Feeding Question

[aurora42245]

Im new to the forum but very glad I found it. First I am going to give you a little bit of background on me. I live in Massachusetts and my boyfriend and his father own a tree service. Last summer they brought home two baby grey squirrels who's mother was accidentally killed while they were removing a tree. I unfortunately I lost one but was able to release the other.

About a week ago my boyfriend brought home 3 more babies who's mother was again killed. These little guys are just a few weeks old. They are now just starting to get there teeth in and there eyes arnt open yet.

I have called a few rehabilitators in the area to see what I should do. I know that I will be getting a lot more of these little guys so I didnt want to give up just yet. They were eating good and going to the bathroom and from what I understood I was doing a good job. They were warm and and hydrated so I thought I had everything covered.

I still have my doubts. I am afraid these guys arnt gaining enough weight, to me I feel like they are on the thinner side even though I am feeding them Every 3 hours even through the night. I am feeding them Pedialyte and Esbilac and try to make them go to the bathroom. Everything was going well until about a day ago. I noticed that they are having a hard time to go number 2. Its like they have a hard time to go, almost like its to hard, but then at the same time when they do go it at times can be a little to soft and then other times its normal . I am new to this but to me I feel like they should go each time I feed them... Is that correct? I was told by one of the rehabilitators that if they were to get diarrhea to feed less milk and more pedialyte. Which I am doing. But I am afraid that because of my lack of experience and them being as little as they are that I am not doing things right.

Can anyone tell me what I should do for the poo part. I have read about bloat and it does not look to me that they have that. It just seems they are a little constipated. Please give me any suggecstions you can think of! Thanks guys I really appreciate it. I dont want my mistake to cost them! :thinking

[4skwerlz]

Are you feeding Pedialyte and Esbilac mixed, or separately?

How much are you feeding each time?

Do they have a heating pad under their cage/box?

[thundersquirrel]

in addition to those questions ^

how many parts esbilac to parts water do you mix the formula?

Basic Info You May Not Know:

babies at that age need a constant heat source
NEVER feed a cold baby
avoid feeding a dehydrated baby
they must be stimulated manually to go to the bathroom
they like almost-hot formula

do you have a gram scale? if so, how many decimal places does it go to?

if you don't have a gram scale, you should get one (good investment if you think more babies will come). they can be found in kitchen supply stores/departments.

[Gabe]

This is a little off topic but thought for future reference it may help especially with the line of business your boyfriend is in.
Unless you actually see a dead mother leave the babies and try to reunite them with her. She will be back and take them to her back up nest. Most often they really do not need to be "saved" by us.:)

[aurora42245]

Wow THANK YOU for all the responses. I do have a heating pad underthem. Unfortunately its one that shuts off every 2 hours. But by the time they are anywhere near cooled off, its turned back on because its time for them to eat again. Does anyone know where I can get one that doesn't shut off??

As far as feeding, I was told by one of the rehabilitators to mix the pedialyte and the Esbilac together Is this ok? Bare with me here guys. I'm new, try not to tear into me if I am doing everything completly wrong, I just want these little guys to be ok and all the information that I can get will be greatly appreciated and used!!!

Last year when I had the babys they were not this small at all, there eyes were open and they didnt have much longer until they were ready to go on there own. I figured that instead of buying a big powder can or a new can every few days I would take 2 syringes full of the milk and put it into and ice cube tray. So for each square there was 2 syringes of liquid in it. Then when it came time to feed them I could crack one out, put alittle pedialyte in it and add water then put it in the microwave for 20 seconds or until it was warm (not to hot so it wouldnt burn there little mouth). I wasnt too sure of exact measurements to feed them so I figured less is propbably better so that I would not over feed them. I am doing this now as well. But I am going to go get the powder now instead of the canned milk I was told by a rehabilitator that powder is better then canned. Do you as well think so and what are the measurements I should be using with this stuff when I get it tonight?

I have 2 if the little ML suringes and feed each 1 and a half to 2 syringes full depending on how they look once they fully eat one. (If they were still really looking for more i would give them a little. I Wasnt to sure about that either, I figured it is a little safer to not over feed them. BUT I DONT WANT TO STARVE THEM EITHER so if that is wrong PLEASE TELL ME!!)

Once they are each done eating I take a q-tip or paper towl and get it wet with warm water and make them go to the bathroom. Almost Everytime they go number 1 but it seems they dont go number 2 so often.

I do not have a gram scale although I do at work. I am going out tonight to get the powder milk so I will look for one of those as well. But I will take the one here home just incase I cannot find one tonight.

