Esbilac fed baby having problems

[Connie1963]

I am currently having issues with my baby red squirrel having loose stool. My can has a star so it is the newer can.

[Connie1963]

I am currently mixing formula with pedialite hoping this will help her diarrhea. She is not keeping weight on and seems to be fine a couple days then becomes weak for a day. Other squirrels I’ve raised temporarily would have this issue due to a change in diet but would soon start forming solid pellets. I am at a loss on what to do next. I make only enough formula for the day and mix it 1 to 2 ratio. Am I mixing it too rich? I am using the recommended puppy formula. Any advice would be welcome please.

[lukaslolamaus]

I am currently mixing formula with pedialite hoping this will help her diarrhea. She is not keeping weight on and seems to be fine a couple days then becomes weak for a day. Other squirrels I’ve raised temporarily would have this issue due to a change in diet but would soon start forming solid pellets. I am at a loss on what to do next. I make only enough formula for the day and mix it 1 to 2 ratio. Am I mixing it too rich? I am using the recommended puppy formula. Any advice would be welcome please.

Please don't mix formula with pedialyte. Pedialyte is to be given in between formula feedings.
How old is your baby and what are you feeding?
Oh I see, you're feeding esbilac.
Esbilac is no longer recommended due to a lot of health problems it has been causing.

[lukaslolamaus]

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...06#post1299706

Post #1 in this thread explains how to mix goat milk formula.
For squirrels 4 weeks and older fox valley 20/50 is recommended, it can be ordered from Henry's healthy pets.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Connie1963 welcome to TheSquirrelBoard

PLEASE get your baby off of Esbilac. At this time Esbilac is not safe to use. It has caused hundreds of deaths and MANY are sick from it. Laboratory tests are being done right now to determine what the problem is. We don’t know exactly what the problem is with the formula (we will) be we KNOW what the results of using the Esbilac are. Babies are dying across the nation. Get the ingredients today for the Goat milk formula and order Fox Valley 20:50. You will transition to the Fox Valley when it arrives. Unfortunately it can’t be purchased locally and must be ordered online.

[Connie1963]

Connie1963 welcome to TheSquirrelBoard

PLEASE get your baby off of Esbilac. At this time Esbilac is not safe to use. It has caused hundreds of deaths and MANY are sick from it. Laboratory tests are being done right now to determine what the problem is. We don’t know exactly what the problem is with the formula (we will) be we KNOW what the results of using the Esbilac are. Babies are dying across the nation. Get the ingredients today for the Goat milk formula and order Fox Valley 20:50. You will transition to the Fox Valley when it arrives. Unfortunately it can’t be purchased locally and must be ordered online.

A recipe for goats milk includes heavy cream which I was under the impression that cows milk is bad??? I have ordered the Henry’s formula but want to take my baby off Esbilac ASAP. My baby is 5-6 weeks old and has had diarrhea or pasty stool the entire time.

[island rehabber]

A recipe for goats milk includes heavy cream which I was under the impression that cows milk is bad??? I have ordered the Henry’s formula but want to take my baby off Esbilac ASAP. My baby is 5-6 weeks old and has had diarrhea or pasty stool the entire time.

The heavy cream, when added to the goats milk recipe, is NOT harmful. It is the awful diets that recommend ONLY "scalded cows milk" that also kill baby squirrels. This goats milk recipe, for now, is the best we've got for babies under 4 weeks old. Please make the change -- your little guy's bones could already be terribly compromised.

[HRT4SQRLS]

A recipe for goats milk includes heavy cream which I was under the impression that cows milk is bad??? I have ordered the Henry’s formula but want to take my baby off Esbilac ASAP. My baby is 5-6 weeks old and has had diarrhea or pasty stool the entire time.

Connie, cows milk or goats milk is not TOXIC to baby squirrels. BOTH, goats milk or cows milk alone are so nutritionally DEFICIENT that they can’t sustain the life of baby squirrels for very long. That’s the reason babies on cows milk (plain or scalded) die of starvation.

Here is the data.



This is a chart from the dairy extension department of the USDA. You will note that cows milk is 3.6% FAT and 3% PROTEIN. Goats milk is 3.8% FAT and 3.0% PROTEIN.

You will find a break down of mama squirrels milk at the bottom of this post.

The mother squirrel milk is 47.6% FAT and 35.4% PROTEIN. As you can see that leaves a HUGE nutritional gap for both goat milk and cow milk. On either one alone, baby squirrels would soon starve. That’s why it is a temporary formula. By adding the heavy cream (36%FAT) you are boosting the fat of the formula. Heavy cream doesn’t have a lot of protein according to what I found it is only 2.84% protein.

There is a recipe on Henry’s Healthy Pets website under the baby squirrel care that has a NEW and improved goat milk recipe. It addresses the deficient fat and protein. An egg yoke is added to boost the protein. You can also find the recipe here. It is a ‘gap’ formula until you get the Fox Valley in. Right now there is no commercial formula for baby squirrels up to 4 weeks that is safe. The Fox Valley 32:40 has issues of its own and right now Esbilac is 100% deadly. Oh, they might survive a little while on it and appear normal but when they crash it is a train wreck. I personally believe it is not only calcium deficient, I believe it is toxic.

[Connie1963]

The heavy cream, when added to the goats milk recipe, is NOT harmful. It is the awful diets that recommend ONLY "scalded cows milk" that also kill baby squirrels. This goats milk recipe, for now, is the best we've got for babies under 4 weeks old. Please make the change -- your little guy's bones could already be terribly compromised.

