Losing my 5 week baby fast..... any help appreciated

[PLOK]

5 week baby grey is only 60.3 g / 2.13 oz. L thin, sneezes fluid from nose occasionally, dehydrated, diarrhea, bottom parts are swollen and red. Will not nurse only lick by drop. Whines occasionally. Eyes open as of 3 days ago. Bottom teeth are in. Guessing at age. Originally thought to be 3 weeks but then eyes opened. Had sister but lost that baby last night at 2 AM. Currently on heating pad from henerys pets on low. Same set up as suggested by henerys pets. Plastic container, fleece bedding layered, thermo and hydrometer. Cleaned 2x daily. Since 2 am have started DAY One Electro Stat every 2 hrs. Takes 2-3 ml.

History... Received two babies 2 weeks ago from lady who DID NOT take care of them. No heating pad and we're being fed every 7 hours. Couldn't believe they were even alive. They were thought to be 3 weeks from the time she said she had them but believe they were soo emancipated that age was wrong. Received on Aug 19. First weight was on Aug 26. Little one was 1.25 oz bigger one was 1.41 oz. Small one had problems nursing and would only lick drop by drop on tongue. Bigger would nurse. Was feeding Day One 32/40. Was feeding according to age. Aug 28 fungus appeared on both babies. More on smaller one. Squirrel board said Clotrimazole 2x day. Did that. Private parts were becoming swollen and red. Diarrhea started. Checked squirrel board. Gave one drop pepto bismol. Did nothing. Started feeding according to weight. Each baby weighed and then given 7% of formula every 3 hours. Kept thinking pepto would kick in. Nothing! 12 hours later gave 2nd dose 1 drop pepto bismol to each baby.
Took off formula put on Fox Valley Electro Stat to rehydrate. Smallest baby having problems staying warm. Kept getting colder and colder even on heating pad. Stopped even licking fluid. Died at 2:00 am. Larger baby.. named "Thyme" is struggling. Staying warm but still diarrhea and dehydrated. Losing weight. Sometimes sneezes fluid from nose. Am feeding drop wait then drop on tongue. So slow! Position is correct head level a bit down with nipple lower. As Henerys Pets shows. Heating pad on. Currently 40% humidity and 112°F (at warmest point) in bedding area. Has been on 1 top Electro Stat to 3 oz water since 2:00 am. Gets about 3 ml per 1-2 hours. As of this minute 2.08 oz in weight (58.9 g)

I'm at a loss as to what else to do. Please help me. I can't lose this baby as well. I already love her so much. I will do anything it takes!

Desperate and scared....327872

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10:28 am 8/2/24 Until I hear from someone am going to up Electro Stat to every 30 minutes even if it's a couple of drops. Will try to keep warm but she seems like she's not retaining heat quite as well as she was. She does not want the fluids but will still try. Scared to give more pepto bismol until advised. Diarrhea is really bad. Haven't seen her pee all night. Only water poo.. She cries and whines.

[Spanky]

Continue with hydration, but don't give electrostat for more than 24 hours. After that if hydration is needed use plain water or water with just a bit of honey or sugar to entice her.

No formula until and unless she gets hydrated, then we'll start with some diluted formula and ease back onto full strength.

DiaStat is terrific in these situations... dehydration, emaciated and diarrhea. I don't know if you have any or can get some, but posting just in case and for future readers.

What formula has she been being fed?

Hold her to your ear and listen for a persistent clicking sounds when she breaths. If present, she may have Aspiration Pneumonia (AP) and antibiotics are her only hope. Check the cabinets, ask family, neighbors and friends. If you find anything, post it and someone will advise if it will work against AP. Augmentin, Clavamox, Cipro, Baytril are some of the more common meds that will treat AP.

All squirrels click at times, especially after eating / drinking. Clicking in their sleep is a sure sign.... it is like hiccups, they cannot not click if they are breathing.

Are you able to SQ fluids? Thought I would ask just in case.

[PLOK]

Thank you so much for replying. My little Thyme is getting very cold and I believe she is taking her last breathes. She will probably be gone in a few minutes I am in tears and my heart is broke. I need to know what I did wrong. Can someone please let me know. I have had a 3 day old baby grey before and had her for 7 years. What happened here. Please so I can prevent this from ever happening again.

[Charley Chuckles]

🙏🙏🙏
It's possible they were too compromised before you got them.
Sending many prayers 🙏

[PLOK]

Thank you for your kind words and prayers.

[Charley Chuckles]

Thank you for your kind words and prayers.

How's it going 🙏

[PLOK]

Buried my babies together in my flower garden. I have cried so many tears my face is burning and swollen. It's crazy how fast and how much love you can have for these babies in only 2 weeks. They steal your heart and never let go.

Thank you so much for caring. It truly does help my heart.

Smiles to you Charley Chuckles

[Chirps]

Hello, PLOK. I don't know if you will see this, but just wanted to thank you for trying so hard for those babies. So sorry for your pain. They do have that power to take our hearts. Your babies appreciate you!

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Oh PLOK, I'm so sorry for the loss of your Baby Squirrels! You truly did all that you could and you did it well! I believe these Little Ones were already packing for their scampers over the Rainbow Bridge when you received them! They were most likely profoundly dehydrated with high concentrations of electrolytes such as Sodium and chloride and both the dehydration and high levels of electrolytes can result in very serious problems that often cannot be overcome! Further, these babies were significantly undernourished when your received them and these conditions makes a successful intervention beyond difficult and I would say, impossible! Even taking care of a profoundly dehydrated human with electrolyte abnormalities and worse yet, undernutrition is extremely dicey even in an intensive care unit where frequent laboratory testing, intravenous fluid administration, specialized nutritional support provided directly into the stomach along with constant monitoring of a multitude of parameters such as neurologic and cardiovascular status just to name a few are always available! And even with all of that; survival is far from a certainty and people pass from the same problems your little Squirrels passed from even with the best of technology and human expertise!

I truly believe that it would have been a miracle for your Baby Squirrels to have survived and as Rehabbers; we do see miracles of recovery or improvement but these miracles can neither be expected nor foreseen because of course; they are miracles! But PLOK, there is another side to miracles in Rehabbing and that is the side your Squirrels saw and from that vantage point; these Little Ones did indeed experience a miracle! This was the miracle that you made happen for them; where a creature could come out of an impersonal, uncaring and dangerous system of the wild and be with you to experience the rarest of miracles any wild animal could ever receive that is to experience the warmth, caring, and Love that you so unselfishly bestowed upon them at a time when all that could be hoped for them was to be safe and become comfortable and eventually pass in peace over the Bridge and into their Forever Trees! They were thinking of your love this entire time and will do so forever! You will also have their memories and their love for you in your heart forever!

One of our most common responses as caring, compassionate and loving people is to blame ourselves for sad or tragic outcomes and I believe the reasons for this are twofold; one is convenience because we are always right there and an easy focus and the other is to get some sort of closure even if it means causing us added grief and suffering! It's human nature, at least for compassionate and loving humans as you so obviously are, but PLEASE don't continue to cast any blame and more suffering upon yourself! The grieving process is normal and hurts enough without further self-inflicted and undeserved suffering! Let your normal grief lead to its eventual goal and that is peace and understanding for you, PLOK! You did nothing wrong plus you gave these poor Squirrels your love, and you provided them care, warmth, and nutrition! None of us could not have done more than you did!

RIP Two Little Squirrels!

I wish Peace for you, PLOK!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Charley Chuckles]

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