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Thread: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

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    Question 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Hi all.
    I am a newcomer to raising squirrels. I have been pouring through all the information I can find on the Web and on this board.
    First, I want to thank all those who post questions and answers. I am so relieved and grateful to be able to read and research.
    Second- a little information about the squirrel. He is a grey squirrel, about 3 weeks old, weighing in at 46 oz currently. My husband found him last Wednesday on the ground after cutting down a tree that had fallen on our chicken coop. We warmed him up and placed him back outside in hopes mom would come back. No such luck. So, I warmed him up again and got him started on pedialyte. I then bought Esbilac (with probiotics) from Tractor Supply Company and began a diluted formula diet and built up to a full strength formulated (one part esbilac, 2 parts hot water, 1/4 heavy cream).
    I have been feeding him 2-3 mls every three hours, and have been stimulating him to go to the bathroom after every feeding. He has had no issues, his urine clear and his poo is not watery or too hard. He put on a couple ounces over the weekend and all seems ok. He was pretty dehydrated and weak the first day, but has gained quite a bit of energy, strength and enthusiasm for eating.
    The first couple days I used an eye dropper to feed him until I was able to get to walgreens to ask for 1 cc syringes. I started with the syringes and he seems to be eating fine. He sleeps in a little cloth sack I made him in a shoe box, half on a towel covered heating pad set on low. My infrared thermometer reads the floor of the shoe box at 100 degrees.

    This morning he aspirated a little. I think the syringe slipped and gave him too much formula at once, as soon as I saw him cough, I flipped him nose side down and a tiny dribble of formula came out his nose. I massaged him and continued to hold him that way for a couple more minutes and nothing else came out.
    I contacted my local vets, none which treat squirrels or would give me antibiotics. I contacted one local rehabbed (waiting for a response) along with a contact that has previously raised squirrels, they did not have any antibiotics.


    So, my question to all you experienced squirrel owners, is should I be proactive and find an antibiotic right away to start him on, or can I watch for symptoms? How likely is he develop pneumonia from a small amount of aspiration? How quickly do symptoms start showing? He ate an additional 2 MLS of formula no problem three hours after the incident, and was active before feeding.
    If I am to start on an antibiotic right away, but do not have local access to Bactril, is there an alternative option that I can purchase at TSC? I have bought antibiotics for poultry there before... they sell Tylan, penicillin duramycin and oxytetracycline. Would any of these be acceptable?

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    I apoligise for the gigantic post- just trying to get all the helpful information out there that I have commonly see experts ask posters on these boards.

    Hopefully, I will have some pictures attached of the little guy, whom my son named Stu

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Quote Originally Posted by Sahwithchicks View Post
    Hi all.
    I am a newcomer to raising squirrels. I have been pouring through all the information I can find on the Web and on this board.
    First, I want to thank all those who post questions and answers. I am so relieved and grateful to be able to read and research.
    Second- a little information about the squirrel. He is a grey squirrel, about 3 weeks old, weighing in at 46 oz currently. My husband found him last Wednesday on the ground after cutting down a tree that had fallen on our chicken coop. We warmed him up and placed him back outside in hopes mom would come back. No such luck. So, I warmed him up again and got him started on pedialyte. I then bought Esbilac (with probiotics) from Tractor Supply Company and began a diluted formula diet and built up to a full strength formulated (one part esbilac, 2 parts hot water, 1/4 heavy cream).
    I have been feeding him 2-3 mls every three hours, and have been stimulating him to go to the bathroom after every feeding. He has had no issues, his urine clear and his poo is not watery or too hard. He put on a couple ounces over the weekend and all seems ok. He was pretty dehydrated and weak the first day, but has gained quite a bit of energy, strength and enthusiasm for eating.
    The first couple days I used an eye dropper to feed him until I was able to get to walgreens to ask for 1 cc syringes. I started with the syringes and he seems to be eating fine. He sleeps in a little cloth sack I made him in a shoe box, half on a towel covered heating pad set on low. My infrared thermometer reads the floor of the shoe box at 100 degrees.

    This morning he aspirated a little. I think the syringe slipped and gave him too much formula at once, as soon as I saw him cough, I flipped him nose side down and a tiny dribble of formula came out his nose. I massaged him and continued to hold him that way for a couple more minutes and nothing else came out.
    I contacted my local vets, none which treat squirrels or would give me antibiotics. I contacted one local rehabbed (waiting for a response) along with a contact that has previously raised squirrels, they did not have any antibiotics.


