flyer losing weight suddenly & dehydrated

[biggjimm]

My female has started eating less the last few days & has lost some weight & is dehydrated a bit.
I've started her on 1cc of pedialyte every 2hrs this morning & she is already much better but I'm concerned about why she has gotten this way in the first place.
She is about 7 1/2 weeks. Eats FV 32-40 every 3-4 hrs at 5-7% of her weight which is now 21gr & she was 24gr 3 days ago. They also eat 1/2 of HHB everyday which she hasn't been eating much of the last couple days.
One thing that concerned me was every time I check on her she'll be up on top of the nest material rather than in the bottom of the box. She doesn't leave the box but climbs up to the top & she doesn't feel quite as warm as the male who stays in the bottom but she is still active . Maybe she doesn't like it quite as warm as he does.
Her poops are golden brown in color. Firm but sticky. Not mushy or runny.
Any ideas? I've read where sometimes they have spells where they won't eat for a couple days but at this young it worries me. Thanks. Jim

[newmotherofthree?]

Mine do that all the time. In fact since its been raining here they are little no shows except to eat. I don't know why she would be losing weight, I'm sorry I can't be more help there. If she feels cold I would find a way to get a heating pad in a spot where they can't chew anything and just give her the option to use it. BTW my three are only about 9 months. Have you started solids yet? And a sneaky way I got my guys to eat the block was to take a clean paint brush and put a VERY extremely thin smug of syrup on it until they got in the habit of eating it and now they gobble them up with nothing on them.

[Rhapsody]

It is possible she might have worms? --they could be taking all her nutrition.
*your vet can do a float test on her poop and test for worms*

[biggjimm]

I can't get to the vet til Monday. She has been eating the blocks just fine until a couple of days ago. Ice wondered about worms or something. I think I forgot to mention that there were two litter mates who died when I first got them. Those two were exceptionally tiny compared to these two. I'm continuing the pedialyte until morning. Should I get something to add with the formula when she starts taking it again like yogurt or the whipping cream to help her gain her weight back? Or get the boost from Henry's maybe? She seems to be doing fine now but we'll see. Thanks. And I'm working on getting some pics sent to you Carolyn to post for me. Thanks again. Jim.

[biggjimm]

Well she's been out of the box twice that I know of to get a drink of water. I'm only guessing that that's a good thing? The last time she even played with her brother for a few minutes before scampering back up to the nest box. Whenever she first goes in the box or I put hee back in there, she'll burrow down to the bottom of the nest where it's nice & warm & then about 15 min later she'll be back up at the top if their bedding so she just must not like it quite as warm as her brother does. Keep praying for her! Please. Thanks. Jim.

[newmotherofthree?]

I would add heavy whipping cream and yogurt couldn't hurt. Prayers for your little one:grouphug

[biggjimm]

She still seems to be doing good. I'll continue hydrating her every 2 hrs thru the night. Sorry newmotherofthree? I just re-read your post from earlier & realized that I didn't answer your questions. She does not eat solids yet except for the hhb's. I did give her a small piece of Orange the other night to see if she'd eat it & she ate it right away. Same with the hhb's, she'll eat them like candy. I just started the blocks & the fv a week ago & started her on 1/2 block per day until like Thursday or so I gave them each a whole hhb but she had stopped eating good about then & only nibbled on it.
She does have a heating pad under the nest box and like I said earlier after a little while she'll go to the top of her cotton bedding & lay on top of it. She's still over the heat but she's about 5 inches above the floor of the box whereas the male lays on the floor of the nest box always.
She's still taking the pedialyte very good so hopefully I can get her back on formula in the morning with the heavy whipping cream. Do I need to dilute the formula with more water than normal at first or just mix it like normal? Thanks for your prayers & concerns. This is really a neat place. A true God send for these little squirrels.

[pixiepoo]

Hi! :thankyou for taking care of these little babies! How did you get them? Were they wilds? Did any animals get them? How long have you had them? If it were me I would use your judgement about diluting the formula. I do when I get new babies as a precaution. Maybe dilute it for the first feeding them work it up to normal strength over the next 3 feedings? It really won't hurt her to dilute it for a few feedings.

