Three new babies-updated help needed

[Terry H]

Hello to all.

Our family has just adopted three new baby squirrels. Due to the ongoing coronavirus, we have been unable to make any contact with rehab places. Having said that here is our story:
We live on a hobby farm. On Wednesday my parents came by to drop of some essentials and parked the car in our driveway. Keeping our distance we said hello, they said hello, they gave a mock hug and blew a kiss to us and the kids and said goodbye. As they were to leave, my mothers car would not start. So I went over to check a few things keeping our distance and could not get it going. It is one of those fancy new push start vehicles. So I opened the hood and underneath lo and behold there was a nest of some sort. As we tried to figure out what to do, we could see no mother or adult animal. Then a baby falls out so I help support the clinging nest and two more babies appear.
Considering it is below zero and quite windy, I take the babies in the house to keep them warm. By this time we have to leave my Mom's car in the driveway as the dealership is now closed and we will wait until the morning so they took home one of our spare vehicles(sanitized it before they got in).
I did a bunch of research and kept them alive overnight and into the morning. My parents kept looking for the mother but to no avail. I made the decision it was too cold(below freezing and windy) to leave the babies out for the mother squirrel. We kept checking for her but no trace at all.
I bought Pedialyte and some 1cc syringes. We put the babies in a large shoe box with the original bedding from the car(hood) and placed them right beside some chicks we have just hatched. We have been feeding them every three hours or so since.
I am estimating them to be around three weeks old.
I find some discrepancy on this forum about what to feed them.
Could someone please tell me what is best for them right now in regards to feeding and any other pertinent advice.

Thanks in advance,

Terry

[CritterMom]

First, go here and read all 6 pages. The "Next Page" icon is at the top right of each page: https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

They need to eat. You can make a temporary formula from goats milk, yogurt, and heavy whipping cream. You can use fresh goats milk, condensed, or dry. If you use condensed or dry, you need to reconstitute it according to the package directions FIRST. Can you get these things?

Another option is Royal Canin Babydog which is a puppy formula. Google tells me it is available in Canada - we cannot get the Babydog here in the US. It is a good formula for baby squirrels. Call your local pet shops to see if it is available. If you can get this it would be a better choice than the goats milk formula.

[CritterMom]

And move them from the cardboard box. Cardboard saps moisture from them and can dehydrate them. A small plastic bin is much better. A heating pad without auto shut off UNDER the box on low (in the house) is much better than a heat lamp.

[HRT4SQRLS]

I would discard the original nest. It usually has mites. Baby squirrels love to snuggle in fleece or Tshirt material.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Fox Valley 20:50 is also a good formula choice. I thought it was available through Amazon Ca but I think it kicked me back to Amazon US.
I’m not sure you can get this. You might be able to get it directly through Fox Valley Nutrition.

[Terry H]

Hi guys thanks for the responses. I have just returned from getting my new supplies. The guy at the pet store said to give them Pet Ag Esbilac. I did notice mites in the bedding but they seem to be doing just fine. Should I still change it?

[CritterMom]

Hi guys thanks for the responses. I have just returned from getting my new supplies. The guy at the pet store said to give them Pet Ag Esbilac. I did notice mites in the bedding but they seem to be doing just fine. Should I still change it?

I guess you didn't notice the big yellow banner at the top of the page warning about Esbilac problems, or the warnings all over the page I gave you for the baby squirrel care info on the same project. Many of us here spent untold hours last year helping people try to save their babies last year and it was all problems with Esbilac's formula. The company came up with all sorts of different stories about what was going on, finally admitted there might be problems and that they had "fixed" them but since they never recalled the killer formula it is impossible to know what you have - and if they even ever fixed it. This is the second time in 6 or 7 years that this company sold product that killed babies and I, and many others, will never, EVER buy anything from them again. It doesn't kill them immediately - but they cannot absorb the calcium in the formula which is one of the most important things for a squirrel, and their little bones are so fragile they break all over the place. We had babies only a few weeks old that came in fine and subsequent x-rays showed dozens of broken bones. This is why I recommended the Royal Canin Babydog. I cannot urge you strongly enough to look for that or use the temporary goats milk formula. Pet shops are not very good places to get specific nutritional info about animals they really don't know much about since they aren't commonly kept as pets.

Yes, absolutely get rid of the nest. You are going to also want to get the mites off of them. Believe me, once they experience fleece they won't ever want to go back to twigs! It is much easier for you to keep everything clean - yank out the old and toss in the wash and replace with new.

[Terry H]

I did notice and it said 2019 so I assumed it being 2020 and I just bought it, it is current. Also I have read before multiple times not to give them goats milk. Hence why I reached out to this form. I am ready to give them their next feeding. Please help. Thanks.

[CritterMom]

I did notice and it said 2019 so I assumed it being 2020 and I just bought it, it is current. Also I have read before multiple times not to give them goats milk. Hence why I reached out to this form. I am ready to give them their next feeding. Please help. Thanks.

Goat's milk ALONE doesn't have what is needed for a fast growing animal like an infant squirrel, which is why it is mixed with the additional ingredients. We also consider it to be a temporary formula. Almost ANY baby animal can drink goat's milk - it has been a go to emergency baby food forever.

They need food now. If you don't have the goats milk and other items, you will need to use the Esbilac and as quickly as you possibly can, get your hands on the Royal Canin and switch.

I would also begin by mixing the Esbilac at 3 parts water to 1 part formula powder - a little on the weak side in other words.

The issue with continuing with the Esbilac is that you don't know what you have. Often this stuff sits on shelves for a long time before it is purchased. We also only have their word that they have fixed it and after never admitting what actually happened (lots of different stories and deflection and zero believable info) it would be insane to simply trust them. It is sort of like Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" - "Do you feel lucky, punk? Do ya?" I don't like having to rely on "luck" when buying a product, especially for one as vulnerable as a baby squirrel.

[Terry H]

Good morning. I have fed them three times the goat milk mixture and replaced their bedding and container. They seem to be doing fine. I have been unable to locate Royal Canin but I did find KMR. Is it okay to use?

[HRT4SQRLS]

Good morning. I have fed them three times the goat milk mixture and replaced their bedding and container. They seem to be doing fine. I have been unable to locate Royal Canin but I did find KMR. Is it okay to use?

Unfortunately, No, the KMR won’t work. It is for kittens and they are carnivores. The protein is too high and they usually get diarrhea from it.
Can you order formula online?

[Terry H]

Hello there. Babies seem to be responding well to the goat milk/yogurt/cream mix.
Should I introduce an egg yolk now? I was told to use only powdered egg.
Also, a friend of mine has a couple of esbilac cans butare in the liquid version. Okay to give?

Thanks

Terry

[CritterMom]

Don't use the esbilac.

Do you have Fox Valley 20/50 on the way? If so, I would just keep them on the current form of goats milk formula and begin a SLOW transition to the 20/50 when you get it. They are doing well - don't mess with that!