not eating consistently

[clover]

sorry for posting this in 2 places- i wasn't sure which place would be best...

i have an eastern grey squirrel that is approximately 3 weeks old and 30g. I have had her for 10 days now. she is eating ebsilac, and i am feeding her every three hours, but there is no consistency to how much she eats each time.

we had to lance her knee a few days ago to remove a splinter and some pus. she ate a ton at her next two feedings, but then she slowly started eating a little less. i worried that she may be a bit dehydrated, so i switched to pedialyte for most of today. she took the pedialyte well- no problems with getting her to drink- she was quite eager about it. i tried to switch her back to ebsilac this evening, and she just doesn't seem interested in food. it took about 45 minutes, but i finally got her to take about 1cc.

i make her go to the restroom each time she eats- no matter how much she takes in. she pees and poops each time, so i feel this is a good sign. her urine output has been strong and consistent, but her bowel movements vary. since the eating issues began, she has had two VERY LARGE bowel movements.

i am wondering if constipation could be the cause for her recent decline in eating. has anyone else had similar issues? any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance!!

[stepnstone]

Lets cover the basics first....
What Esbilac are you feeding? Is it the powder with pre and pro biotics
like listed below?
Is the formula warm / kept warm enough?
Does she appear bloated, is tummy soft or hard?
Are you certain 3 weeks & 30 grams? That sounds pretty emaciated for a 3 week old.
Can you post a picture for better assessment.




Edit: Your in the right place for now, you'll get more eyes on it here.
I will remove the other post so as not to have replies in two places.

[clover]

i am guessing at her age...

this picture shows her the day we found her and a picture from earlier today. i have had her 10 days. i weighed her using a food scale. she fell from a palm tree that is taller than my 2 story house. my dog found her & brought her to me.

she is getting the formula with pre & pro biotics. i warm it to 100 degrees. her belly is soft, no hardness or lumps or bumps.

she is active, though she tends to fall asleep during feedings. i feed her slowly out of fear of aspiration. it usually takes at least an hour to feed her, then go to the bathroom.

other than the inconsistent feeding and the 2 large poops, she seems ok.

[clover]

i should probably mention that the pic from today makes it look like she has more fur than she actually does. it is really just fuzz- not actual fur yet. her body is just starting to get fuzz. started with her chin and tail- now her head, and slowly starting on her body...

[Nancy in New York]

You said that she has had 2 very large bowel movements. What was the consistency of them?
When making the Esbilac, make it ahead of time with HOT water.
Let it sit in the refrig for about 6 hours whisking periodically.
Then if you want, you can freeze it in icecube trays and take out
the needed amount for daily consumption.
How much does your little one typically eat per feeding?
He's adorable, by the way!

[clover]

maybe the way i am using the ebsilac is my problem (??)

i make it in advance, and store it in a small tupperware container in the fridge. i use each batch for about 3 feedings- i throw a lot out. i will warm it in the microwave for about 15 seconds, and then let it sit for just a bit on the counter. i then whisk it and measure the temp. if it is too warm, i wait until it cools to 100 degrees. if it is too cool, i warm it in hot water.

her poop has been light yellow, and smooth- even the two very large ones. today she had one that was a bit of a darker yellow, and lumpy. she was on just fluids for a good part of yesterday, because i worried she was dehydrated a bit.

she doesn't like eating from the nipples, so she has been eating straight from the syringe. i have started using 2, since she eats so slowly, and often falls asleep during the process. i will feed her from one, and keep the other warm. when we need to take a quick break, i will switch to the other to try and make sure she receives a consistent temp.

i try and make her eat at least 1cc per feeding- no matter how long it takes to get there. she will usually take the first 0.5cc really well, and then she wants to go to sleep. occasionally i can get her to take 1.5cc, but it is usually only 1cc.

i normally feed her on a schedule of every three hours. since it can sometimes take her an hour to eat and then go to the restroom, i thought maybe instead of feeding every three hours on the dot, maybe i should try feeding her 3 hours after she finishes eating, that way there is a definite amount of time between feedings. normally, she would eat at 1pm, then 4pm, then 7pm. i thought that perhaps i should change it so that if she eats at 1pm, and doesn't finish until 2pm- instead of feeding her at 4pm, i should go ahead and push it to 5pm to ensure a full three hours between feedings.

she is active and has good strength- and other than the two large poops, and the one lumpy one, she has had good urine and stool output. she just seems disinterested in food after 0.5cc. after that amount, i have to continuously wake her, and gently prod her to eat more- this is why feedings take so long.

i picked up a different type of nipple. it is longer and a bit thinner. i am going to try this one, to see if she will eat better with it, rather than straight from the syringe.

she has been a real trooper, after a two story fall, she took a ride in my dog's mouth. she had a few scrapes and cuts, and they have mostly healed. her nose was sliced right down the middle, and it is still healing. she had a wound on her leg that abscessed, and we had to lance it. we found a small splinter inside. it is now healing quite well, and the bump is barely noticeable at this point. she has been through a lot in the short time she has been alive- i figure this can affect appetite, but i worry. i just want to make sure she gets what she needs.

thank you all so much for your help. i am new to this, and i think lack of sleep might be making my brain a bit slower. i appreciate the advice and support!!