Sad morning..looking for answers

[nkkritters]

As a rehabber, it is still hard when you lose a little one. A couple brought me an approx. 6week old squirrel. They had a live trap in their garage and found this baby curled up in a small can of dry cat food they had put in trap to catch a raccoon. The door on trap was still opened as the baby was too light to trip it. Anyway, we had had a lot of windy cold weather the day before, so they were thinking the baby was blown out of the nest and somehow got in their garage. They brought her here around noon, and she just did not feel right to me. I could tell she was dehydrated and quite thin. I warmed her up , then gave her some hydropet, about every 1/2 hour. Sometimes she would take a little, but never seemed to perk up. I got her some organic, no artificial color product similar to pedialite. She just did not perk up. Later as the evening went on, I tried some very dilute esbilac puppy, yes, the correct one. She took some of that, but then regurgitated it shortly after, then more of it on her blankets etc. I stopped the formula , and tried giving her some more hydration and then let her tummy rest while I got a few hours of sleep. ( I am also rehabbing 3 31/2 week olds). I got up early, and gave her some hydration. She took some and I was glad, but then noticed mucousy diarrhea. I kept trying to give her fluids, and I noticed when I picked her up, she felt cold, so before I gave any more, I warmed her up. She had crawled off the spot where heating pad was. I got worried and took her to the vet, a wonderful wildlife and exotic animal vet. The baby was pretty far gone by now. She did not think fluids would help at this point, as her heart was slow and respirations uneven. It was decided to humanely euthanize her.
I asked if I could have done something different, and she said no. She said her abdomen was very tender, and that regurgitating is rare, and something must have been wrong before I got her.
My six year old grandson is very upset.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?? I could just tell something was off when I got her. Who knows what happened to her before they found her, poor little thing.

[Shewhosweptforest]

Aww this is sooo sad :sadness I have not raised any babies with complications....so I have no experience to draw from....but the poor lil one may have been on her own...and gotten into stuff she shouldn't have :dono I just know that it shows what an amazing rehabber you are...that the loss of this sweet wild bothers you...your compassion is your strength...and also your pain :hug I'm glad she felt warmth and love before she lost her fight :grouphug

:Love_Icon Sweet Wild Child :Love_Icon nkkritters :Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

Yes,sometimes being cold for an extended period of time causes organ to fail. We can rehydrate them and still the organs don't come back to working order. You allowed her to leave warm, safe and loved. Sometimes that is all we can do. Often when they are really showing that they are ready to pass, they do crawl off of the heat. Not that it would have changed this outcome, but if they are in really bad shape, I do sometimes make the majority of the container be on the heat and only a small area off of it. Being cold and starved is a killer for these little bodies, but you did the right thing by not introducing formula to fast and too much. Know that you did all that you could do for her. :grouphug

Godspeed little precious one...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[nkkritters]

Thank you both for your kind words!!!

[Nancy in New York]

As a rehabber, it is still hard when you lose a little one. A couple brought me an approx. 6week old squirrel. They had a live trap in their garage and found this baby curled up in a small can of dry cat food they had put in trap to catch a raccoon. The door on trap was still opened as the baby was too light to trip it. Anyway, we had had a lot of windy cold weather the day before, so they were thinking the baby was blown out of the nest and somehow got in their garage. They brought her here around noon, and she just did not feel right to me. I could tell she was dehydrated and quite thin. I warmed her up , then gave her some hydropet, about every 1/2 hour. Sometimes she would take a little, but never seemed to perk up. I got her some organic, no artificial color product similar to pedialite. She just did not perk up. Later as the evening went on, I tried some very dilute esbilac puppy, yes, the correct one. She took some of that, but then regurgitated it shortly after, then more of it on her blankets etc. I stopped the formula , and tried giving her some more hydration and then let her tummy rest while I got a few hours of sleep. ( I am also rehabbing 3 31/2 week olds). I got up early, and gave her some hydration. She took some and I was glad, but then noticed mucousy diarrhea. I kept trying to give her fluids, and I noticed when I picked her up, she felt cold, so before I gave any more, I warmed her up. She had crawled off the spot where heating pad was. I got worried and took her to the vet, a wonderful wildlife and exotic animal vet. The baby was pretty far gone by now. She did not think fluids would help at this point, as her heart was slow and respirations uneven. It was decided to humanely euthanize her.
I asked if I could have done something different, and she said no. She said her abdomen was very tender, and that regurgitating is rare, and something must have been wrong before I got her.
My six year old grandson is very upset.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?? I could just tell something was off when I got her. Who knows what happened to her before they found her, poor little thing.


I am so sorry for your loss.
The fact that your 6 year old grandson is also upset,
speaks volumes about your heart, and his.

Rest in Peace Precious One
You were loved by someone
who valued your life, mourned your passing,
and helped you to your final journey home.

271363

[Bravo]

Thank you for everything you did. It sounds like this little one was already on her way, and passed in warmth and comfort. I know this kindness will come back to you.

[nkkritters]

I really appreciate all the kind words. My grandson was so excited to get a new little one in. I told him not to get too attached .He is my right hand little man, and has been planning an animal rescue since he was 4!! I guess it is a good life lesson to know they all do not make it. Having compassion for each one, and doing all you can is what counts. He has seen many raised up from babies that we still see , as they are released at his house in the woods. I am glad there are more successes than failures!

[DarkLies212]

Thank you for doing everything you could to save her :hug :sad

[TubeDriver]

:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

[lukaslolamaus]

I'm sorry you lost the little one:grouphug
R.I.P. wild baby girl:sad

[KarmaKay]

:hug so sorry for your loss. Just know you did the best that you could and unfortunately some times it's just not enough.