guidance on found siblings please

[beezer]

Hi there,

Took in 3 siblings 2 days ago. One my dog sniffed out who was clinging wet and very cold to my house, I took him inside to warm him up and looked for mom or siblings activity and found one hanging about 10 feet up a tree. I sat at the base and He came right down and over to me (assuming that was not what a squirrel would do who was not in distress). I spotted the 3rd high up a tree clinging there - shaking and moving around in circles. Then all of a sudden an adult bounded out of nowhere and attacked the baby and it fell over 60 feet. Got that one and have been houseing them with heating pad and box, bedding in my dog's crate. Got the esbilie formula etc and doing that. Introduced some fruit and nuts. Just read about rat block which I'll get tomorrow. Ordered large outdoor release cage. Put in some acorns for gnawing.

I haven't seen ANY squirrel activity in my yard since this incident. So, I guess they are going to hang here for awhile.

My Question - I can't tell how old they are?272061

Second, what age should I target to release them?

third, do I order one nesting box or 3?

last, if there is an aggressive male in my yard that wanted these babies dead - is it safe to use my yard to release them.

One of the babies, I assume the one that fell is not doing as well as the others, mostly sleeps, but is doing better every day.

Thanks for any help. I'm new at this, but determined to get them healthy and back out in the wild.

[Spanky]

:Welcome to TSB and :thankyou for helping these little babies.

I do not have a lot of time right not but I am sure others will be along with more information. Can you please post a picture of the third baby and maybe even a video?

They look to be 7 - 8 weeks old.

Is the Esbilac you got the powdered kind?

Do you have a kitchen scale with which you could weigh them? Especially the one that fell. Please post their weights, especially the hurt one.. it is important!

[beezer]

272062

No scale in the house at this time.

I will have to get one tomorrow as well.

If you observe anything from the picture that will help me treat him/her would be terrific. Taking it one day at a time. She/he is taking formula - didn't do much the first day, much improved today, but not thriving like the others.

I'll repost after I get the scale and will video tomorrow.

THANK you for your help.

[lennysmom]

First off, thank you for saving these babies and welcome to TSB! :wave123
Nuts should not be fed at this age - those babies need to be on mostly formula, healthy veggies, and a good rodent block or Henry's blocks. Nuts are only given as treats and then no more than one or two a day as too many will deplete their bodies of the necessary calcium it needs to function properly. They will need something to chew on though and small sticks or deer antlers work great!
The powdered Esbalic is good as long as it is the kind that contains probiotics. Yes, please do get a scale as it is very important to have an accurate weight in the event that the injured baby needs to be treated with meds.

As far as release goes, I wouldn't worry too much about the aggressive male once they are old enough to be released, usually around 4 months old. They will be old enough then to somewhat defend themselves and it is less likely that they would be attacked in that manner by another squirrel.
Sometimes squirrels will share nesting boxes, especially in the colder winter months, but three would be ideal in case they decided not to. Even if they didn't use all of the boxes, I'm sure the other wild squirrels in your yard would be grateful. :)

Oh, and I almost forgot - here is a link to the healthy diet chart for squirrels
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

[Spanky]

I think all your questions were covered and if not please ask away! I'll reinforce Lennysmom statement about nuts, especially at this age you want them eating the formula, rodent blocks/Henry's, veggies, fruits and lastly nuts.. in that order of priority and amounts. Best to not feed any nuts until they are eating their block well and have learned that is the "base" of their diet. Review the healthy diet list... later if you decide to give nuts as treats, I'd limit it to 1 a day... maybe two in a few weeks.


One of the babies, I assume the one that fell is not doing as well as the others, mostly sleeps, but is doing better every day.

This little one is a worry. Were any potential wounds, bites, swelling, etc. observed?

Other than sleeping a lot do they have any other symptoms? Is their coordination off at all? Do they have a head tilt or moving in circles or anything like that? Do they appear to have any pain? Share any observations you have at all.

You can use a inexpensive kitchen scale (~$15) from Walmart. The scale is important in case meds are needed and also to know they are eating enough and gaining weight regularly. Just so you know, the premixed Esbilac liquid is different from the powdered version (I know, weird huh?) and will cause issues for these babies (nutritionally and most likely diarrhea after some time).

[beezer]

I checked the formula. It is powdered with the probiotic.

He doesn't seem to be injured or a loss of coordination - just tired and not eating much. I got about 1 teaspoon of formula in him this last feeding. I can't tell if he is peeing or pooping between the 3 of them.

Are there any tests I can give him to see if he is ok? I can put him down on the ground and observe him. I've been letting him rest as the others are more demanding. I will see how he responds in the a.m. Any other suggestions on how to get him to eat/drink. Should I switch to water? Maybe the formula is making him sick?

[Spanky]

I checked the formula. It is powdered with the probiotic.

He doesn't seem to be injured or a loss of coordination - just tired and not eating much. I got about 1 teaspoon of formula in him this last feeding. I can't tell if he is peeing or pooping between the 3 of them.

Are there any tests I can give him to see if he is ok? I can put him down on the ground and observe him. I've been letting him rest as the others are more demanding. I will see how he responds in the a.m. Any other suggestions on how to get him to eat/drink. Should I switch to water? Maybe the formula is making him sick?

Are you using a small syringe to give the formula? It could be he is a little dehydrated. This can be tested by pinching together the skin on the back of his neck. When you let go if the skin "snaps" down quickly he is hydrated. When let go if the skin stays "tented" a moment, he is dehydrated and you can give him some water. If he won't take it, try adding just a bit of honey to entice him to drink it.

[stepnstone]

The baby that fell could very well be experiencing pain which could explain why
he's not wanting to eat or move around much. Controlling pain aids healing.
You could safely give him liquid infant's ibuprofen that could help make him more
comfortable and help redice any pain and swelling he may have suffered from the fall.
Meds as well as proper formula feeding are dosed according to a baby's body weight,
obtaining a scale is highly important to have for these little's.