[farrelli]

Two things that many people use to gain weight:

http://www.henryspets.com/fox-valley-ultraboost/

http://www.1800petmeds.com/Nutri+Cal-prod1340-1340.html?AFFID=GG&ID=162416272&gclid=CLTtuLTltL4CFfJxOgod81MAxQ

[biggjimm]

I've had them two weeks today. They were right at 5-6 weeks when I got them. The males eyes were open & the females opened the next day. My brother-in-law does tree work & he cut down a tree that had a nest in it. They would not have known they were in there except he heard them making noise when he walked by the tree when the chainsaws were turned off. I didn't even think about any trauma she might have received when the tree came crashing down. I suppose she could have suffered a concussion or internal injuries. I forgot all about that. I'll tell the vet about that on Monday.
The mom never came back to get them & when it started to get dark he called me. They had put the babies in a box on the ground by the tree stump & mom was in the next tree but wouldn't come down to them I guess & she finally left around 10 am & I picked them up at 9 pm. One little guy was dead & the other little one died the next day after I took them home.

I was wondering about the ultra-boost from fv. I'll order some of that. Thanks. Jim.

[biggjimm]

Unfortunately, my little sweetie has gone on to squirrel heaven. I continued hydrating her thru the night but when I checked on her about 30 min after her last dose of pedialyte she was dead. This is the first time I've ever lost an animal that I've cared for for any length of time & it is devastating. Not knowing for sure what happened is frustrating & makes me worry for her brother. He's doing great but she was too before about Thursday. I'm sure going to miss that little girl. She was such a sweetheart. Thanks to those of you that replied & tried to help me save this little one. God bless. Jim.

[biggjimm]

What is the best (& safest) thing to give my little guy that's left to help him gain weight? I'm going to order the fv ultra boost but what should I give him until then? The heavy whipping cream? What exactly is that & can I get it at any grocery? He is about 10 grams under what he should be I think. He's about 71/2 or 8 weeks & he's only 28gr. He was small when I got him & the formula I fed him for the first week until I got the fv just didn't really pit any weight on him. I want him to be as big & healthy as he can be but safely of course. Thank you.
PS thus might not be the best place for this so if it needs moved to a better spot that's fine.

[pixiepoo]

I'm so sorry to hear about your little girl :( I know how heartbreaking it is to lose such a special little squirrel. At least she is not suffering. Since she was in the tree when they cut it she could have sustained internal injuries that were not immediately apparent. The whole litter may also have had issues since one was dead already when you got them. With wild babies it is just so hard to tell. :( at least she was very well cared for and loved during her short life. I would add the whipping cream and yogurt to the FV. :) I used that with all of my flyers. I also added full fat vanilla yogurt to the formula too. Great because it has probiotics and they are a big fan of the vanilla flavor! ;) best of luck.

[HRT4SQRLS]

biggjimm,
I am so sorry that your little girl didn't make it. I read your thread and my heart broke when you said she stole your heart with those little outstretched arms. They sure can do that. :Love_Icon :grouphug

I am very worried about your little boy also. I saw that he was 26g on the 13th and now on the 18th he is 28g. That is very odd that he is not gaining weight. He is very underweight for a 7.5-8 week old. According to the Skuls age/weight chart he should weigh between 40-50g. Is he digesting the FV? Want color is his poop? I think if you don't see some weight gain by tomorrow, I would post in the Emergency help section and indicate in the title that a flyer needs help. Even on FV alone, he should be gaining some weight. This is perplexing and lack of weight gain IS a problem for a flyer baby. I'm pulling for your baby. Does he have a name?

[biggjimm]

biggjimm,
I am so sorry that your little girl didn't make it. I read your thread and my heart broke when you said she stole your heart with those little outstretched arms. They sure can do that. :Love_Icon :grouphug

I am very worried about your little boy also. I saw that he was 26g on the 13th and now on the 18th he is 28g. That is very odd that he is not gaining weight. He is very underweight for a 7.5-8 week old. According to the Skuls age/weight chart he should weigh between 40-50g. Is he digesting the FV? Want color is his poop? I think if you don't see some weight gain by tomorrow, I would post in the Emergency help section and indicate in the title that a flyer needs help. Even on FV alone, he should be gaining some weight. This is perplexing and lack of weight gain IS a problem for a flyer baby. I'm pulling for your baby. Does he have a name?

