried again. You know what you get when you put the sound of a baby crying, I can tell you, my hawk that stays near my house. So the reunion of Fen and his mother I now have accepted, it isn't going to happen.
Here is where I am. He is still not in a cage I feel he is too small for a cold cage. He has a box apartment with a heating pad that he can remove himself from. I am feeding ever 4 hours. I am sure it is not the right stuff but he is flourishing. I am using Kitty sip and a small part of whipping cream, mixed together, per another rehabber. They told me he wont over eat. I am keeping him at around 4 to 5 cc every four hours. He opened his eyes two days ago.He has now started grooming himself. I tried to give him some smashed bananas yesterday, he was not amused. He holds his own syringe, and eats like a pig. I have to hold back so that he doesn't scarf it down it two seconds. I don't want it going into his lungs. I know the danger in that. lol.
So now I just want to be the best surrogate that I can be. I hope in the future you will all be able to help me raise this little guy to be a happy, healthy, well balanced, family member. Thanks in advance for all the help. As soon as I figure this site out I will post pics. Any one who wants to see him now can see him on my Facebook account. Gina Zarrin-Kia I will accept all friendships just let me know how you found me. After reading about a post concerning little Belle, I will tell you I will not reject any help as long as it is constructive. I admit that I am new at this but if I am capable I want to keep him. I am getting ready to lose my dog. He has been with me since my son died. He is now at the end of his life. I need this little boy to help keep me motivated to keep on keeping on. Thanks again all. May you have a blessed day. Madamelipstick. I must explain my name just for the sake of my reputation lol. My children and great and grand children say I never go out with out my lipstick on so I am now madame lipstick.

[farrelli]

Don;t have time to read all this right now but for formula you should be using the powdered Esbilac puppy formula with probiotics which you can get at many pet stores. Ideally it should be mixed 50/50 with Fox Valley which you can get online. Cat formula is bad because they basically have the opposite nutritional requirements as squirrels.

Are you feeding with a 1CC needeless syringe? If not, please go out and get one or two. Pharmacists will often give them for free. Also, please use the proper feeding technique, head pointed down, syringe pointed up:

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

Frequently listen to breathing, and if you ever hear clicking, we need to know immediately.

How much does he weigh? If you don;t have a scale, you need one. Now only is weight the best gauge of health progression, it tells you how much to feed, which is 5-7% of body weight.

Here;s a link to FV:

http://www.henryspets.com/fox-valley-day-one-formula-20-50/

[Madamelipstick]

Thanks for responding. yes I am using the one cc syringe. I just place the order for Fox Valley. How long with this one package last. Maybe I should have ordered more than one. Also do we have a legit rehab in Michigan. I was told they just throw them out the back door. Not the ending I want. Again thanks for all and any help. I do have a scale and will try to weight him.

[island rehabber]

:WelcomeMadamelipstick! My beloved mom never went anywhere without her lipstick, so I like you already. :):thumbsup
Except for the formula you are right on track with this baby. It would be good to find out a weight on him, in grams, in order to tell you whether you're feeding enough. Actually 4-5cc sounds very little but let's see what he weighs. Definitely get the Fox Valley formula started and you'll see how he flourishes. With only one baby, a 1lb bag will last you a LONG time.

If you prefer to turn him over to a wildlife rehabilitator -- which is in his best interest, since he needs to grow up with other squirrels -- we can definitely help you with that. I will put the word out for SW Michigan.

[Minaluvri]

Yes, fox valley is exactly what you want. It was made for squirrels, and meets the proper nutritional requirements for them. First of all, Thank you for saving this baby! You did the appropriate thing trying to reunite with momma first. Do you have a non auto-shut off heating pad, on the lowest setting, over half of the cage? Does the scale you have measure In grams? It's also important to know for sure if he is a fox squirrel or a gray squirrel to be sure he is a healthy weight for his age. Foxers have orange/golden bellies and grays have white fur on their bellies. If his eyes have just opened you are correct he is around 5 weeks old. At this point 1 bag should be plenty but I've never had a foxer (maybe they eat more?) and I've never had just one to gage how much FV per squirrel. Are you stimulating him to go to the bathroom? He is around the age to start weaning, you said he didn't like the bananas, avacados are a very popular choice with my babies, but you need to get some squirrel block, without this they can get MBD (metabolic bone disease)
A calcium and diet deficiency which can cause several horrible problems that you don't want. You can order Henry's healthy blocks from Henryshealthypets.com or find mazuri blocks at a local pet store. I think there are a few other options as well (I can't remember their names off the top of my head...kaytee was also one I believe?) but each person has a preference. Just any rodent block won't do however. Check our squirrel nutrition thread for great info on the proper diet. I don't know about rehab centers in Michigan, perhaps we have some members there who could chime in? It is better however for a baby to be raised with other squirrels.

