Help! Newborn squirrel found in Forest Hills, Queens, NYC

[sophiek]

I saw the little guy an hour ago, and left him/her to see if the mama squirrel would come and get her baby. Last time I checked she hadn't. I've moved the baby to a shoebox - lined with a soft t-shirt - right under the tree I think it fell from (it was on a pavement where someone could have stepped on it in the dark). I've left a note telling people in the building not to move it or take it away, and I guess I'll give her another hour to rescue it. It's breathing every few seconds, but it doesn't have any hair, and its eyes are closed. Poor little thing!

I've read the last thread about what to do to take care of a baby, but am looking for a rehabber in NYC who can come rescue this baby if its mama doesn't! I'll stay up with it tonight - can I leave it with a vet tomorrow or do they not take baby squirrels?

[LynninIN]

Check your private messages. The link is on the top right under the banner ads.

[sophiek]

OK, will do - thanks guys! Lynn, I PMd you.

OK, I brought it inside and put it on a heating pad, in a shoebox with a t-shirt over the top so it's warm and dark. Am awaiting further instructions!

[LynninIN]

I've spoken with a rehabber near your area. I will pm you with information on how to contact her tomorrow morning. Place a towel over the heating pad on low and put only half the box over it so the squirrel can move off the heat if it gets too hot.

[sophiek]

OK, thanks Lynn. How often should I give the Pedialyte? (I have a 1cc syringe and read instructions on how to avoid aspiration.)

[Apple Corps]

sophiek - syringe with no needle of course. Feeding every 3 hours is the norm - how are you doing so far?

[sophiek]

Not so good - I tried giving it the tiniest drop of Pedialyte with the syringe (needle removed!) but a bubble came out its nose... I tipped it forward and I think the fluid drained but I'm scared to try again!! Also it's not sucking - its mouth stays open even when the syringe is in it.

[Apple Corps]

sophiek - there is some chance that Momma may be looking for her baby in the early morning - you may want to look early in the morning to see if a Momma is out there.

[sophiek]

OK, I will. Should I wait rather than giving it more fluid? I really don't want it to aspirate any more, I'm worried I'm doing it wrong :(

[Mars]

It is very hard to answer your question without knowing how old and how dehydrated the baby is. So let me give you a basic game plan. We want to replace lost fluids and flush the system but we don't want to drown the poor thing either. So if I feel the baby is very dehydrated and I am sure the gut is working I start by giving small amounts of warmed fluids every 10 to 15 minutes for the first hour or so. If this is tolerated and the fluids are being absorbed I increase the amount I am giving up to the 5% rule ( 5% of the baby's weight in grams = #cc per feeding ) and give every 2 to 3 hours depending upon the age of the baby. If your baby is older and furred and is not overly dehydrated some fluids now and then again in the morning should be fine. If baby is a pinkie it will need fluids several times tonight. When baby is peeing and please remember to stimulate after each feeding and the urine is nearly clear and does not have a noticable odor baby is ready to move to a dilute formula.

I hope this info helps. :)

[sophiek]

No, no fur, it looks like the pictures of newborn squirrels I've seen on the internet - with an umbilical cord scab. I don't know how long it was on the ground, but it's been 3 hours since I found it.

But I'm freaking out now that I've made it aspirate and it's going to get pneumonia :( I held it upright, and only gave it the tiniest drop, but it didn't suckle at all - should it be suckling? It is swallowing and squeaking!

OK, it's taking drops now and not bubbling! Yay!

[Mars]

Hold the syringe with your thumb on the plunger and rap your fingers around the plunger stem to create friction and slow it down. you will have more control. Practice over the sink first. And relax, go slow just one drop at a time on the lips just inside the mouth and let the baby swallow then repeat.

[Mars]

Baby does not know what the syringe is or what it is for. It is hard to get a pinkie to suckle at first. Hold the baby belly down as much as possible I know it is almost impossible with a pinkie and your first time. Stablize the head gently between your thumb and forefinger or wrap the baby in a wash cloth to feed

[Mars]

remember just a sip - for a pinkie that will be just 2 or 3 small drops is enough to start. Relax and come back again in 15 minutes. Does the bay skin tent if you pinch it gently at the back of the neck of does it return to normal quickly??

[sophiek]

It goes back to normal right away. That's a good sign, right? :)

[Mars]

Then baby is not badly dehydrated. Does the baby still have a scab on the "belly button"?? :)

[sophiek]

Yes - looks like it was just born! I think it's a he, as far as I can tell... He looks just like this one:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6082

[Mars]

Okay - you have joined the up all night pinkie club. Baby will need to be given warmed fluids about every two hours to night. Will you be able to transport to a rehabber in the morning?

[sophiek]

Yes, I can do both. Well, I have to go to work at 10 tomorrow morning (unfortunately my job doesn't allow me to come in late etc), but I can leave him at my local vet on my way out the door. Lynn gave me the contact details of someone to call, and I've emailed her with my phone number.

How much Pedialyte should I feed at each 2-hr interval?

[Mars]

I'm guessing weight here. baby greys weight about 15 grams at birth. The baby you posted a link to is Rosie she weighed in at 10 grams. I think if you were able to give between 0.5 and 0.7 cc per feeding you will be doing very well. Try to get at least 0.3 cc in each feeding. how are you doing?

[sophiek]

A bit better - I'm still nervous!! He took about 5cc at the last feeding, and I'm still watching for bubbles. I might try and get a little sleep at least and then set the alarm for an hour or so!

