Help, my baby keeps getting dehydrated!!

[Squirrel Love]

I have a baby squirrel that judging from what I read online is probably around 2 weeks old by now because she has her eyes shut and has no fur. I got her about 4 days ago, got a heating pad that doesn't shut off and she is in a box with layers of towels and blankets. I also have an acurite wireless temperature guage in there which I'm trying to get close to 99 degrees. Based on what I read online, I hydrated her with fruit flavored pedialyte for just under 24 hours and got esbilac puppy formula from Petco. I read to mix one part powder with 2 parts distilled water, and one site said 1/8th part whipping cream and another said 1/2 I believe. At first I did the 1/8th. I slowly introduced the formula by giving her a mix of water and formula from what I read online. Based on 3 cc measurements, I mixed 1/2cc formula with 2 1/2cc spring water for the first feeding, then I did 1 cc of formula and 2 cc of water, then 1 1/2 cc of formula and 1 1/2 cc of water, then 2 cc of formula and 1 cc of water, then 2 1/2 cc of formula and 1/2 cc of water, then full formula. I have read many different opinions on how much to feed. For around her age, I fed her 1 cc, sometimes a tad over because she seemed hungry. Shes always had a strong urge to eat. Despite being tiny she's strong lol! One site said every 3 hours, so fed her every 3. She started with the black poop when I got her, then mustard, then pellets, then at some point she got dehydrated so I gave her more pedialyte, I think for a couple feedings?... and she finally pooped. I got a scale that weighs grams and she weighs 26 grams so based on a sites calculations she should be eating about.87 cc and i also read somewhere else 1. Also one said she should eat every 2-3 hours, and another said 2 hrs!!! I tried 2.5, but then when to 2. I've made new formula every 24 hours. This Esbilac has the probiotics but im not sure if this formula is good because people have said to not use it and to use fox Valley day one 32/40, so I just ordered some but it will take time to be shipped. Then I read somewhere that the fox valley is not good for babies under 4 weeks??? I keep reading tons of websites online that say opposite things so it's very frustrating!!! I'm trying to do everything right but this makes it very difficult! I've also been sleeping only hours every day! Since she went on full formula, she hasn't pooped in a few feedings, but I have been able to make her pee. I read one site that said pedialytes's salt can make her more dehydrated so use water. I tried water a couple times but she hates water! I mixed a couple drops of pedialyte in it and she drank it but no poop. Another thing I read said to use pedialyte only and not water on a baby this young!! Ugh grrr!!! I went back to pedialyte for 2 feedings in about 3 hrs. That's where I am now and not sure what to do next feeding! Not even sure how often to do this hydration?...but earlier she was whimpering after an hour cause she was hungry so I gave her the 2nd round of about 1 cc, that's all she wanted. I tried forever to make her poop, but she only peed. Sometimes she will even poop or pee in her bed on her own, she will have pellets, but not this time. Her poor legs and tail were getting dry so I got Burts bees baby oil and that seemed to really help. I tried to put her lower half in warm water but she wiggles and fights too much, so that didn't work lol. I'm afraid that she will have too many feedings with just liquid and no formula. One site said in babies this young to mix extra water with 2 feedings a day to keep hydration, another said 2 feedings per day of all water!!...omg the discrepancies are driving me nuts!...no pun intended!..and she still hates only water. I cant give her formula until she poops right? She twitches sometimes in bed but others online said that was ok? I hope it's not this formula doing this to her? I have now read not to use whipping cream at this age, which I won't anymore and to try goats milk and yogurt..?? Also maybe a bit of apple juice, olive oil, or Karo syrup?? Is she too young for any of this stuff?? Please help!

[Nancy in New York]

First off, if the box is cardboard, take her out of it and put her in something like a sterilite container.
Cardboard is very drying for them and it sucks any moisture right out of the air.

You are feeding Esbilac powdered puppy formula correct?
If so, take a SMALL container with a lid and mix up 1 part of Esbilac to 2 parts hot water.
Stir this up really well, after it cools a little you can even shake this up.
Let it sit in the refig for a few hours so that everything gets absorbed by the water.

In between the feedings, which should be every 3 hours, try hydrating with water, with a "touch" of
honey.