He is 30.5 gr today before feeding. So he's starting to gain now. And I can tell he's bigger when I hold him in my hand. I got the heavy cream & yogurt & started that this morning. He loved it.
His poops are a med brown not golden like his sister's were but he eats more of the blocks than she did too. I think he's digesting ok. I don't see any signs in his poop of formula.
He does not have a name yet. I was kinda waiting to ser their personality develope before naming them. He's definitely a trooper though. A survivor. Even as small as they were he was obviously the strongest & he acts more like a little squirrel then the others did. From day one he was exploring the cage & drinking water on his own & he plays a lot more too. The others just slept all the time except when I got them out to feed, which now I realize was because they were not feeling well.
I'm hoping to continue seeing noticeable weight gains from here on out from this guy.
I spoke with the lady who's property they came from & she said their mother was young & this was her first litter. She had a light colored spot on her tail so she was easily identified. She said that she had this litter in the same tree that her mother raised her in the year before. Apparently, there's a whole colony of them in that neighborhood. She said late in the evening it's not uncommon to see 30 or 40 flyers gliding & scurrying around.
I'll continue to post on his progress & I'll try to get some pics to rhapsody to post for me & start his own thread for him. Thanks. Jim.

[HRT4SQRLS]

That's good news biggjimm. I would weigh him everyday to make sure he is gaining. Be sure to watch his poop. The heavy cream is rich so you need to make sure he doesn't get diarrhea. If he does, you might need to back off the cream a little. Hopefully that won't be an issue. :thumbsup Anxious to see your cute little one. :tilt

[CritterMom]

Mr & Mrs Skul add both heavy cream AND yogurt to their formula - used to be the FV 32/40 but no reason why you couldn't do the same with the esbilac. I know - they helped me with my little Laz.

[biggjimm]

Mr & Mrs Skul add both heavy cream AND yogurt to their formula - used to be the FV 32/40 but no reason why you couldn't do the same with the esbilac. I know - they helped me with my little Laz.

The fv 32-40 is what he eats. I got both the heavy whipping cream & vanilla yogurt. It's the full fat kind which is hard to find. Everything is fat free or low fat. I started feeding him with the cream & yogurt in his formula this morning & he really likes it. So far it seems he's not too picky when it comes to eating. I hope that doesn't change.

[pixiepoo]

I use Yo Baby organic full fat vanilla yogurt. It comes in 4-8packs and you can find it easily at Publix :) one thing to note is that after 2 days (it may be slightly more but I think 2) any yogurt will start to go bad (we cannot taste it but the flyers can tell) and they will not really want to eat it. My guys would refuse it like clockwork! So I suggest opening a new one every few days or freezing it in Tbsp amounts (although many argue this defeats the purpose of the yogurt because probiotics).

[biggjimm]

I use Yo Baby organic full fat vanilla yogurt. It comes in 4-8packs and you can find it easily at Publix :) one thing to note is that after 2 days (it may be slightly more but I think 2) any yogurt will start to go bad (we cannot taste it but the flyers can tell) and they will not really want to eat it. My guys would refuse it like clockwork! So I suggest opening a new one every few days or freezing it in Tbsp amounts (although many argue this defeats the purpose of the yogurt because probiotics).


That's what I got was the yobaby vanilla but all they had was the little pouch kind that is made to drink. It's the same thing I guess just not quite as thick so it is drinkable. I figured most of it would go bad but at least it's only like 88¢ so it's not wasting much. Well, it's just about feeding time again so I better get busy. Thanks. Jim.

