First Post and Question About Esbilac

[theletterv]

Hi there! I haven't posted in this forum before but have been an avid lurker for a little while now. I love squirrels, and though I have only raised one many years ago, I am looking into volunteering for a wildlife rehab near me and very interested in learning more, because I've always considered going into wildlife rehab. :)

Though I'm not feeding any baby squirrels, I am using Esbilac at the moment (for puppies). I'm new to the formula and I was wondering if a gritty, quite sandy texture is normal when Esbilac is first mixed. I mix in a measuring cup and use a whisk to get rid of lumps, and then transfer to a small container where it gets a little bit of a shake and then sits for 4-8 hours, and is used within 24. I don't think it's especially gritty after resting, though it will have the occasional tiny lump that feels moistened rather than gritty. I just found that, when transferring the formula to the small container, a lot of gritty material is left behind in the bottom of the measuring cup, which I didn't expect. It feels very dry and sandy between the fingers. I got my formula at Chris's Squirrels and More actually, due to the much lower price than what I can get locally (and the wonderful miracle nipples), and it's the kind with probiotics. I do notice the dry powder has rather large clumps sometimes as well. (I store the opened canister in the fridge, of course.) I know a lot of people use Esbilac for baby squirrels, so I thought this might be a good place to ask about it. I do know it's recommended to let the formula sit because the solids need time to dissolve, so maybe this is completely normal, but I thought I'd better ask anyway just in case I got a strange batch of Esbilac.

I've taken a picture of the gritty stuff in the measuring cup just in case that helps.

310929

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help! :w00t

[stepnstone]

I'm new to the formula and I was wondering if a gritty, quite sandy texture is normal when Esbilac is first mixed. I mix in a measuring cup and use a whisk to get rid of lumps, and then transfer to a small container where it gets a little bit of a shake and then sits for 4-8 hours, and is used within 24.

Are you mixing with warm water?

[theletterv]

Are you mixing with warm water?

Yes, I actually read to use water that is 175F so that's what I've been doing.

[stepnstone]

Yes, I actually read to use water that is 175F so that's what I've been doing.
We've had inquiry about the grit in the past, makes me wonder if it's an older batch. :dono
I've not seen the problem myself and I mix vigorously with a fork and again a couple hours later once it's been in the fridge.
I would suggest after a couple hours in fridge to mix again and see if that helps to dissolve it better.

[theletterv]

We've had inquiry about the grit in the past, makes me wonder if it's an older batch. :dono
I've not seen the problem myself and I mix vigorously with a fork and again a couple hours later once it's been in the fridge.
I would suggest after a couple hours in fridge to mix again and see if that helps to dissolve it better.

Hmm... I've been wondering whether I should go and buy a new canister of it, even though mine was just opened. If I remember correctly, I think I did try putting the measuring cup in the fridge and stirring again in a couple hours to see if the grit had dissolved but I don't think it did. Then again, maybe I didn't wait long enough. I'll try again next time I mix up some formula and keep track and see for sure. Either way it's kind of disconcerting to feel that very sandy texture in something that goes into babies' mouths...

Here's a picture of the expiry date and some other numbers that may indicate the lot number or something, just for the sake of keeping track of it.

310930

[Nancy in New York]

Just double checking. This is the Esbilac that you're using, correct?

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-CDTTKJg/0/1dcc5ec1/S/i-CDTTKJg-S.jpg

[Mel1959]

We've had inquiry about the grit in the past, makes me wonder if it's an older batch. :dono
I've not seen the problem myself and I mix vigorously with a fork and again a couple hours later once it's been in the fridge.
I would suggest after a couple hours in fridge to mix again and see if that helps to dissolve it better.

Actually, I think the grit has become an issue with the newer lots of Esbilac powder. I had a couple of cans I bought about a year ago when they were on sale at Amazon (kept in the freezer) and they are mixing up fine. I know of some local rehabbers who have had problems with new cans being gritty. They are even attributing some deaths of their raccoon babies as a result. :sadness

[theletterv]

Just double checking. This is the Esbilac that you're using, correct?

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-CDTTKJg/0/1dcc5ec1/S/i-CDTTKJg-S.jpg

Yes, that's the kind. It has the blue banner, no words "now with prebiotics and probiotics", but has probiotics clearly listed in the ingredients and also the whey protein concentrate.


Actually, I think the grit has become an issue with the newer lots of Esbilac powder. I had a couple of cans I bought about a year ago when they were on sale at Amazon (kept in the freezer) and they are mixing up fine. I know of some local rehabbers who have had problems with new cans being gritty. They are even attributing some deaths of their raccoon babies as a result. :sadness

Oh no, that's terrible. :sadness From what I've heard, there have been so many changes in formulas that have caused problems over the years, from Esbilac to Fox Valley... I don't think puppies are as sensitive and I haven't seen any adverse reactions to the formula yet, but I can imagine with more sensitive babies it could cause problems... I don't even like using it when it seems so gritty, but worry that if I went and bought a new can it might be the same.

[theletterv]

Little update, I tried keeping the formula in the measuring cup after mixing for 8 hours, and I whisked it up every few hours. Unfortunately, the gritty material is still there, there doesn't seem to be a change in the amount at all. :shakehead

[GoldenEyes]

Little update, I tried keeping the formula in the measuring cup after mixing for 8 hours, and I whisked it up every few hours. Unfortunately, the gritty material is still there, there doesn't seem to be a change in the amount at all. :shakehead

Can you notify the company of this situation so that they could look into it and hopefully fix the problem? Sometimes they're not aware of the problem until a consumer brings it to their attention. They'll probably ask you questions like when and where it was purchased, information stamped on the container, etc.