Please help! Dry skin on a tiny baby squirrel

[Marg]

Hello,

My baby squirrel has recently developed dry skin (it looks cracked in some areas).

I read on some posts about using “aloe Vera juice” mixed with water. Is this the actual aloe plant ? And i mix that with warm water and then dab it on her skin with a cotton ball? It won’t dry up on her skin?

I have a humidifier. Is it safe to use away from where she sleeps incase it’s dry air? I will be using the sponge idea i read (sponge in warm water next to her bed??..)

Hydration- her skin takes a few minutes to go down. I’ve been battling with dehydration since i got her. Her skin will be good for a day, then stays back up, then Hidrate and it goes back down but it’s been a constant battle. (Please see photos and let me know what you think) i get confused b/c i read that with pinkies you cant really go by the skin test so much). Is this true?? Should u be feeding her the sugar water recipe ? If so how often ? And what exactly is it? Sugar, water and that’s it? Or should i do spring water and that’s it? I read pedialyte has salt and it won’t be good.
- she was on pedialyte Before for diarrhea.
- do you think her skin is like that due to dehydration? (she’s been with me for 8 days now)

Sleeping- clear bin with heating pad on low under half of the bin. (She seems to always want to be in the warm area).

Formula (currently on the home made goats milk formula- got the recipe on one of these posts). (She had diarrhea when i had her on esbilac - got her off thanks to critter mom and her poop is formed now-thank God). (Will be ordering FV 25/50 when she reaches 4weeks).

Is this what happens when her fur is coming in? Does it look like burn? It shouldn’t be, she was like this today. Her little ear have skin peeling too. What is that? Why?

Thank you in advance for your time in reading this. :/

[Rhapsody]

You can rub a small amount of coconut oil on the body to help with the dry skin and put a few wet cotton balls in the corner of the bin to keep the skin hydrated and feed sugar water in between formula feedings to get the body properly hydrated.
(1 c water * 1.5 tbsp sugar * 1/4 tsp salt)

[Marg]

Thank you so much ! Will do!

[CritterMom]

I think Rhapsody has a typo. 1.5 Tablespoons would be too much sugar. Go for 1.5 teaspoons. The idea is basically to just add a little yum taste so the baby will take the water, which is NOT a normal thing for baby squirrels to consume.

Put your wet sponge or cotton balls in a little jar or dish she cannot get into and place it on top of the heating pad area - you are trying to encourage the water to evaporate and collect inside the container as humidity and the heat under it will speed things up considerably.

[Marg]

Thank you critter mom! I put the cotton ball in a little container in a corner last night and she looks better already! I thought that might be too much sugar. I’m starting the sugar water today! Thanks for the advice!