Found baby squirrel

[Tigger9844]

I found this baby squirrel well actually he found me hubby was starting to pull out of driveway and i noticed him behind truck he wouldnt move much i thought he was to young to be there ad he ran at me tried to climb up my pant leg i think he is about 6 to 7 weeks old from the pictured ive seen he is skinny no sign of fleas or lice ive tried to feed him some formula and water his first feeding went well but this last one he vomited up some any ideas or help is this normal maybe i fed him to much .

[jules]

Hi Tigger!

Not sure what the problem is here, but it might be a good idea if you can get hold of a squirrel friendly vet or rehabber to see what they say!
Otherwise hang around here and one of the experts will give you some advise.

Can you take a pic of it so they can see how old it is and what state it is in medically?

Is the momma around anywhere?

What kind of formula are you feeding it and how much?

These are all questions you will be asked!

Good luck!:thumbsup

Jules.

[Tigger9844]

I dont have a way to post a picture at this time his tail is bushy he tries to stand on hind legs but loses his balance so guessing hes like 6 to 7 weeks. im sure his mother is dead we picked up a dead squirrel in our yard less than a week ago. and then this little guy shows up not far from where we picked up the dead adult. my main question is it normal for a little one like this when you first start feeding him to spit up or vomit, its only happened once im from missouri btw.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Tigger, are you interested in keeping and rereleasing him or do you want help finding a rehabber?
If he has been without a mom that long, go to the grocery store and get some pedialyte in the baby isle, give it warmed not hot. Also when you gave the formula it needs to be warmed...may I ask what kind you bought?
:Welcome

[jules]

If the little fella has some kind of infection or has gone without food for a while, it is possible that he may vomit, but he needs a proper check up by a professional to answer that one!

if you're feeding too much, he may vomit?

It's also possible that he is actually aspirating the milk?
Does the milk come down his nose?

[Tigger9844]

Nothing came out his nose i was really careful on making sure he didnt aspirate im feeding him esbilac and got him some pedylite. he drank from a water bottle i put on cage i have him in

[Tigger9844]

I did cut up a little apple and some spinach leaves and put some pealed grapes in his cage he tried to chew on them some but dont think he is eating much at all of them he can pick the stuff up but cant really balance and doesnt seem to be able to chew them enough to swallow doesnt look like he eating much of it ive only had him about 12 hours now

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Ok, you said he threw up the formula, were you giving it with a syringe (needle removed) feed very slowly.
You can also give him some cheerios.
Put some blankets in his cage to hide in if he wants to.

[jules]

Ok! It sounds like he has a problem!

You really NEED to get him to a rehabber ASAP!

Keep giving him the pedialyte for now and do still offer food too!
Make sure he is warmed up before you give him anything, if he's not holding his body temp, theres definately something wrong!

I will try to get hold of one of the rehabbers on here for you!

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Tigger does he feel warm to the touch?
A 6 wk ols squirrel shouldnt need heat, but his body is in a compromised siguation anything is possible. Make sure he is warm try giving fluids again.
A squirrel this age usually wont get pneumonia but you still need to be carefull.
Hes probably scared...being in a humans care. Keep him quiet and away for house traffic, loud children.
ALso keep him away from other pets.
Another thing what kind of cage do you have him in? He needs room to climb!! If you cant offer that to him we will help you find a rehabber
I think the reason he may have spit up is beacuse he was without food for so long, I had a squirrel like that this spring. Offer small amounts go slow.

[jules]

Good advise Rippie!

Just to let you know I have PM,d Island Rehabber!

We will try to help you for now though!

Jules:thumbsup

[Gabe]

Tigger it is very normal for them to spit up or vomit when they are first fed. They are so hungry that they eat too much, too fast, then vomit it back up again. Just feed slowly and carefully as rippie has suggested.
Make sure he has heat in the form of a heating pad. Place it under half of his box so that he may move off of it. He really needs the heat if he has been close to a week without adequate nutrition.

[jules]

Thanks Gabe!:thumbsup

Was getting worried there for a moment!
:thankyou

Jules.:Love_Icon

[jules]

Hi Tigger!:Welcome

You are in good hands now!

Stay with us and others will be here later, too!

Good luck!:thumbsup

Jules.:Love_Icon

[jules]

:wave123

How's he doing?

Is he managing to keep his feed down?

Please remember that if anything changes, and you're concerned..just keep posting...someone is always on hear to help!

