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Thread: Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

  1. #1
    Pottsduck Guest

    Default Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

    Yesterday, I found a baby squirrel in neighbor's driveway. He appeared to have fallen from a nest but I couldn't find one nearby. He has a couple of abrasions but seems to move around normally. I brought him home & have been researching since then. He appears to be an Eastern Gray & maybe 5 weeks old. I got bottles & puppy milk. I got a carrier for him. He doesn't seem to be eating much & he sleeps a lot. It could be normal but since I'm no expert, I don't know. I used a food scale to try to get his weight & it was a bit difficultName:  59142492823__6D709B74-0D1F-45F6-81AD-DDB7949D9995.jpg
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Size:  62.7 KB to get him to stay on it but the reading I got appears to be 49 grams. His eyes are open but he seems rather small for a 5 week old, based on the research I've done. I'm mainly worried about how much he's sleeping & I'd also love some guidance on whether I'm feeding him the right thing & how much of it I should be giving him. I'm gonna try to attach a pic also.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

    Quote Originally Posted by Pottsduck View Post
    Yesterday, I found a baby squirrel in neighbor's driveway. He appeared to have fallen from a nest but I couldn't find one nearby. He has a couple of abrasions but seems to move around normally. I brought him home & have been researching since then. He appears to be an Eastern Gray & maybe 5 weeks old. I got bottles & puppy milk. I got a carrier for him. He doesn't seem to be eating much & he sleeps a lot. It could be normal but since I'm no expert, I don't know. I used a food scale to try to get his weight & it was a bit difficultName:  59142492823__6D709B74-0D1F-45F6-81AD-DDB7949D9995.jpg
Views: 73
Size:  62.7 KB to get him to stay on it but the reading I got appears to be 49 grams. His eyes are open but he seems rather small for a 5 week old, based on the research I've done. I'm mainly worried about how much he's sleeping & I'd also love some guidance on whether I'm feeding him the right thing & how much of it I should be giving him. I'm gonna try to attach a pic also.
    OK, first, a few very important things:

    DO NOT USE A BOTTLE. There isn't a bottle made small enough for a baby squirrel. You need to get your hands on some 1cc syringes - no needles, the syringes will take the place of a bottle. Feeding with a bottle will result in their aspirating formula and developing pneumonia.

    Need to know EXACTLY what you got for puppy formula. The one everyone uses and has for years has a problem with it - one that can make them quite ill. The easiest would be to take a pic of the front label and put it up on the board.

    The baby looks dehydrated. The order of things is first to warm them, using a heating pad under their container; then to rehydrate them, and then to begin feeding. Please go to the following link and read all 6 pages (exclude info on formula brands, as I said, this problem is just happening now). It is the best, most concise "how to" I have ever run into. If you do what it says, it will tip the chances of success in your favor!

    https://www.henryspets.com/1-caring-...baby-squirrel/

    And come back with more questions.

    BTW, we are currently using a make it yourself formula to use for the young ones made from goats milk, yogurt, heavy cream and egg yolk. Can you get goats milk? I believe Walmart has Meyenburg brand dry goats milk in their baking aisle with the evaporated and condensed milks. The yogurt can be plain or vanilla - no artificial sweeteners in it please, and heavy cream is available at any grocery. Let us know what you can get and we will give you the "recipe".

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  4. #3
    Pottsduck Guest

    Default Re: Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

    Okay, I got a syringe too so I will use that instead. I got unflavored as well so I'll use that first to rehydrate. I've also attached a pic of the puppy milk I got.Name:  puppymilk.jpg
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Size:  75.4 KB

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

    I absolutely would not use that formula. Can you get the goats milk?

  6. #5
    Pottsduck Guest

    Default Re: Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    I absolutely would not use that formula. Can you get the goats milk?
    Okay, I was able to get everything, including the Meyenburg goats milk powder, at the Walmart Neighborhood Market. Thank you for all of your help by the way. How will I know when I have him hydrated well enough to start feeding him with the recipe I'm assuming you'll send in a bit?

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    Default Re: Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

    Excellent! Here is the recipe.

    First, Mix 1 scoop of the dry milk powder in 1/2 cup water and stir well. Put this in a container with a lid. This is plain goats milk now.

    Separate one egg. You will not be using the white - you can discard it. Place the egg yolk in a small covered container.

    Now to make the formula.

    Mix 3 Tablespoons of the now liquid goats milk,
    3 Tablespoons yogurt
    2 Tablespoons heavy cream
    1/2 of the egg yolk

    Blend well

    This should be discarded after 24 hours and fresh made up (you can use your other egg yolk half).

    You are going to need to warm the formula as described in the little how to link I sent you. They cannot digest cool formula and won't even drink it. You said your baby weighs about 49 grams. We feed between 5 and 7% of body weight, so his feedings should be 2.5 to 3.5cc of formula each time. If you have been hydrating through the day (I hope), I would go ahead and start feeding him now.

    Make very sure you go slow, and do not try to put him on his back and feed him like a human baby. You will have to stimulate him to potty before and after each feeding.

    This baby is going to need to be fed through the night for a bit - he is still very young and very thin. I would feed him the smaller amount (2.5cc) every 3 hours until you go to bed and then push it to 4 hours overnight.

    He has to be warm - you need the heating pad. They cannot digest if they are not warm.

  8. Serious fuzzy thank you's to CritterMom from:

    RockyPops (09-29-2019)

  9. #7
    Pottsduck Guest

    Default Re: Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    Excellent! Here is the recipe.

    First, Mix 1 scoop of the dry milk powder in 1/2 cup water and stir well. Put this in a container with a lid. This is plain goats milk now.

    Separate one egg. You will not be using the white - you can discard it. Place the egg yolk in a small covered container.

    Now to make the formula.

    Mix 3 Tablespoons of the now liquid goats milk,
    3 Tablespoons yogurt
    2 Tablespoons heavy cream
    1/2 of the egg yolk

    Blend well

    This should be discarded after 24 hours and fresh made up (you can use your other egg yolk half).

    You are going to need to warm the formula as described in the little how to link I sent you. They cannot digest cool formula and won't even drink it. You said your baby weighs about 49 grams. We feed between 5 and 7% of body weight, so his feedings should be 2.5 to 3.5cc of formula each time. If you have been hydrating through the day (I hope), I would go ahead and start feeding him now.

    Make very sure you go slow, and do not try to put him on his back and feed him like a human baby. You will have to stimulate him to potty before and after each feeding.

    This baby is going to need to be fed through the night for a bit - he is still very young and very thin. I would feed him the smaller amount (2.5cc) every 3 hours until you go to bed and then push it to 4 hours overnight.

    He has to be warm - you need the heating pad. They cannot digest if they are not warm.
    Thank you so much! Yeah, I got the heating pad and I have a carrier so I just put the heating pad under the carrier, rather than having him directly on the heating pad.

  10. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Pottsduck from:

    RockyPops (09-29-2019)

  11. #8
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    Default Re: Need help with baby squirrel (totally new at this)

    Quote Originally Posted by Pottsduck View Post
    Thank you so much! Yeah, I got the heating pad and I have a carrier so I just put the heating pad under the carrier, rather than having him directly on the heating pad.
    Yhat is perfect.

  12. Serious fuzzy thank you's to CritterMom from:

    RockyPops (09-29-2019)

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