Young red squirrel, NOT eating properly...help please!!

[PickyLittleRed]

I rescued a red squirrel from an imminent dog attack about 3 weeks ago. I watched for a whole day after that because she looked sooooo tiny. She was also wobbly on her legs and looked very thin. She finally approached me and sat on my shoe and refused to move. I took her inside, and gave her some homemade hydrating solution and made sure she was warm. I started her on the goats milk formula found on Henry's site. She took well to that, so I ordered the fox valley, which she also ate well...at first. Now she absolutely fights and refuses the syringe, she will NOT eat the rodent blocks and vegetables are a no-go as well. Her fur was thin when she first came to me, but now she is almost completely hairless!!! She still has hair on her tail, but I see less hair almost daily. She also refuses to be handled anymore..But she does have time outside of her cage at least twice a day, and she loves to wrestle with my hands and her little stuffed toys. But I really don't know what to do...can someone please help Cluck???

[CritterMom]

Have you tried adding in some things to the formula to improve the flavor? I would go to the grocery and find some flavored full fat /whole milk yogurt - you want as much milkfat as you can get which is usually 2-4%. Chobani sells their little containers of regular and greek and some of them have good milkfat. Mine get their Greek coconut sometimes as a treat. I would also buy a little carton of heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Read the labels and select the one with the highest fat.

You eventually can end up with a mixture of 1 part formula powder and two parts water as usual, PLUS 1 part heavy cream and .5 to 1 part yogurt. Don't start there, though, work the cream and yogurt into the formula a little at a time, increasing the amount every couple feedings until you are at the final recipe. Going slow will help prevent tummy issues from the change and will let you catch them before they are bad.

Make sure you warm the formula up higher than you think it should be. 105-108 F anyway and I have gone higher. Mother squirrel giving milk that temp would be dying from fever - go figure; but the fact is, they like it warmer than they should. I have seen picky eaters run off with the syringe after they get a load of heavy cream and vanilla or coconut or banana yogurt!

[Shellysfriend]

Which Fox Valley formula is being used?

[Diggie's Friend]

The pattern of fur loss is typical of squirrels with mange, commonly seen at his time of the year.

Treating with Revolution (Selamectin) under 5 lb. kitten regular formula (not the plus formula variation) is a good option.

With this source, whether to reduce the dose due to being lighter in weight than a gray or fox squirrel, the rehabbers here should know.

[PickyLittleRed]

[QUOTE=Shellysfriend;1364209]Which Fox Valley formula is being used? The 20/50 day one formula is what she is getting. As I said in my post, she will NOT be handled for feeding, and she refuses the syringe in any way, shape, form or position. She would rather drink from a plastic cap that holds 12cc of formula, she emptied it twice today. Which is a vast improvement over the last few days. I put a vision blocker on the front of her cage so there is no visual contact between her and my cats. I think this may have helped her relax a bit more.

[PickyLittleRed]

Have you tried adding in some things to the formula to improve the flavor? I would go to the grocery and find some flavored full fat /whole milk yogurt - you want as much milkfat as you can get which is usually 2-4%. Chobani sells their little containers of regular and greek and some of them have good milkfat. Mine get their Greek coconut sometimes as a treat. I would also buy a little carton of heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Read the labels and select the one with the highest fat.

You eventually can end up with a mixture of 1 part formula powder and two parts water as usual, PLUS 1 part heavy cream and .5 to 1 part yogurt. Don't start there, though, work the cream and yogurt into the formula a little at a time, increasing the amount every couple feedings until you are at the final recipe. Going slow will help prevent tummy issues from the change and will let you catch them before they are bad.

Make sure you warm the formula up higher than you think it should be. 105-108 F anyway and I have gone higher. Mother squirrel giving milk that temp would be dying from fever - go figure; but the fact is, they like it warmer than they should. I have seen picky eaters run off with the syringe after they get a load of heavy cream and vanilla or coconut or banana yogurt!

I have tried yogurt, honey, raw organic coconut oil, and it didn't make any difference. As far as warming it, she used to eat the warmed formula from a syringe, but now? Nope!! She wants to drink it herself, in private, I might add. And she doesn't want it warm, I offered her warm and room temperature at the same time, she sniffed, and sipped each then went back to the room temperature. It was a pleasant 103°, so not too hot nor too cool. I have tried warmer but got a very offended look.

[Shellysfriend]

[QUOTE=Shellysfriend;1364209]Which Fox Valley formula is being used? The 20/50 day one formula is what she is getting. As I said in my post, she will NOT be handled for feeding, and she refuses the syringe in any way, shape, form or position. She would rather drink from a plastic cap that holds 12cc of formula, she emptied it twice today. Which is a vast improvement over the last few days. I put a vision blocker on the front of her cage so there is no visual contact between her and my cats. I think this may have helped her relax a bit more.
For the first maybe 6 weeks I had Irrel he ate at the kitchen table fine for every feeding. Sometime about then I could only get him to eat a couple syringes and he would get distracted. It would be 5am without any noise or anything going on but feeding time would be over. I learned when this happened to take him back to his cage and he would resume feeding just fine. It got to the point that I just fed in his cage and all went well. Location seemed to be a big help for him as it sounds like you found for your little friend.

