help me

[knives17]

I've just attained two baby squirrels. from what i've read they are about 5-7 weeks old. A halk flew by and ripped they're nest out of a tree taking two with him, he dropped the nest and the others which i now have. i left them by the tree all warm just as i've been told but the mother never came. Now i'm stuck with them. i have a few questions.

what do i feed them aside from similac puppy formula?

how much formula do i feed them and how often?

i have their whole nest, do they need a blanket too?

are they old enough for water? and

will a ferret cage do?


please please answer asap i'm lost and i don't want to lose them.

[Jackie in Tampa]

thanks for helping them!
A rehabber will be on soon to help you, can you post a picture of them?
How long ago did you find them?
We recomend ESBILAC PUPPY REPLACER MILK, it is closest to mothers milk. You can find it at a tractor supply store, a pet store, feed store and some vets. You will also need a 1cc or 1mm syringe for feeding.
Did you ever see their mother, or was she taken also?
I am asking alot of questions so that the rehabbers will have your info....
If they are 5-7 weeks, they will be fully furred and eyes open, will have both bottom and top teeth. Do you see any injuries?
Yes they need to be in a t shirt, not a towel.
Someone will be on shortly.

[digiandchipper]

So sorry to hear about the hawk situation - it may have gotten the mommy. That is what happened to my babies, too.

I think even at 5 wks, the babies need to be warm (especially after such an upsetting day). You must put them in a container that they can't get out of. If you don't have a cage or a large pet carrier, do you have a large plastic bin? Do you have a heating pad? If so, it should go UNDER the container, only on one side, so if the babies get too warm, they can crawl to a cool spot.

You should also check to see if they are dehydrated by pinching the skin between their shoulder blades; if it 'tents' they will need pediatlyte. You can't give similac, I don't think, only ESBILAC puppy milk replacer or JUST BORN. If you don't have a pet store near, WalMart sells the JUST BORN. You can feed with a syringe. You can also offer fresh veggies at this age. But you must check to see if they are dehydrated first and make sure they are warm.

Are they hurt at all?

[digiandchipper]

Jackie, you are faster than me!!!

[Jackie in Tampa]

I am going to try to post a link to our forum ABCs of Baby sqs...
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56
This should help you, alot of good info. Read all 3 purple articles.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Yes a clean ferret cage will work nicely.
Yes as Digiandchipper suggested, warmth, do not feed a cold baby. Do the hydration test first....
Homemade pedialyte or store bought is what you can feed them until you can get ESBILAC in the morning.
I willbe back with the recipe for homemade.

[bacranford]

Knives,
Belle's Pet Alley, Puppies & More, and Tractor Supply in Lake City all sell Esbilac. I do not know whether Ralph's in Live Oak carries it or not. I am on the Suwannee/Hamilton County line if you need help.

[Jackie in Tampa]

1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 qt water
mix and store in refridgerator

Store bought is also fine, any flavor. Store bought usually has a 3 dat shelf life. No gatoraide.

[knives17]

thanks for all the help guys. i've only had them for maybe five hours i tried the pedialyte(sorry terrible speller) and they took alittle. i decided not to give them the puppy formula yet because it seems to have gone rancid. yes i am using a syringe (no needle). i try to hold their head up so it doesn't get in their lungs. you said i need a heating pad and a t shirt. i'll do that and they can't get out of the cage i made sure. one is barking is that okay?

[bacranford]

One of mine would bark at me while eating and even grumbled in his sleep. I can only imagine what it all meant in squirrel. They are missing mom and still scared....it is completely normal. After you can get some fluids into them, put them in a dark, quiet place. They will settle down. This is as new to them as it is to you!

I am still new at this also. You have come to the right place for help.

[digiandchipper]

If you don't have a heating pad tonight, you can use a sock with some beans or rice - minute rice is fine, too - inside; you microwave this 'sock buddy' and put in with their bedding. This will stay warm for several hours. It may take several feedings for them to adjust to the syringe (instead of mom) and they should only have the pedialyte for 24 hrs or less. If they are not dehydrated you can start on formula in the morning.....do you have any fresh veggies you can put in the cage?

Oh yes, is the 'barking' accompanied by tail twitching? Could mean they see you as a danger right now.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Were you able to figure out an age?
and if they are hydrated?
sounds like you are doing good.
Should we try to find a rehabber to take them for you?
We have members very close to you.

barking, they should be sleepy time...
If they are warm and have been fed...place a cover over them and keep them in a dark quiet place, safe from other animals/pets.

[skye]

Hello and

[JudyB]

knives17!

It is wonderful that you are taking the time to learn the proper care for your 2 babies

Learn all that you can and please follow the advice from the wonderful people here and your babies should be alright (you too )

Please keep us posted with your progress

[knives17]

i have done all that has been said. i put some fresh veggies in their cage. yes one is injured. i'm hoping he's okay but the nest was dropped from somewhere around 30 ft. he's being active but he had a nosebleed and around his private area is turning purple. the other one is doing fine he had a nosebleed too back when i first found him but it quit after a minute or two. no i don't think i need a rehab center for them yet. me and my mom are pretty used to taking in orphan animals. though the smallest we ever had was a field mouse. will you please give me the name of a nearby center anyway, just in case? also, i have put pine shavings in the cage as bedding is that alright?

[knives17]

oh yeah and thanks for the warm welcome.

[Jackie in Tampa]

No Pine Shavings. ..too dusty and a choking hazard. A tshirt will be best or fleece.
The bruising has me concerned. Ill ck back in the morning.
Sounds like you and your mom will be fine for now...thank you for taking them in.

[digiandchipper]

The one that is injured: have you seen him 'use the bathroom' and is it clear? Has his nose stopped bleeding - you can try to check the teeth, sometimes when they fall the teeth will cause some bleeding....does he seem to be moving fine? Is he the one that was barking? Did he seem in pain when you handled him? And have you tried to feed them again or are they sleeping?

As for bedding, I don't think pine is good. Be sure you've provided a large tshirt or something else soft they can snuggle in. Did you get a heating pad under everything or at least the 'rice buddy'? Covering the cage over the sleeping area might make them feel more protected, as well.

In the morning (often as early as 6am) more folks will be on the board, many of them rehabbers. Some of them will have the list of locals in your area that can help.

As I believe JackieinTampa said, if they are fed and warm, cover their cage and put them in a quiet area away from activity and they should be okay until morning.

[digiandchipper]

ooops, sorry, Jackie! I seem to be tripping over your replies! Glad you saw the last post and are checking back tomorrow. Will be glad to see updates in the morning. Good luck, knives17 and goodnight to the new little ones

[knives17]

no Jasper (the injured one) wasn't the one barking that was Evanrude. Jasper is moving well,...great! he's everywhere and so is his brother. My heating pad is unavailable at his time as is my own personal rice buddy i made when i had oral surgery. But i have them wrapped up and well buddled in a T-shird and their nest. will that be okay until morning when i can steal my rice buddy back from my brother? also they are sleeping right now. I'll remove the pine chips first thing when they are fed again in the morning. how often do you feed them (i want to make sure i got this right) and how much. Sun for an hour a day or they get a vitamin D deficiancy? So much to learn!!!


Boy i ask alot of questions. but thanks for putting up with me. i'm taking notes. thanks again and goodnight