Found an 8 week old looking squirrel

[frealfreal]

Hello, I'm located in Florida and found a squirrel whimpering on top of our shed after the hurricane (we live on a river about 20 miles inland in NE Florida so we got pretty high winds). We took him in and I just need to know what I should be doing right now. We've had him for 1 or 2 days now, I've been feeding him 2% milk (I now know this is wrong), carrots, almonds (2 a day max), and kale. I'm gonna order some blocks from Henry's today and start feeding him lettuce and a bit of fruit and nuts based off of the "Healthy Diet For Pet Squirrels" picture but I need to know what I should feed him aside from carrots, kale, lettuce, and a few nuts a day until the blocks get here. I figured I would skip formula since he's pretty old looking and move him straight to the blocks. We're keeping him in a large plastic tub with old shirts and socks (clean) for him to bed down in but we plan on getting a bird cage to keep him in soon. Any advice would be awesome, I wanna do this right and try to fix things ASAP.

[DarkLies212]

Thank you for helping this baby! If he's drinking the 2% at all, you can make a temp goats milk formula that would be more nutritious than what he's on now. Stop the nuts until he's learning to eat the blocks. That's like eating dessert before learning to eat dinner :grin2 Carrots can give cause and digestive problems if too much is eaten, so be cautious of that.

What type of bird cage are you looking at? Make sure it doesn't have any snapping sides like below unless you make absolutely CERTAIN he can't get his little toes in between the opening. Check Craiglist, LetGo, and Offerup for cheap used bird cages.

http://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/PETCO/1363956-assorted-right-1

Oh, and Welcome to TSB!! :Welcome

[frealfreal]

Thanks a ton! I'm giving him some homemade pedialyte to try and flush anything I may have given him out, I'm gonna pick up stuff for the goat milk formula tonight. I'll make sure to find a suitable cage, any recommendations on size for his age?

Also, his poop went from dark and hard to yellowish and soft, almost liquidy. Should I worry about this or will it just rectify itself once he gets on the correct diet?

[Rhapsody]

Flushing his body out with pedialyte should take care of the poop issue, as it was caused by feeding him milk. Once you get him all flushed out he still needs to be on Esbilac with Probiotics until he is around 12-14 weeks old and ready to be place in an outside release for 30 days before he is set free.

Feed the Esbilac @ 5-7 % of his body weight every 4 hours, you can skip the over night feeding at this age. Please keep him on a heating pad set to low for another two weeks, maybe longer depending on him and how his health is.

Once he is eating the hhb and accepting it as part of his every day diet you can add in other vegetables from the diet list found in the nutrition section........ with limited fruits and a nut or two.

[stepnstone]

The dark poo's were from momma's milk, the yellow loose is caused from the milk you were feeding.
Definitely hydrate and flush it's system before starting on proper formula. The goats milk recipe is
only meant to be temporary. If you can get the powered esbilac puppy formula with pre and pro biotics
easily found at most pet supplies that would be a better choice. This baby would still be nursing and still
needs to be on formula. Obtaining HHB's is also good at this point with eyes open baby. Block is the first
solid food they should be eating and eating well before other solid foods are introduced.
Formula should be fed with a 1 or 3cc syringe preferably with nipple, do not use a bottle with a squirrel.
Feed slowly so as not to aspirate (milk coming out nose) aspiration causes pneumonia and takes them down
fast. If pneumonia should happen they will need ab's immediately. Always a good idea to search for ab's before or in
case they would be needed. Cipro (human version) or Baytril (animal version) is what you would look for. Some
other ab's can be used so if you have or find something let us know what it is and we can tell you if it can be
used (and how) for squirrels.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=279632&stc=1
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=279633&stc=1

[cava]

Hi and thanks for helping him.

He looks like he should still be on formula, even if he starts to eat his blocks. Formula has everything he needs.

You can order Fox Valley online, or buy Esbilac Puppy formula at the pet store. See photo.

Can you give a weight on him? It will determine how much he should be eating. He is very cute!

Also, check out this link. It has a lot of helpful info.

http://www.henryspets.com/baby-squirrel-care/

[frealfreal]

Flushing his body out with pedialyte should take care of the poop issue, as it was caused by feeding him milk. Once you get him all flushed out he still needs to be on Esbilac with Probiotics until he is around 12-14 weeks old and ready to be place in an outside release for 30 days before he is set free.