:thumbsup
Jules:Love_Icon

[Tigger9844]

Thanks all for the info. very new to this site as of last night so glad i found it, he is eating better didnt vomit the last feeding only had about 8ml prob to low for his age but he nibbled on a little avocado to, he sure is tryng to eat solid foods. Ill try the cheerios he prob could grasp those well. As for the cage he is in an old feerot cage we had in the basement had to clean it up some with the webs havent used it in along time.

[jules]

Glad to hear he's doing better:thumbsup

The ferret cage will be fine!
Have you put an old blanket or something in there, so he can snuggle in and make like a nest?


I know this has already been said, but do make sure he's warm, until he regulates his own body temp. They should never be fed when they're cold!

Ok! again if you have any concerns just give us a post!:thumbsup

Jules:Love_Icon

[Gabe]

Tigger if this little guy hasn't eaten in a week, then 8 ml is plenty. The stomach tends to shrink a little and he is not able to hold more than that at this time. He will eat more and more as he adjusts. In the meantime offer small, frequent feedings and keep him on that heating pad!

[Tigger9844]

Ok i just weighed little one and he weighs 4oz exactly i dont have a gram scale to see how many grams he is. so about how much food should he be taking in when he starts feeding normally again. if anyone canhelp me please let me know thanks bunches for all the help so far

[Tigger9844]

Oh he is also urinating and deficating on his own seems of normall consistancy. so no probs there.

[jules]

:wave123 Tigger!

If he's urinating and defecating okay, then thats a positive sign....You're doing great:thumbsup

GM is right about the 5% rule where feeding is concerned, but remember to weigh him regularly, as he gains weight, obviously the amount of feed can be increased!

If you get the chance, we would love to see this little guy, Im sure he's adorable. We :Love_Icon pics:poke

:thankyou for finding the time to care for him...god bless you!:grouphug

[Tigger9844]

I will get a picture taken this weekend need help with that as im not very good with the camera and very computer literate. going out today to get a more percise scale so i can check his weight more accurately. his little ears seem to be perking up some were kind of wrinkled and down on his head.
I cant express how much this site has helped with everything and the people are so very caring and helpful.
:thankyou all for caring

[jules]

:wave123

It's really good to hear he's doing so well!:thumbsup

Once you get him back up to his proper weight, he should start controlling his own body temp again and by that time you will be able to slowly reduce his milk formula and increase his solids...But don't worry about that right now...we will sort that out when the time comes!:D
Just keep doing what you're doing, cos it's working!:thumbsup

I know what you mean...cameras have so many gadgets on them, it's hard to know where to start!:D

Well done!:grouphug

[Tigger9844]

OK today im having a prob this afternoon he is rubbing and straining now trying to deficate so he is constipated what should i try now have tried the warm tissue that just made him try worse to go with no effect. not having any problem urinating though. thanks again

[NaturesGift]

Hi Tigger WELCOME!

were at in Mo are you? I live in Mo to! maybe I can help :) not alot of rehabbers around depending on where you are at :nono

[jules]

:wave123

Just remind us what you are feeding him at the moment, how much and how often?

This info will help in deciding what to do next when the experts get here!

For now, you can follow GB's instuctions with regards bathing him, this might help!....Thanks GB:thumbsup

Let us know how you get on!:)

[Gabe]

I'm not sure a bath will help him to poop. It will help if he is bloated, but I'm going to guess he is a little dehydrated still. Are you still using pedialyte between regular feedings? I would suggest that for 24 hours and see how he does.

[Tigger9844]

Im in blue springs missouri. Ive been feeding him 5 to 6 cc's every 4 to 5 hours if the formula he has a water bottle in his cage with about half pedylite and half reg water. he drinks from there some not much though. i will try bath on him he hasnt deficated today at all had no prob yesterday.

[NaturesGift]

way cool! you live almost 4 hours from me :D

actually I was planning to take rehab courses in Kansas City at the lakeside nature center. but they think Im to far :soapbox

to bad your not close by.. or I could have teaken pics for you to post :) :flash

[Tigger9844]

Ok i just finished giving him a bath. he went one uninated and went one little pepple, but he acts like he has a tummy ache still he stretches his body all the way out like he is laying completely flat. and pulls himself around that way some im sure t cause his tummy still hurts but not postive any clues?

[NaturesGift]

is his back legs ok? do they work or is he just doing this?

