Little Yoda- Eating issues

[amy2283]

I have an 8 week old today grey. He weighs 204 grams. He is a lot smaller that his brother and so is his features. He is very hyper all the time and loves to run and jump. Since yesterday morning, he has not wanted to eat every 4-5 hours. When I first get him out he will eat 3cc and then what to run and play. I fed him at 530am today and he ate 12cc but at 11, he would not take but 1cc and started fighting to go play. They are feed their HHB every night so they have something to nibble on during the night. They are feed esbilac with probiotics with an o-ring syringe and miracle nipple. Their cage is half on the heating pad but they no longer sleep on that side.

[stepnstone]

I have an 8 week old today grey. He weighs 204 grams. He is a lot smaller that his brother and so is his features. He is very hyper all the time and loves to run and jump. Since yesterday morning, he has not wanted to eat every 4-5 hours. When I first get him out he will eat 3cc and then what to run and play. I fed him at 530am today and he ate 12cc but at 11, he would not take but 1cc and started fighting to go play. They are feed their HHB every night so they have something to nibble on during the night. They are feed esbilac with probiotics with an o-ring syringe and miracle nipple. Their cage is half on the heating pad but they no longer sleep on that side.
At 8 weeks he should be eating veggies as well as block and block should be fed during the day as well.
I would keep offering the formula and let him take what he wants as long as the bowels remain stable.
Do you also have a bottle or dish of water that he has access to?
Once they move off / away from the heating pad you can remove it.

[amy2283]

I just went and bought one today as I was scared he was going to get dehydrated. I noticed he eats more formula and no fuss if I spread his feeding to 7hrs. His brother wants to eat every 5 hours. Is it normal for an 8 week to not want formula as often?

[stepnstone]

I just went and bought one today as I was scared he was going to get dehydrated. I noticed he eats more formula and no fuss if I spread his feeding to 7hrs. His brother wants to eat every 5 hours. Is it normal for an 8 week to not want formula as often?
Not usually, is his formula staying warm/hot enough during feeding?

[amy2283]

Yes, I wondered that myself when he would not eat. I warm the formula in a cup of hot water so it stays warm while feeding. I even tried sugar water to see if it was a formula issue and he wouldn't take the sugar water either. I just tried to feed him again and he took 12cc. He is not wanting to eat but every 7 hours. Just worried he is not getting enough nutrients.

[amy2283]

Cancel that. I typed wrong. He still hasn't eaten but 1cc since 530 this morning. He is running around and happy just wont slow down to eat.

[stepnstone]

Yes, I wondered that myself when he would not eat. I warm the formula in a cup of hot water so it stays warm while feeding. I even tried sugar water to see if it was a formula issue and he wouldn't take the sugar water either. I just tried to feed him again and he took 1cc. He is not wanting to eat but every 7 hours. Just worried he is not getting enough nutrients.
I'd be worried too, he's not!

[amy2283]

He eats the block and a small piece of apple great just not the formula. What should I do. I tried to feed him again and he ate 4cc but it was a fight after the first two pushes.

[Jen413]

Can you post a picture of him? You say he's smaller than his sibling with smaller features. Can we see them together and then a close up of him. are you feeding with a nipple on the syringe?

[stepnstone]

How are you mixing his formula and is it the Esbilac pictured below?
Is he (still) dehydrated? Please post a picture so we can better evaluate.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=292978&stc=1

[amy2283]

The formula is mixed 1 part formula to 2 parts water. I use a 3cc syringe and the miracle nipple. When i got home last night he took 9cc for me before he threw a fit to go play. Then at 930pm he ate another 9cc. I woke up this morning and they ate the hhbs through the night and he ate 10.5 cc for me but the last 3cc was a fight. He has always wanted to play instead of eat but it seems to be getting harder to get him to eat. I took them off the heating pad last night since they have not been laying on it for the past week. I was wondering if he was getting to hot. I tried the hydration fluid as well last night and he wanted nothing to do with it. Yoda and Vader's weighs this week are below:

9-10 Vader- 195 and Yoda 177
9-11 Vader-210 and Yoda 184
9-12 i forgot to write the weight down
9-13 Vader 220 and Yoda 195
9-14 Vader 231 and Yoda 204
9-15 Vader 237 and Yoda 210

They both seem to gaining well i am just concerned he is not getting enough nutrients with not eating as much. I know for their weight they are supposed to eat 5-7% of their weight so that would be 12 cc for vader and 10.5 for Yoda. I am concerned with the fighting when it comes to eating. That last 3cc is hard to get in him.

Stepnstone could you pm me your email or phone so i can text pictures? I am unable to post them.

[Jen413]

Do you think he'd drink formula from a bowl? Maybe he just doesn't like the syringe. You could possibly take the nipple off the syringe and see if he will take it that way. I've had some babies outright refuse the nipple while others won't eat without it.

[stepnstone]

Stepnstone could you pm me your email or phone so i can text pictures? I am unable to post them.
:great
Please put "squirrel Pic" in subject line so I will know it's not spam.
stepnstone08@hotmail.com
(stepnstone08@hotmail.com)

[amy2283]

I will sent you pics as soon as they wake up. They have been up since 530am and just went to sleep at 130pm. I gave them some water in a bowl and they were not fond of that. I also gave them broccoli and sugar snap peas. They love the broccoli. They are now fighting over food in their cage. Is this normal? At 1130 they both at 12cc with no problem. Hopefully it was just the heat that was the problem. Will let you know when i sent pictures. Thank you everyone who responded.

[TubeDriver]

Keep weighing him daily. If he starts losing weight you pretty much KNOW there is a problem. As long as he is steadily gaining weight, I would be somewhat less concerned.