Feed the Esbilac @ 5-7 % of his body weight every 4 hours, you can skip the over night feeding at this age. Please keep him on a heating pad set to low for another two weeks, maybe longer depending on him and how his health is.

Once he is eating the hhb and accepting it as part of his every day diet you can add in other vegetables from the diet list found in the nutrition section........ with limited fruits and a nut or two.

Alright, thanks for the help. Gonna buy the Esbilac and heating pad tonight. Should I be worried about getting him out of the plastic storage bin quickly? It's about 28x16x12. Any height restrictions bird cage wise so he doesn't fall too hard?

[frealfreal]

Hi and thanks for helping him.

He looks like he should still be on formula, even if he starts to eat his blocks. Formula has everything he needs.

You can order Fox Valley online, or buy Esbilac Puppy formula at the pet store. See photo.

Can you give a weight on him? It will determine how much he should be eating. He is very cute!

Also, check out this link. It has a lot of helpful info.

http://www.henryspets.com/baby-squirrel-care/

I don't have a scale but I'll pick one up tonight, thanks for the help

[Rhapsody]

Alright, thanks for the help. Gonna buy the Esbilac and heating pad tonight. Should I be worried about getting him out of the plastic storage bin quickly? It's about 28x16x12. Any height restrictions bird cage wise so he doesn't fall too hard?

He should be fine in plastic storage bin for another month.
http://www.henryspets.com/1-basic-setup/?fullSite=1

[DarkLies212]

That's like eating dinner before learning to eat dessert :grin2

:shakehead :skwredup

Nuts before blocks is like eating DESSERT before DINNER.

:facepalm:embar

I fixed the original for you. :great

[frealfreal]

The dark poo's were from momma's milk, the yellow loose is caused from the milk you were feeding.
Definitely hydrate and flush it's system before starting on proper formula. The goats milk recipe is
only meant to be temporary. If you can get the powered esbilac puppy formula with pre and pro biotics
easily found at most pet supplies that would be a better choice. This baby would still be nursing and still
needs to be on formula. Obtaining HHB's is also good at this point with eyes open baby. Block is the first
solid food they should be eating and eating well before other solid foods are introduced.
Formula should be fed with a 1 or 3cc syringe preferably with nipple, do not use a bottle with a squirrel.
Feed slowly so as not to aspirate (milk coming out nose) aspiration causes pneumonia and takes them down
fast. If pneumonia should happen they will need ab's immediately. Always a good idea to search for ab's before or in
case they would be needed. Cipro (human version) or Baytril (animal version) is what you would look for. Some
other ab's can be used so if you have or find something let us know what it is and we can tell you if it can be
used (and how) for squirrels.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=279632&stc=1
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=279633&stc=1


Walmart was closed so I was unable to get a scale or a syringe, I got the correct Esbilac from Pet Smart and let him drink it out of a very shallow bowl, the same way I've been giving him the Pedialyte and he seems to do fine that way. What is the best way I can tell how much to feed him until I get a syringe and weigh him? Just now I gave him 1/2tsp of the Esbilac mixed 1:2 with water

[Rhapsody]

Walmart was closed so I was unable to get a scale or a syringe, I got the correct Esbilac from PetSmart
.
What is the best way I can tell how much to feed him until I get a syringe and weigh him? Just now I gave him 1/2tsp of the Esbilac mixed 1:2 with water

At nine weeks old he could eat 9-12 cc easily.
I would place 2-3 tbsp of formula in the bowl.
See what he will eat, then reduce accordingly.

[frealfreal]

At nine weeks old he could eat 9-12 cc easily.
I would place 2-3 tbsp of formula in the bowl.
See what he will eat, then reduce accordingly.

So I fed him a little less than 3tsp this morning no problem, when I got home 8ish hours later (nobody is home during the day to feed him in between) I tried to feed him some refrigerated esbilac I had made in the morning and he wouldn't go for it, just kept going back up into his nesting area. I tried warming it up but he still wasn't a fan, I left for 2, hours and came back around 7:30, made 2tsp and so far he's drank maybe half of it. I put him right in front of the dish and the first two times he slurped it all up happily but now he just walks away. Any idea on why he isn't eating a lot? Gonna get a scale soon so I can have a definite weight on him

[Rhapsody]

Has he been properly hydrated and is he being kept warm on a heating pad set to low? --these two things are important to get a squirrel to eat along with mixing the Esbilac correct and making sure it's warm when fed.