[biggjimm]

I really need to take the time & sit down & start a thread for this little guy. Where should I start it at, the nursery? He's doing awesome today. He weighed 30.3 grams this morning. Last night my daughter told me that yesterday morning when she was getting ready for school he was out & she was talking to him & playing with him & that he had eaten almost 3/4 of a hhb. And that was about 20 min before I woke him up to feed him so that's why he was .2 grams heavier yesterday I suppose.
Do they usually sleep on their back? Every time I pull his cotton bedding back he's snuggled up on his back & he looks up at me with those big bright eyes as if saying "come on, pick me up already"
He's been eating the hhb's real good for a week & a half now so if I start him on veggies, are there some that would be more beneficial than others beings he's a little under weight? Thanks again everyone. Jim.

[biggjimm]

Well we were 32.4 grams today, so were still gaining. I've been feeding him close to the 10% mark when he'll eat that much. He'll usually want to stop & just cuddle up in my hand after about 8-9%. Today 10% was 3.25 ml & he was done at 3. He eats the fv with the heavy cream & yogurt really well. Going to start the veggies probably this evening. Have to go to town to get some for him. Thanks for & keep up the prayers. Thanks. Jim.

[biggjimm]

35.2 gr this morning when I weighed him before he had eaten. That's almost a 3 gr gain in 24 hrs. Is that ok or can they gain too fast? We don't need any more complications, especially ones that can be easily avoided. He's starting to look like a little chunker. He is so darn cute & cuddly. Well it's time to feed the little bugger so I got to go. Jim.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Aww, biggjimm, I'm so happy to hear that your little one is finally gaining weight. That is such good news. As long as he is gaining don't worry. He's catching up now and his weight gain will eventually level off. It's good to hear that he is filling out. Such good news. :thumbsup

[biggjimm]

He was 35.6 gr this morning before breakfast. He's averaging a gain of right around 1 1/2 grams a day now so hopefully we'll get caught up to were he should be. Thanks for everybody's help in getting this guy turned around. Jim.

[biggjimm]

We were at 37.9 gr today! I'm so glad this little fella is doing so much better! I can't believe what a difference 7 or 8 grams makes. He feels so much bigger & heavier in my hand & even looking at him you can tell how much bigger he has gotten. Still trying to figure out a name for him. I had Bern waiting to see his personality develope before naming him but he still sleeps most of the time so I'm not sure how he acts yet.

[biggjimm]

Almost to 50 grams! He was 48.7 at last weigh in. I think my scales only go to 50 on the grams setting do I'll have to weigh him in ounces & do the math or get another set of scales. I've got a nice set of triple beams but he won't sit still long enough for that. He's got places to go, you know?

[HRT4SQRLS]

That's a great report Jim. He was 26 grams on the 13th and now almost 50g. He has almost doubled in size in 17 days. :thumbsup He is probably back on track for his age. I was so worried about him 2 weeks ago. You've done a great job with him!!!
Do we have a name yet? :tilt

Jim, I doubt that an ounce scale would be very useful for a flyer. One ounce is 28 grams ... that's half a flyer!! :)

[biggjimm]

That's a great report Jim. He was 26 grams on the 13th and now almost 50g. He has almost doubled in size in 17 days. :thumbsup He is probably back on track for his age. I was so worried about him 2 weeks ago. You've done a great job with him!!!
Do we have a name yet? :tilt

Jim, I doubt that an ounce scale would be very useful for a flyer. One ounce is 28 grams ... that's half a flyer!! :)

Thank you. Still working on a name

The other digital scales I have are only calibrated for weighing in ounces but they have more than a 1 oz. capacity. IIRC it goes up to like 40 oz. I thought I could weigh him with those & convert the weight to grams until I get another scale. Right?

[biggjimm]

Also, should I continue with the heavy cream & yogurt or stop that when he's up to weight? Someone had posted a little chart that showed what the approx. weight should be for a given age & I'm trying to find that now.

[HRT4SQRLS]

The chart is in this thread.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?42825-Baby-Flyer-weights-and-age

I think I would just keep doing what you're doing as long as it is working so well. :thumbsup I'm so happy that this has turned around. The ounce scale you have will work if the increments are small enough. The gram scales are usually cheap if you look on ebay or just shop around a bit.

I do know that when my guys weaned themselves I was told to give them FV with the yogurt. Now that my guys are adults I give them a tiny bowl of straight FV every day. One drinks it, the other doesn't but he is overweight anyway so it's OK if he doesn't.