Help babies!

[Hannah327]

My son brought home 3 baby squirrels Monday. I was feeding them a pedialite mixture I made and finally found some puppy formula! I mixed it with the pedialite mix to dilute it and I just went to full formula a few mins ago. They have had diarrhea a day and a half now. I stopped the pedialite because of something I read but now I’m scared they will dehydrate. They are tiny and pink but have whiskers and a little hair on the head. They are eating every 3 hours 2 ml. Is twitching normal while they sleep? They fell 50 ft from a tree that got cut down the mom is dead and they got rained on. I thought one had pneumonia but the clicking has slowed down a ton and she isn’t bleeding from the nose anymore. That’s how she was when I got her. Thanks I’m advance

[Hannah327]

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[Spanky]

My son brought home 3 baby squirrels Monday. I was feeding them a pedialite mixture I made and finally found some puppy formula! I mixed it with the pedialite mix to dilute it and I just went to full formula a few mins ago. They have had diarrhea a day and a half now. I stopped the pedialite because of something I read but now I’m scared they will dehydrate. They are tiny and pink but have whiskers and a little hair on the head. They are eating every 3 hours 2 ml. Is twitching normal while they sleep? They fell 50 ft from a tree that got cut down the mom is dead and they got rained on. I thought one had pneumonia but the clicking has slowed down a ton and she isn’t bleeding from the nose anymore. That’s how she was when I got her. Thanks I’m advance

Never mix formula with the pedialyte, give it separately. After 24 hours of pedialyte switch to plain water or water with just a bit of molasses, honey, syrup or sugar. Hydration is a different thing than nutrition... basically in hydration you want fluids to move into the body and tissue. When you put food in their stomach, fluids move into the stomach to help with digestion making the dehydration worse.

All puppy formula is not the same, which is likely why they have diarrhea. Esbilac powder (only the powder, the ready liquid version if not the same and will cause diarrhea) is really the only puppy formula that is adequate and will not cause diarrhea.

Hear is a baby guide, it is 6 pages long adn worth the read. You can also order Fox Valley 20/50 from Henry's which is a better formula than Esbilac.. in fact it is best to mix them together (half parts of each).
https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

[Hannah327]

I’ve only found one kind of puppy formula in my area. I just fed them more milk I’m going to try water and honey. I’m going to order some better formula. Thank you so much! Am I feeding them enough and frequently enough? Thank you so much!

[Spanky]

Feeding is according to weight... weight is a must know for feeding and in event the require medications (which are dosed according to weight).

The rule of thumb is 5% - 7% pf their weight... I am attaching a cheat sheet.

When you say "milk" I hope you do not mean plain cow's milk?!?!? If you read the baby guide in the link, there is a *temporary* goat's milk formula you can use until the new formula (hopefully Fox Valley?) will arrive.

Homemade Goat Milk Formula Plus (HGMF+):


3 tablespoons goat milk
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons heavy cream


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[Hannah327]

Not cows milk. The only formula I could find was puppy formula and it’s not the esibaloc. I can’t find goats milk near me but I did order the fox valley formula! I will definitely weigh them before I feed them it’s hard to tell if I’m over feeding them.

[Mel1959]

Most supermarkets sell a powdered and canned version of goats milk. It’s made by Meyenberg. Both have to be mixed with water and then the appropriate amounts used to make the goats milk formula.

I will forewarn you….the only puppy formula that doesn’t cause diarrhea is Esbilac. You will undoubtedly upset their little GI systems with the puppy milk you’re using. It’s for this reason we recommend the goats milk formula recipe until your ordered FV can arrive. Goats milk is very easy to digest.

Do you have the babies in a plastic bin with blankets or tshirts for them to snuggle in and a heating pad set to low UNDER the bin?

As Spanky said you must weigh them. I always keep a chart of daily weight, how much they eat at each feeding and whether they poop or pee and any issues like loose stool, etc.

Overfeeding can cause bloat and can be deadly, underfeeding causes them to not gain weight appropriately.

[Mel1959]

Just out of curiosity, did you try to reunite these babies with their momma? They look like they were being cared for by a momma and hadn’t been without her for long. Mommy squirrels will come and get their babies if they’re able……even if you’ve touched them. As long as the babies are warm. There is a recording of a baby squirrel cry in the emergency section that you can play on your phone and it is quite effective at calling mom in to retrieve her babies. You just have to watch and be sure the babies are safe and stay warm until mom comes. Reuniting is always the best option if possible.

