Thoughts on this little baby?

[BabyVeronica]

My boyfriend was photographing the sunset when this little guy crawled out of the field and slowly crawled over to his feet and sat there - six inches for his foot.

He was wet and cold and it was nearly dark so after seeing no visible signs of Mama, he picked him up.

Here are my observations: he had fleas or some sort of lice. He has his eyes open, bottom teeth are in and top are just barely popping through. I'm guessing he is about 6 weeks old but he is just 116 grams.

Thoughts on this? He is warming up now. We have Esbilac puppy formula to give him.

Also - he purrs. Like a cat. Big time. It's weird.

Edit: Oh. His eyes don't seem clear - they may not have been open for too long. He can't walk well. Still at the clumsy age where he just pulls himself along- no balance yet.


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[SammysMom]

Oh bless you for saving him! <3 They do purr like cats when they are happy. You can use a DROP of Revolution flea treatment between his shoulder blades for the bugs or even give him a sponge bath in Dawn and water.
Be sure that the Esbilac is the powdered puppy variety. The liquid has been known to cause loose stool and you don't want that. :nono

[Gardentoes11]

Sounds like he knew he needed help & came to you guys to get it! I've heard stories before about baby squirrels in distress who will approach humans for help. I'm not a licensed rehabber nor am I overly experienced, so I won't give too much advice--I imagine someone with more knowledge than I have will reply soon. However, I know enough to advise on the basics:

1. Warmth is important--heating pad on low, preferably one without an automatic shut-off feature, with half of his container on the pad & half off so he can crawl away if he gets too hot.

2. Container--Cardboard can dry out their skin, so a plastic tote with air holes in the top is recommended. Fleece, flannel, or old T-shirts for bedding.

3. Hydration is critical--Baby squirrels get dehydrated quickly & easily. You can test for hydration by pinching the skin between the shoulder blades, & if it stays pinched (called tenting), he's dehydrated & needs fluids. Clear Pedialyte is ideal, but if you don't have access to that tonight, you can make hydration fluid yourself with common kitchen ingredients--just search for hydration recipe.

4. 1cc syringe is the best tool for feeding--If you have one! They're best for preventing aspiration (inhaling liquid into lungs), & since aspiration commonly leads to deadly pneumonia, you'll want to do all you can to make sure the fluid goes down the right pipe. An eyedropper will work in a pinch, but easier to aspirate with an eyedropper than a syringe.

5. Formula for warm, hydrated baby only! You can search for Esbilac in the search box & find all kinds of advice about that--it's the most-often-recommended formula for squirrel babies.

Looks like you're either going to be a squirrel mommy for awhile, or you can find a licensed rehabber somewhere close to you who can take him off your hands. These little guys are wonderful blessings, but definitely high-maintenance! If he's 6-ish weeks, he won't be releasable till spring.

So glad this little guy found you! So glad you got on this board--the experts on here will steer you right. So glad your bf picked him up!

[BabyVeronica]

Thanks for the responses! We do have all of the things you mentioned including powdered Esbilac and teeny syringes.

Very curious to hear other opinions on age!

[SammysMom]

My guess at age is 8 - 10 weeks, but we don't have fox squirrels here so it is a guess. He is absolutely adorable!:Love_Icon

[Mommaluvy]

Id have to see another pic but i too think about 6/7 weeks. Yeah maybe 8 weeks. Looks like a grey squirrel to me though.

What are you seeing with the eyes?

Clumsy ness can be fron dehydration and or weakness/ hunger

[BabyVeronica]

My guess at age is 8 - 10 weeks, but we don't have fox squirrels here so it is a guess. He is absolutely adorable!:Love_Icon

Is it normal for them to have so few teeth at that age? His top two are barely poking through. Plus, he is only 115ish grams??

[SammysMom]

That is exactly why I said we don't have foxers here...lol He may well be younger and yet larger than the grays I am accustomed to.

[BabyVeronica]

Here is another picture. He really is a little guy.

[SammysMom]

Oh good grief, my eyes are pathetic! That's "dirty face" gray who looks like he is about 6 weeks old. You're right Steph! I am blind...:rofl4

[stepnstone]

Edit: Oh. His eyes don't seem clear -


His eyes would have (normally) opened at or around 5 weeks,
no telling how long he had been defending for himself without proper nutrition.
That can also effect the eyes clarity which often corrects itself once he's been on a proper diet.

[Mommaluvy]

Oh good grief, my eyes are pathetic! That's "dirty face" gray who looks like he is about 6 weeks old. You're right Steph! I am blind...:rofl4

Don't feel bad LOL

I have never seen a foxer in the wild. My friend has a grey and her belly was always tinged slightly orange. But her bio nest sibling is as white bellied as can be. They are from the same mom. It was never full on orange just not white at all. Had us puzzled.


This poor baby. Yes their teeth come in at different stages.

Is she conscious ? Are you able to hydrate her?

[BabyVeronica]

Just want to update! Ricky is doing awesome!!! He is eating super and is already up to 157 grams! :bliss

I didn't realize how bad off he was until he started to spunk up after a couple days.

He also has started shredding Cheerios. He hasn't touched the nuts yet but he is sniffing at them. And he eats his formula so well!

We lost our last baby (he was just a pinky) so I was WAY worried. I think little Ricky is going to be just fine!

[kcassidy]

Thank you so much for saving this little kid. Glad he is doing so much better!!

Oh, no nuts at this age and cheerios aren't useful for anything :)

Have you found the squirrel diet thread yet? If not go here to read what you should and shouldn't feed. http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

You will also need to get Henry's Healthy Blocks at www.henryspets.com along with an antler for the baby to teeth on. I feed Esbilac until they are about 8 weeks old and then transition to Fox Valley's 20/50 formula, you can find that at www.squirrelsandmore.com

The first solids I introduce are the HHB's then Avocado, Sugar Snap peas and then grapes. No nuts of any kind until they eat a block. Then I introduce Walnuts, Hazelnuts and Pecans out of the shell. When I think they are getting ready to be released I give them Almonds in the shell. I won't release a squirrel til I see them crack open a Walnut and Hazelnut, thats my sign they are ready to go.

Raising and releasing a Squirrel is a lot of work, if you think this might be too much for you, we could probably help you find a rehabber. If you are going to do it yourself, well you are at the right place! What are your plans?

[BabyVeronica]

We are not entirely decided yet. We successfully raised and released a girl last year but considering we would have to overwinter, I'm not sure yet. I'm considering finding a rehabber with other babes so he isn't without any others all winter.

We have blocks - he isn't ready for those yet. I know the Cheerios do nothing for him other than give him an outlet for his desire to chew. All of his nutrition is coming from formula at this point. He's up to 176 grams today!

I'll check out that thread on foods.

[kcassidy]

We are not entirely decided yet. We successfully raised and released a girl last year but considering we would have to overwinter, I'm not sure yet. I'm considering finding a rehabber with other babes so he isn't without any others all winter.

We have blocks - he isn't ready for those yet. I know the Cheerios do nothing for him other than give him an outlet for his desire to chew. All of his nutrition is coming from formula at this point. He's up to 176 grams today!

I'll check out that thread on foods.

Awesome, glad you are so knowledgeable :) This squirrel is so lucky to have found your boyfriend :D