Where are you located? Perhaps we can find someone that can help you.
Let me find a link that is VERY helpful for baby squirrel care.

edit: Go to this link then follow the link below in BLUE and remember to
click NEXT as this is 6 pages long. I think you will find this really helpful. :thumbsup

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

[Nancy in New York]

Oh one more thing. A lot of people, myself included, use a soft bristled EYE makeup brush to
stimulate.
Similar to the one on the right.
It's much easier to get between those little legs.
Some squirrels need a lot of stimulation before they poop.
Just keep doing it and if you can't get him to poop in ~5-10 minutes,
put him down for a while, then try again.

https://nmognoni.smugmug.com/photos/i-nBsj8sz/0/M/i-nBsj8sz-M.jpg

[Squirrel Love]

I have her in a plastic sterilite container. Yes, Esbilac. My next batch I was going to do without the whipping cream. I did let past mixings sit in the fridge. Do I use hot distilled water or hot spring water? I don't have honey, so I will ask my bf to pick some up. So no goats milk and yogurt? I was going to have him pick that up too, but I can tell him forget it?? Ok so feed her every 3 hrs? And at 1.5 hrs, give her how much water with how much honey? Is this between every feeding? I just gave her more pedialyte 5 minutes before I saw your post. Can I give her the Esbilac in 3 hrs even though she hasn't pooped yet?

[Squirrel Love]

Makeup brush is a creative idea, ive been using a qtip to get in there, very softly because I know it's a hard tip, is that ok to use until I can get a new brush?? I've tried for 5-10 minutes, put her down, then tried again, but I feel bad to disturb her sleep :[ At times, we've gone to check on her and she will poop/pee on her own. I thought they couldn't at this age!? Lol..shes so strong!

[Nancy in New York]

I have her in a plastic sterilite container. Yes, Esbilac. My next batch I was going to do without the whipping cream. I did let past mixings sit in the fridge. Do I use hot distilled water or hot spring water? I don't have honey, so I will ask my bf to pick some up. So no goats milk and yogurt? I was going to have him pick that up too, but I can tell him forget it?? Ok so feed her every 3 hrs? And at 1.5 hrs, give her how much water with how much honey? Is this between every feeding? I just gave her more pedialyte 5 minutes before I saw your post. Can I give her the Esbilac in 3 hrs even though she hasn't pooped yet?

No to distilled water. You can use spring water.
I think right now we need to stick with one thing to get this
baby on track.
Also it is not unusual for babies to take some time to poop
especially if they have been away from Mom for a while.
Before you feed, just check her tummy to make sure that it isn't hard
and bloated. It should feel like a balloon, somewhat squishy.
Can you see a milk line after feeding? That should pretty much
disappear before feeding again.
Give her ~ 1 cc of honey water in between feedings for a while. (~between 3-4 feedings)
If she doesn't take that, not to worry.
Can you post a picture?

[Nancy in New York]

Makeup brush is a creative idea, ive been using a qtip to get in there, very softly because I know it's a hard tip, is that ok to use until I can get a new brush?? I've tried for 5-10 minutes, put her down, then tried again, but I feel bad to disturb her sleep :[ At times, we've gone to check on her and she will poop/pee on her own. I thought they couldn't at this age!? Lol..shes so strong!

Sure a q tip is fine to use. I just suggested the eye brush for the softness and
it's small enough to get in there. :)
They "can" sometimes poop and pee on their own. Glad that you are checking,
so you won't be too alarmed if you don't see much from when she is stimulated.

[Squirrel Love]

Ok, I wont use distilled water. Is it the whipping cream that was doing this? I didn't check her tummy before I've fed her, she's always wanting to down the formula fast, and she wiggles all over so we can barely hold her still to get her to drink lol. We try to hold her straight out, like on her belly. What if her belly was hard and bloated? Milk line on her belly? I've never looked. So 1 cc of honey water between 3-4 feedings, so like twice a day? Would it be ok to give her that only 1.5 hrs after her formula? How much honey in that cc of water? She's very wiggly right now so it was hard to take her pic, hope these help? She loves to cuddle with her stuffed monkey...lol. So i can give her more formula next feeding in like 2.5 hrs even though she hasn't pooped?

[Nancy in New York]

Ok, I wont use distilled water. Is it the whipping cream that was doing this? I didn't check her tummy before I've fed her, she's always wanting to down the formula fast, and she wiggles all over so we can barely hold her still to get her to drink lol. She drinks while were trying to hold her straight out, like on her belly. What if her belly was hard and bloated? Milk line on her belly? I've never looked. So 1 cc of honey water between 3-4 feedings, so like twice a day? Would it be ok to give her that only 1.5 hrs after her formula? How much honey in that cc of water? She's very wiggly right now so it was hard to take her pic, hope these help? She loves to cuddle with her stuffed monkey...lol. So i can give her more formula next feeding in like 2.5 hrs even though she hasn't pooped?

If you could hold her up to get a tummy shot that would be perfect.
She looks good from what I can tell. :thumbsup.