    So, my question to all you experienced squirrel owners, is should I be proactive and find an antibiotic right away to start him on, or can I watch for symptoms? How likely is he develop pneumonia from a small amount of aspiration? How quickly do symptoms start showing? He ate an additional 2 MLS of formula no problem three hours after the incident, and was active before feeding.
    If I am to start on an antibiotic right away, but do not have local access to Bactril, is there an alternative option that I can purchase at TSC? I have bought antibiotics for poultry there before... they sell Tylan, penicillin duramycin and oxytetracycline. Would any of these be acceptable?

    Welcome to TSB
    Lets address the possible aspiration first... It's possible but does not always happen when they just choke a little formula. You need to listen for clicking in her breaths. Hold her to your ear placed on her chest. You would be able to hear a click with both inhale and exhale. Watch for lethargy and/ or lack of interest in eating.
    It is advisable to search around for ab's even if not needed at the moment. Baytril is the go to for AP. Baytril is the "animal" form, Cipro is the human form. Many woman use Cipro for yeast among other and often have it on hand. It would only take 1 pill for treatment, I would call around to family, friends, etc. If you let us know what you can find we can let you know if they can be used for squirrels, how to break down and dose. I have not heard of those you mentioned being used for squirrels.

    The shoe box is a no, cardboard draws moisture and could draw moisture from babies skin. A plastic type container is the better option.
    No towels or like material in with baby, they can get their nails hung on the loops. Fleece, old t-shirt, sheet type material is best.
    Step-N-Stone
    State Licensed
    Wildlife Master Rehabilitator


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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Oh good Heavens, he is beautiful! He makes me want babies! (Those who know me will know how insane that is...lol)
    Where in FLorida are you? We might have a member nearby who has meds if needed. I would give it a day and see if it is needed. In the meantime. Go to henryspets.com and order some syringes. Those from the drugstore stick after a very short time and exactly what you had happen, happens. THe o-ring syringes at Henry's don't do that. You could also get yourself a bag of Fox Valley 20/50 that you can mix with the Esbilac 50/50 and eliminate the need for cream. It is formula for squirrels and it has the right fat. It is definitely the 20/50 that you want even though it says for over 4 weeks though. Get 1cc syringes and also 3cc for when he gets a bit older. It is only one flat rate for however much you buy, so get what you need in one order when you can.
    Squirrels, squirrels and more squirrels....
    Prayers for the people who make this a better world...
    savesquirrels@sbcglobal.net



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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    You will need a scale preferably one that weighs in grams to weigh your baby for proper feeding. They should be fed between 5-7% of their body weight. Over feeding is the number one cause for diarrhea. Diarrhea causes dehydration.
    Step-N-Stone
    State Licensed
    Wildlife Master Rehabilitator


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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Quote Originally Posted by stepnstone View Post
    Welcome to TSB
    Lets address the possible aspiration first... It's possible but does not always happen when they just choke a little formula. You need to listen for clicking in her breaths. Hold her to your ear placed on her chest. You would be able to hear a click with both inhale and exhale. Watch for lethargy and/ or lack of interest in eating.
    It is advisable to search around for ab's even if not needed at the moment. Baytril is the go to for AP. Baytril is the "animal" form, Cipro is the human form. Many woman use Cipro for yeast among other and often have it on hand. It would only take 1 pill for treatment, I would call around to family, friends, etc. If you let us know what you can find we can let you know if they can be used for squirrels, how to break down and dose. I have not heard of those you mentioned being used for squirrels.

    The shoe box is a no, cardboard draws moisture and could draw moisture from babies skin. A plastic type container is the better option.
    No towels or like material in with baby, they can get their nails hung on the loops. Fleece, old t-shirt, sheet type material is best.

    Thank you for your response- I should have clarified, he is in a PLASTIC shoebox storage container. The fabric I have with him is a fur cloth (no loops) I had left over from making a stuffed monkey. It doesn't have any dander or dust, but I will certainly keep an eye out for snagging.
    I have been weighing him daily. He was 43 g upon finding him and he is 46g today. According to the chart i found on here, 5-7% is 2-3mls, i assumed every three hours... is that to frequent? Thank you!

