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Thread: Flyer will drink formula from bowl

  1. #1
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    Default Flyer will drink formula from bowl

    I’m very new here! Just adopted an orphaned southern flyer, she’s about 6-7 weeks old I’m guessing. She will take a solid 2 cc of formula from a 1cc syringe by just licking the end l, never really sucks on it. Today as I was preparing to feed she perched herself on the edge of the bowl to drink the formula from the bowl. Do I continue to feed with a syringe? I won’t know how much she gets. After about 2cc she is not interested at all in drinking. I feed her 4 times a day. Any and all help would be appreciated!

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    Default Re: Flyer will drink formula from bowl

    Welcome Aimee. I am new to flyers, too.

    I got my little guy when he was about 5-6 weeks old. His eyes were open, but he only weighed 21gr. He initially took formula by licking at the end of the nipple on the syringe, but after a few days he began to suck from the nipple. It seemed to help teach him to suck by pushing the nipple a tiny bit further into his mouth, then he seemed to get the hang of it. That worked great for many weeks. Now my boy is close to 14-15 weeks old and he’s back to licking it off the end of the nipple. I still offer him formula from the syringe twice a day, morning and night. He will usually take 3ccs each time. I have also put it in the lid from a baby food jar and put it in his cage at night. Sometimes he drinks it sometimes he doesn’t. I do the same thing with full fat vanilla yogurt.

    The only way you will be able to tell if he’s getting enough food is by weighing him often. Obviously flyers don’t gain the way grays do, but my boy would gain a gram or two every few days. He’s up to a whopping 63gr now!

    You should probably put a good quality rodent block in his cage, too. I used Harlan Teklad 2018 and Henry’s hi protein. He didn’t take to the Harlan like I would have liked, but he eats it ground up and made into boo balls. I contacted a rehabber who has many flyers and she said she starts hers on the little baby food veggie/fruit puffs. I tried this and my guy does eat the sweet potatoe ones as they were what I had on hand.

    I hope this helps. Enjoy her now while she’s still probably snuggly. Before long she will be like lightening racing on you like you’re her tree!

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    Default Re: Flyer will drink formula from bowl

    Thanks so much for responding, I will try that, do you keep gradually pushing on the syringe or do you just let them suck, wasn’t sure how the best way so I’ve been pushing. I’ve got Henry’s cubes coming ina few days and she already likes sweet potatoes and green beans. I’ve only had her for a week (I think it’s a her) it’s truly a learning process!

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    Default Re: Flyer will drink formula from bowl

    Yes, it’s always a learning process! If you can post a picture of her underside we can tell you if it’s a boy or girl.

    I did push ever so slightly on the syringe. I was using a mini miracle nipple to feed,but the regular miracle nipple will also work. My little guy was not a ravenous eater and didn’t suck with all his might like gray babies do. I tried to keep the formula flowing as he was sucking, without pushing hard.

    What formula are you feeding? It should either be Fox Valley 20/50 or powdered puppy Esbilac....no substitutions.

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    Default Re: Flyer will drink formula from bowl

    I was using the puppy esbilac in a can until I received the fox valley today so I will gradually switch over the next few feedings. I purchased the nipples that fox valley had. Do you leave the nipples long or do you cut them down?

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    Default Re: Flyer will drink formula from bowl

    Did you purchase the catac nipples? If so, those require you to make a hole with a needle. I’m not sure the best way to do that as I’ve never purchased them. I use the miracle nipple, both the regular and the mini. They already have a hole in the tip and require nothing further to be done but place it on the end of the syringe.

    I know a member, Redwuff, uses the catac nipples. You might reach out to her by private message and see if she can help. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.

    Is she taking the Esbilac well? You don’t have to switch her. Many folks use a 50/50 combination of Fox Valley and Esbilac. Whichever you decide to do I think adding a small amount of full fat vanilla yogurt (no artificial sweeteners) to the formula will provide some additional fat...and it makes it taste yummy.

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    Default Re: Flyer will drink formula from bowl

    She does ok, I started slowly switcher over and she really likes the fox valley better. She gets excited to dad now where as before it took a bit. I have a picture if you can help tell the sex? She also started lifting her tail like a big girl instead of it being flat on the ground!
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    Default Re: Flyer will drink formula from bowl

    I thought I responded to this post, but I must have had a senior moment.

    It definitely looks like a girl to me. The space between the penis and the rectum of a mailer is much greater. It’s where his testicles will be when they descend.

    Here’s a pic of my little guy for reference. His rectum is covered by his testicles.
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