Looking for a rehabber in IL to take over care/release of a 7wk old.

[IceLore]

Hi all. I'm looking for a rehabber in IL (south Chicago/Oak Lawn) to take over the care and release of my one remaining squirrel baby. I have contacted a few people listed on the IL Wildlife website, but have received no response. My mother is ill and I need to travel out of state to care for her, so looking for someone to take my squirrel and finish releasing her.

Info on her: 7ish weeks old, a single squirrel. Lost her brother to a virulent illness (his thread was here (https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?58131-Medical-advise-needed)), and she has been on medication for a week and is doing excellently. She's growing her top toofers in, eating hard food and only taking formula sporadically when offered. She needs to continue medication for another week or so, but takes it with no issues. I can deliver her, the current cage she is in for outside desensitization, meds, extra formula, a hardfood mix, etc. to anyone local to me who can take her and get her ready for outside. She's obviously a late summer baby, so needs to get out and ready before winter! While she does accept feeding and meds, she is very "wild" and I see no issues with her release.

I was heartbroken over the loss of her brother, but this little one will be a great wild squirrel. I wish I could finish her care and release, but I really need to find someone who can get her free for me. If anyone knows of someone in IL who can take her, please let me know! I am obviously also going to be contacting people from posted lists, but I thought I would check if there was anyone active on this board who would be interested. :) Thank you!

[HRT4SQRLS]

How far are you from Princeton, IL ?

[HRT4SQRLS]

http://www.2ndhandranch.com

This is a rescue in Princeton that is top notch. Nancy is a member here. She is awesome so if she can take her it would be fantastic. She was ill and I'm not sure of her status right now but the last we heard she was doing well.

[IceLore]

Thanks for the response. Princeton is about 2h away from me, so it's an option. :)

[redwuff]

[QUOTE=IceLore;1232252]Hi all. I'm looking for a rehabber in IL (south Chicago/Oak

Info on her: 7ish weeks old, a single squirrel. Lost her brother to a virulent illness (his thread was here (https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?58131-Medical-advise-needed)), and she has been on medication for a week and is doing excellently. She's growing her top toofers in, eating hard food and only taking formula sporadically when offered.




At 7 wks, she still needs to be on formula 4 xs a day or at least 3 xs. What formula is she on and what kind of hard food is she eating? I'm not ignoring your request for a placement for her but this formula issue is too important to gloss over. I get 7 wk olds in and put them on formula, after hydration and transitioning.

[IceLore]

There isn't a formula issue. I said that she's starting to refuse formula when offered, not that I'm restricting her or that she's not eating it at all. She's clearly still eating formula as I said I would send extra formula with her if someone was willing to take her.

She's currently eating a high quality rat lab block, a high protein formula, monkey nuts, a dry mix of whole grain cereals, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, and oats. She gets a daily fresh food mix that consists of a veggie mix that I give my bearded dragon that is high in calcium with low oxalates - usually trurnip, mustard, or collared greens mixed with various squashes. These veggies are dusted with a calcium supplier. She also gets apple, broccoli, and green beans daily, and she has access to a herb garden with parsley, clover, cilantro, and artisan lettuces. She has nuts in the shell available, and a forage area with gut loaded and calcium suplimented feeder insects that she really likes; super worms, dubia roaches, and crickets.

As I said, she's eating well and gaining weight. She's responding well to captive foraging eating techniques.

[redwuff]

She does not need to be eating nuts or seeds at all. I am curious why at 7 wks she would be turning down formula. Most 7 weekers act like they have never eaten before at each meal as they ravenously attack the nipple. Probably the nuts and seeds are cutting down her appetite when she still should be on formula as her primary food.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Any luck finding a rehabber?

It looks like you're feeding an assortment. There are a few things on the list that are very risky for baby squirrels. Having bearded dragons and from your knowledge about calcium requirements I'm sure you're aware of Metabolic Bone Disease.