[BCChins]

Just out of curiosity, did you try to reunite these babies with their momma? They look like they were being cared for by a momma and hadn’t been without her for long. Mommy squirrels will come and get their babies if they’re able……even if you’ve touched them. As long as the babies are warm. There is a recording of a baby squirrel cry in the emergency section that you can play on your phone and it is quite effective at calling mom in to retrieve her babies. You just have to watch and be sure the babies are safe and stay warm until mom comes. Reuniting is always the best option if possible.

Mel Momma is deceased :(

[BCChins]

Walart has the Meyenberg goats milk..it is in the baking section. It might be a packet or a can. Its a white can with purple writing. If not there then a grocery store or Whole foods will have it. In those stores it might be in the natural section if not in the baking section of the store.

[Hannah327]

The girls weigh around 40 grams and the boy weighs around 45. I’m going to go to the store today. I’ve been looking online. Should I be feeding them every 3 hours or 4? And how often do I offer honey water? My son was at his dads over the weekend and his dad brought them home from work and said that the mom was dead when the tree was on the ground and had cuts all over her at this point it’s was pouring down rain and the babies were cold and he thought they were going to die so he brought them home and was going to feed them to his snake and my son was not having it! So he called me and asked me if he could bring them home and me take care of them so they got with me later that afternoon on Monday.

[Mel1959]

This may help you. It’s a couple of pages out of the Wild Mammal Baby Book.

[Mel1959]

So according to the pages I posted they should be fed every 2-2.5 hours and through the night for a total of 7-9 feedings per day.

[Hannah327]

That helps me a lot thank you so much! But what about amount of water intake? As for what I have them in is a galvanized tub with towels and a lightbulb over them they’re bedding up in the towels sometimes together sometimes not. I have them beside my wood stove in my den.

[Mel1959]

Do they feel warm when you handle them. A heating pad is what you need. You can buy a non shut off heating pad for less than $20 at Walmart or any drug store. The heating pad needs to go under the container they’re in. At this age they cannot regulate their own heat. We don’t recommend towels as bedding because their toenails can get caught in the loops. If you can use an old blanket or t-shirts that would be better. Stores like Ross sell clearance soft baby blankets for about $3.

Have you looked ahead to the caging requirements for these guys? They should not be released until they are 14-16 weeks old. The release should be a soft release where they spend a couple of weeks in an outdoor release cage so they can get used to the sights, sounds and smells of the other outdoor squirrels. I have included some links so you can gain some information.

There is a link for a cage that many folks use, but you can also build your own cage out of untreated pine and 1/2” hardware cloth. The bigger, the better since you have three babies.

The last link is the type food they’ll need fed after they wean from formula (we let them decide when the right time is) and until release. It’s also very important that the first solid food they get is a rodent block. After they are eating that well then you can add in some veggies and limited fruits. Nuts are NOT a staple food for a squirrel in captivity. Too many can lead to metabolic bone disease which can kill if left untreated.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?19265-Thinking-of-Raising-That-Baby-Yourself-READ-THIS

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?41071-SOFT-RELEASE-The-How-to-Sticky

https://www.critternation.net/

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

As you can see there is a lot that goes into raising these guys and giving them their best shot at life in the wild. If you would like us to try to find a rehabber that can take them we can try to do that, too.

As for water, that is given IN BETWEEN scheduled feedings and not in place of a feeding. They won’t constantly need water only if they seem dehydrated.

[Hannah327]

They are warm to the touch and don’t act cold at all. Don’t take this the wrong way but I am against all heating pads being used overnight. I lost a loved one due to one catching fire in their sleep so I don’t really feel comfortable with that. I do have a rice sock made up that I can heat every 2 hours when I feed them. I have 1 wildlife center near me and I talked to a friend that works there and she said they would be better off if I could save them as they would feed them to their snakes that they have there. So I’m not sure if I want to chance that as I have a lot of time and love already invested in these precious babies. I’m not trying to get attached but it’s very hard I have to admit.

[Hannah327]

I have done research on releasing and caging as well but thank you for the helpful links and all your help!