[Tigger9844]

Oh everything is working good he walks and trys to stand up on hind legs and is trying to jump around some now. just started this today so i really think its just a tummy ache

[NaturesGift]

:grouphug ok by the sounds of it.. Tigger has a female grey squirrel. though a very swollen girl.

[NaturesGift]

hey this is the number to a rehabber near you. It may come in handy b/c bloat can kill if not treated quickly and properly.

816.513.8960.

it is the lakeside nature center,

I tried to get it off the list in the rehab location threads but the Mo one would not open for me :thinking

[NaturesGift]

ok got Gammas to open it. must be me!

Lakeside Nature Center
(Located in Swope Park)
4701 E. Gregory Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64132
(816) 513-8960


Center hours:
Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.

its 24 min from blue springs. :grouphug

[Tigger9844]

Ok this may sound like a dumb question but how often should they be relieving themselves ?

[Tigger9844]

OK my baby is doing a little better cut back to pedylite for his feedings, he finally went a couple pebbles is all but still seems constipated and bloated a little been giving warm baths and massaging his tummy. should i take out the other foods it nibbles on or let him keep nibbling on cheerios ?

[Gabe]

Tigger, if he is bloated then ONE bath and massage should do the trick. I still think it is more related to him having been dehydrated than bloated. Continue to give the pedialyte between feedings and he should be pooping good in a day or two.
It is fine to give him the other food, lots of fresh fruit will help him to go soon also.

[Tigger9844]

Oh one other thing i read on another website that you can feed some baby food to young squirrels, if he is constipated can you see if he will try a little prune baby food or is that not safe, and if it isnt is thee another baby food that will help?

[Gabe]

Tigger, you are sweet to care so much. He is constipated from being dehydrated, it will pass with lots of fluids. Keep using the pedialyte, don't worry about baby food as he may aspirate on it. Give some sliced cantaloupe, cut in half grapes, pear and apple wedges, chunks of watermelon. Truly, that is what he really needs right now. He will be fine a couple of days.

[Tigger9844]

Hey all everything seems to be going well except im having a hard time controlling how fast my little one drinks her formula the liitle rascal can now suckle the plunger down with out me controlling it, she has aspirated this way any ideas how to slow her down some ive taken it out of her mouth to try to slow her down then i thnk she thinks she wont get it back and suckles even faster? Any help ideas or anything let me know please

[thundersquirrel]

AH! crazy babies! trust me, this is better than if she WASN'T hungry, but we can't have her aspirating!

you shouldn't hesitate to control her in this situation- aspiration is baaaad. many people become skilled in holding the syringe so that there's a finger behind AND in front of the plunger ring. if you can manage this, it'd be very beneficial. you just gotta try different positions and see which works best...

if she aspirates, just yank it out steadily but firmly. it should be a confident and steady movement. if you need to, you can gently pull her face away as well as the syringe. just watch out if you use a nipple- sometimes it comes off and the baby could choke on it!

good luck and let us know if this doesn't work. ;)

[Tigger9844]

Thanks, Ill try to do that shes up to 127grams now she was so skinny when i found her.

[island rehabber]

many people become skilled in holding the syringe so that there's a finger behind AND in front of the plunger ring. if you can manage this, it'd be very beneficial. you just gotta try different positions and see which works best...

;)

This year I've started to hold the syringe differently because I have bad carpal tunnel syndrome and my right hand was starting to go numb all the time. What I came up with looks exactly like the position your left hand would be in when you are shooting pool, except I'm doing it with my right hand: The hand is palm down, the syringe comes out from between the index and middle fingers and the thumb is on the plunger. The other two fingers are AHEAD OF THE PLUNGER, keeping it from being free to jerk forward if you have a little Hoover squirrel on your hands. Not only has this saved me so far from having a totally numb hand after feeding 14 squirrels, but it's cut way down on the snorting/sneezing thing we all see once in awhile. Wish I could post a pic but I'm not sure I can work the camera with my left hand......hmmm...

[LynninIN]

What size cc syringe are you using?

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I hold the syringe so My index finger and second finger are on the two prongs of the syringe and my thumb is on the plunger. Then I let the plunger rest on the side of my hand (you know the part between your index finger and thumb) and that stops the little guys from sucking it down real fast. I will try to get a picture next feeding.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Here's the pictures of how I hold the syringe:

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/4bunnies/000_5036.jpg
When the syringe is full this is how I hold it. You squeeze it between your thumb and hand and push it down slowely like that.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/4bunnies/000_5037.jpg
When the syringe is getting empty. You slide your thumb to the tip and then use your hand to stop it from sliding when you aren't pushing it.