[Stevelisa]

Some ideas ( others pipe up if don’t agree)
- her back skin looks wrinkled as if dehydrated, needs more fluids
- fresh blueberries and apple slices. our red chippy loves these when she’s thirsty.
- Henry’s picky or hazelnut blocks once in a while….theyre too picky to eat even half of one every day
- very fresh lettuce
- ripe-firm avocado
- go back to esbilac?
- small pieces of nuts with dab of calcium laced peanut butter. Whole nuts she will mostly hoard/hide it than eat it.

[Stevelisa]

I see You’re in Michigan so can probably get:
Freshly cut spruce branches which reds love to chew and eat the green needles.
Spruce cones with the scales still closed, easiest to find on the shady ground under spruce trees. By smell and instinct she will immediately know how to eat the seeds in the cones.
Mother Nature must have put their super nutrients in spruce trees just for these amazing hudsonicus :)

[PickyLittleRed]

The pattern of fur loss is typical of squirrels with mange, commonly seen at his time of the year.

Treating with Revolution (Selamectin) under 5 lb. kitten regular formula (not the plus formula variation) is a good option.

With this source, whether to reduce the dose due to being lighter in weight than a gray or fox squirrel, the rehabbers here should know.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I thought mange presented with sores, and a "thickening " of the skin in the affected areas? She has no sores, and her skin is very soft and pliable??

[PickyLittleRed]

I also wanted to know if anyone can give me an approximate age for Cluck? She tries very hard to get into a peanut shell, but she can't get through the shell. I have tried to give her a piece of pecan but like everything else that has a semi hard texture, she nips on it but it seems like all of the pieces just go popping out of her mouth.

[PickyLittleRed]

326316

[PickyLittleRed]

326316

So this is the shrapnel left from a piece of pecan, two pumpkin seeds, which, as you can see, she is unable to crack open, and a piece of raw butternut squash that she gave up on after nipping off a few pieces. I guess I'm worried because she seems to really want to eat solid food and isn't able to. Another reason why I am wondering about her age, and whether or not she isn't ready for solid food or if there is an issue that needs addressing.

[PickyLittleRed]

The pattern of fur loss is typical of squirrels with mange, commonly seen at his time of the year.

Treating with Revolution (Selamectin) under 5 lb. kitten regular formula (not the plus formula variation) is a good option.

With this source, whether to reduce the dose due to being lighter in weight than a gray or fox squirrel, the rehabbers here should know.
I looked into the Revolution, and it of course, requires a prescription, so I was wondering if Ivermectin is an acceptable alternative?

[CritterMom]

You answered that already. Hair loss with crusty, scabby skin is from mange mites. Hair loss with smooth, perfect skin is not. She doesn't need anything for mange, either ivermectin or Revolution (which can be purchased w/o prescription here: https://www.canadavetexpress.com/flea-and-tick-control-treatment/revolution-for-cats/p56.aspx ).

[CritterMom]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37313839/

We see this hairless red squirrel thing occasionally here on the board. Usually the hair all eventually grows back in and they are perfectly normal looking little squirrels. I don't know of ANYBODY knows why, simply because it is not "important" enough to be studied extensively.

I am sure that his current eating situation isn't helping much - nutrition at his stage of development is very important.

What are you using for a syringe and nipple?

[PickyLittleRed]

She isn't using a syringe or nipple, she absolutely refuses both, and will NOT be held. I have tried letting her get very hungry, but then she just gets mad and frustrated, bites the syringe/nipple, then goes to a corner to pout until I give her her cap with formula AND privacy of course.

[Stevelisa]

TSB... could her bones/teeth/body be sore, that she gives up trying to crack nut-shells, even relatively soft ones ?
Perhaps the reason that she wont be held or even to have a syringe in her mouth, if it causes her pain.

What could be an underlying cause ... is it related to lack of calcium or just nutrition in general

[Stevelisa]

Sorry CM, just read the article you posted that the hair loss condition could be related to an odd genetic cause.

[PickyLittleRed]

TSB... could her bones/teeth/body be sore, that she gives up trying to crack nut-shells, even relatively soft ones ?
Perhaps the reason that she wont be held or even to have a syringe in her mouth, if it causes her pain.

What could be an underlying cause ... is it related to lack of calcium or just nutrition in general

So, just a little more info, she has absolutely NO problem jumping, running, hanging by her back feet, hand wrestling with me, or her little stuffed toys. She is making daily progress with getting through a peanut shell, so I guess I am quietly hopeful that she is younger than I think, or she is a little slow in developing her skills. Any input is greatly appreciated and more than welcome!!