How do slowly start solid foods?

[Lala47]

I have 2 five week old grey squirrels and they opened their eyes this week. I know I need to slowly start introducing solid foods but how? And what? The pet store near me didn't have rodent block so I got sugar glider food. Is that OK to feed to them? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Nancy in New York]

I have 2 five week old grey squirrels and they opened their eyes this week. I know I need to slowly start introducing solid foods but how? And what? The pet store near me didn't have rodent block so I got sugar glider food. Is that OK to feed to them? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

What is the current formula that you are feeding.
How often do they eat and how much at each feeding.
There is NOT a rush to introduce solids at this age so
keep them on formula as long as possible.
Can you post a picture of these little ones?

[Lala47]

They are currently on powdered petag and whipping cream. The boy is bigger and eats 5 to 7ccs every 3 or 4 hours. The girl eats 5 to 6 cc every 3 or 4 hours. I have had them for 15 days and I'm a first time squirrel mom. I will try to post a picture tonight.

[Nancy in New York]

They are currently on powdered petag and whipping cream. The boy is bigger and eats 5 to 7ccs every 3 or 4 hours. The girl eats 5 to 6 cc every 3 or 4 hours. I have had them for 15 days and I'm a first time squirrel mom. I will try to post a picture tonight.

OK this is the formula that you need.
The formula that you have does not have the proper nutriton.
With the formula below, the third ingredient will be Dried Whey Protein Concentrate.
Then you know you have the correct one. :w00t
https://nmognoni.smugmug.com/photos/i-3kqpb5F/0/M/i-3kqpb5F-M.jpg
You need to feed them 5-7% of their body weight at every feeding.
Do you have a scale to weigh them?
Thank you for helping them.
We are here for ANY questions you may have.
In the mean time check out this link.
Which will take you to another link.
This informaiton is extremely important.
Thank you for helping these little ones.
Would you like us to try to find you a rehabber?

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?51708-4skwerlz-Baby-Squirrel-Care

[Lala47]

I will get the proper formula first thing tomorrow morning. Should I be concerned about mbd since I have been feeding them the petag petlac for 15 days?

[Mel1959]

I'm not an expert here, but I think that the 2 wk period wouldn't necessarily be a problem for mbd. It would be more a problem of inadequate nutrition which would result in failure to thrive and be a big problem if the formula wasn't changed to a more nutritional alternative for a squirrel.

[Nancy in New York]

I will get the proper formula first thing tomorrow morning. Should I be concerned about mbd since I have been feeding them the petag petlac for 15 days?

As Mel said you are fine for the first two weeks and as long as you get the
correct one, they will be fine.
Do you have a scale?
If you can't post a picture and want to email them to me, so I can post
I will pm you my email address. :w00t Just in case.............:grin2

[Lala47]

I sent a few pictures to the email. I do have a scale and I weighed them about 5 minutes ago. The boy, Walnut, weighs 112.5 grams. The girl, Nutella, weighs 111.7 grams.

[Nancy in New York]

I sent a few pictures to the email. I do have a scale and I weighed them about 5 minutes ago. The boy, Walnut, weighs 112.5 grams. The girl, Nutella, weighs 111.7 grams.


Sorry for the delay, I ran out for a while.
Such cute names!
Here are pictures of the little ones. :klunk
I beleive the first picture is from the day they were gotten
the other two are from today. :Love_Icon:Love_Icon
They are adorable, and they look really good too.:w00t

https://nmognoni.smugmug.com/photos/i-3cbr8ZT/0/L/i-3cbr8ZT-L.jpg

https://nmognoni.smugmug.com/photos/i-W3PKzFp/0/X2/i-W3PKzFp-X2.jpg

https://nmognoni.smugmug.com/photos/i-9vppKRb/0/L/i-9vppKRb-L.jpg

[Lala47]

This morning I was able to get the proper formula and deer antlers. Thank you all for your help. Any more advice tips or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

[Nancy in New York]

This morning I was able to get the proper formula and deer antlers. Thank you all for your help. Any more advice tips or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
I'm so glad you were able to get the correct formula. You will see a big difference soon.
The deer antlers are something they will enjoy down the line.

Not sure if you saw this earlier, but below
is a great link and then another link for a tutorial
about raising baby squirrels. You will find most everything
you need to know, and if you don't.............ask any question you
may have. Trust me, there is NO question that we ourselves haven't
asked. We ALL started somewhere, and we are here to help! :hug



We are here for ANY questions you may have.
In the mean time check out this link.
Which will take you to another link.
This informaiton is extremely important.
Thank you for helping these little ones.
Would you like us to try to find you a rehabber?

