Making a baby squirrel poop

[Sofia Elizondo]

Hey there, I hope to get some assistance over here. My sister recently found a baby squirrel, took care of it for a few days but asked me to help her out. At first I was having a hard time getting her to drink her formula, we're using puppy's milk for now. I'm in Costa Rica and there are not many options here, I've ordered the one from Fox valley but it's going to take at least 2 weeks to get here. The baby squirrel finally started to drink the formula, it even grabs the syringe with its own hands which is something it didn't do before but now it's no pooping (however, it is peeing and a lot), I read online that it's good to give them apple juice but I don't want to give him something without knowing for sure. So, is it safe to give them apple juice? I heard that most of the time when they don't poop is because they're still dehydrated. And just to clarify, my sister did give him pedialyte (or at least the closest thing to it that we can find which is a different brand) for a few days before she gave him to me. I also forgot to mention that squirrel's age, I'm not completely sure but he hasn't opened his

[Sofia Elizondo]

Sorry I kept on mixing things up, it's a male baby not a female.

[Mel1959]

Sometimes it takes awhile for the baby to have consumed enough food to produce poop. Are you stimulating him to go potty?

Here’s the baby squirrel care link. It’s very helpful and only 6 pages long. https://www.henryspets.com/1-basic-setup/

And here’s the link to homemade goats milk formula. https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?64291-Safe-Emergency-TEMPORARY-FORMULA-for-Finders**************

Fresh goats milk is best. The powdered and liquid concentrate must first be mixed with water before being made into the formula.

You can try holding the baby under the arms and allowing his lower half to soak in some warm water. Gently massage his belly with downward strokes. Sometimes this helps the baby to pass stool. Dry the baby well so it doesn’t get chilled.

You can offer diluted apple juice, too.

[Sofia Elizondo]

Thanks for your reply, would you say that apple juice is better to use than pedialyte in this case? And yes we are stimulating him, for 2 minutes to be exact and he only pees but he used to go potty on his own just a few days ago.

[Mel1959]

Pedialyte is to be used for no longer than 24 hours because of the high sodium content. Use diluted apple juice or water sweetened with a little sugar.

Yes, dehydration can impact their ability to poop. Give some water or apple juice in between normal feeding times.

[Sofia Elizondo]

Thank you, regarding the Goat Milk you mentioned, this baby squirrel is probably 3-4 weeks of age as his body is already covered in hair. Is goat milk still the better option for him? I read that it is recommended for Pinkies

[CritterMom]

Can you tell us what kind of puppy formula you are using?

[Sofia Elizondo]

Can you tell us what kind of puppy formula you are using?

Yes, the one we’re using is called Lactol puppy milk from the brand Beaphar.

[CritterMom]

Sorry - should have asked this before - how long have you had him on this formula?

[Sofia Elizondo]

Around 10-12 days but for the first few days it was super hard for him to eat, he even lost some weight and now he's eating normally

[CritterMom]

Well, if he has been eating the formula for over a week with no issues of diarrhea I hesitate to tell you to switch, since you are going to be transitioning him to the Fox Valley when you get it. I am pretty sure we have had a number of folks from CR who have used the Lactol successfully.

If he has been nursing regularly, and his tummy isn't rock hard, he is either pooping somewhere that you haven't noticed or he isn't being fed enough or frequently enough. Is there any way you can get us some photos of him so we can gauge his age and weight (and so that we can see an adorable Costa Rican squirrel again)? That will give us a better idea of how much food he should be taking and how often he should be eating it.

It would be really helpful if you could lay a ruler or tape measure next to him when you photograph him.

[Sofia Elizondo]

His tummy isn't rock hard, whenever we give him food he just wants to keep on going but I've been scared of overfeeding him, he hasn't had diarrhea either. The story behind this little guy is that my sister found him and tried to help him but he didn't want to eat and started to drop some weight so she decided to give him to me to see if I could do a better job since I'm pretty much home all day. He used to weigh 66 grams when she found him and now he's at 47 grams. I'm giving him 3.5 ccs of formula every 3 hours or so. He keeps on crawling out of his box during the night and I'm wondering if maybe he's just looking for more food? I only feed him once before going to bed. Let me find some pictures.

