New baby squirrel

[Bugsie]

My daughter found a baby squirrel this morning.. His eyes are still closed but he does have some fur. She brought him in to warm him up. My question is will the mom take him back out of the shoe box or does he need to be flat on ground. Pretty sure I know which tree he came out of.

[DarkLies212]

Make sure he's not dehydrated first. You can check that by pulling the skin at the back of his neck.

If he's not injured, pretty sure she'll come back for him even in a box. You can make a rice buddy (warm up rice in a sock, squish it around, and cover it in fleece and place it near him) to keep him warm until then. Just make sure there aren't any predators and watch him for a while.

Some Mommas do abandon their babies, so don't leave him out there too long.

Thank you for taking the time with him!

[Bugsie]

He is dehydrated. I have nothing here to hydrate him with. The nearest rehab group is 2 hrs away. So, do I give him back to mom or do I drive him to rehabber?

[farrelli]

Can you do this:

Supplies You Will Need:
--Pedialyte (any flavor)*
--Plastic syringes (1 cc size; no needles. Ask the pharmacist to get these for you) An eyedropper can also work.
These are available at most drugstores.

*If you can’t find Pedialyte at the store, here is a recipe for homemade Pedialyte:

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

How to Prepare the Pedialyte
Use a plastic syringe (with or without a nipple). Never use pet nursers or doll bottles. They will choke the baby. Fill a coffee mug with hot water. Fill the syringe with Pedialyte and place it in the mug for a couple of minutes. Squirt a drop on the inside of your wrist to make sure the liquid isn’t too hot. It should feel barely warm on your skin.

Proper Position
A tiny baby should be held upright in your hand. A baby with fur can lie on a flat surface on his stomach. A baby that can walk can be held upright or he can drink sitting up. Hold the syringe so the tip points UP to the baby’s mouth and the handle is down. Don’t let the baby get cold. Keep him wrapped up while he eats.

How to Feed Fluids
Place the syringe tip on the baby’s lips (from the side) and squeeze out one drop for him to taste. Don’t squirt a steady stream. Let him swallow one drop before squeezing more. GO SLOW! It sometimes takes a feeding or two for them to catch on. Hairless babies are fed drop by drop. With older babies (once they catch on) you can squeeze slowly for one second, wait for him to swallow, then squeeze more.

If fluids dribble out his mouth or come out his nose, you are going too fast. Stop and tilt the baby’s head down so the fluid drains out (support his head and neck like you would a human baby). Then wipe his nose and mouth with a tissue. Start over, slower. NOTE: There is now a chance your baby will develop aspiration pneumonia from inhaling fluid in his lungs. This is fatal. Please contact a rehabber or vet, or the people at The Squirrel Board, for assistance.

[ALittleNutty]

You can re-hydrate him with 4 cups of warm water, 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Most drug stores will give you a 1 cc syringe (no needle) if you tell them you are feeding a kitten.

After re-hydrating him you can leave him in the box, preferably up high where cats can't get to him and watch for a few hours to see if mom comes back. If not then you will need to find a rehabber to take him to. We may have someone close but just need a town name to know for sure.

[Bugsie]

Mom never came after a few hours so I took him to a wonderful place! If anyone ever need a rehab center in Tennessee this is the place to go.
http://waldenspuddle.org

[DarkLies212]

Thank you for watching over him :Love_Icon