MBD? Depression? Vitamin D deficiency?

[Brandon, Anna and Barbas]

Hi, I have been fostering a 5-6 week old Eastern Gray Squirrel for a little over a week now.

He is normally awake for about 30-40 minutes a day between feedings (he is fed a mixture of about 2 ml of water with 2 ml of Esbilac 4-5 times a day) but for the past couple of days, hes been acting sleepy, sleeping for most of the day and not as interested in food (not attacking the syringe as soon as he smells it and will occasionally try to burrow under blankets in the middle of feedings).

What could be wrong? We typically take him outside with us about 5 times a day, but we sit in the shade for most of the time. Could it be a vitamin or calcium deficiency, or is he depressed? For the past 3 or 4 days, hes acted a lot more interested in other foods besides his formula, and today was trying to get into a bag of Doritos, could he just be ready for "real food" and is now not getting the correct nutrients that he needs from formula? I am really worried about his well being and health.

Thank you for your help.

[Brandon, Anna and Barbas]

I forgot to mention that it has been considerably colder last night and today, so there is also a possibility of the cold effecting him but I'm really not sure.

[Brandon, Anna and Barbas]

He has also lost a considerable amount of weight since he’s been acting off. We used to feed him 5 times a day but we cut it down to what we’ve seen recommended on this forum to 4 and this is when he started acting off. He is practically skin and bones now.

[CritterMom]

First, he should still have heat available to him, especially if the house is cold. He has no brother or sisters to keep him warm.

Will he take more food? If you space the feedings closer together, will he eat? If so, do it. If not, he may be getting ill. Just in case, do you have any antibiotics (human) on hand? If so, what?

[Spanky]

What exactly (what formula, how much, how often and what solid foods if any) are you feeding this baby?

[island rehabber]

2 ml of water with 2 ml of Esbilac 4-5 times a day.....He is practically skin and bones now. .. ??????

Are you mixing 2ml of water with 2ml of LIQUID Esbilac? This is very wrong and very dangerous --- he is malnourished.

The proper baby squirrel formula is: 2 parts very warm water to ONE part POWDERED ESBILAC.

You should never use the liquid, but if you have to in an emergency it should never be diluted with water at all. It is already "mixed".

Your boy is losing weight and lethargic because he is not getting enough nourishment from what you're feeding him. PLEASE, get the powdered Esbilac and you'll see an improvement! He should also get 5-7% of HIS BODY WEIGHT --2ml may not be nearly enough for a squirrel his age!

[Javarat]

I also noted that he said "he is fed a mixture of about 2 ml of water with 2 ml of Esbilac 4-5 times a day", but does not specify if it is liquid or powdered Esbilac.
If it is powder... possible dehydration or not enough water to digest. Are you providing any other source of water?
If it is liquid... feeding at half the normal nourishment.

[Brandon, Anna and Barbas]

I'm sorry for the lack of specification- I honestly forgot people even fed their squirrels liquid Esbilac.
Yes, it is powder, I am aware that liquid is NOT suggested. I feed him the 2 ml water with 2 ml already mixed Esbilac. I was, up until I think it was 4 days ago feeding him the "rehydrating solution" mixed with Esbilac, but read on here that I should have been feeding him plain water at that point and that the 5 feedings a day of the Esbilac should have been cut down to 4. I also have the Esbilac already mixed with water to make the formula, so was I misinterpreting the directions given on here and adding too much water if I had already mixed up the formula with the 2 parts water and 1 part formula and was then adding 2 ml of water to that? Could that be why when I cut one feeding out of his diet, he lost so much weight?
Yesterday he seemed dehydrated, but that was immediately after a feeding that I was about 40 minutes late on (which is not normal for me, I am very literal and exact when I do things that nee to be timed) so after the feeding, I gave him some of the re-hydration solution to help with that. And he did drink that without putting up a fight to do so, so I believe he would eat more if I fed him more.

[Spanky]

I also have the Esbilac already mixed with water to make the formula, so was I misinterpreting the directions given on here and adding too much water if I had already mixed up the formula with the 2 parts water and 1 part formula and was then adding 2 ml of water to that? Could that be why when I cut one feeding out of his diet, he lost so much weight?

Yes! Once the 1 part powder is mixed with 2 parts water, that full strength formula. Do not dilute further! So the nutrition they have been getting is 1/2 of what it would have been had the formula not been diluted.

They should eat 5% - 7% of their body weight each feeding. So a 100 gram squirrels would eat between 5ml and 7ml each feeding.

[Brandon, Anna and Barbas]

Ok, thank you very much for the help!! Before I switched from the solution the water, I was feeding him too little Esbilac to water but I was only giving him 1 ml of water to 3 ml of Esbilac. I remember thinking at some point that it really did not seem like enough formula even then, but when I realized I was feeding him wrong with the rehydration solution, I also thought I read that I wasn't giving him enough water as well. I feel silly now not making the connection that as I was following the instructions on the Esbilac container, I was mixing 2 parts water with 1 part esbilac and thats what the info on here was referring to, but it has only been recently that I started feeding him even less formula, so hopefully he'll regain the weight and spring in his step quickly.

I appreciate everyone's help!

[farm mom]

He should be on full strength espilac. Mix one part powder to 2 parts water and feed it like that. No extra water needed. He should get about 7% of his weight. He should also have rat block and veggies available to nibble on.