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?51708-4skwerlz-Baby-Squirrel-Care

[Lala47]

I saw that link earlier and I bookmarked it for quick reference. It really does have a lot of good info on it. Thank you for sending it to me.

[Spanky]

This morning I was able to get the proper formula and deer antlers. Thank you all for your help. Any more advice tips or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
These two are too cute! :klunk

Are you planning to release them?

In a couple weeks is when you will introduce solids. Pay close attention to the information on Page 4 of the baby squirrel info link above, the info about weaning. A very common mistake is to not introduce block as the first food (and Henry’s Healthy Block is the best and specifically designed for squirrels!) and not give anything else until they are eating their block well. If you do this and feed other food after the block, they will take to the block like children to ice cream. If not, it will be a constant battle getting them to eat healthy! So read the “common mistakes” on Page 4 of weaning advice!

A healthy squirrel diet is lots of veggies, some fruit and nuts should be limited treats. Here is the link to the healthy squirrel diet:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

You’ll want to order some Henry’s Healthy Block (HHB) which will take a few days to arrive. Store them in the freezer since there are no preservatives and take out what you need each day (2 blocks each per day… 1 for each every morning and another in the afternoon / evening). Same thing with the powdered Esbilac, store that in the freezer!
Be sure to ask any and all questions…
:Welcome to TSB!!

[Lala47]

I will try to order the blocks today. We are currently adding a second level to the cage so they can climb around more and putting in sticks and sleeping hammocks. The original plan was to release them and we still want to try to release but its getting harder everyday we get more attached to our little climbers.

[Spanky]

I will try to order the blocks today. We are currently adding a second level to the cage so they can climb around more and putting in sticks and sleeping hammocks. The original plan was to release them and we still want to try to release but its getting harder everyday we get more attached to our little climbers.

Baby squirrels are very cute and steal our hearts but healthy adult squirrels may not be the "pet" you might be expecting they would be... though there are some exceptions, but those are exceptions and not the rule. There are reasons they are not common "domestic pets". Squirrels explore the world with their teeth (that means they chew on anything and everything), they are meant to live in the treetops with lots and lots of space. If they are going to be pets certain you have access to a squirrel friendly vet ahead of time, since sooner or later you will need one.

There are some "stickies" in the top of the following forum that provide more insight into having a squirrel as a pet and what to expect of both the squirrel and yourself! You have plenty of time to consider all these things, but most importantly I hope you do the best thing for the baby squirrels!
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?87-Baby-Squirrel-Questions

Do you live in a place where you could put a nest box in a trees when you release and enjoy them being free but maybe visiting or even making a home (and raising families) in your yard?

You may also discover that like most folks that help baby squirrels soon find that other baby squirrel make a path to their doorstep for help. Thank you for helping these two precious babies. :thankyou

[Lala47]

Does anyone know of a squirrel friendly vet located in northeast Georgia? I just spoke to my vet and all she would say is that they are illegal and hung up on me.my home is not safe for release. Between me and my neighbors we have 10 dogs and several cats. If we do decide on release I will need a better safer place to do it. It is a lot to consider and I do want what's best for these babies.

[Spanky]

Does anyone know of a squirrel friendly vet located in northeast Georgia? I just spoke to my vet and all she would say is that they are illegal and hung up on me. My home is not safe for release. Between me and my neighbors we have 10 dogs and several cats. If we do decide on release I will need a better safer place to do it. It is a lot to consider and I do want what's best for these babies.
Of course both cats and dogs are big threats to squirrels. Cat bites and even scratches can cause fatal infections if not treated. And dogs will "shake" squirrels and break their backs, not to mention big dogs can easily critically or even fatally injure a squirrel simply by "playing" with them and swatting at them with their paws. Unfortunately we see sad stories like this on the board all too much. :sniff

If they are going to be released they must not get acclimated and comfortable with either dogs or cats. So it is of critical importance the squirrels are not around the cats or dogs to both protect them from injury (accidental or otherwise) and if they are released they need to consider both cats and dogs as lethal “threats”, otherwise they will be an easy target once they are released.

I am on Lake Hartwell in NE GA, a few acres with lots of trees, few neighbors and an outdoor release cage. If you are nearby and need a place for release or anything else, just let me know. :thumbsup