Baby vole

[Guac7]

I know it isn't a squirrel, but this seemed the best place to get information. Trying to find information on baby voles is like trying to find a needle in the internet haystack.

So a friend said they had a baby squirrel the size of a quarter and they couldn't find anyone willing to take it and they tried reuniting it with its mom but no squirrels were interested. Well that's probably because squirrels won't adopt baby voles lol! Anyway when they sent me a pic I told them looked like a meadow vole and they were going to feed it to their cat, but my brother couldn't bear the thought of it being eaten, so now I have it.

Its ears are still pinned back but eyes are open and fully furred. It was a bit dehydrated, but I've fed it twice with a fine tip paintbrush and it. The first time was watered down goat milk because all I could find was to either feed goat milk or kitten formula and I knew it couldn't do full strength if dehydrated. Then I found this place and I made up some pedialyte and gave it some of that an hr later. It's lively enough, and seems ok, but it won't poop or urinate when stimulated. I'm not sure about the age or how often it should be fed, when it will be able to poop on it's own etc.
If anyone has any information that can help me out, I would much appreciate it.

[Ozzy2019]

Heres a link. Dont know about what they reccomend for milk as its recommending 75 percent puppy esbilac amd 25 percent colostrum. I like royal canine puppy replacer. That's just my opinion and I am not a rehabber. They arent hard to raise but get use to humans easy; especially dogs and cats. So keep it seperate from them if you plan to release. Heres what I found on internet.

https://animals.mom.me/how-to-care-for-vole-12567585.html

Hope it helps and maybe a rehabber has raised 1.

Sincerely mary

[Guac7]

Thank you. I had come across that site last night. It has some helpful info, but it's pretty basic. I just wonder why they are so specific with the nutrition ratios but don't tell you about stimulating them to poop lol. I really appreciate you trying to help me though.

Little one was very lively this morning and ate pretty readily. It looks like it may have pooped this morning in its box. If so, that's one question answered lol.

[Guac7]

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Little one is a greedy eater, climbs in my hand as soon as I reach into it's box.

After that first night, I'm not seeing any more poop in its bedding (a white cloth diaper), and very little to none when I wipe it with a qtip after feedings. I do get some pee when wiping it, but only a little spot of somewhat loose poop once yesterday and a very small solid piece today. I'm not really sure what I should do. I've read that they sometimes eat their on poo but it didn't say if that was the adults only or babies too.

It eats until its belly is all rounded out and I refuse to give it anymore, and its belly does shrink down between feedings. I was using a paintbrush, but it acted like it was starving, trying to hang on and not let me dip it again lol. So I switched to a tiny unused plastic dropper. I put a bit of formula in it and let it suck it out on its own.

I read a thread in here somewhere, someone had raised them before. I'm wondering if they have similar care to mice, I I could use care info for orphaned mice or how different are they?

[Ozzy2019]

Aww so cute . Hope the little guy is doing well

[Rocky1]

I wanted to share what I found to be an extremely helpful website about caring for baby squirrels that probably has a lot of overlap to caring for voles, https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/ I am so glad you found him and that you are caring for him. Please keep asking questions and keep us informed!

[CritterMom]

Please, PLEASE change his feeding position. He should not be tipped so he is sort of on his back like a human child. You need to do the opposite.

Baby should be held either upright like a little person standing up, OR, lying down on his stomach. Mama lies on her back, babies approach from the side, nipples are pointing UP. YOU need to tilt the syringe so the tip is pointed UP toward the roof of the mouth, not down his throat. That is just begging for aspiration. The correct position allows the milk to flow out of the mouth if too much is given, instead of down the throat and possibly the windpipe, causing aspiration into the lungs and subsequent pneumonia.

Don't let HIM determine the amount of flow from the syringe - that is your job. Dispense a drop and let him swallow. Another drop and let him swallow. Babies will absolutely choke themselves if you let them!

[Guac7]

Thanks everyone. unfortunately baby passed last night. I knew was a possibility since it had been found with a dog, had a broken foot (normal color, no swelling and seemed to be healing) and no way to know if any other injuries, but I was hopefully optimistic. I tried not to get attached, but it didn't work. I didn't know I could get so attached over only 2 days.

That wasn't baby's normal eating position, it just wiggled around so much while feeding that it ended up like that for the pic. It had pooped some on its own in its box again last night and seemed perfectly fine when I last fed it around midnight last night. I'd made sure it couldn't get more than a drop at a time, and the dropper being so tiny, I always watched how much it got. It was so feisty last night. I went to feed it and it grabbed the dropper from the side with its mouth and wouldn't let go lol. I had to slide it out off its mouth. I'm going to miss it so much.

[CritterMom]

Aw, I am so sorry. Little baby mice (and voles) are probably one of the most difficult little creatures to successfully raise. I have had any number of failures - and that was having absolutely every single thing I needed to do it successfully at my fingertips. Voles are adorable - and so mouthy - they really have loud voices and no problems reading you the riot act. He clearly trusted you and at least he knew love at the end of his life. :grouphug