New squirrel caregiver , just looking for any tips or advice.

[Neesee]

Hello. I’m new to baby squirrel care. I’ve always had other animals and pets. Dogs , cats , chickens, horses , bunnies and bearded dragons. On July 21st my mother in laws cat brought up a baby squirrel. We tried to place him back in the general vicinity in a box with a warm “ rice sock buddy “ and played baby squirrel cries on a speaker. We left him out there for over 6 hours but the mother never returned. I’ve also called rehabilitation centers and no one has been able to accept him. So, I’m caring for him and have really enjoyed and grown quite attached to the little guy. I have him on the milk replacement for puppies , and pedialite. His eyes are still closed his ears were closed and close to his head when I got him the ears are now not “ stuck “ to his head anymore , he weighed 53 grams when I got him he’s now at 61 grams so he is thriving. He drinks 5 to 7 cc milk every 3 to 4 hours and 2 to 4 cc of pedialite once a day. I know I have stimulate him to have bowel movements and urinate. When I first started caring for him it took 4 feedings before he urinated but now he goes before and after each feeding. He had good bowel movements each feeding as well. I “ Groom” him with a warm w-tip after each feeding as well. He’s in a good size hatbox with a heating pad on half the bottom. I came across this group while searching for videos on squirrel care. My family and I have came to love the little guy , we’ve named him Tate , we call him Tater. ❤️ Any tips , advice and tricks would be appreciated.

[Spanky]

I would discontinue the Pedialyte, since it is for humans it has more salts than we should really give squirrels. If he needs hydration, give him just plain water... you can add just a touch of molasses, honey, syrup or sugar (in order of preference) if that is need to get him interested in taking the water.

All puppy milk replacer is not the same, if you are not using the powdered Esbilac I cannot emphasize enough the importance is using the correct formula...

Here is a 6 page long primer on baby squirrel care, covers most of the basic information.
https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

I am attaching a cheat sheet for feeding amounts and feeding frequencies to help.

If you have any questions at all after reviewing these items, let us know!

:Welcome to TSB!

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[Neesee]

I would discontinue the Pedialyte, since it is for humans it has more salts than we should really give squirrels. If he needs hydration, give him just plain water... you can add just a touch of molasses, honey, syrup or sugar (in order of preference) if that is need to get him interested in taking the water.

All puppy milk replacer is not the same, if you are not using the powdered Esbilac I cannot emphasize enough the importance is using the correct formula...

Here is a 6 page long primer on baby squirrel care, covers most of the basic information.
https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

I am attaching a cheat sheet for feeding amounts and feeding frequencies to help.

If you have any questions at all after reviewing these items, let us know!

:Welcome to TSB!

325497
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325499
Thank you 😊

[Neesee]

I would discontinue the Pedialyte, since it is for humans it has more salts than we should really give squirrels. If he needs hydration, give him just plain water... you can add just a touch of molasses, honey, syrup or sugar (in order of preference) if that is need to get him interested in taking the water.

All puppy milk replacer is not the same, if you are not using the powdered Esbilac I cannot emphasize enough the importance is using the correct formula...

Here is a 6 page long primer on baby squirrel care, covers most of the basic information.
https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

I am attaching a cheat sheet for feeding amounts and feeding frequencies to help.

If you have any questions at all after reviewing these items, let us know!

:Welcome to TSB!

325497
325498
325499

I’m doing most, if not all of these things that are on the list. I have however been using the liquid esbilac puppy replacement milk. I froze it in a ice tray so it didn’t spoil and just thaw out a cube a day. But after reading your suggestions I just placed an order for the powder that will be delivered Thursday ( tomorrow is Wednesday) I appreciate your advice and knowledge on this subject.

[Tashahaven]

Please try to go out and get the powdered esbilac asap. The liquid WILL cause diarrhea and you will be fighting diarrhea AND dehydration until you switch. So it’s important to switch as soon as possible!

[Tashahaven]

Now that you have the powdered esbilac how are things going? Has the diarrhea stopped? How is hydration and weight gain?

[Neesee]

Hello. Tater is doing well. He never had diarrhea , he is gaining weight and his eyes opened yesterday. I did switch to the powder Esbilac and he didn’t have a bowel movement for a day ( just a tiny tiny amount) so I went with the 3to 1 ratio and that fixed it. He’s back to regular mix 2to 1 , he’s urinating and defecating after every feeding.His urine is back to normal ( had a horrible odor, cleared up after round of antibiotics from vet ) no smell at all now. He’s growing stronger and more confident every day. He weighed 83 grams yesterday. I’ve read a lot of the advice on here and I just want to say a huge Thank you, to all of you. This site has been very informative and so helpful. I do have a few questions, when can I stop stimulating urination /bowel movements? When should I move him into a cage ( I bought one off Amazon, it’s 5 feet tall 3 feet wide , reviews says it works well for squirrels of all ages, I had him in a hat box but moved him into a storage container for more space). And is there too much handling? I want him to be very familiar and comfortable with me. I probably look like a lunatic 😂 , but I actually put on a sports bra over my clothes and let him nestle there on my chest. He seems to love it. As always I’m open to any and all advice!!

[Neesee]

Also, what exactly should a “ healthy poop” be like ? His has always been darkish orange , with the consistency of pudding. It comes out in one “ line “ it’s not too loose or too hard. It looks normal to me , then I read another commenter describing” toothpaste consistency “ and that seemed to not be a great thing in the context of that post , so it dawned on me. Idk what squirrel poops should look like. Taters has always remained pretty consistent in color , amount and texture for the 19 days I’ve had him.

[Spanky]

When should I move him into a cage ( I bought one off Amazon, it’s 5 feet tall 3 feet wide , reviews says it works well for squirrels of all ages, I had him in a hat box but moved him into a storage container for more space). And is there too much handling? I want him to be very familiar and comfortable with me. I probably look like a lunatic 😂 , but I actually put on a sports bra over my clothes and let him nestle there on my chest. He seems to love it. As always I’m open to any and all advice!!

Depends on the cage and if you can close off a part... like the top or bottom.. for when they are younger. A 5 foot tall cage it too large for a squirrel until they are about 8 weeks of age.

Are you intentions to keep him as a pet or release him? If a pet, I suggest you read up on squirrels as pets... most don't make good pets, usually tolerate only 1 human and will attack other people. Sometimes they'll attack the primary person after they mature.... know what you are getting into and weigh release versus captive.


Also, what exactly should a “ healthy poop” be like ? His has always been darkish orange , with the consistency of pudding. It comes out in one “ line “ it’s not too loose or too hard. It looks normal to me , then I read another commenter describing” toothpaste consistency “ and that seemed to not be a great thing in the context of that post , so it dawned on me. Idk what squirrel poops should look like. Taters has always remained pretty consistent in color , amount and texture for the 19 days I’ve had him.

Toothpaste is not good.. best way to ask this question is to post pics (I know, gross) of his poop and get feedback.

Make sure to store the opened Esbilac powder in the freezer, minimally the fridge. Despite what the label says, it will quickly go rancid at room temps...