Yet another call for Help!

[Adalisk]

Greetings all you squirrel lovers out there, I'm new to the board, this is actually my first post AND first time owning a squirrel. I'd like to start off by saying this is an amazing place and I'm entirely glad I found it. =P So here's my story, What happened was, I was visiting a few friends out of state and was at a party, having a blast and living it up - Meanwhile there was a rather nasty storm brewing outside, but I thought nothing of it - Well, the next morning, while nursing a mild hangover, one of my friends came over to me with a shoe box "So, I'm thinking you're the person I need to come to with this" She said. (I'm currently studying to become a Veterinarian) I looked at both her and the box then continued on to inquired as to what was inside of the box. Anyway, long story short, I inherited two baby (gray?) squirrels, (Approximately 3 - 4 weeks old) One male (Jack) and one female (Triscuit). It's been Five days now, And I honestly didn't think they would make it, what with the shape they were in and all, But apparently I did something right, or they just had the will to survive, whatever it was, I'm currently holding them both, and they are both very much alive. I have a PetAg 60Ml bottle they suckle out of, with a squirrel sized nipple attached and With a little help they've been Doing great, as far as eating goes. I've been giving them "Pet Ag Goat's Milk Esbilac Liquid Milk" Every 2 - 3 hours and of I've been keeping them warm, of corse. But Up untill lastnight, I was unable to get online, due to being out if state. So when I found this site, I did a lot of research o.o and It would appear that I must find a way to weigh these two little things, and adjust their feeding amount. Up until today, I've been feeding them till they were apparently full. Which may be what is causing the problem I've come across. And This is actually what my post was supposed to be about XD lol My female Seems to have rather Loose stool, it's not overly runny, but it's still not as solid as I would like to be seeing, and today, she doesn't seem to be eating as much as usuall, slightly cold to the touch aswell - This has me rather worried and I'm not sure if it's serious or if it's just me being overly parranoid. Currently, she's wrapped up in a washcloth and bundled up in my shirt, napping. - So any and all Advise or little tips you wonderful people could throw my way would be GREATLY appreciated. Anyway, Take it easy and be well. Hope to hear from you soon. Also XD Sorry this post was so long!

[Adalisk]

Hello My friend! it is nice to meet you ^.^
I'm Way ahead of ya on the heating pad Idea =D One of the little "Musts" Of most baby Animals. Their Goats milk puppy mix stuff has run out, so I rushed over to Walmart and grabbed A puppy milk replacement called New born, or something like that (As soon as my little one warms up a bit more, I will go check) Also, the Nipple on the bottle Ensures They get food slowly, it more or less goes drop by drop, as I ease it out, if that makes sense. After this, When I have more time, I'm going to drive over to the petsmart (Which Is an hour away or so) and Get the PetAg puppy formula recommended on the forum o.o - But I appreciate your input, and always love a warm welcome! Thank you very much

[island rehabber]

:Welcome to The Squirrel Board! Gammas Baby may not be a rehabber but she's given you great advice so far :thumbsup. I would most definitely put these babies on heat as she explained. As for feeding them, a 60ml bottle? I never use anything larger than a 3ml syringe! :D Overfeeding will most defnitely cause runny poop or white poop, instead of the nice golden yellow-orange-olive green range that is a healthy baby squirrel's color. If you take a look at our Baby Squirrel Questions section you'll find tons of info on all this, but basically you need to get yourelf some 3cc syringes (no needle) and feed very SLOWLY. Are you stimulating the babies after they eat? Thi is also essential for good gastro-intestinal health. So: heat, Esbilac Puppy Powder, and 3ml/cc syringes......you're off to a great start with that. We're here to walk you thru this, don't worry. But keep that little one warm who felt cold to the touch -- and you never want to feed a cold squirrel, EVER. Warm her up before giving her anything. :peace

[Adalisk]

*Chuckles* My pleasure =P I'm used to taking in strays, I've had a number of strange animals land in my lap some how or another from Emu's, Baby Joeys, Chinchillas, Raccoons, Macaws, Sugar gliders And even (Still my fav) a baby wolf pup, but never a squirrel. =P although, it would seem as if that's been fixed. And damn it if they're not the cutest little things! I tried not getting too close to them, looking at it from a professional view - But my heart really goes out to these little troopers. *Sigh* Oh, Also, I missed a question of yours above. Their eye's are still closed, and they're still a little wobbly XD so cute. lol they are just getting the hand of walking around/mild climbing and holding themselves up.

[Kathy56]

The babies will eat better if their milk is warm. Test it on your wrist like you would for a human baby. None of my boys would touch their formula if it wasn't warm enough. :Welcome :Welcome

[Adalisk]

Haha, Sorry my posts are taking so long, I'm typing with one hand.
Island rehabber! It's a pleasure to meet you, I thank you for the advise. I am stimulating them after each feeding, I have a heating blanket under half of their luxury box, along with a few wash cloths in the box and I am about to take off to get a 3cc Syringe =P As for the powdered milk, That must wait till tomorrow. Glad to know it's probably just me being inexperienced and not her getting really sick - One of the few times I'm relieved to be Wrong ^.~ lol you guy's are life savers (Literally!) Thank's again and be well!

[Adalisk]

The babies will eat better if their milk is warm. Test it on your wrist like you would for a human baby. None of my boys would touch their formula if it wasn't warm enough. :Welcome :Welcome

Aye, I always make sure it's room temp, usually dab a small bit on my wrist followed by a small taste, to make sure it's still good O.o Err, I was wonder this for a few days, about How long does formula usually last, un-refrigerated?