No I meant for 3-4 times give honey water in between feedings.
This is a guesstimate as I don't measure, if you are using a 1 cc syringe,
use ~ .2 honey to .8 water. Strictly a guesstimate. Just enough to make
it a little tastey to them.
Do this for today to start until we see some good poop.
Is her poop hard?
Dark hard poop is from either their Mom or from dehydration.

When was her last poop?

She is PRECIOUS by the way! :klunk

[Squirrel Love]

Oh and yes, my bf and I check on her constantly! :Love_Icon. I just haven't seen her poop for quite a few feedings :(

[Squirrel Love]

I think it's been less than a day that she hasn't pooped, I don't know for sure how many feedings ago, maybe a half day or more? Some sites say they should go after every feeding, one said make them go every 4 hrs...omg what is right?! I will try to get another pic when my boyfriend comes home with the honey, he should be home soon. I need to take a nap soon, Ive slept only a few hrs every day, I'm exhausted, but ive been trying my best to do everything right, even called out of work sick lol. I'm so glad u think she looks ok! I've been so nervous! Ok so 3-4 times only with the honey water in between the next 3-4 feedings until she poops and then no more? When I got her, her poop was dark and hard, then after hydrating and starting formula in the beginning it was soft and mustard colored, then after being on the formula for a bit, it got dark again and pellets that I would see in her house and she became dehydrated.
Thanks, I called her precious too and even thought about naming her that actually lol! I LOVE her!! :Love_Icon

[Squirrel Love]

It wouldnt let me edit my last msg after 15 minutes....sending a new one
I think it's been less than a day that she hasn't pooped, I don't know for sure how many feedings ago, maybe a half day or more? Some sites say they should go after every feeding, one said make them go every 4 hrs...omg what is right?! I will try to get another pic when my boyfriend comes home with the honey, he should be home soon. I need to take a nap soon, Ive slept only a few hrs every day, I'm exhausted, but ive been trying my best to do everything right, even called out of work sick lol. I'm so glad u think she looks ok, but I'm worried because she hasn't pooped, I've been so nervous! Ok so 3-4 times only with the honey water in between the next 3-4 feedings until she poops and then no more? When I got her, her poop was dark and hard, then after hydrating and starting formula in the beginning it was soft and mustard colored, then after being on the formula for a bit, it got dark again and pellets that I would see in her house and she became dehydrated. Oh and her pee is clear.

Thanks, I called her precious too and even thought about naming her that actually lol! I LOVE her!! :Love_Icon

Many yrs ago I saved another baby squirrel, but she was much older! She was a mini looking squirrel, and already used to the wild. I washed her with dish soap to get rid of her flees and my uncles girlfriend at the time owned a vet and gave me some squirrel formula and the 1cc syringe and nipple to use. I wish I knew what formula that was! I have no way of contacting her, later she went out of the country to be a vet. :/ But after I got her nice and healthy I brought her to a rehabilitation center that paired her with a boy squirrel and they released them together. I visited her one time before they brought her to an outdoor cage and I KNOW she remembered me and my voice...her head turned, her ears went up, and she put her nose through the cage! One woman I talked to on the phone, who wasn't there the day I was, said she wouldn't remember me because it had been a week and they have tiny brains. I ignored what she said and told her that my baby was smart and would remember me! I still went to visit her, and she was wrong, she did remember me!

[Nancy in New York]

I think it's been less than a day that she hasn't pooped, I don't know for sure how many feedings ago, maybe a half day or more? Some sites say they should go after every feeding, one said make them go every 4 hrs...omg what is right?! I will try to get another pic when my boyfriend comes home with the honey, he should be home soon. I need to take a nap soon, Ive slept only a few hrs every day, I'm exhausted, but ive been trying my best to do everything right, even called out of work sick lol. I'm so glad u think she looks ok! I've been so nervous! Ok so 3-4 times only with the honey water in between the next 3-4 feedings until she poops and then no more? When I got her, her poop was dark and hard, then after hydrating and starting formula in the beginning it was soft and mustard colored, then after being on the formula for a bit, it got dark again and pellets that I would see in her house and she became dehydrated.
Thanks, I called her precious too and even thought about naming her that actually lol! I LOVE her!! :Love_Icon

Just want to say that you will find a lot of conflicting advice on the internet.
Our site included. :)
You will see a time when we did not recommend Puppy Esbilac because we were finding
that babies were dying when it was used. They had changed the way it was processed.
Then we all raved about Fox Valley 32/40 and we were raising fat healthy babies on that alone.
Then MANY seasoned rehabbers were losing babies on that formula. :shakehead They were NOT digesting it well.

What TSB does is tries to stay open minded and we learn from others what works best, and
what doesn't.
SO if you are looking at older posts, you will get confused and see tons of conflicting advice.

IF you are feeding this little one the proper amount, which it looks like you are, then you should see
poops daily, or at least every other time when you potty her after a feeding.