[Spanky]

Those babies look a little older and I would feed every 3 - 3.5 hours. What their bellies, you should still be able to see the milk lines.. wait for that to go down. If their stools are whitish,m that is over feeding. Feeding too frequently... feeding additional on top of formula already in their stomachs... call cause bloat, which is deadly.

If they need additional hydration, give the water (0.5ml - 1ml) in between feedings.

You cannot really what 2 or 3 days for formula ordered on-line to arrive and they'll get off to a rough start with puppy formula causing diarrhea or a diet of honey water for days. Hopefully you'll find some goat's milk in the interim.

Not having a heating pad under half the bin (which allows them to get away from the heat), relying on the stove and rice socks could be a recipe for disaster IMO. Rice socks can provide temporary heating... but I'd hate to rely on that kind of set up.

Be aware that you should never, ever, ever, feed a cold baby... nothing by mouth if they are cold, including water.

[Hannah327]

So I need to be feeding them every 3 hours instead of 2 like above? Their poop is runny and it’s mustard colored. And they drank 1ml of water and wanted more but I didn’t offer because I’m scared I will give too much. But I’m doing this in between feedings. They are warm to touch and don’t seem cold at all I was feeding them every 3 hours and they were drinking 2-3ml of formula but with me feeding them every 2 they are eating 1- 1 1/2.

[Hannah327]

I tried to get out and get them the esbolac earlier but my roads are so icy right now it’s too dangerous our schools are closed too and I live on a bluff. So I’ve been using the same formula 😭😭

[Spanky]

Personally, I would feed them every 3 hours, yes... And refer to the chart posted earlier... they should basically be taking 2 - 3ml of formula each feeding. Feed around the clock / through the night.

If they have runny stools, I would give just plain water without any honey/sugar... sugar causes runny stools too. The additional 1ml of water in between feedings is probably pretty good looking at their condition... posting updated pics would be helpful.

What exactly is the name and brand of the puppy formula you are using? I am sure you understand that their having runny stools is not sustainable and that is likely caused by the formula... hopefully you can get them switched over to Esbilac or the temporary goat's milk formula tomorrow.

[Hannah327]

Okay I have the goats milk. It says to mix 4 table spoons of powder and 8 ounces of water. Do I do that and then add in the yogurt and cream?

[CritterMom]

So you have powdered goats milk? You want to mix it up according to the directions on the package. Once you have done that, you can use it to mix up small batches of squirrel formula, with the addition of the yogurt and cream.

Tip: Goats milk goes bad pretty quickly. Instead of making 8 full ounces at a time, I would mix up smaller batches, since the powder (keep it in the fridge BTW) is much longer lasting if it hasn't been mixed into a liquid.

If it is 4 Tablespoons powder to 8 ounces water, you could cut it in half which would be 2 Tablespoons powder to 4 ounces of water, or make even less, which would be 1 Tablespoon powder to 2 ounces water.

That way you won't be throwing so much away. I wouldn't use each batch for more than 24 hours.

[LaShae1995]

Not an expert at all but....
I only could get a hold of kmr kitten milk replacer and it worked for me greatly. Sandy was on the road fixing to be ran over. I straddled her with my truck and thankfully didn't harm her. I got her and went straight to my feed store and bought KMR KITTEN MILK REPLACER this is what she lived on. She didn't have her eyes opened and couldn't walk yet but not a pinkie she had fur but not a puffy tail. She is now about 6 to 7 months and healthy. I never tried puppy milk but the kitten milk is tried and trusted with wild bunnies and squirrels ... in my case. Hope this helps.

[CritterMom]

Not an expert at all but....
I only could get a hold of kmr kitten milk replacer and it worked for me greatly. Sandy was on the road fixing to be ran over. I straddled her with my truck and thankfully didn't harm her. I got her and went straight to my feed store and bought KMR KITTEN MILK REPLACER this is what she lived on. She didn't have her eyes opened and couldn't walk yet but not a pinkie she had fur but not a puffy tail. She is now about 6 to 7 months and healthy. I never tried puppy milk but the kitten milk is tried and trusted with wild bunnies and squirrels ... in my case. Hope this helps.

No, no. KMR has way too much protein - since it is made for cats, wich are obligate carnivores. Some are tough enough to survive it - like Sandy, but many get quite ill.

[Hannah327]

Thank y’all so much! How many parts of cream and yogurt do I put in?