At this young age I would delete all nuts and seeds, especially the pine nuts. The pine nuts have a Calcium : Phosphorus ratio of 1:36. (Ideal is 2:1) Because the ratio is SO horrible, they can cause MBD pretty fast. It's extremely difficult to balance out the calcium deficit of pine nuts with other foods. It's best to avoid them and all other nuts and seeds. They too have a negative Ca: P ratio. When squirrels get older they can have a nut as a treat but even then captive squirrels have to be limited with nuts because of MBD.

At this age, formula and rodent should be the primary diet. We do start introducing veggies when they are eating the rodent block well. I'm surprise a baby squirrel will eat insects and worms. I see your dusting them with calcium so you're aware of their calcium imbalance also. Personally I would wait on something like that because a babies bones are growing so fast at this age I wouldn't want to give anything that would hinder that growth.

[IceLore]

Her blood calcium test showed good levels, so the vet said to keep doing what I'm doing and that she didn't need a liquid calcium supplement. I'm doing what my vet, the vet at the shelter I volunteer at, and the rehab people they contacted from whatever list they have said to do. She will have another panel done next week once she's done with her antibiotics.

I'm grabbing her, holding her down, and forcing her to take multiple medications via syringe multiple times a day. She is not pleased with this and is fighting it. It's not uncommon for animals to develop a behavioral resistance to being hand fed when that same method is being used for something unpleasant.

If anyone has info or suggestions about anyone in my area who would be willing to take this little girl, or any other places I should be looking, that would be appreciated.

[UDoWhat]

IIt's not uncommon for animals to develop a behavioral resistance to being hand fed when that same method is being used for something unpleasant. .

I have rehabbed a long time and I have never seen a 7 week old squirrel turn down nippy yet, unless they were at death' s door. This baby needs to be on formula for another 4 weeks. How many 7 week old baby squirrels do you see in the wild that are out of the nest and are not still nursing from their mom? Answer.... none. Unless, of course, something happened to mom and they leave looking for help. Try changing your formula to the temporary goats milk formula found here at this board. It might help. Also a baby squirrel's molars (that are used for chewing) don't even emerge until they are about 7 weeks old. How is this baby going to eat the food you listed? :dono It doesn't have any teeth except the front ones!!

[Nancy in New York]

I'm curious why you wrote this on the 29th:


She needs to continue medication for another week or so, but takes it with no issues."


And one day later, the 30th, you wrote this:



I'm grabbing her, holding her down, and forcing her to take multiple medications via syringe multiple times a day. She is not pleased with this and is fighting it. It's not uncommon for animals to develop a behavioral resistance to being hand fed when that same method is being used for something unpleasant.


In one day she developed behavioral resistance to being hand fed? What happened? :thinking

[island rehabber]

Webcams and plain old observance have told us beyond a doubt that mamma squirrel does not allow her babies to so much as stick head and shoulders out of the nest until at least 8 weeks old. At that point she lets them have a peek and then smacks them back down into the hole before they know what happened. NO baby squirrel at 7wks is foraging or is even down on the ground; it might eat something solid that mamma brought in. That's about it. Just going by the natural history here, as Shirley Casey taught me. I agree with all above that removing the other foods will get your little one back on formula very quickly. :great

[redwuff]

Her blood calcium test showed good levels, so the vet said to keep doing what I'm doing and that she didn't need a liquid calcium supplement. I'm doing what my vet, the vet at the shelter I volunteer at, and the rehab people they contacted from whatever list they have said to do. She will have another panel done next week once she's done with her antibiotics.

I'm grabbing her, holding her down, and forcing her to take multiple medications via syringe multiple times a day. She is not pleased with this and is fighting it. It's not uncommon for animals to develop a behavioral resistance to being hand fed when that same method is being used for something unpleasant.

If anyone has info or suggestions about anyone in my area who would be willing to take this little girl, or any other places I should be looking, that would be appreciated.


Did you contact 2nd hand Ranch?