[island rehabber]

SR&B2 that's how I used to hold the syringes before my hand got all messed up. Then the angle started to give me pain on the inside of the wrist :shakehead.
LynninIN I only use 1cc and 3cc syringes, none larger. :)

[thundersquirrel]

haha i remember LOOOONG ago when one of our babies was so voracious, we tried using a 5 cc syringe....BAD idea, there was formula EVERYWHERE! :nono :crazy :shakehead :rotfl

[Tigger9844]

Im using a 1cc syringe even if i keep the plunger from going down she can still suck the formula out of it then gets full of bubbles have to pull it out and get the air out of it. keep thinking im not feeding her enough the way she is acting but she is drinking 10cc every 4 hours which seems like alot when she is 127grams.

[LynninIN]

Are you using the same syringe or do you change them? The plunger can wear out and not form a tight seal. There should not be bubbles even if the squirrel is pulling.

I would suggest getting a new syringe and using your hand like SR&BT showed in her pictures. The reason I asked what size syringe earlier is there is another way to control a 3 cc. Since she is such a hard sucker, I would stay with the 1 cc.

How many 10 cc feedings within a 24 hour period?

[Tigger9844]

she is fed 10 cc's every 4 to 5 hours and i let her go 5 to 6 hours at night without feeding. she nibbles on very little other stuff i offer if but she doesnt take to much solid food occassionally she will eat half a grape.

[Tigger9844]

She is realy active runs around climbs on things still cant quite balance on her hind legs but trys very hard. Ill get a new syringe today when i take my daughter to orthodontist. hopefully that will help with the sucking problem some anyway she loves her formula.

[LynninIN]

Can you get a nipple to attach on the syringe?

[Tigger9844]

I had a nipple on there and she sucked it right off, thought i maybe didnt put it on quite right and tried it again and same thing happened so havent used the nipple now afraid she will suck it off and choke on it.

[thundersquirrel]

what kind of nipple is it? nipples, IMO, help reduce aspiration, so i'd rather see you use one.

how often do you feed this lady? what else do you give her besides formula?

[Gabe]

I have found that by going to a larger syringe, 3cc, it is actually harder for the squirrel to suck it down so fast.

[Tigger9844]

Im only using the 1cc one now will look for a larger syringe today. and a diff nipple when i head out in a couple hours. yes she has aspirated with the 1cc one. not sure what kind of nipple never paid much attention to the name of it. she is getting about 10cc every 4 to 5 hours. and waiting about 5 to 6 in the night. feeding her cheerios apple spinach although she dont like spinach much and peeled grapes she eats some apple and grapes nibbles n the cheerios but isnt eatting enough solid yet to cut back the formula.

[Tigger9844]

Well went out today to 4 different stores can not find any other syringe but the 1cc one any ideas on where i can get a bigger one at?

[4skwerlz]

Chris' Squirrels and More has everything you could ever need. They ship really fast. Sounds like Tigger is a little piggy. :D

http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/index.cfm?CFID=570407&CFTOKEN=54228188

[thundersquirrel]

has she aspirated very much since you first mentioned it?

also, if she's aspirated more than once, try to listen to her chest for any with-breathing clicking or congestion. hopefully it wouldn't go that far, but you should check it out anyway. :thumbsup

[Tigger9844]

I check her breathing all the time no clicking or anything as of yet and hopefully not ever but i called my own vet and asked if i had any probs if i could bring her in to have them look at her they said wouldnt be a problem they would check her out if need be.

[thundersquirrel]

that's good to hear. :thumbsup

just a heads up....we've heard some pretty bad diagnoses from vets on this board in regards to squirrels, so.......if a vet ever tells you something drastic about her, run it by us if you can. ;)

[Tigger9844]

Thanks for the info on the site ordered a few things for my little one she is eating like a little piggy now and gaining weight daily. she nibbles alot i know she is teething some is there anyway to keep her from biting at your hands and fingers or will is she just checking out what is edible right now?

[thundersquirrel]

that sounds like a mix between teething and checking edibility. how well do you wash the formula off your fingers? :D

does the biting hurt? if he really likes to chew stuff you could order antler bones from chris's store. these will last a LONG time and squirrels LOVE to chew on them! it's also a great source of calcium.

other than that, keep offering large walnuts, almonds, acorns, carrots....some hard stuff, you know? squirrels do love to chew so don't let him loose in your house. :)