You can also try some apple juice in water. That is sometimes recommended for constipation, give that
a try instead of honey. Do this at a rate of ~.3 applejuice - .7 water.

Love the name Precious by the way, if that's what you decide.

[Nancy in New York]

Many yrs ago I saved another baby squirrel, but she was much older! She was a mini looking squirrel, and already used to the wild. I washed her with dish soap to get rid of her flees and my uncles girlfriend at the time owned a vet and gave me some squirrel formula and the 1cc syringe and nipple to use. I wish I knew what formula that was! I have no way of contacting her, later she went out of the country to be a vet. :/ But after I got her nice and healthy I brought her to a rehabilitation center that paired her with a boy squirrel and they released them together. I visited her one time before they brought her to an outdoor cage and I KNOW she remembered me and my voice...her head turned, her ears went up, and she put her nose through the cage! One woman I talked to on the phone, who wasn't there the day I was, said she wouldn't remember me because it had been a week and they have tiny brains. I ignored what she said and told her that my baby was smart and would remember me! I still went to visit her, and she was wrong, she did remember me!

Of course she remembered you. They are SMART and always remember Mama! :Love_Icon

[Squirrel Love]

Ok bf came home and held her while I took more pics. Omg does she have a gas bubble??! Poor baby! I ordered the miracle nipple with the fox valley formula but it's gonna take days to arrive! :(((( I can check a medical supply place around, but I'm not sure they have this type of small nipple, even the older catac one?

[Squirrel Love]

Yes, ty, they are smart and she did remember me!!! That's what I told that nasty lady!! I have no idea why she was even working at a rehab if that's how she felt!!! Wth??

[Nancy in New York]

Ok bf came home and held her while I took more pics. Omg does she have a gas bubble??! Poor baby! I ordered the miracle nipple with the fox valley formula but it's gonna take days to arrive! :(((( I can check a medical supply place around, but I'm not sure they have this type of small nipple, even the older catac one?

That's her milk line!
Though it looks a little high up to me.
When did you feed her last?
You want to make sure that is almost
gone before feeding again.
She does not look bloated so that's a good thing. :thumbsup

Go to this thread and you will see a picture of a milk line,
where I "typically" see them.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?46776-Milk-Line&highlight=line

[Squirrel Love]

Ok i did see a post here about Apple juice, my bf is going out to get that. Omg so I recently ordered the fox valley formula, should I not use it?? The past 6 hours she's had i think 3 1cc servings of pedialyte. The one before it was formula, before that was water with a bit of pedialyte to get her to drink it, and before that was formula. Shouldn't her formula be digested already? Why isnt she pooping like she should be? Maybe her body doesn't like the formula? 3 hrs from last pedialyte is in 15 minutes from now. What should we do? Thx so much!! And I've been trying to decide on a name, so precious it is, thx :dance

[Squirrel Love]

Hmm, maybe because she was being kind of stretched so we could get the pic, so it shifted up? It's hard to hold her still sometimes, she wants to go all over, she wants to walk everywhere already lol! I can check again. So, since that's there, we need to wait more than the 3 hrs before feeding her? Was this because I changed the feeding to every 2 - 2.5 hrs before?

[Squirrel Love]

In the beginning, I remember her pooping all the time like crazy!...we would get her to go sometimes, or see it on her butt in her house and clean her and sometimes we saw dried pellets in her house, but not so much anymore and lately no, I have no idea why :(

[ALittleNutty]

First here's a :hug. Your baby looks good. I think you are really overwhelmed right now with so much information. So here are my suggestions.

Put a damp sponge in a baby food jar or other small container inside the container with her to help bring up the humidity levels.

Feed every 3 hours. Watch that milk line and adjust times. Feed according to weight and don't let her overeat. More is not better in this case and can lead to the runs. I would only use the Esbilac right now but in a few weeks you could slowly switch her to a 50/50 mix of Esbilac and Fox Valley. I had great success using that after the issues arose with the FV.

You can also soak her from the waist down in some warm water and stimulate her to poop. Just make sure you dry her off very well and don't let her get chilled. I have also found that massaging oil, like coconut, olive or sunflower oil on their bottoms can help make things feel better.

Experiment with stimulating techniques. I like to stroke from the belly down towards the rectum. Some like a stroke down the tail and some like slight pressure on the sides of the rectum.

You can do this! She really looks good to me.