[farrelli]

Don't get the idea from the above that a squirrel should be weaned, they should be given formula for as long as they want. It's great for them. They just start transitioning to solids around 6-8 weeks and may stay on formula for some while after.

We recommend that nothing else be given except formula and blocks until they are eating their blocks regularly. We find that if you introduce fruit, nuts, or even vegetables, you will have a much harder time getting them to eat their blocks later on. And blocks NEED to be the staple of their diet for good health.

We recommend that the ideal formula now is made up of 50% Esbilac and 50% FV. Are you going to go out and get the Esbilac until the FV arrives? That cat stuff isn;t good.

If you bought your FV from Henry's, you could save some shipping and call to add some blocks to your order. Henry's Blocks are the only ones made specifically for squirrels and provide the best nutrition. They're a bit pricier, but having a squirrel is a little pricy. Two blocks a day are the recommendation for an adult squirrel and a bag will last a month. In the end, they're actually about the same price as cheeper blocks like Kaytee because squirrels tend to eat these up totally and there is no waste. Also, you have to give less because the nutrition is so concentrated.

http://www.henryspets.com/squirrel-diet/

You might get a bag of cheaper Kaytee Forti-Diet for rodents at a pet store for when he is 6-8 weeks so that he'll have something to chew on which is cheap and doesn't waste a Hanry's block.

If you can't post a pic, if you email them to me, I will. farrelli-at-rcn.com

[Madamelipstick]

At what age will he start eating the biscuts? Do I need to order them now? Yes I have ordered the Fv from henrys but getting the esbilac today fro a local store. I want him on the proper food immediately or sooner.
So do I need to add something to the esbilac until the FV arrives?

[Minaluvri]

Yes, I'm sorry, farrelli is completely right, I realized just after I had made the wrong impression. Blocks should be OFFERED at this age but your formula feedings should not change because of that, I offer blocks at this age so they can get used to the sight/smell of the block as well as teeth/chew on it. And after they've begun to eat the blocks good,THEN I add some veggies (which Is what I meant when I mentioned avocado jus to avoid any confusion) but you should never take away the formula, They wean themselves when they begin to refuse it. It doesn't have to be offered just yet, but would recommend you ordering within the next couple weeks so he can begin to get used to it, but like farrelli said you could use the kaytee for that until he really start eating it, then you could switch to Henry's blocks.

[farrelli]

They start chewing at 6-8 weeks, that's when you throw in a block for nibbling. Cheaper blocs are fine at this age because they generaly just gnaw.

No, Esbilac is fine on it own. Make sure it's the one with probiotics on the label.

You could order teh blocks from Henry's if you like because they have flat shipping, I think. So you could just throw them in the freezer for now.

I assume his eyes are open, right? they do at 5 weeks.

[Madamelipstick]

Ok maybe I have a false sense of security. He seems to be doing well so far. I will try to get a weight on him. Im sure he is a little fox. I have ordered both the biscut growth and FV ,I am picking up the esbilac in the next few hours. He wants to nibble my fingers ever so gently but doesn't seem to want any solid food. I would love to post his picture but haven't gotten that far on the web yet.
I am devoted to him just so you all know. I am a stay home person so feedings will be no problem for me. Me and Fen are both fighters I can tell. We will be giving it our best.

[farrelli]

This board runs on pics. If you can't post, send them to me and I'll post. farrelli-at-rcn.com

But you can post them yourself by using the Manage Attachments button under the reply dialog box that you use. It'll open a window, click Add Files, click Browse, find the file on your computer, and then click Upload.

