She used to poop very well right after eating then she stopped pooping then she did....a lot yesterday. Then stopped again. Will start the apple juice tonight. I thought the yellow stains were urine. When will she start pooping normal again?
She used to poop very well right after eating then she stopped pooping then she did....a lot yesterday. Then stopped again. Will start the apple juice tonight. I thought the yellow stains were urine. When will she start pooping normal again?
Does she look dehydrated I am terrified I am doing things wrong.
Check her neck with a pinch for dehydration.
Most important right now is her temperature. Feel her with your hand frequently. As I said, she should feel warm (like toast), but not hot (like coffee). You can also put a wet rag in the corner of her tub (where she cannot reach it) to add some humidity. You should see her twitching and moving pretty often, like she is dreaming.
After a very large poop.. she could take days to poop again, if she dumped all of what she had. She does not have a lot to poop per meal right now as most is turning into squirrel. We want to concentrate on how her tummy looks and feels, and does she act hungry. And record her weight to see if she is gaining or losing weight.
You mentioned that her siblings died from a fall. It is possible that she could have internal injuries, but you should normally have seen some discoloration by now if that was the case.
I am thinking that she unloaded all the poop in her on Monday, and is slowly filling back up, with some coming out as diarrhea. At 1.25 ml per feeding she is getting very little solids per feeding.
You are tired and getting very little sleep.. so it is normal to feel stressed out and worry.
Momof2boys (08-07-2019)
Momof2boys (08-07-2019)
It’s 4am and I just finished feeding her she always seems hungry and even opens her mouth for more. She gets so excited at feedings that it is sometimes hard to get syringe in mouth. Can I alternate in between feeding of water then apple juice just to make sure she don’t dehydrate?
You can alternate diluted apple juice and water between feedings if you want. The diluted apple juice was a suggestion, but you can do just water between feedings, since her tummy does not seem to be extended.
Note that her skin will feel dry. Squirrels perspire through their feet, not their skin. Check the bottom of her feet to see if she is perspiring.
If she seems hydrated... skip the extra water now and then and try to get some sleep between two feedings.
She is going to be on 3 hour feedings for about 3 more weeks. You don't want to collapse from exhaustion.
See if you can get someone you trust and teach them how to do a feeding and stimulation.. and have them do some feedings so you can sleep for 5 to 6 hours every now and then.
Momof2boys (08-07-2019)
If you teach someone else to do a feeding, make sure they know the most important parts are..
- formula temperature (check on wrist just like a human baby)
- sitting up position
- syringe at an upwards angle into mouth
- go very slow
- how much to feed
Check her weight daily to recompute how much to feed.
Momof2boys (08-07-2019)
Reading back through the thread... I see that you said she pooped a lot on Monday morning. So she has not pooped for 48 hours.
I know you are feeling very worried right now, which is normal.
I frequently see babies go through this stage... but it is new to you.
So I wanted to point out that you can probably remember this happening to yourself. You ate a food that upset your tummy (maybe chinese or indian food), spent a long time in the bathroom, and then did not poop for 4 days because you were so empty. This is probably what we are looking at here. You introduced the baby to a new food.. she dumped a LOT of poop, and is now filling back up. This can take up to 4 days with a baby squirrel.
She is acting hungry, and demands more when you cut her off at 5%... This is a VERY good thing. When a baby is starving it means they feel good.
(We don't want to go over 5% because it would over fill her tummy. Which could cause another upset tummy, another 'dump', and an even longer wait for poop.)
Her tummy is not extended, feels soft like a water balloon, and has no discolorations... all very good signs.
I think actually you are probably in worse shape than she is.
Yes I think I am. She is eating very well every time I wipe off her mouth she keeps it open for more. Been giving her water in between feedings and peeing very well. She is very spunky and hangs on to my finger. I will be teaching my son how to feed her will give him a syringe to practice on with water to learn how to feed her slowly. I give you a lot props for what you do, this is such an emotional roller coaster. I really appreciate all your help it is the only thing keeping me sane.
Thursday morning: If she still has not pooped... if you could post her weight, and more pictures so we can compare to yesterday.
She finally pooped at 7:40 this morning. She now weighs 27 grams. Will she now poop after every feeding? Or will it be normal she will every few days?
Good morning she now weights 29 grams. She is pooping well so far. How much food now should I give her
She is up to 49 grams now . Have been giving her 2.45 ml of food but the 3 hours seems too close and she is not finishing her food. So far poop is good. Should I feed her every 4 hrs?
At her weight (49 grams) and 'not finishing food' you could do a feeding schedule like this:
2am 6am 9am Noon 4pm 7pm 10pm 2am
This gives you 2 four hour feedings at night, and one four hour feeding in the middle of the day (noon>4pm).
When I use this schedule I normally supplement a little water at 2pm, to help their hydration.
You can shift the entire schedule left or right... depending on what time is best to go to bed at night, or get up in the morning, because of real life events.
(Like I might shift it all an hour earlier, because my wife gets up at 8am)
A 3 hour schedule would give her 8 feedings.. a total of 19.6ml.
A 4 hour schedule would give her 6 feedings.. a total of 14.7ml
The schedule above would give her 7 feedings... a total of 17.15ml.. (less of an impact than a 4 hours schedule).
And it gives you some more time to sleep at night, and maybe a nap at noon.
Momof2boys (08-13-2019)
I normally shift to 4 hour feedings at 'eyes open'.
And I reset their clock to 'now 5 weeks old'... because currently we are guessing their age.
At that point you can start letting them eat up to 8% body weight. I shoot for 7% (roughly weight divided by 14).
A week after that you can normally stop stimulating pee/poop, although it helps to keep it out of the bedding.
They WILL use a litter box on their own (no dust odor free cat litter) if it is provided. Place it at the furthest point from where they sleep.
I make a tray out of a 1' x 1' cardboard Amazon box, lined with plastic, and about a three inch rim.
I forgot to ask how much water should I give?
Momof2boys (08-20-2019)