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Quote Originally Posted by SammysMom View Post
    Oh good Heavens, he is beautiful! He makes me want babies! (Those who know me will know how insane that is...lol)
    Where in FLorida are you? We might have a member nearby who has meds if needed. I would give it a day and see if it is needed. In the meantime. Go to henryspets.com and order some syringes. Those from the drugstore stick after a very short time and exactly what you had happen, happens. THe o-ring syringes at Henry's don't do that. You could also get yourself a bag of Fox Valley 20/50 that you can mix with the Esbilac 50/50 and eliminate the need for cream. It is formula for squirrels and it has the right fat. It is definitely the 20/50 that you want even though it says for over 4 weeks though. Get 1cc syringes and also 3cc for when he gets a bit older. It is only one flat rate for however much you buy, so get what you need in one order when you can.
    I have been throwing away the syringes every day for that reason I am just about to place an order for the o rings. Is the fox Valley necessary? I have read so many different posts, all with different opinions on the right type of food, and although I am happy to purchase the fox Valley, I just didn't want to create any additional problems.
    Thank you for responding. I adore him. I fully plan on raising him for release, we will hope I am successful. I am located near Gainesville Florida.

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    I just realized that in my first post, I referred to the squirrels weight in ounces, when I definitely mean grams. My apoligies!

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Quote Originally Posted by Sahwithchicks View Post
    I apoligise for the gigantic post- just trying to get all the helpful information out there that I have commonly see experts ask posters on these boards.

    Hopefully, I will have some pictures attached of the little guy, whom my son named Stu

    Name:  sq.jpg
Views: 221
Size:  41.3 KBName:  squ.jpg
Views: 187
Size:  43.1 KB
    That baby is ridiculously cute!

    Thanks for taking care of him!

    As others have mentioned, the correct amount is 5-7% of his body weight per feeding. Here's a thread you might find helpful: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...=feeding+chart

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Quote Originally Posted by Sahwithchicks View Post
    Is the fox Valley necessary?

    Fox Valley 20/50 (DO NOT USE 32/40!!!) and / or Esbilac are "necessary". I feel comfortable in saying there is near 100% consensus on TSB to that statement.

    Then we get to history, preference, habits and outcomes which is why you see conflicting info. My first babies were raised solely on Esbilac.. right up until release. They did terrific. Then TSB start shipping me tons of babies (). Without going into all the variations, I am a half Esbilac / half FV 20/50 kind of guy. I believe there are quite a few of us.. and I don't mean just guys... gals too! LoL. I am Esbilac up until about 4 - 5 weeks then switch to half and half.

    Some have simple reasons for liking FV 20/50: It smells better (like vanilla almost?). And FV Squirrel poop is less smelly (I almost posted "smells better" then caught myself!).

    History. Another reason why I prefer the half and half, anecdotally, is because I like to believe it is a hedge against formula changes by the manufacturers. They do that every so often and it is not advertised, simply happens. That may add to the confusion and the conflicting info on the Internet (since everything lives forever on the net).. several years ago Esbilac was changed, which had bad and sad impacts on baby squirrels and placed on TSB "bad list". Then it changed again, and things are now "good" with Esbilac in the squirrel world. More recently, we have seen bad outcomes from using FV 32/40 in younger babies (hence my warning to avoid that formulation!). My hedge is that if I use half and half, I hope that if things change for the worse with either, I will have hedged my bets and with luck and have time to switch, repair and recover and avoid and fatal outcomes!

    She is extremely cute! You need to share a lot of pictures with us over the winter.

    Most of the seasons babies are released, being released or being brats... and few are perfect, spoiled angels (b
    ut none of mine!).


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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    My understanding is that the 50/50 is the best nutrition and includes all the nutrients and fat. I don't like giving heavy cream, but I'm not really even certain why I feel that way. Maybe it's the "no cows milk" in my head.
    Squirrels, squirrels and more squirrels....
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    savesquirrels@sbcglobal.net



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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Quote Originally Posted by Spanky View Post

    Fox Valley 20/50 (DO NOT USE 32/40!!!) and / or Esbilac are "necessary". I feel comfortable in saying there is near 100% consensus on TSB to that statement.

    Then we get to history, preference, habits and outcomes which is why you see conflicting info. My first babies were raised solely on Esbilac.. right up until release. They did terrific. Then TSB start shipping me tons of babies (). Without going into all the variations, I am a half Esbilac / half FV 20/50 kind of guy. I believe there are quite a few of us.. and I don't mean just guys... gals too! LoL. I am Esbilac up until about 4 - 5 weeks then switch to half and half.