[Madamelipstick]

Please don't judge me on the feeding it was my first day and I didn't know about the 1cc, but I do know. I have made changes since this video. So be kind I know I made some mistakes. I added a video but I don't see where it attached it.

[SammysMom]

With video, you have to upload it to something like youtube.com or vimeo.com and put a link in your post. We are surely not going to judge you when you are so obviously trying to follow directions for what is best for Fen. :Welcometo TSB and :thankyoufor helping Fen!

[Madamelipstick]

I tried to upload it but as you say Im not able to. Any one can view it by going to Facebook then put in my name. Gina Zarrin-KIa. my pics are a week old. Let me go take some of him. By the way I have the esbilac and just feed him. He loved it. He really is a pig. I have a weight for you now he is 160 whole grams. yahoo! 230306230305230304230303230302230301
Ok these are not the best because he likes to move it move it. lol

[HRT4SQRLS]

Madamelipstick,
What a fantastic rescue ... a nearly frozen baby ... truly a miracle! I'm anxious to see Fen's progress. :thumbsup
He's absolutely beautiful and SO blessed that you found him. :Love_Icon

[Madamelipstick]

Please feel free to go visit my album at facebook It is public and that is the hyper link. I am so lucky God put him in my hands.
:grin3






https://www.facebook.com/gina.zarrinkia/media_set?set=a.10152351129404940.1073741831.54100 4939&type=3&uploaded=16

[SammysMom]

Oh my goodness, what a big beautiful boy Fen is!!! So very glad that you saw that poor little bub in the snow...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[farrelli]

Very cute! So given 160g, he should be getting 8-11.2 CCs every feeding, perhaps a touch more. Is that where he's at?

[HRT4SQRLS]

Gina, I visited your album and wanted to let you know that Fen's baby album is precious. I wish we had Beautiful Fox squirrels like Fen in FL, but we don't.

I saw that you got a cage for Fen. Is it a small cage? He's too young for a tall cage at this point because he'll try to climb and he could hurt himself if he falls. If it's a small cage, it will be OK. When he gets older, he can have a larger cage as his climbing skills improve. Most people use Sterilite bins for babies until they are a little older. I drilled holes in the sides (near the top) and in the lid for air. If you chose to use a Sterilite bin, you do need to use the lid because these little stinkers will climb out.

We use fleece in the bottom of bin or cage. They love to burrow under it. It doesn't have loops like towels. The loops can snag their nails.

I can tell that little Fen has already stolen your heart. :grin2

[Madamelipstick]

Thanks for being so kind. Yes I would like to think we have a mutual love for each other. This is new for both of us. He weights 160 grms. I still don't know how much he should be eating at each feeding. I have to find that link. His cage is approx 17 x 17 x20. I think it will be a while till he will live in there.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Thanks for being so kind. Yes I would like to think we have a mutual love for each other. This is new for both of us. He weights 160 grms. I still don't know how much he should be eating at each feeding. I have to find that link. His cage is approx 17 x 17 x20. I think it will be a while till he will live in there.

Gina, Fen should be eating between 5-7% of his body weight at each feeding. At 160 grams that would be 8cc (5%) up to 11.2cc (7%) per feeding. Feed him between 8-11cc per feeding. As he gets a little older you'll feed at the upper limit or higher. They definitely will over eat so you'll need to control the amount. Over eating can cause bloat.

[SammysMom]

He should be eating about 8cc. You take his weight and multiply it by .05 and by .07 and you can feed anything between the two. So 160g x .05 = 8cc and 160g x .07 = 11.2cc so anything between 8cc and 11cc is just fine for feeding him. As he gains weight, you do the multiplication each time he gains and use that as a guide. It is a guide so a little more or a little sell less is fine.:thumbsup

[Madamelipstick]

Sorry I'm new to this site. Farrelli I just now saw your post. I honestly had not been keeping track because I had been told he wouldn't over eat by a rehabber. Now that I know that keeping track IS important I will let you know on his next feeding which is real soon now. I am thinking that 7 to 8 is about where he is. Mainly because I would pull back. Funny thing is even though I was told not to worry about him over eating, I felt he would. In fact we may have both been right. At that time I was not using a 1cc syringe and could have possible over loaded his little belly. I have found my first instincts are the ones I should listen too. He is loving his new food and I am happy for that. I never see any one mention to heat the FV. I do am I doing something wrong by doing this? He seems to love the warm fluid in his tummy. I do it like I would a baby bottle maybe just a hair cooler. Is this ok?Oh I have so much to learn.