[Squirrel Love]

Thanks for the :hug and encouragement! I'm so glad you think she looks good! Ok we will keep her on the esbilac for a while like you said and introduce a 50/50 mix of that and fox later, which I have seen mentioned online too. And yes, too much information omg! :/ My great bf has taken over the past couple hours so I could sleep finally! I woke up to go to the bathroom and a couple times to make sure she was ok. I had him do the 1 part esbilac with 2 parts very warm spring water and shake it up, and refrigerate it. He gave that to her after her milk line went down. He tried multiple times to get her to go but she only peed still. I have tried to submerge her lower half in shallow water but she squirmed waaayyyy too much for me to do it for any period of time. She would squeak and almost cry, fighting me. Do I force her? She hates it.

We added the wet sponge in a container. He also put more baby Burts bees oil on her dry skin.

I know we shouldn't over feed her, but here we go with the multiple different things online. I dont know which to follow? Yesterday she weighed 26 grams before eating. One site I saw has a chart that says . 81cc. Their formula is their weight times . 25 and divide by the number of feedings per day. So 26 X. 25 / 8 = . 81 cc however when we gave her under 1 cc, she seemed starving and in between 3 hr feedings would squeal at times, almost crying out so since giving her about 1 she's better with that. Sometimes . 90. Another thing that site said is do 5% of their weight. Well 26 X 5% equals 1.3cc, which is a huge difference! So I figured 1cc in about the middle seemed ok?? Also, another site, maybe here?...i dont remember anymore, said between 5-7% of the body weight which would be even more! What do you think? Right now I wish runs over constipation! :(

Also, if the amount we are going with is 1cc, we are still doing the . 7 water and . 3 apple juice half way into the 3 hrs, correct? So 1.5 hrs after her last formula feeding we give her the apple juice with water?..and then 1.5 hrs later formula again? Or do we wait 3 hrs to give her that juice and water? And then 3 hrs later formula again?

We will try olive oil also and different massage techniques if she will calm down and let us lol. Sometimes I can get her to calm down and let me just rub her all over, sometimes no lol.

Look at a receiving blanket I found. It has baby animals on it and one of them is a squirrel!!! :grin2

[Nancy in New York]

Thanks for the :hug and encouragement! I'm so glad you think she looks good! Ok we will keep her on the esbilac for a while like you said and introduce a 50/50 mix of that and fox later, which I have seen mentioned online too. And yes, too much information omg! :/ My great bf has taken over the past couple hours so I could sleep finally! I woke up to go to the bathroom and a couple times to make sure she was ok. I had him do the 1 part esbilac with 2 parts very warm spring water and shake it up, and refrigerate it. He gave that to her after her milk line went down. He tried multiple times to get her to go but she only peed still. I have tried to submerge her lower half in shallow water but she squirmed waaayyyy too much for me to do it for any period of time. She would squeak and almost cry, fighting me. Do I force her? She hates it.

We added the wet sponge in a container. He also put more baby Burts bees oil on her dry skin.

I know we shouldn't over feed her, but here we go with the multiple different things online. I dont know which to follow? Yesterday she weighed 26 grams before eating. One site I saw has a chart that says . 81cc. Their formula is their weight times . 25 and divide by the number of feedings per day. So 26 X. 25 / 8 = . 81 cc however when we gave her under 1 cc, she seemed starving and in between 3 hr feedings would squeal at times, almost crying out so since giving her about 1 she's better with that. Sometimes . 90. Another thing that site said is do 5% of their weight. Well 26 X 5% equals 1.3cc, which is a huge difference! So I figured 1cc in about the middle seemed ok?? Also, another site, maybe here?...i dont remember anymore, said between 5-7% of the body weight which would be even more! What do you think? Right now I wish runs over constipation! :(

Also, if the amount we are going with is 1cc, we are still doing the . 7 water and . 3 apple juice half way into the 3 hrs, correct? So 1.5 hrs after her last formula feeding we give her the apple juice with water?..and then 1.5 hrs later formula again? Or do we wait 3 hrs to give her that juice and water? And then 3 hrs later formula again?

We will try olive oil also and different massage techniques if she will calm down and let us lol. Sometimes I can get her to calm down and let me just rub her all over, sometimes no lol.

Look at a receiving blanket I found. It has baby animals on it and one of them is a squirrel!!! :grin2

The rule of thumb is to feed 5-7% of their body weight.
So she should be getting between 1.3 and 1.8 at each feeding.
Since she has been taking less,work up to this amount a little more each feeding IF she wants it.

You give apple juice/water in between feedings. So if she eats formula at 1:00 give hydration
at 2:30 and formula again at 4:00.
Just watch the milk line. You may want to stretch this out a little
and go to 3 1/2-4 hours depending on the line.
CUTE blanket! :w00t

[Squirrel Love]

Oh and i dont know if it matters, but figured this was better, I had my bf get the Juicy Juice apple juice because it has no high fructose corn syrup. Good? :dono

[Nancy in New York]

I've also included the feeding chart that one of our members created.

