Help! 2 week old babies , nest cut down, 1 gasping & not swallowing

[Binkers mom]

I was called someone to help, tree branch cut and babies fell 30 ft on to grass. 6 babies, 1 died, 1 gasping and sides heaving. Remaining 4 are swallowing, crawling. ..etc. Babies are on a heating pad, gave diluted pedialyte, and puppy esbilac ( powdered) Can't find a rehabber in my area. The person I usually call is overwhelmed with personal family issues. Is Anyone in Monmouth County, NJ who can help ??

[Mel1959]

There are members in the NE but I don't know how close they are to you. In the meantime, keep the heating pad under half of the plastic bin you have them in, so they can crawl off if necessary. Give them lots of fleece or tshirts to burrow in, Are
their eyes open? Offer hydration once they are completely warm and start feeding tomorrow. Did you try to reunite with mom? If the babies are put in a box or basket that momma squirrel can access she will take them back, even if you have handled them. You must monitor the box to be sure no predators approach it.

I'm sure someone will be along soon to offer other suggestions.

[Binkers mom]

Thank you. Their eyes are not open. One still has a black scab by umbilical cord. I'm guessing they are 10-14 days old. I did all the things you mention and cleaned them off.
They had dirt and fleas on them. Some have small scratches. Some are pooping /peeing....working on that too.
No sign off mom....between the chainsaws, chipper and trucks. ...she probably got scared off. The tree trimmers cut a branch about 30 ft. up....guessing that's how far they fell. They are starting to get the hang of the syringe /rubber tip.
The one that was gasping, sort of breathing harder than the others, seems more stable. We are working hard on him....he's a fighter.

[Mel1959]

You're doing great! Begin feeding the POWDERED Esbilac puppy formula diluted 3 parts water to 1 part powder. Go slow and use a 1cc syringe.

[Binkers mom]

Thank you! All 5 survived the night. The "gasping " boy has improved. A miracle. ..all eating, some stronger at sucking than others. Peeing and pooping. I was up all night ....boy am I out of my league here.

[Binkers mom]

Thank you! I'm still learning how to use the forum. My apologies. ...How do you know when the babies are full.....some suck right away and others need to be convinced to nurse. I'm using the 1cc, and giving each one a little, then repeating. It seems they are full when they calm down and go nap. If they are fussing, they appear to be looking for mama's nipple, so I give them a little more. There is one cute little dude who wags his tail when he is suckling SO Cute! Also, what is a milk line?
Thanks for everything.

[redwuff]

Doing great. Like Mel said, go slowly with feeding. How we figure amounts is by weighing each one every day on a gram scale. Feed 5% of that at each feeding. At this age they should be getting 6 feedings. A schedule of feeding times might look like this 6, 9:30, 1, 3:30, 7, 10:30. You want the formula warm. I test the syringe against my cheek to gauge. It can cool off before getting the baby fed, so I will pop the syringe of formula back in a cup of very hot water to get it to the right temp. Of course when they nursed from mom, formula was her body temp.

Are you using a nipple on the 1 cc syringe?

[niapet]

Your an angel for taking care of these guys...

[Binkers mom]

Thank you! All 5 still doing well . I ordered the nipples, should be here saturday.

[Mel1959]

Did you get a digital gram scale? You will need it to weigh them everyday. It's very reassuring to know their weight is going up. The nipples will make a huge difference. Just be sure you hang on to the plunger on the syringe. Don't let them just suck on the nipple/syringe. They will take it too quickly and can aspirate.

You're doing a great job!

[Binkers mom]

All survived night #2, and I got some sleep too, and calmed my worried nerves. I will get the scale today. A digital gram scale. I also improved my feeding skills, you really have to fuss with some. I learned if I move them away from the pile and they move around first, they drink better. And if they fuss alot, putting them down and trying again , and again gets them suckling.
Is there a way to identify them? There are 2 girls (the queen, and princess ) and 3 boys ( the king, the duke, and the Earl of toughing it out). Is there a way of marking them?
Can't thank you all enough for the help and encouragement.

[Nancy in New York]

All survived night #2, and I got some sleep too, and calmed my worried nerves. I will get the scale today. A digital gram scale. I also improved my feeding skills, you really have to fuss with some. I learned if I move them away from the pile and they move around first, they drink better. And if they fuss alot, putting them down and trying again , and again gets them suckling.
Is there a way to identify them? There are 2 girls (the queen, and princess ) and 3 boys ( the king, the duke, and the Earl of toughing it out). Is there a way of marking them?
Can't thank you all enough for the help and encouragement.

Bless you for taking on this challenge!
Sometimes while feeding, if they get fussy, you
can try stimulating them. I find that when they have
to pee they stop eating. After stimulating, try feeding again,
this usually works for me.
As far as marking. I know that Spanky put a dot of different
colored nail polish on a toe nail.
I used to mark with a dot of white out on the ears and tip of their tails.
What I do now is have 2 bins ready. I take one, feed and put it
in the new bin, and so forth. Then I clean out the old bin and put in
new fleece and their ready to go.
You would still have to mark them somehow so that you know who
you're feeding and the weight. The two bins just make it easier for me.