[Sofia Elizondo]

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Here are a few photos, let me see if I can find a ruler and take some more with it

[CritterMom]

Oooh. Needs more food. Dropping 20 grams isn't good. Start increasing his feeding by SMALL amounts. If he is this small he absolutely needs to be fed at least once overnight. His eyes must still be closed. If you are feeding 3.5ml, go up to 4 and see if that satisfies him. Feed him right before you go to bed and get up once overnight - I know it is a pain but losing that kind of ground is not good at all. If he was mine I would be getting up twice until he starts gaining ground.

He can't be allowed out of his box and he needs to be on supplemental heat, too. He is too young to maintain his body temp on his own.

[CritterMom]

Yup. He is spindly looking. More chow. And remember, you need to do the GRADUALLY.

He is gorgeous. I have never seen a black one from down thre!

[Sofia Elizondo]

321280

This one was very hard to take but here it is. And I also have great news, he was finally able to go potty just now, I'm so happy, I really want this little guy to make it. I thought I wasn't supposed to feed him during the night but now that I know I'll even give him his formula twice throughout the night. I think the water with honey really helped him, should I stop giving it to him now that he was able to go potty?

[Mel1959]

He can't be allowed out of his box and he needs to be on supplemental heat, too.

Supplemental heat would mean a non shut-off heating pad under 1/2 of the bin he’s in. If you have him in a cardboard box could you replace it with a plastic bin like this? https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FHefty-28-25-Gallon-Plastic-Storage-Bin-with-Latches-Blue-and-Clear%2F49660490&psig=AOvVaw1ATCuXYGB4aj89XzdsdLa-&ust=1647387587980000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAgQjRxqFwoTCKjw7pHjxvYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

You would have to drill some 1/2” holes in the lid as well as around the top of the container when he gets old enough to jump out of the bin and you have to put the lid in place. Place some soft blankets or T-shirt pieces in the bottom of the bin, then place one half of the bin on the heating pad set to low.. This will allow him to climb off the heat if he gets too warm. Cardboard boxes tend to draw moisture out of the squirrel and can lead to dehydration.

He is a beautiful squirrel. :Love_Icon :blowkiss

[Sofia Elizondo]

I just switched his box, now he won't be able to get out. And we also have a heating bottle that we keep inside his box to keep him warm, we change the water several times throughout the day

[Mel1959]

321280

This one was very hard to take but here it is. And I also have great news, he was finally able to go potty just now, I'm so happy, I really want this little guy to make it. I thought I wasn't supposed to feed him during the night but now that I know I'll even give him his formula twice throughout the night. I think the water with honey really helped him, should I stop giving it to him now that he was able to go potty?

If you are going to offer him any water do it IN BETWEEN his normal feeding times, not in place of a feeding. He needs the nutrition.

[Sofia Elizondo]

He can't be allowed out of his box and he needs to be on supplemental heat, too.

Supplemental heat would mean a non shut-off heating pad under 1/2 of the bin he’s in. If you have him in a cardboard box could you replace it with a plastic bin like this? https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FHefty-28-25-Gallon-Plastic-Storage-Bin-with-Latches-Blue-and-Clear%2F49660490&psig=AOvVaw1ATCuXYGB4aj89XzdsdLa-&ust=1647387587980000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAgQjRxqFwoTCKjw7pHjxvYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

You would have to drill some 1/2” holes in the lid as well as around the top of the container when he gets old enough to jump out of the bin and you have to put the lid in place. Place some soft blankets or T-shirt pieces in the bottom of the bin, then place one half of the bin on the heating pad set to low.. This will allow him to climb off the heat if he gets too warm. Cardboard boxes tend to draw moisture out of the squirrel and can lead to dehydration.