I'm stimulating, and not noticing anything - but maybe it's a tiny amount? He complains when I stimulate his belly. I hope he didn't get too hurt falling out of the tree... The lowest branch is about 15 feet high and the tree is huge.

Thanks so much for your help!!

Edited to add - he's making a little squeak with each breath. Is this normal?

[Mars]

Is it a squeak or a clicking? His tummy may be bruised. Use just the tip of a tissue, q-tip, cotton pad or ball and gently and quickly brush just the genitals. you do not have to bare down. think about a mothers tonge action. (it's late and my spelling is going to pot :D )

i think you mean 0.5 cc - yes?

[Apple Corps]

5cc would have been quite a meal :jump

[sophiek]

Oops, yes, half a 1cc syringe. I'm sleepy too!

It is a squeak, but occasionally I think I can hear a sort of click sound too. It's hard to tell, it's so quiet.

Does this mean I did something wrong?? I tipped him with his head forward when he got that bubble in his nose, I thought I cleared it all out :( Should I try tipping him forward again?

Update: whatever it was, it's stopped now, and I've got him safe and warm in a box halfway on a heating pad. I'm going to sleep for a couple hours, get up and give him another feeding. Thanks for your help, everybody!

[island rehabber]

Just so everyone knows, newyorker and I are working on getting some help for sophie's squirrel. She and I are the only active wildlife rehabbers in NYC and the five boroughs who actually take in pinkies on a regular basis. (There's one other, but that individual won't take pnkies.) Anyone local out there reading this, WE NEED HELP!!! Please become a rehabber in NYC!! It will cost you money and sleep, but the rewards are priceless!!

[sophiek]

Thanks again, everybody. I'll also try the mother tomorrow morning - should I maybe leave him out under the tree again for an hour or so??

[sophiek]

Sure, I'll do my best.

He's definitely peeing now, and it's quite dark. He's taken .3cc's of Pedialyte and I'll try to get him to take a bit more before sleeping another couple of hours.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

You want to be careful he doesn't get too cold when you leave him out to see if mom will come back. They get cold VERY easilly. I would put him out in the box, wrapped in a blanket and with a warm water bottle or rice buddy to keep him warm. Mom will still be able to smell him and will come get him if she is around.

[sophiek]

Thank you so much, everyone, for your help with this little guy, but I'm afraid he died during the night. He had some bruising on his head and as I said, the tree was so high - he could have fallen from 30 feet or more.

I really appreciate people staying up with me and helping me out.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

:sad I am so sorry to hear that the little guy didn't make it. Thank you for trying to help him. Most people would have just kept on going. You tried your best and gave him warmth and love as he passed. I know he would thank you for that if he could. You made his passing easier for him, sometimes that is all we can do :sad

RIP sweet little one :grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[LynninIN]

I'm so sorry Sophie. You stayed up all night and did everything you could. It sounds like it's injuries were just to great. RIP little pinkie boy. :grouphug

[island rehabber]

awww, I'm sorry too, Sophie. The bruising on a pinky is always a bad sign....they're so suscepetible to internal bleeding after a fall like that. You tried, and we all love you for it. Stay with us -- you can enjoy the good stuff that happens around here, too, and there is plenty of it. :):grouphug

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I am sorry, I just read through all your posts sophiek and you are a very generous person and did everything that anyone else here could only do for little boy.
Thank you for making his last moments comfortable.:bowdown :Love_Icon

[pamela lee]

:grouphug :grouphug I am so sorry you lost this sweet baby boy. Rest in Peace little boy squirrel

[Buddy'sMom]

So sorry to hear that he didn't make it. :grouphug :grouphug

You did a wonderful thing rescuing him and finding TSB to help you care for him. :thankyou He was in a safe and warm place for the night, loved and cared for and with a full tummy :Love_Icon --- that was the best gift you could give this little one. Many times they die from their injuries, especially when it's that quick -- it was not from anything that you did or didn't do.

:grouphug :grouphug

[Momma Squirrel]

I too am so sorry the little one didn't make it. But you gave him a chance he would never have had in the wild, thank you so much for caring and making him as comfortable as he could have been. You did a terrific job, you will be ready for the next one if it so happens.

[Critter_Queen]

DANGIT! I was quickly reading through the posts HOPING for the best...pinkies are VERY hard to raise, even for those of us that do it regularly...out of four I've had this "fall" so far, 2 died and 2 are thriving...so it's a crapshoot.

I'm so sorry...you really did a fantastic job helping this little one...:grouphug

:Welcome to TSB...sorry your first visit had to come out sad...but please do stick around...we LOVE squirrels and people that love squirrels. :D :grouphug

[Mars]

:sad Stay with us. :bowdown you did a wonderful job last night.

[Mrs. Jack]

:grouphug

[Kathy56]

:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[sophiek]

Yes, big thanks to LynneinIN, AppleCorps, Gammas Baby, Momma Squirrel, CritterQueen and Kathy56. Extra big thanks to island rehabber for trying to find someone to take him so late at night, and to Mars and everyone else who stayed awake with me!

You guys were so helpful when I was freaking out and not knowing what to do, and the little pinkie benefited so much from your knowledge and help, even if he never met you! Thanks for reassuring me it wasn't my fault, also.

I buried him this morning in a pretty flower bed right near where his family live. RIP, little guy.