[Mel1959]

The goats milk formula recipe is: 3 parts goats milk, 1 part heavy whipping cream and 1 part vanilla full fat yogurt. To determine your “part” measurement pick an amount that will create an amount of formula that can be consumed within 12-24 hours. So say, your “part” measurement is going to be 1 teaspoon, the recipe would be as follows….3 teaspoons goats milk, 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon full fat vanilla yogurt. :great

[Hannah327]

Thank you! They absolutely love the goat milk formula! Their poop is finally starting to get back to normal. No more diarrhea! I know I’m so full of questions but we have developed a sucking problem, mostly in one of my little girls she’s starting to scab a little but the boy is starting to get bad about sucking himself and the other girl I think is catching on. The little boy has bad scabbing I’ve been putting neosporin on it. I’m guessing I need to separate them but I hate to. I’m going to try that but how do I stop them from sucking themselves? I’ve read the thum stuff but I really hate to do that if it stings them real bad. But I’ll do exactly what I have to. I don’t really think it’s a hunger thing they seem content when I put them up after a feeding. They’re eating 2 ml of goat milk every 3-3/2 hours. Also, do I still need to be giving them water in between feedings since I’ve started the goat milk? Everything says something different I just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing.

[Hannah327]

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[Charley Chuckles]

They are darling :blowkiss

[CritterMom]

Thank you! They absolutely love the goat milk formula! Their poop is finally starting to get back to normal. No more diarrhea! I know I’m so full of questions but we have developed a sucking problem, mostly in one of my little girls she’s starting to scab a little but the boy is starting to get bad about sucking himself and the other girl I think is catching on. The little boy has bad scabbing I’ve been putting neosporin on it. I’m guessing I need to separate them but I hate to. I’m going to try that but how do I stop them from sucking themselves? I’ve read the thum stuff but I really hate to do that if it stings them real bad. But I’ll do exactly what I have to. I don’t really think it’s a hunger thing they seem content when I put them up after a feeding. They’re eating 2 ml of goat milk every 3-3/2 hours. Also, do I still need to be giving them water in between feedings since I’ve started the goat milk? Everything says something different I just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing.

Don't use ANY of that stuff. I tried it on a sore on an adult and it burned all the fur off the area! You would be better off making a little onesie for him from a baby sock, or using vet wrap to form a little skirt for him - anything to prevent them from being able to get to him. Suckling usually starts because they are starving and hunting for anything that looks like a nipple, so once these littles start getting some chow into them it may disappear on it's own.

If you end up making some sort of little clothes for him, watch him like a hawk - you don't want him laying in his own urine or there will be other problems. They are small enough that you are having to potty them now, but keep a close eye on this.

[Hannah327]

Thank you so much! I will definitely not be using that then. I hate that for your little one though. Bless it’s little heart. I put neosporin on it and wrapped him in gauze the best I could after I got the scab off and he pottied. He came right out of it though when I put him back up. I’m going to try the baby sock thing and I potty them every 3 hours before and after I feed. Is 3 hours too long to leave him in the sock? They potty on their own sometimes too when they are laying.

[Hannah327]

They suck after they eat and lay back down until they fall asleep. I’m hoping it’s a comfort thing. I know they aren’t hungry when I put them up. I’m scared to give them much over 2 ml because by then their milk line is prevalent by then I don’t want to overfeed. Their bellies look full too. But when it gets close time to feeding they are definitely all sucking! So I know that part is the hunger.

[Mel1959]

Try using an old tube sock…a kids version would be best. Cut a hole in the toe area and a couple of little arm holes and put him in it. Just check to be sure it isn’t saturated with urine every so often.

[Hannah327]

Do I still have to offer sugar water or plain water between feedings with the goat milk formula? I’m still waiting on my fox valley

[Hannah327]

Is their a way I can tell is his bladder is full? I’m really worried about my little guy I feel like I’m hurting him when I try to make him pee I’ve been using warm water and neosporin to get his scab off so he can pee. I can’t tell if he is 100% peeing when I do. 😭😭

[Mel1959]

If you can see that the scab is off and the urine is flowing then I think you’re good. It might take repeated soakings with warm water to remove all of the scab.

If the diarrhea has subsided and they’re eating well, then only an occasional offering of water is fine. They typically get all the liquid they need from their formula. Just watch and see if they stop eating the normal amount. Dehydration can do that.