SHORTCUT METHOD OF FLUID CALCULATION

[island rehabber]

Use this shortcut method to re-hydrate baby squirrels upon intake, over a period of THREE DAYS. This has proven to be the most effective method for rehydration and success in saving a dehydrated animal's life.


DAY 1 - Give 3.3% of the baby squirrel's body weight, 3 times in the first 24 hours

Day 2 - Give 2.5% of the baby squirrel's body weight, 3 times per day

Day 3 - Give 2.5% of the baby squirrel's body weight, 3 times per day

Example for a 100gram baby:
Day 1 - 100g x .033 = 3.3ml x 3 = 9.9ml total/day
Days 2 and 3 - 100g x .025 = 2.5 ml x 3 = 7.5ml total/day

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Original (Traditional) Method of Fluid Calculation

M = Maintenance fluids R = Replacement fluids

Replacement fluids are to be divided over 3 days.....
Day 1: 50%, Days 2 and 3: 25%

For a 100g baby squirrel:

R fluids = 10% of 100g = 10ml (divided over 3 days)
50% of 10ml = 5ml; 25% of 10ml = 2.5ml

M fluids = 5% of 100g = 5ml

Day 1: R 5ml + M 5ml = 10ml (divided into 3 times per day)
Day 2: R 2.5ml + M 5ml = 7.5ml (divided into 3 times per day)
Day 3: R 2.5ml + M 5ml = 7.5ml (divided into 3 times per day)

[RobinTN]

Does the replacement fluid change from day one to days two & three? As in Pedialyte or the homemade version for the first 24 hours, then a sugar/water solution for the next 48 hours?

[Milo's Mom]

Does the replacement fluid change from day one to days two & three? As in Pedialyte or the homemade version for the first 24 hours, then a sugar/water solution for the next 48 hours?

My understanding is no, it does not change.

[LaurelLynn]

Does this apply to SQ or only oral?

[Kristi S]

I've been doing a bunch of reading about treatment of dehydration over the past couple weeks, and have a few things to add. If anyone has suggestions or corrections, please post! This is based on mammalian biology and (others') experience with humans, not experience with squirrels.


With human babies and young children being treated for moderate to severe malnutrition/dehydration the steps are to address hypothermia, then hypoglycemia, then dehydration. So, get the baby warm, then hydrate with sugar water (first dose lots of sugar, like 1 Tbsp in a cup of water), then hydrate with water with sugar and electrolytes and minerals (Pedialyte if possible, or if not available a cup of water with 1 teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt - or better yet, 1 cup water with a tsp. of molasses, which has potassium for electrolytes, which are more likely to be depleted than sodium). The sugar provides energy, but another function is to aid in the absorption of the electrolytes. The third step goes along with slowly adding nourishment.

This is the case even in the absence of diarrhea, but diarrhea can be a "side effect" of malnutrition/starvation/dehydration.

(If the dehydration is severe, I personally would begin with very small amounts more frequently than 3 times a day, but then I don't have experience under my belt to say it makes a difference. In humans, though, that is what they suggest because it's easy to overtax the body's ability to handle fluids, yet you have to get them in. In humans they actually suggest small feeds very 30 min.)

SQ should be likewise be very very slow in order to avoid potential organ failure.

There's a sticky post saying electrolytes and protein cancel each other out, but I've looked and looked and found no evidence for it. It doesn't make sense to me. The World Health Organization mixes electrolyte (hydration) solution with milk. I don't know, maybe it's different for squirrels? Different enzymes or bacteria in the gut? Does anyone know?

If diarrhea continues it can be due to temporary lactose intolerance (due to deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that breaks lactose down), in which case it can be best to switch to yogurt for a while, which doesn't have lactose.

Oh, and btw, gray squirrels do occasionally eat high-protein foods like insects, eggs, baby birds, or even small mammals, amphibians or reptiles when other food is scarce. They are not strict herbivores.


These are for humans, but similar to what I've seen for rodents:

http://www.who.int/nutrition/publica...tient_text.pdf
http://www.merckmanuals.com/professi...nutrition.html

[Kristi S]

I wanted to edit, but was too slow. Sorry!

Replace the second paragraph of my last post with

With human babies and young children being treated for moderate to severe malnutrition/dehydration the steps are to address hypothermia, then hypoglycemia, then dehydration. So, get the baby warm, then hydrate with sugar water (first dose lots of sugar, like 1 Tbsp in a cup of water), then hydrate with water with sugar and electrolytes and minerals (Pedialyte if possible, or if not available a cup of water with 1 teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt - or better yet, 1 cup water with a tsp. of molasses, which has potassium for electrolytes, which are more likely to be depleted than sodium). The sugar provides energy, but another function is to aid in the absorption of the electrolytes. The third step goes along with slowly adding nourishment.


Again, if others disagree with anything here, feel free to say so! I recognize that my lack of experience is a problem...but my endless curiosity, biology background, and focus on well-researched material hopefully makes up for some of it. Just want to help.

[Milo's Mom]

Does this apply to SQ or only oral?

Either and/or Both

[island rehabber]

I am leaving this version of this thread in NON Life-threatening, open. I closed the version in Life-Threatening because I want it to stay stuck and for the protocol to be the first and only post a member will see in the thread -- not discussions that take us far down the page. Let's keep all discussion of the protocol here, in other words.

From my understanding, per UDoWhat, it was Erica Miller, DVM who developed this schedule for rehydration. Dr Miller is an esteemed wildlife veterinarian and frequent lecturer at professional Wildlife Rehabilitation conferences all over the US. She is amazingly down to earth and helpful and would most likely answer any questions we put to her via email.

[LaurelLynn]

Either and/or Both

Thank you! I always knew warm hydrate and then feed but I was using the process for the first day and then just playing it by observation after that, so this is helpful

I thought (and might be totally wrong) that the main reason to give oral fluids without formula was that food triggers the digestive process which interferes with absorption of fluids and pulls the water to digest? Which is a big issue in dehydration. I didn't know if this applied to SQ absorbtion since it doesn't rely on absorbtion in the digestive tract.

And I usually use lactated ringers for hydrating... is this acceptable?