270656

[Nancy in New York]

Oh and i dont know if it matters, but figured this was better, I had my bf get the Juicy Juice apple juice because it has no high fructose corn syrup. Good? :dono
:thumbsup

[ALittleNutty]

I've also included the feeding chart that one of our members created.

270656

Nancy thanks for posting the chart, which is one of the best things in years. I have printed it off and added it to my care manual.

[Squirrel Love]

Thx about the blanket :) Ok, this is why she wanted more. And i shouldve said that I have actually given her over 1, like around 1.2 at times because she seemed so hungry and was sucking wanting more, so I'm glad I wasn't over feeding her. Then when I read other things I went down to 1cc and did feedings every 2.5 hrs, and then also tried every 2 hrs. Ugh!! Thanks we will do your schedule, she is going to get her apple juice water in 10 minutes. Now do we keep up with this in between feedings even after she has pooped? What if she doesn't poop??! :Cry

[Squirrel Love]

Good that I picked a good juice lol. Thank you for that chart but I would always wonder what percentage?? I guess we need to see how much she wants?

[Nancy in New York]

Nancy thanks for posting the chart, which is one of the best things in years. I have printed it off and added it to my care manual.

So glad it helped.:hug
I love this chart!

[Nancy in New York]

Thx about the blanket :) Ok, this is why she wanted more. And i shouldve said that I have actually given her over 1, like around 1.2 at times because she seemed so hungry and was sucking wanting more, so I'm glad I wasn't over feeding her. Then when I read other things I went down to 1cc and did feedings every 2.5 hrs, and then also tried every 2 hrs. Ugh!! Thanks we will do your schedule, she is going to get her apple juice water in 10 minutes. Now do we keep up with this in between feedings even after she has pooped? What if she doesn't poop??! :Cry

We have to think positive, lets hope that after a couple times taking the water/juice that she poops.
If not we cross that bridge. Just keep stimulating her as you're doing.
She needs to poop, and so far she looks good, not bloated.
We just want to avoid that though. :)

[Squirrel Love]

Yes positive, ok, it's hard because we love her so much and want to save her. We are trying so hard! She just had 1.3cc of water/apple juice...and we are going to rub her butt with olive oil...let's see what happens! Thx again!..will keep u posted! :panic

[Cesta]

I just want to say a quick 'hello' and good job! You clearly love this little girl and with Nancy helping you she will be just fine! The advice here is sound. I would stop checking other websites and take Nancy's guidance, she's got such a heart for these babies and she's a true expert at caring for them!!

But what I really wanted to say is the picture of your Precious holding tight to her monkey's leg is ADORABLE!! Keep up the good work, Squammy!! And thank you for your kind and generous heart for this orphaned baby. She'd be gone if it weren't for your hard work. Before you know it, you and Precious will both be sleeping through the night, promise!!
:serene

[Squirrel Love]

Here is another pic of her milk line (well apple juice and water line haha). Is this a bit better? My bf seemed to think that it was lower immediately after he fed her, but this is what is showing right now. Is it how she is being held? It's challenging to get her like that, she likes to curl in a ball and not let us take a pic lol....omg she's so tiny and adorable!!! :Love_Icon:flash3. She still has not pooped...he massaged her butt and tummy with olive oil

[Squirrel Love]

I just want to say a quick 'hello' and good job! You clearly love this little girl and with Nancy helping you she will be just fine! The advice here is sound. I would stop checking other websites and take Nancy's guidance, she's got such a heart for these babies and she's a true expert at caring for them!!

But what I really wanted to say is the picture of your Precious holding tight to her monkey's leg is ADORABLE!! Keep up the good work, Squammy!! And thank you for your kind and generous heart for this orphaned baby. She'd be gone if it weren't for your hard work. Before you know it, you and Precious will both be sleeping through the night, promise!!
:serene


Hi Cesta, thank you! Yes I have already stopped reading everything online and have been taking Nancy and a Little Nuttys guidance, I just wanted to state everything I had read before and followed. And YESSS we both absolutely love her to pieces that I'm in tears about her!!! She better poop soon!!! I need sleep real bad, can't wait to sleep peacefully, im just so nervous about her!

