Anyone know how the heck to stop "gaping"?

[SammysMom]

This is driving me out of my mind! Three of the babies do this for the whole time they are eating. Feeding 5 babies is taking me so long that I am late for EVERYTHING every day. :tap
Anybody got that "magic" solution? Please!!! The video below is what goes on forever even when you remove the nipple from their mouth. Long enough where I was able to carry one of them outdoors to show Ken and still have to try to get him out of it when we went back into the house...:eek
http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/Gayle_Molloy/media/100_0736_zpsf5b66717.mp4.html?sort=3&o=1

[farrelli]

Don't people tap them on the head?

[anniedancer]

I have no idea, but Im sure someone here will. How interesting. Ive dealt with baby animals of many kinds but not squirrels, and never seen anything quite like this. Hope its a normal thing.
Annie

[island rehabber]

Hoo boy; you dodged the gaping bullet last time around and now you've got three at once -- :shakehead

Here's what i've tried, with some success:

*DON'T let the formula be too hot. Very very warm formula seems to trigger the gaping.

*Tap 'em on the head gently

*Put a finger under their hindquarters and lift -- it distracts them enough to stop

*Roll your eyes, put the radio or TV on, and put up with it for another week or two until they stop. :grin3

[CritterMom]

Mister P was a gaper and it lasted a lot longer than a week or two! I used to move the syringe from side to side in his mouth, which would sometimes work, and sometimes I bopped him on top of the head with the nipple and sometimes that worked. I could usually get him to stop but he did it every time until he was well into adolescence!

[anniedancer]

Why do they do this???
Annie

[SammysMom]

I knew I could give you a laugh, Maura! :rofl4
So, this last feeding I put them on the table on fleece instead of holding them and it was MUCH better! Mr. P...:shakehead Anything to get mama's attention...:rofl4

[Mommaluvy]

Why do they do this???
Annie

I think it's a nursing trance. Pipsqueak did it real bad till he was about one month ( just got better this week) . The only difference was he would get his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth but was gaping like a nut...

Like others said distraction. I first thought he was aspirating but no milk was in the nose. So I would flip him butt up and nose down.. That seemed to snap him out if it. I nearly posted a video too till I read about it on some website.. It mentioned nursing trances. Then I figured that if he had been aspirating ( again I saw no milk from the nose ) a t every single meal .. Several times a feed .. He woulda been dead his first week. Kwim...

That rehab web site said they would still swallow and just feed on.. But I chose to flip, wipe his milky mouth, or scritch behind the ears or pet his head.

I think its normal and probably just exaggerated because they can not pacify at their mothers nipple. I am sure squirrel boobies do not drip milk as fast as our syringes do.

So.. That's my 2 cents. Glad you posted the video. Makes me feel much better..

[TubeDriver]

I wonder if their young, developing nervous system gets confused and they forget to breath because they are feeding (ie the nursing/swallowing reflex drowns out the breathing reflex)?

[Mommaluvy]

I wonder if their young, developing nervous system gets confused and they forget to breath because they are feeding (ie the nursing/swallowing reflex drowns out the breathing reflex)?


That makes sense.

I know when my human babies were nursing they would sometime fall asleep like that.

[Duckman]

It is definitely a food trance. I dealt with this first, with Rex. He would go into a head bob, he was so out of it. A little tap on the syringe always broke it though. Hope that helps Gayle!!

[Monipenny]

SammysMom, how old is the baby in the video and what is the weight? It looks to be the same age as my baby at 40gr. I guessed to be about 2 weeks.

[SammysMom]

Yep, he is about 2 weeks old and right around 40g. I have tapped and I have touched feet and NOTHING did it until I changed how I positioned them while feeding. It was much better, but still slow as molasses in January! :tap

[Monipenny]

Perfect, thank you.

[sid'smommy]

Make them pacifiers. Then take lots of cute pictures of them with tiny stuffed bunnies, binkies, and blankies :)

[SammysMom]

Make them pacifiers. Then take lots of cute pictures of them with tiny stuffed bunnies, binkies, and blankies :)

The pacifier would just fall out of their open traps...:shakehead