[Nancy in New York]

Alright, thanks for the help. Gonna buy the Esbilac and heating pad tonight. Should I be worried about getting him out of the plastic storage bin quickly? It's about 28x16x12. Any height restrictions bird cage wise so he doesn't fall too hard?

I would get him into a small cage as pictured above.
Here's a great starter cage.
He is eyes opened and they like to climb the bars
for practice.
In a bin they really can't do much of anything.

Here's a great starter cage, and it's chew proof.
https://www.amazon.com/Ware-Manufacturing-Proof-Critter-25-Inch/dp/B00266RHK2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1476233893&sr=8-4&keywords=ware+rat+cages

[frealfreal]

Has he been properly hydrated and is he being kept warm on a heating pad set to low? --these two things are important to get a squirrel to eat along with mixing the Esbilac correct and making sure it's warm when fed.

He hasn't been wanting to drink the homemade pedialyte since this afternoon either, I tried water with a bit of honey in it (he's had a dish of plain water in his cage that he hasn't touched) and he's not into that either. He feels warm and I have a heating pad on him but it automatically shuts off after an hour or so. I'm gonna grab a heating pad that doesn't automatically shut off tomorrow along with a syringe and scale so I can better regulate his eating and drinking. Thanks for the help.

[TubeDriver]

Any updates? Stepnstone has provided you with great advice! He should be warm and hydrated in order to eat. Were you able to get a syringe?

Here is a video of technique with syringe. Note the the squirrel is upright, head up, butt down, this helps prevent aspiration of the formula.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KYYt6Ehhg9Q

[Nancy in New York]

Where are you located in Florida.
We have many members there, so perhaps we
can find someone that can help you with this little one.
At the very least maybe have a rehabber look at him. :dono

[Nancy in New York]

http://www.henryspets.com/baby-squirrel-care/

Great suggestion.:w00t
This guide is 6 pages long, don't forget to
click the next button on the top right corner.

Edit: This little one needs to be on a good block,
and assorted veggies.

[Nancy in New York]

Just now I gave him 1/2tsp of the Esbilac mixed 1:2 with water

You stated that you aren't home all day, this little one
needs formula/nourishment while your gone.
If we can find someone to take him, would you be open to that?

[frealfreal]

You stated that you aren't home all day, this little one
needs formula/nourishment while your gone.
If we can find someone to take him, would you be open to that?

Sorry about the delay in response, out getting a scale, syringe, and a better heating pad now. If the 8 hour feeding gap is gonna be too much I can try to arrange for someone to swing through and feed him, if that doesn't work I'm totally open to finding someone to take him, I already saw that there's someone in Citrus County FL (~2 hours from me) that was willing to take any orphaned squirrels in. If the 8 hour feed gap isn't quite too much I'd love to take care of him. Today I left some formula in the bowl and he drank some during the day.
Blocks from Henry's should be here in a day or two and he ate more today.

[island rehabber]

8 hrs is way too long between feedings. My 7 and 8 week olds here are ravenous after 5 hours, and they do not consistently eat enough solid foods at this age to "tide them over", either. (They shred and play with it, mostly. ) Most 8 weekers still do better with syringe feeding vs. a bowl. I would encourage you to reach out to the rehabber you mentioned if it means he will get nutrition more often during the day. :great

[frealfreal]

8 hrs is way too long between feedings. My 7 and 8 week olds here are ravenous after 5 hours, and they do not consistently eat enough solid foods at this age to "tide them over", either. (They shred and play with it, mostly. ) Most 8 weekers still do better with syringe feeding vs. a bowl. I would encourage you to reach out to the rehabber you mentioned if it means he will get nutrition more often during the day. :great

I have a friend of a friend that has squirrels already and she said she would take in any orphaned squirrels after the hurricane so I think I'm gonna pass him off to her. Thanks for all of the advice, you guys are absolutely fantastic at helping people that want to help squirrels.

[Nancy in New York]

I have a friend of a friend that has squirrels already and she said she would take in any orphaned squirrels after the hurricane so I think I'm gonna pass him off to her. Thanks for all of the advice, you guys are absolutely fantastic at helping people that want to help squirrels.

That's great. I hope your friend has one that's your little one's age.
They do SO much better with buddies.
Thank you for helping him, and make sure your friend of a friend is just as good
as you are with him! :hug