Here is a great link that will help you with baby squirrel care.
It's 6 pages long, quick read, with the NEXT button on the top right corner.
http://www.henryspets.com/baby-squirrel-care/


Here's a great chart that will help you determine how much to feed.

[stepnstone]

All survived night #2, and I got some sleep too, and calmed my worried nerves. I will get the scale today. A digital gram scale. I also improved my feeding skills, you really have to fuss with some. I learned if I move them away from the pile and they move around first, they drink better. And if they fuss alot, putting them down and trying again , and again gets them suckling.
Is there a way to identify them? There are 2 girls (the queen, and princess ) and 3 boys ( the king, the duke, and the Earl of toughing it out). Is there a way of marking them?
Can't thank you all enough for the help and encouragement.

You can mark them with different colored finger nail polish the kind used for dogs/animals.
I mark mine on the right ankle because I find with their crawling around it wears off too
fast on the toenails. Some put a dot on their head but I personally don't care to see any
coloration on their little heads outside their own.

[Binkers mom]

Thank you. Another issue now...
Some of the genitals are red, and some babies are nursing on each other. What do I need to do? Separate the culprits ? What do I do for the irratated genitals? I read this is a serious problem.
2 of the boys are so good.....eat, potty, crawl around,sleep.... the girls are quirky. Thanks for the potty tip. The Queen was fussing, and I used a wet warm q tip, and she pooped a bunch, then ate, and settled. That really helps the bathroom business.

[Nancy in New York]

Thank you. Another issue now...
Some of the genitals are red, and some babies are nursing on each other. What do I need to do? Separate the culprits ? What do I do for the irratated genitals? I read this is a serious problem.
2 of the boys are so good.....eat, potty, crawl around,sleep.... the girls are quirky. Thanks for the potty tip. The Queen was fussing, and I used a wet warm q tip, and she pooped a bunch, then ate, and settled. That really helps the bathroom business.

Just seeing this now.
Yes little ones nursing on each other is a huge problem.
Try feeding a little more and see if it stops.
You really have to watch that a scab doesn't form.
If it does it needs to be removed. Use warm cotton balls
and try to soak it till it gets soft. You can also put a little
neosporin on to keep it soft. Try carefully picking it off a little
at a time. Some people have used
Yuck, applied around the penis, with success.
If it continues, you may need to separate for a while.

[Binkers mom]

Thanks,
The nipples arrived and feedings are going much better.
What a difference, they are all feeding well. I'm feeding every 2 -3 hrs and the nursing on gentiles has appeared to stop. No scabs, just slightly red on some now. I'm seeing some peach fuzz fur on their heads now. The boy that was "gasping" is the strongest and the biggest one now.
I have a short video will try to figure out how to post it.
I think they are stable now.

[Nancy in New York]

Thanks,
The nipples arrived and feedings are going much better.
What a difference, they are all feeding well. I'm feeding every 2 -3 hrs and the nursing on gentiles has appeared to stop. No scabs, just slightly red on some now. I'm seeing some peach fuzz fur on their heads now. The boy that was "gasping" is the strongest and the biggest one now.
I have a short video will try to figure out how to post it.
I think they are stable now.

Fantastic
This is a great update, thanks so much for letting us know.
If you put your video on You Tube you can post a link here,
then we can see your little ones!

[Binkers mom]

So it has been 8 days since we took in the little ones and all 5 are still doing ok. The littlest boy is much smaller than everyone else. He gets dehydrated alot and wasn't sucking on the nipple well. We have been doing smaller more frequent fliuds first and then formula and he is feeling stronger and wanting to take more.....They are all getting peach fuzz fur on their tails and backs, faces and heads, and their ears are starting to separate from their heads. So, I'm guessing, they were probably only a week old when their home was destroyed. Thank you all for everything. What a great bunch of people!

[Nancy in New York]

So it has been 8 days since we took in the little ones and all 5 are still doing ok. The littlest boy is much smaller than everyone else. He gets dehydrated alot and wasn't sucking on the nipple well. We have been doing smaller more frequent fliuds first and then formula and he is feeling stronger and wanting to take more.....They are all getting peach fuzz fur on their tails and backs, faces and heads, and their ears are starting to separate from their heads. So, I'm guessing, they were probably only a week old when their home was destroyed. Thank you all for everything. What a great bunch of people!

Another great update!
Glad the smaller fluids and formula are working.
Are you giving just honey water, or plain water?
Thanks for the update.

[Binkers mom]

The little guy ate fairly well yesterday, he is lethargic and not wanting to drink today. I was doing 50% pedialyte 50 % water, and feeding the esbalic full strength with a little whipping cream. The little guy gets pushed out of the pile a lot too.....he isn't doing so well today. I gave him a warm bath....he pees clear....and about 5-6 little drops, he pooped a darker yellow. Will let him get warm and try in an hr....he's do cute, what can I do for him???