What temp for 3 and a half week old flyer

[lovesquirrels1]

One of my flyers gave birth to 4 babies. I found of them dead and cached with where she hides nuts. I dont know if she's stopped producing milk or what so I went a head and pulled two of the others and left one with her to split the difference and hope that the one I leave with her will make it or the ones I am trying to raise now will make it. I have fox valley but it's for 4 weeks an up. Which can of Esbilac Puppy powder is currently recommended? Also I have the heating pad no shutoff from henrys set on low and hooked up to a thermostat and i have temperature probes in the old shirts with the squirrels. What temperature is ideal for raising baby flying squirrels 3 weeks old?

[CritterMom]

Aw. Poor little guy. You want the Esbilac powdered puppy formula. They underwent a change this year and you may find two different labels out there. One has a little black/tan/white puppy that looks like maybe a Rottweiler, and the other is the older can with the little fuzzy white puppy (Samoyed maybe). I would try not to get the white puppy can because it could be old.

I don't know the temp - I always just used my hand to feel. I use big piles of fleece that has been cut into small squares about 2-3 inches across so they can burrow without getting stuck in corners, and it allows them to climb up if they want to be a little cooler or burrow if they want to be warmer. Until they are super healthy I don't like giving them the opportunity to get completely off the heat.

[lovesquirrels1]

Walmart only had something called pet ag. Giving them the goat milk formula for tonight. I'll try some pet stores tomorrow to find it. I can't seem to get them to eat though. The formula/syringe is warm but not hot but they won't grab onto the nipple. Is there any tricks that can help? Do you gently push the nipple into their mouth and am I supposed to pick them up and hold them when feeding. I've had some I fed with eyes open but that was easy they grabbed right on because someone else had already been feeding them first these are the first ones I've had to get started myself.

[CritterMom]

First, try heating your formula so it is warmer. Set at least 2 syringes tip down in a cup of water and mark where the water would come up to just below where the plunger goes into the syringe. Fill the cup to your fill line with fairly warm water - I would go for 115-120 F at least. This will allow you to keep the formula warmer through the entire feeding - start with syringe 1, feed part of it, drop it into the water (it won't enter the syringe) tip down and grab the second one - keep rotating the syringes so baby is getting WARM formula throughout the feeding. I would shoot for about 110 F. Yes I know that is hotter than a mama squirrel who doesn't have access to a microwave could produce but it is what babies want!

Second, cuddle the baby into a nice fleece square and hold in your hand. They are normally in a heap with brothers and sisters so this is a decent facsimile for that. Same feeding method as gray squirrels - tip of the nipple points up toward the roof of baby's mouth.

[lovesquirrels1]

OK I got them eating a little bit now. It's almost like they dont realize where the nipple is most of the them then suddenly they latch on. It's tedius but it's working to some degree. Next question is how do I stimulate them to go to the bathroom and what age do I stop doing that. I've got cotton balls and qtips and I tried rubbing their genitals with those dipped lightly in the warm water but nothing happened? How long do I do it for like 30 seconds or? Should it be wet or just damp and do I just rub the genitals or up higher on the belly too?

I cut up a bunch of fleece squares/strips for a 10 gallon tank with a screen lid and put a tshirt on top and they are digging down part way into the fleece so they seem to be detecting the heat. I think the air temp where they are is around 87 right now (I stuck a digital themometer in there about an inch or so from where they are and covered it with them)