[kcassidy]

Hi Madam:

Good Save on Fen :) I looked at your FB album and he is sooooo adorable. I know we are throwing a lot at you right now, but I just wanted to give a piece of advice. I noticed in one of the pictures Fen is on a towel. I don't know if that was a just a quick one time thing, but if it isn't, we recommend that you use cotton or better yet Fleece. The threads from the towel can wrap around Fen's toes, legs, etc and cause a lot of damage. Sammy's Mom can probably recommend a store and what you should purchase when it comes to fleece. Also we have a member here, Milo's Mom who makes all kinds of awesome fleece items for Squirrels. Her site is http://www.auntiemmscustomboutique.com/ cuz if you are going to raise and release Fen, you will need to give him an awesome place to hang out and sleep in the interim :D

Thank you so much for saving Fen the Foxer and glad you found us.

Kim

[farrelli]

Heating the formula is the way to go. If you weren't doing it, you'd be wrong. Squirrel's internal temp is about 102 degrees, and the young ones like it WARM, almost hot.

You can tell if you're overfeeding by whitish poops. Other poop problems can also present, but whitish means that it's not getting digested properly. They should be golden.

[Madamelipstick]

Ok we are in the green. Fen ate a total of 10.5 cc. I guess we are normal for now. I am glad now, I feel better about where he is.

[Madamelipstick]

Ok after reading all the post. I think we are doing good. He seems to be the right size. Eating the right amount, eating the right food, pooping the right color. In fact I would like to say this at this time. Fen sure does feel pretty comfortable with me, Every time I get him out the first thing he does is perch himself and then relieve himself. So that subject is doing well. The towel is something I put over his cage to help keep him in the dark and warm. Maybe in the dark was the wrong verbiage, he needs to feel safe and secure when he sleeps the towel helps block the noise and the light and any drafts. What I have been using is tshirts. He seems to love them. No loops for his little feet to snag on. I wad up two and he makes them just the way he likes it and please don't try to fix it for him. He is a big boy don't you know. lol I tried to place him in his cage today for a little exercise. He doesn't like to be separated from me unless he is in his little home.We have already started a training. I make a certain noise when I come to get him out. He has now gotten use to the sound and when he hears it he pops out of hiding and comes running to see what I have for him.I figured this would be helpful in the future when I need to call him to me. Yes I saw all of those beautiful fleece hammocks and such. That will be my next purchase. Thanks again for all the help. I hope you enjoyed his pictures.Im falling hard for my little Fenwick. I hope I continue to do him justice.

[Madamelipstick]

Ok after reading all the post. I think we are doing good. He seems to be the right size. Eating the right amount, eating the right food, pooping the right color. In fact I would like to say this at this time. Fen sure does feel pretty comfortable with me, Every time I get him out the first thing he does is perch himself and then relieve himself. So that subject is doing well. The towel is something I put over his cage to help keep him in the dark and warm. Maybe in the dark was the wrong verbiage, he needs to feel safe and secure when he sleeps the towel helps block the noise and the light and any drafts. What I have been using is tshirts. He seems to love them. No loops for his little feet to snag on. I wad up two and he makes them just the way he likes it and please don't try to fix it for him. He is a big boy don't you know. lol I tried to place him in his cage today for a little exercise. He doesn't like to be separated from me unless he is in his little home.We have already started a training. I make a certain noise when I come to get him out. He has now gotten use to the sound and when he hears it he pops out of hiding and comes running to see what I have for him.I figured this would be helpful in the future when I need to call him to me. Yes I saw all of those beautiful fleece hammocks and such. That will be my next purchase. Thanks again for all the help. I hope you enjoyed his pictures.Im falling hard for my little Fenwick. I hope I continue to do him justice. Please keep us both in your prayers, we are on a journey.