switching to goats milk from Lactol questions

[noobsquirell]

Hi guys,

I have a suspected 2 week old baby squirrel in my care and I've seen a lot of people saying puppymilk (Lactol is what I have) isn't the best for them so I'm thinking of changing to goats milk.
No real problems, until today when we had a quite runny stool.

I have a few questions though:

- Do I need to ease it into the new formula? Say, 25% formula 75% sugar water/Pedialyte water? then 50 % > 75% > 100%?

- Should I use the whipping cream and yoghurt or will just the goats milk powder formula be ok?

Thanks a lot for any advice, I just want to do the best for this little thing.

[Spanky]

Never mix hydration fluid / pedialyte with formula... if the baby needs hydration, give that separately. And a dehydrated baby needs to be hydrated before feeding formula... feeding formula to a dehydrated squirrel is more harm than good.

Here is the goat's milk recipe:
3 parts goats milk, 1 part heavy cream, 1 part full fat yogurt.

If you are starting with the powdered goat's milk, mix that into a liquid per the instructions and use that in the above formula.

I'd not want to continue the Lactol at all... I would give hydration fluid for 3 - 4 feedings that maybe start a diluted formula (so 50% of the recipe and 50% additional water) for a feeding or three, then bump that up to 75% / 25% for a few feedings before going to full strength.

In the UK, the Royale Canin puppy milk replacer is the go to formula for squirrels.

[noobsquirell]

Never mix hydration fluid / pedialyte with formula... if the baby needs hydration, give that separately. And a dehydrated baby needs to be hydrated before feeding formula... feeding formula to a dehydrated squirrel is more harm than good.

Here is the goat's milk recipe:
3 parts goats milk, 1 part heavy cream, 1 part full fat yogurt.

If you are starting with the powdered goat's milk, mix that into a liquid per the instructions and use that in the above formula.

I'd not want to continue the Lactol at all... I would give hydration fluid for 3 - 4 feedings that maybe start a diluted formula (so 50% of the recipe and 50% additional water) for a feeding or three, then bump that up to 75% / 25% for a few feedings before going to full strength.

In the UK, the Royale Canin puppy milk replacer is the go to formula for squirrels.


Thank you for your reply! I stopped with the hydration fluid/lactol mix a few days ago and just used sugar water to mix. I have pinched the skin and it doesn't seem dehydrated but I will give the hydration fluid for a few feeding and move onto the goats milk 50% recipe and just plain water dilution.

The squirrel doesn't seem skinny and is very wriggly.

I have got Kendamil Goat First Infant Milk so I will use that until I can get some royale Canin puppy milk replacer.

It's stools are light yellow and not completely loose but abit mushy...

[noobsquirell]

Thank you for your reply! I stopped with the hydration fluid/lactol mix a few days ago and just used sugar water to mix. I have pinched the skin and it doesn't seem dehydrated but I will give the hydration fluid for a few feeding and move onto the goats milk 50% recipe and just plain water dilution.

The squirrel doesn't seem skinny and is very wriggly.

I have got Kendamil Goat First Infant Milk so I will use that until I can get some royale Canin puppy milk replacer.

It's stools are light yellow and not completely loose but abit mushy...

P.S. when I say mushy.. they still hold there form in water, so they have some density to them.

[noobsquirell]

Never mix hydration fluid / pedialyte with formula... if the baby needs hydration, give that separately. And a dehydrated baby needs to be hydrated before feeding formula... feeding formula to a dehydrated squirrel is more harm than good.

Here is the goat's milk recipe:
3 parts goats milk, 1 part heavy cream, 1 part full fat yogurt.

If you are starting with the powdered goat's milk, mix that into a liquid per the instructions and use that in the above formula.

I'd not want to continue the Lactol at all... I would give hydration fluid for 3 - 4 feedings that maybe start a diluted formula (so 50% of the recipe and 50% additional water) for a feeding or three, then bump that up to 75% / 25% for a few feedings before going to full strength.

In the UK, the Royale Canin puppy milk replacer is the go to formula for squirrels.


P.S. when I say mushy.. they still hold there form in water, so they have some density to them.

I have just ordered some royale canin puppy milk, it will arrive tomorrow hopefully, and just going to the shops now to get yoghurt and heavy cream so I can make the goats recipe which I will use for a few days and then ease onto the royale canin.

Newt (the squirell) has just had a light yellow poop as described before and some hydration fluid which I will give for another 1-2 feeds.

Thanks again for the help its GREATLY appreciated, I have hardly slept since the 18th when I started caring for it and stress levels are through the roof. It is a mine field of misinformation on the internet regarding this topic and I'm just grateful it is still putting on weight and growing so I must be doing some things correctly? It was a cold pinky when I found it and now its grey with inital fuzz all over.

[noobsquirell]

Never mix hydration fluid / pedialyte with formula... if the baby needs hydration, give that separately. And a dehydrated baby needs to be hydrated before feeding formula... feeding formula to a dehydrated squirrel is more harm than good.

Here is the goat's milk recipe:
3 parts goats milk, 1 part heavy cream, 1 part full fat yogurt.

If you are starting with the powdered goat's milk, mix that into a liquid per the instructions and use that in the above formula.

I'd not want to continue the Lactol at all... I would give hydration fluid for 3 - 4 feedings that maybe start a diluted formula (so 50% of the recipe and 50% additional water) for a feeding or three, then bump that up to 75% / 25% for a few feedings before going to full strength.

In the UK, the Royale Canin puppy milk replacer is the go to formula for squirrels.


So after 4 hydration fluid feedings, it refused to drink the new formula. It seemed to take the lactol much easier for some reason.

100ml of goat milk formula mixed per label instructions at lowest concentration, then 33ml of yoghurt and 33ml heavy cream, which was then diluted with 50% water so about 300ml+ made all together. I made sure the milk was warm but not too warm using the back of my hand. I really hope it drinks in the morning otherwise I'm stuck till the royale canin arrives 😔😔

[noobsquirell]

Never mix hydration fluid / pedialyte with formula... if the baby needs hydration, give that separately. And a dehydrated baby needs to be hydrated before feeding formula... feeding formula to a dehydrated squirrel is more harm than good.

Here is the goat's milk recipe:
3 parts goats milk, 1 part heavy cream, 1 part full fat yogurt.

If you are starting with the powdered goat's milk, mix that into a liquid per the instructions and use that in the above formula.

I'd not want to continue the Lactol at all... I would give hydration fluid for 3 - 4 feedings that maybe start a diluted formula (so 50% of the recipe and 50% additional water) for a feeding or three, then bump that up to 75% / 25% for a few feedings before going to full strength.

In the UK, the Royale Canin puppy milk replacer is the go to formula for squirrels.

Still refusing to drink new formula this morning, and even refusing hydration fluid now. Sadly I think this little guy is on its way out, I'm completely stuck and have no idea what to do

[island rehabber]

Many babies like their formula hot. Try warming it to 98-100*, the temp of their mamma"s body. Luke warm does not register as "food" to them. See if he will take it hotter..and here's my mantra: never believe when a baby squirrel says no! Wrap him in some warm fleece and introduce the nipple drop by drop. They can go from "no way" to "oh, yum!!" in seconds.