I'm glad you love her pics too! Sometimes she wiggles her way on the right of the monkey's right leg, so she sandwiches herself in between the leg and the wall of her bin. Lol soooo precious indeed!! :Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[Squirrel Love]

Are there such things as baby squirrel enemas??? Haha

[Squirrel Love]

Tried again, and I found a soft quality makeup brush and she really liked that, good thinking!!! She peed in bed again lol. We tried massaging all over too...however, no poop yet!! :hissyfit Wth is she doing with this poop?! :tap

Better milk line pic

[Cesta]

Oops, sorry A Little Nutty-- I didn't mean to discount your contribution here! I did not read the whole thread, could just hear the worry in this Squammy's heart and wanted to offer some reassurance!:grouphug

For what it's worth, when I have a baby who seems constipated or I'm at all worried about bloat, I stimulate them under warm running water. Holding the baby firmly but gently around the chest, just below the front arms, and being VERY careful to keep her face away from the water, I gently massage the belly with the thumb of my other hand, focusing on pushing things south towards the rectum. After a few minutes of massage, and still under warm water, use your makeup brush or q-tip and apply gentle pressure all around the rectum, and in the creases of her legs. Stimulate her to pee and then work on poop again. I think it's the combination of the warm running water and the gentle pressure that helps get things going.
Of course after you have to thoroughly dry her and get her back in her box so she doesn't get cold. Just my two cents, its a technique that's often worked for me. It sounds like you're putting all the right things IN, now you just have to keep working at the other end to get them OUT.
Keep up the great work!! :glomp

[Squirrel Love]

Thanks Cesta! Yes we are trying so hard, glad we are doing something right at least! Ok so we just ran her bottom under warm water for a while and she wiggled and struggled a lot but then calmed down and let me massage her. I moved the brush from her belly down, in between her legs, put pressure on her butt, back, everything I could! Omg no poop! We fed her the formula feeding, and then tried that again, but she didn't like it the second time at all, fought a lot. We put more oil on her and I even rubbed her butt with olive oil, then put her to bed. Maybe she's hiding her poop in her big house!!!! :hissyfit

[Squirrel Love]

Since she's peeing, she can't be dehydrated, right? It's hard to grab her skin and do the pinch test on her because she moves around so much. Plus it depends on if she's scrunched or laying spread out, because the results can be different. Sometimes it seems like the skin goes back but sometimes it seems crunched still. Any advice on this? It's odd but it doesn't seem like she's uncomfortable about not pooping, and she loves to eat, but eventually she will be right? I think I read here or somewhere about sugar water. Should we try that? Or the honey? Or keep with the apple juice between feedings? Thx again guys!

[DarkLies212]

Since she's peeing, she can't be dehydrated, right? It's hard to grab her skin and do the pinch test on her because she moves around so much. Plus it depends on if she's scrunched or laying spread out, because the results can be different. Sometimes it seems like the skin goes back but sometimes it seems crunched still. Any advice on this? It's odd but it doesn't seem like she's uncomfortable about not pooping, and she loves to eat, but eventually she will be right? I think I read here or somewhere about sugar water. Should we try that? Or the honey? Or keep with the apple juice between feedings? Thx again guys!

Pee doesn't necessarily mean she isn't dehydrated. Hold her on her stomach and try pinching the skin that way.

How does her belly since it's been a while without you seeing any poops? She may just be doing it when you aren't seeing! I'd stay with the diluted apple juice until her skin bounces back like the skin on the back of your hand

[Squirrel Love]

OMG YAY!!!!!!!! GUESS WHAT???!!! :poop:poop:poop

So yes we kept up with the apple juice with water, and massaging under running warm water and then we applied oil. After that, my bf fed her at her next feeding because I needed sleep or wouldve passed out, then he said he went to go run her under warm water again and noticed she was pooping some dark hard logs!..he massaged her and 3 came out!!!! Then he put her to bed and when he got her for her next feeding she had a ton of softer mustard colored poops all over herself!! I wss waiting for her to do it in bed, which she seems to love lol!! I was awake bits and pieces but would go back to bed. But omg, she had it all over her back smeared, on her legs, stomach, butt, tail, arms, and even a tiny spot on her head!!! Lol omg she was covered in it haha...she got a bath and then oil again! I AM SOOOOO RELIEVED!!!! Thank you all so much for being here for us immediately and every step of the way!!!! :grouphug :blowkiss :thankyou

Now how often do we give her the apple juice in between feedings? Twice a day?

:bliss

[Nancy in New York]

OMG YAY!!!!!!!! GUESS WHAT???!!! :poop:poop:poop

So yes we kept up with the apple juice with water, and massaging under running warm water and then we applied oil. After that, my bf fed her at her next feeding because I needed sleep or wouldve passed out, then he said he went to go run her under warm water again and noticed she was pooping some dark hard logs!..he massaged her and 3 came out!!!! Then he put her to bed and when he got her for her next feeding she had a ton of softer mustard colored poops all over herself!! I wss waiting for her to do it in bed, which she seems to love lol!! I was awake bits and pieces but would go back to bed. But omg, she had it all over her back smeared, on her legs, stomach, butt, tail, arms, and even a tiny spot on her head!!! Lol omg she was covered in it haha...she got a bath and then oil again! I AM SOOOOO RELIEVED!!!! Thank you all so much for being here for us immediately and every step of the way!!!! :grouphug :blowkiss :thankyou

Now how often do we give her the apple juice in between feedings? Twice a day?