[island rehabber]

Also, wash cloths and towels are a no-no with squirrels. Their claws get caught in the loops and disastrous tangles/chokings have happened :nono. Also, they don't hold the heat in....like T-shirts they are cold to the touch and you've got at least one baby who is not self-regulating her body temp. The best thing is either fake fur or fleece -- the Polartec kind is particularly warm and soft for baby squirrels. Maybe you have an old fleece hat or scarf in the closet someplace?

[island rehabber]

Aye, I always make sure it's room temp, usually dab a small bit on my wrist followed by a small taste, to make sure it's still good O.o Err, I was wonder this for a few days, about How long does formula usually last, un-refrigerated?
Room temp is way too cold, Adalisk, unless your room is 99 degrees. The formula should be the temperature of a mamma squirrel's body -- that's what triggers the baby squirrel's instinct to take it. 99-102 degrees is perfect. Esbilac formula does not last AT ALL un-refrigerated. It spoils faster than anything I've ever seen. Mix only the amount of formula you need to use for that feeding, and throw the rest out. Or, put it in the fridge but then you'll have to microwave it later. Some squirrels can tell the difference in taste between microwaved formula and non-microwaved, and they won't touch it.

[Mountain Mama]

Welcome and congratulations adalisk. I've been a medical professional for humans for 11 years, but NOTHING steals my heart like baby squirrels. I have 2 right now about 4 weeks old. Adorable. Best of luck.

[Adalisk]

Room temp is way too cold, Adalisk, unless your room is 99 degrees. The formula should be the temperature of a mamma squirrel's body -- that's what triggers the baby squirrel's instinct to take it. 99-102 degrees is perfect. Esbilac formula does not last AT ALL un-refrigerated. It spoils faster than anything I've ever seen. Mix only the amount of formula you need to use for that feeding, and throw the rest out. Or, put it in the fridge but then you'll have to microwave it later. Some squirrels can tell the difference in taste between microwaved formula and non-microwaved, and they won't touch it.


Ah, the wash cloths I have in their box are the little kid cloth's, the kind without the little strings/loops. But The heat retaining may not be the greatest. I do have an old fleece scarf, I never wear it, and I've got a few old scraps of fake fur laying around I can place in their cage - Thank you for that. o.o And my god, I haven't been heating their meals up! My poor squirrels, Geez, I'm going to be the death of them!

Also, Thank you, mountainmama. The Luck is greatly appreciated =P and needed

[hazel]

There are two types of Esbilac - the regular formula and the goats milk formula.

Interestingly, the regular Esbilac label only says ''dried skimmed milk'' in the ingredients list! Since it doesn't state the type, I would assume that it's cows milk. Goats milk is widely considered to be easier to digest. My main rehabber uses the Esbilac goats milk formula exclusively. I use the regular Esbilac because it's easier and cheaper for me to obtain - my friend lives near PetAg and brings me 40lb bags for $140. :thumbsup

My point here is that there should be no problem continuing with the goats milk version of Esbilac, but make a decision about what you're going to use - switching types and brands can cause major digestive upsets.

When you go to the pet supply store, get a probiotic. Benebac is a common brand. I use Probiocin which I get at my hospital. I give it to all my kids once a day for the first three days and then rarely have digestive issues. I think the ''gel'' types are more effective than the powders.

When a baby starts getting cold despite being in a warm environment I take that as a bad sign - I'd carefully increase the heat.

Are they dehydrated?

[Adalisk]

There are two types of Esbilac - the regular formula and the goats milk formula.

Interestingly, the regular Esbilac label only says ''dried skimmed milk'' in the ingredients list! Since it doesn't state the type, I would assume that it's cows milk. Goats milk is widely considered to be easier to digest. My main rehabber uses the Esbilac goats milk formula exclusively. I use the regular Esbilac because it's easier and cheaper for me to obtain - my friend lives near PetAg and brings me 40lb bags for $140. :thumbsup

My point here is that there should be no problem continuing with the goats milk version of Esbilac, but make a decision about what you're going to use - switching types and brands can cause major digestive upsets.

When you go to the pet supply store, get a probiotic. Benebac is a common brand. I use Probiocin which I get at my hospital. I give it to all my kids once a day for the first three days and then rarely have digestive issues. I think the ''gel'' types are more effective than the powders.

When a baby starts getting cold despite being in a warm environment I take that as a bad sign - I'd carefully increase the heat.

Are they dehydrated?

Yes, I wasn't too keen on the idea of Switching their formula. No matter what Animal it is, it's very common for this to cause issues. Only reason I'm using this new milk, is O.o well, I ran out of the Ag goat's milk, and I didn't want them to starve till tomorrow, lol. Yes, I've heard of Benebac, I will try that, Thank you for the tip. And as far as the cold issue goes, I held her (Gotta love body heat) And when She warmed up a fair bit, I placed her in her nicely heated box, along with my old fleece scarf and some scraps of fake fur.
~.~ I'm surprised they're still alive, I thought I was doing ok, but it seems that I've already made many more mistakes than I would have liked to. But Mistakes are to learn from! - Atleast I'm learning. Thank's again guys, and the two babies thank you, aswell.

I know this is random, but I'm holding Jack (The male) at the moment, and he seems to like the back of his little ears rubbed ^.^ That's so cute. lol

[Adalisk]

And I thank the little Squirrel gods for the group of you =P