Wow! Now that some of you mentioned the issues with the bones I have more concerns about the Esbilac formula. I thought my baby was injured due to the fall from the tree. Her left side does not have the strength and coordination as the right side. Even the head tilts right side up as if it only has sight in the right eye. I was worried that it could have brain damage or paralysis. Now I’m thinking it’s possibly the formula. I made the goat milk, yogurt, cream, and egg mixture and gave her first taste. She doesn’t like it and fought to avoid the dropper. I’m trying to supplement her with some solid such as hulled pecans and peeled grapes. I am just hoping to get her over this hump until she no longer needs formula. I’ve never struggled with babies in the past like I have with this one.

[island rehabber]

Wow! Now that some of you mentioned the issues with the bones I have more concerns about the Esbilac formula. I thought my baby was injured due to the fall from the tree. Her left side does not have the strength and coordination as the right side. Even the head tilts right side up as if it only has sight in the right eye. I was worried that it could have brain damage or paralysis. Now I’m thinking it’s possibly the formula. I made the goat milk, yogurt, cream, and egg mixture and gave her first taste. She doesn’t like it and fought to avoid the dropper. I’m trying to supplement her with some solid such as hulled pecans and peeled grapes. I am just hoping to get her over this hump until she no longer needs formula. I’ve never struggled with babies in the past like I have with this one.

Your girlie's symptoms are very much in line with this Esbilac debacle....thank goodness you've caught it.
Word of caution? Back off on the hulled pecans. They will turn her into a nut & sugar junkie the way a kid (or me!!) will taste a Reese's peanut butter cup and never want to eat anything else again. If anything, one or two almonds and that's IT for the nuts. Make sure the formula is very warm, almost hot -- remember she thinks it's coming from her mamma's body and that is 102 degrees. Very often I find when adding things like yogurt or cream I forget that those come out of the fridge and cool down the formula to the point where nobody wants it, so warm up the whole concoction after adding ingredients. Just my two cents!

[Connie1963]

Your girlie's symptoms are very much in line with this Esbilac debacle....thank goodness you've caught it.
Word of caution? Back off on the hulled pecans. They will turn her into a nut & sugar junkie the way a kid (or me!!) will taste a Reese's peanut butter cup and never want to eat anything else again. If anything, one or two almonds and that's IT for the nuts. Make sure the formula is very warm, almost hot -- remember she thinks it's coming from her mamma's body and that is 102 degrees. Very often I find when adding things like yogurt or cream I forget that those come out of the fridge and cool down the formula to the point where nobody wants it, so warm up the whole concoction after adding ingredients. Just my two cents!

Almonds it is. Thanks for the input.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Unless the eye was injured initially, there is a high possibility that the Esbilac caused the blindness in the eye. Hypocalcemia (low calcium) is associated with juvenile cataracts.

It probably wouldn’t hurt to add 50-100mg of calcium carbonate (spaced out) to the formula daily for a while. This is a total amount for the day.... NOT to each feeding. Many of the babies on Esbilac have extreme Metabolic Bone Disease. Their little bones are literally crumbling under their weight.

You mentioned dropper. Do you have syringes? If not, Henry’s Healthy Pets has O-ring syringes (1&3ml) and Miracle Nipples. They work really well.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Maybe admin could make a thread specifically for Connie and her baby.

[Connie1963]

Unless the eye was injured initially, there is a high possibility that the Esbilac caused the blindness in the eye. Hypocalcemia (low calcium) is associated with juvenile cataracts.

It probably wouldn’t hurt to add 50-100mg of calcium carbonate (spaced out) to the formula daily for a while. This is a total amount for the day.... NOT to each feeding. Many of the babies on Esbilac have extreme Metabolic Bone Disease. Their little bones are literally crumbling under their weight.

You mentioned dropper. Do you have syringes? If not, Henry’s Healthy Pets has O-ring syringes (1&3ml) and Miracle Nipples. They work really well.

I do have syringes but not the nipple to attach. Where would I find calcium carbonate locally? Is calcium for humans harmful to the squirrels?
Thank you for the insight.

[HRT4SQRLS]

I do have syringes but not the nipple to attach. Where would I find calcium carbonate locally? Is calcium for humans harmful to the squirrels?
Thank you for the insight.

Calcium carbonate for humans is fine if it doesn’t have Vitamin D in it. That’s the problem. Usually human calcium often has Vitamin D. Too much Vitamin D is toxic to squirrels so make sure it doesn’t have Vitamin D. I think you can get NOW brand calcium carbonate at a health food store.

[Connie1963]

Calcium carbonate for humans is fine if it doesn’t have Vitamin D in it. That’s the problem. Usually human calcium often has Vitamin D. Too much Vitamin D is toxic to squirrels so make sure it doesn’t have Vitamin D. I think you can get NOW brand calcium carbonate at a health food store.

I appreciate your help. Thank you

[Connie1963]

I appreciate your help. Thank you

I am pleased to report an already drastic change using the goat milk formula recipe. She still doesn’t dig in strong drinking it up like the Esbilac but l managed to get enough down her to help. My baby girl is wrestling and playing this morning and has formed more solid stools. There is still a little liquid but in the liquid are well formed pellets. I really appreciate the help.
Thank you

[HRT4SQRLS]

Wow, that makes me so happy Connie. She will adjust to the taste. Isn’t that awesome that her poops are already forming!
Slow and steady will get your baby back to health. By the way, what is her name?

[Connie1963]

Wow, that makes me so happy Connie. She will adjust to the taste. Isn’t that awesome that her poops are already forming!
Slow and steady will get your baby back to health. By the way, what is her name?

The kids on my campus found her and they wanted to name it Sam (thinking it was a boy) after our school, Sam Houston. Now her name is Sammy.

[redwuff]

Hi Connie, just found this thread. Maybe you could put your info here.