:bliss


I think that you can safely stop the apple juice.
IF you see that she is starting to not poop, say after 2-3 feedings, then start it again.

It probably wouldn't hurt to do a couple more hydrations between feedings, but honestly, I think that if you just stick to formula at this point, you are good to go.

I bet you were SO thrilled to see ALL this poop.
Way to go little one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!highfive: applause

Nice job Mom and Dad with sticking with it! :bowdown :hug

[ALittleNutty]

Oops, sorry A Little Nutty-- I didn't mean to discount your contribution here! I did not read the whole thread, could just hear the worry in this Squammy's heart and wanted to offer some reassurance!:grouphug



No worries! :)

Yay for the poop! It's amazing how far they can spread that stuff. I keep unscented baby wipes just for quick wipe downs but for those really extreme times nothing but a bath will do.

[Squirrel Love]

Yay thanks everyone!! We are great parents yaaa!! :wahoo

Ok no more apple juice for a few feedings and we will see what happens. For some reason, I feel like she might need some more?? She already didn't poop or pee after this last formula feeding, well maybe because she was emptied out haha, but then again, she loves to go on her own in her bed! So I guess we will see. I just want this crucial young stage to be over, and her eyes to be open and to get some fur! Then the playful stages! They are so fun!!! My bf will love it!! He hasn't experienced that like I have. :squirrel2

Oh and we tried to pinch her belly but she was too damn squirmy so we didn't have enough skin to grab. She kept fidgeting omg lol. She is so strong, even at this very young age!! She's pushed away things with her arms, or pushed her hands against us, wrapped her hands around us and held onto us, and her legs are strong too when she kicks or crawls! I can't believe that at this age! Is this normal, or do we have a gifted baby?? Hahaha!!!

:Love_Icon :serene

[Squirrel Love]

Oh, she just pooped in bed haha!! Omg she loves doing this on her own, wow!! She doesn't like doing it for us, and I rubbed her for a while after her feeding lol. We might need to buy more receiving blankets! :grin2

[Squirrel Love]

So after that poop, we got her to go again after the next feeding but it was only a little bit. Next feeding, no poop. My bf is sleeping, but I think he said she pooped a couple little pellets in her bed..of course haha! But I believe that was after the feeding before this one. While we were cleaning her face, she did suck a little bit of water from the brush, but just a couple times because she doesn't like plain water much. She moves around so much, but I think her skin might go down after a second or so?? It doesn't spring back super fast like our hand. I read somewhere that at this age they dehydrate very easily and they should have 2 feedings of water a day. But she likes your apple juice and water combo much better! I wasn't able to hydrate her with water alone. So I guess that statement must be correct then?? We want to try giving her 2 water/apple juice drinks in between formula daily until she gets older, is this ok?

She gained 3 grams from yesterday to today, so now she weighs 29 grams! Is this ok? We have been giving her around 1.5cc, she doesn't want anymore. I will let you know where she is at tomorrow. I really wish I knew her exact age.

[Cesta]

So happy for you and your stubborn little pooper! I am far from an expert here, but from my experience with baby people it sounds like she was blocked up, and your hard work with her intake and output finally 'unclogged ' her, hence the major blow-out. How is she today? Not all babies poop at every feeding, and she's tiny-- just because she's making some poop on her own definitely doesn't mean to stop stimulating her every time she eats or drinks.
Hope you're feeling better rested-- it sounds like you guys are on the right poop path now!!:grin2

[Squirrel Love]

Lol thanks Cesta! My bf mostly took over the night feedings, I helped only a little and was able to go back to sleep sooner. I am feeling quite a bit better, but still not 100% yet. I called out of work again today because there was no way I could do my job this morning. We are trying to find a formula and juice schedule that works for her. We had given her 2 juice feedings in between her formula feeding, and the third feeding we did 1cc of formula and 1/2 cc of juice/water and we stimulated her every time but no poop. However, after that time she pooped a lot of pellets in her bed lol. Now we are a few feedings after that and no poop, so will continue giving her apple juice/water in between some feedings and maybe mix with a feeding here and there. We are doing formula feedings every 3 hrs, but in 1.5 hrs her milk line looks too big so we are doing the juice after 2 hrs or so.

[pappy1264]

Here is a video I made showing how to potty a baby squirrel, maybe this will help you. https://vimeo.com/91094717

And here is one feeding: https://vimeo.com/91095331