    Some have simple reasons for liking FV 20/50: It smells better (like vanilla almost?). And FV Squirrel poop is less smelly (I almost posted "smells better" then caught myself!).

    History. Another reason why I prefer the half and half, anecdotally, is because I like to believe it is a hedge against formula changes by the manufacturers. They do that every so often and it is not advertised, simply happens. That may add to the confusion and the conflicting info on the Internet (since everything lives forever on the net).. several years ago Esbilac was changed, which had bad and sad impacts on baby squirrels and placed on TSB "bad list". Then it changed again, and things are now "good" with Esbilac in the squirrel world. More recently, we have seen bad outcomes from using FV 32/40 in younger babies (hence my warning to avoid that formulation!). My hedge is that if I use half and half, I hope that if things change for the worse with either, I will have hedged my bets and with luck and have time to switch, repair and recover and avoid and fatal outcomes!

    She is extremely cute! You need to share a lot of pictures with us over the winter.

    Most of the seasons babies are released, being released or being brats... and few are perfect, spoiled angels (b
    ut none of mine!).


    Thank you very much for this response! I was just about to place an order with henrys pets, with out formula... and decided after your post to go ahead and order some 20/50. Plus, it seems to be almost $10 cheaper than local Esbilac... so I thought it definitely wouldn't hurt to go half and half!

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    So, little man seems just fine. He has continues to eat as normal and hasn't had any breathing issues. I am keeping a very close eye on it, and still looking for meds just in case or for the future.
    Here is a picture of him after his most recent meal

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Quote Originally Posted by Sahwithchicks View Post
    Thank you very much for this response! I was just about to place an order with henrys pets, with out formula... and decided after your post to go ahead and order some 20/50. Plus, it seems to be almost $10 cheaper than local Esbilac... so I thought it definitely wouldn't hurt to go half and half!
    Tractor Supply is expensive... you can get it cheaper on-line. I have been buying form Amazon with Prime (so free shipping) and I think I pay the same price on Amazon for 28 oz. that the 12 oz can costs at TSC. Right now the Amazon price is $28 for 28 oz but I have seen it as low as $23 - $24.
    https://www.amazon.com/PetAg-Esbilac...+milk+replacer


    Quote Originally Posted by Sahwithchicks View Post
    Here is a picture of him after his most recent meal
    Someone forgot to post pictures?!?!?

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Quote Originally Posted by Spanky View Post
    Tractor Supply is expensive... you can get it cheaper on-line. I have been buying form Amazon with Prime (so free shipping) and I think I pay the same price on Amazon for 28 oz. that the 12 oz can costs at TSC. Right now the Amazon price is $28 for 28 oz but I have seen it as low as $23 - $24.
    https://www.amazon.com/PetAg-Esbilac...+milk+replacer




    Someone forgot to post pictures?!?!?

    Technology is not cooperating with me!

    Thanks for the tip about amazon.
    ! I currently have the trial of prime so I better put it to good use!

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Squirrels, squirrels and more squirrels....
    Prayers for the people who make this a better world...
    savesquirrels@sbcglobal.net



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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    Ooooooohhh so cute! I'm with SammysMom and seeing this little one makes me want babies and yes that is my insanity talking.

    Spanky is totally right about Esbilac and Amazon, thats where I buy mine nad it is way cheaper than local stores or some of the wildlife online sites.

    Sounds/looks like you're doing a great job! YAY for you and for your little one.
    Kim Cassidy
    Licensed NY Wildlife Rehabilitator

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

    This guy is doing really well! I am so relieved he didn't get pneumonia, and it has been so fun seeing him build strength and energy!
    Today I have had him for one week. I have been feeding him at 5% to 6% body weight. He has put on 13g in a week. He is starting to get a little bit of white hair on his chest, and my goodness, is he enthusiastic about eating.

    I went ahead and ordered front Henry's. Syringes, nippers, formula, and some blocks for next month...

    I do have one more question I hope you guys won't mind answering. How much powdered formula will I likely use in the time he nurses? I have 12 oz of FV on the way, and about 9 oz of Esbilac left. I will be weaning him to a 50/50 blend. I was going to go ahead and order a 12 oz esbilac from amazon for $13 and free shipping while I still have a prime trial. I just am not sure if I will need it. Thoughts?

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    Default Re: 3 Week old Grey - New to the board

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    The size difference from this picture, and the first one I posted makes me smile!
    Attached Images Attached Images   

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