As far as the mom being dead... I definitely know she was.. the first time he cut in the tree and accidentally got her as well... there was a hollow hole on the middle of it. And this last one they cut the branch and the babys in the nest were ok at the bottom but unfortunately the limb that they cut fell on top of her. I feel so bad. My boyfriend felt horrible so he took them home. Usually if they see the nest before they cut the tree down they take it and move it to the side for the mom. But the last few times they were not expecting it and didnt see it until it was to late:shakehead . Trust me, I havent been doing this long but they are a lot of work and I would rather them be with there mom as to the fact that they are wild animals not pets and by no means am I planning on making them into pets! We live in the woods with a lot of surrounding trees so they will be in a good area away from cars. I give everyone here a lot of credit!

Thank you guys again for being patient with me I am very eager to learn anything that anyone has to say! Let me know what you think I can change to fix things for the better! (Besides my spelling :-D I know that one! lol):D

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

To answer your question about the heating pad, it is a problem these days with the auto shut off. I buy the older style on Ebay.

You can do the pinch test to determine how dehydrated babies are. Just pinch the skin on the back of the neck. If it remains tented, they are dehydrated. Do they look dehydrated? You've had them a week on Pedialyte, so they are probably in good shape. You can discontinue giving the babies extra rehydration once they are passing the tent test, and their hair begins to emerge. You didn't mention how old your litter is, but given the time of year, they probably have fur.

Regarding diluting formula, I ease new babies into new formula so it doesn't upset their tummies. I just dulute the Esbilac moreseo, but I usually don't use Pedialyte for this. I just use more water. I gradually back off of the dilution until it is full strength (2 parts water to 1 part powder). You can also add 1 part Multimilk (preferred), or heavy whipping cream (1 part) which will add fat calories, similar to what they'd get from Mom. If you've already hydrated them, and they pass the above mentioned tests, then don't dilute their formula as it deprives them of calories.

A gram scale will truly assist in judging how much to feed. Weigh an empty syrenge, then weigh a full syrenge and determine how many grams the formula weighs. You want to feed baby 5% of it's body weight. Overfeeding can cause diarrhea, however, Mom doesn't cut them off if they want a little more, if you know what I mean. So use your judgement, and monitor how they do.

[muffinsquirrel]

Sounds like you are doing a good job with your babies. I got a heating pad without the automatic turn-off at WalMart - just be sure to read the box and make sure that is the one you get. I also got my gram scale at Walmart in the kitchen section. (As mad as I get at that store sometimes, it sure is convenient!)

Good luck with them. You'll find all the help you will need from the nice and knowledgable people on here!

muffinsquirrel

[aurora42245]

Thank you soo much! I feel so much better! It is unbelievable all the information I have retained about the little furry guys in the past week and a half. They are very small. When I first got them they barely had fur. Now they are getting a little fuzzier. Before you could still see there little skin threw there fur and now you cant. I just cant wait till there little eyes open. My mom lives right around the corner from me so when I am at work during the day she goes over and feeds them there lunch time meal and another snack before I am home at 5.

Thank you for the information on not mixing the milk and pedialyte together! Maybe thats been the problem all along. I at first was doing it all seperately but when I talked to her she said to mix it so I figured she knew best... Ill have to go back to the other way and see what happens.

These little guys are deffinately a blessing. My mom is scared to death of anthing that resembles a rat or mouse and she just adores these guys. I have a feeling when we let them out in the spring she will still be comming over to sneek them snacks outside.

Did I mention my boyfriend gets up at 2 to feed them at night. Thank god for him, it give me a brake. These guys have all they love they need... its just all very inexperienced. But with your help and all the stuff I have been reading. I think things will work out just fine!

I want to thank you guys again!! If you can think of anything else I might need to know Please let me know!

[thundersquirrel]

you're SO welcome for all the help! that's what we're here for! ;)

one thing- when their eyes finally do open, i think you can stop the 2 AM feeding. just feed them before you go to bed, and right when you wake up in the morning. so it shouldn't be that much longer that he needs to wake up like that. :D

another thing- gabe has a major point, there. mothers love their babies SO much, and squirrel mothers will frantically search for their babies for hours after they lose them; even if their tree has been cut down!

so in the future, if you find more babies, we can advise you on reuniting methods, unless you know that mom is dead for sure. reuniting does work often, sometimes it doesn't, but it's always worth a try! :thumbsup

thank you for caring so much about these squirrels. you sound like a good mommy, and we can help you be a great mommy! :Love_Icon