He is a beautiful squirrel. :Love_Icon :blowkiss

I did not know about that but thank you I will make sure to get myself one of those. I don't have a heating pad and I'm not sure if I'll be able to find one here. Do you think he needs more than just a heating bottle? Kinda of the ones you use for cramps

[Mel1959]

The problem with heated water bottles is they don’t stay warm for very long. He needs constant warmth. You could make a rice Buddy. Put some rice in a sock and tie it shut. Warm the sock with the rice inside in the microwave. Squish it around really well to be sure there are no hot spots then wrap it in a blanket or t shirt and place it near him. Make sure there are no exposed areas that could burn him and reheat it as needed.

Here’s the link to baby squirrel care. It’s a short read and only 6 pages long. https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

[CritterMom]

The problem with hot water bottles is that they cool off. Once they cool off, they will work in reverse - they pull the heat FROM his body.

He needs to be consistently warm, 24/7. I don't know what you have available there, but you need to come up with some way to accomplish that. Mama squirrel has a body temp of about 102 degrees Fahrenheit and she spends most of her time curled around the babies, and the idea is to duplicate those conditions. Not being fed through the night means that he loses any ground he made during the day. Struggling to be warm enough ALL the time means he is burning calories that he needs to grow.

Wrapping his box up with an electric blanket?

The really intensive stuff is right now - it DOES get easier when they get a little older. But this part has to be done properly for him to thrive.

[Sofia Elizondo]

Hello, I'm a bit concerned. I think he has pneumonia. I'm hearing a clicking sound when I put him close to my ear and he hasn't eaten for the last 2 feedings, he just wants to go back to bed.

[CritterMom]

Do you have ANY antibiotics? Not for pets, for humans. Ask everyone you know. Cipro, amoxicillin, anything you can find. If you can get some, list them here with the size of the pill in milligrams and we can help you if you find something that will work.

[Sofia Elizondo]

Do you have ANY antibiotics? Not for pets, for humans. Ask everyone you know. Cipro, amoxicillin, anything you can find. If you can get some, list them here with the size of the pill in milligrams and we can help you if you find something that will work.

I did not have any, I woke up several times throughout the night to see how he was doing and things did not look too good, this morning I woke up and he was gone, I don’t understand how he got better yesterday and all of the sudden he just didn’t want to eat, I did not have any time to help him out and it really breaks my heart

[CritterMom]

Oh, I am so sorry that beautiful little boy has passed. You mentioned that he had trouble with the formula at first - that can easily happen. If they accidentally inhale even a tiny amount of it, it begins to grow bacteria in the lungs which is what is called aspiration pneumonia. Especially when they are SO YOUNG they have little in the way of reserves and it doesn't take long for this to happen. Again, I am so sorry. I was really looking forward to seeing this gorgeous little boy grow up.

Put your Lactol and when you get it, your bag of Fox Valley in your FREEZER. And in the meantime, see if you can find some antibiotics. ONE pill is enough to treat a squirrel for an entire illness. Put them in a plastic bag and write the name of the pill and the strength in milligrams and stash in your refrigerator. And see if you can find something you can use to provide heat to them on a constant basis. Because it seems that once you get one squirrel, you continue to get more. We have another member from CR who got their first squirrel 12 years ago. Over the years they have ended up with many more - 6? 7? I can't remember. But after their first, they were much better able to do what needed to be done for the ones that came after.

If you get another baby, do this in this order:

1. Warm the baby up. This is your very first job. They have to be warm to even be able to digest food.
2. Hydrate the baby. Make sure the hydration fluid is warm - 103-105 F (39 to 41 C).
3. Weigh the baby.
4. Come here. We will help you with tried and true methods based on lots of experience.

Again, I am so very sorry. But mark my words - he will send you others, and if you are ready for them the outcome will be much different.

[Chirps]

Thank you so much for caring and trying to help this baby.

:grouphug