Help this little guy please! ( i have no idea what im doing)

[Afpdx12]

Earlier this afternoon we had a baby squirrel fall from the large tree in our complex. We have it wrapped and in a shoe box and are feeding it from an eye dropper ( per instructions from a friend) i have no idea whar to do and am unable to keep it . ( we have 3 dogs and 2 cats) its doing ok so far and is starting being more active . is there a rehaber that could help us please

[Javarat]

The two most important things right now are Warmth and Water. Don't feed it any milk or solids.

Place it in a plastic tub (not cardboard) with a thin cloth in the bottom, and a light cloth over it. Put a heating pad under half the tub, so it can move off if too hot. Note that most human heating pads have a automatic shut-off, so you might want to add a hot water bottle, or water bottle heated up. If using a bottle place wrap it inside several socks and put it in one end where the baby can move to and away from it. Put your hand down where the baby is.. it should feel cozy warm but not hot. The baby should also feel warm but not hot.

Feeding with an eye dropper or baby bottle is very dangerous to the squirrel. It makes it tilt it's head back, which creates a direct pathway to the lungs (just like in CPR). If it accidentally breaths in any water, it could get pneumonia and die very quickly without antibiotics. The safest way to feed a squirrel is with a syringe. Sit the baby up, and put the syringe in it's mouth pointing up at a 45 degree angle. You might have to work the end of the syringe into the side of its mouth to pry the mouth open a little.

Right now you only want to feed it only warm water. Take 8 ounces of warm water, and dissolve 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, and 1/4th teaspoon of salt into it. This is homemade electrolyte. Do not use human electrolytes like Gatorade or such. Move the syringe very slowly. Put a little in it's mouth at time, and watch it's throat for signs it is swallowing. Watch out for a yawn or choking.. stop immediately. You want to give it a little warm water every three or four hours to keep it hydrated. You can check it's hydration by pinching the skin on the back behind the neck.. and letting go. If the skin stays pinched it is very dehydrated so give it water every hour. A hydrated baby's skin will relax back down quickly.

As far as a local rehabber... I see the Portland has a very big wildlife center at Portland Audubon Wildlife Care Center (503)-292-0304. If they are not taking squirrels they can probably refer you to a center that will.
The State of Oregon also publishes a list of licensed wildlife rehabbers at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/rehabilitation/docs/wildlife_rehabilitators.pdf

[GoldenEyes]

http://squirrelrefuge.org/page45.html is about 15 minutes from Portland.:)