Switching from esbilac to FV.

[FolkloreFairy]

I'm housing a little boy who fell out from his nest from under a gutter. The little guy made it two stories down with only a couple of scuffs and poorly dehydrated. Sadly his other siblings didn't make it before I happened upon him.

Long story short now "Squirt" is coming up to 4 weeks and I want to switch him from the puppy formula to the FV. Just wondering what would be a good ratio to help make the switch without upsetting him. When I introduced the puppy formula to him from pedialyte I did a 1/3 rate then 2/2 you get the point. Would this work the same with the formulas? Thanks for the help!

[island rehabber]

I'm housing a little boy who fell out from his nest from under a gutter. The little guy made it two stories down with only a couple of scuffs and poorly dehydrated. Sadly his other siblings didn't make it before I happened upon him.

Long story short now "Squirt" is coming up to 4 weeks and I want to switch him from the puppy formula to the FV. Just wondering what would be a good ratio to help make the switch without upsetting him. When I introduced the puppy formula to him from pedialyte I did a 1/3 rate then 2/2 you get the point. Would this work the same with the formulas? Thanks for the help!

Bless you for rescuing him, and so sorry about the other babies.....
I find that babies transition easily from Esbilac to FV, so I do it as two feedings of 1/4 FV to 3/4 Esbilac, then two feedings of half FV half Esbilac, then two feedings of 1/4 Esbilac to 3/4 FV, and finally you're at full strength FV. Of course the ratio of water to powder is always the same: 2 parts water to 1 part powder. I mix my two powders ahead of time so I don't screw up trying to figure out scoops.

[Nancy in New York]

Just make sure the Fox Valley you are using is the 20/50 and NOT the 32/40.

[FolkloreFairy]

Just make sure the Fox Valley you are using is the 20/50 and NOT the 32/40.

Yes 20/50. That's why I'm excited for the switch now that he has the 4 week mark. I've ordered from the FV site before but I actually found another supplier that carries FV for $1 cheaper and half the shipping price. He also makes "baby kits" that comes with some basic essentials.

[FolkloreFairy]

Bless you for rescuing him, and so sorry about the other babies.....
I find that babies transition easily from Esbilac to FV, so I do it as two feedings of 1/4 FV to 3/4 Esbilac, then two feedings of half FV half Esbilac, then two feedings of 1/4 Esbilac to 3/4 FV, and finally you're at full strength FV. Of course the ratio of water to powder is always the same: 2 parts water to 1 part powder. I mix my two powders ahead of time so I don't screw up trying to figure out scoops.

Thank you! I just wanted to double check. Who knew if mixing the formulas would have been bad and just wanted to double check that he could handle it.

[island rehabber]

Yes 20/50. That's why I'm excited for the switch now that he has the 4 week mark. I've ordered from the FV site before but I actually found another supplier that carries FV for $1 cheaper and half the shipping price. He also makes "baby kits" that comes with some basic essentials.

Sounds like henryspets.com. We love them.

[FolkloreFairy]

Sounds like henryspets.com. We love them.

Yes I fell in love with his site. What's your opinion on the high protein blocks? I didn't realize and was excited to hear that they actually make the blocks themselves.

[lennysmom]

Yes I fell in love with his site. What's your opinion on the high protein blocks? I didn't realize and was excited to hear that they actually make the blocks themselves.

Yes for a little one weaning off formula, the high protein blocks would be a good choice. Those are the ones I use when my squirrels are weaning - I just start putting one in with them to nibble on and allow them to wean at their own pace. Some wean quicker then others, but I have had great success with those.

[island rehabber]

Ditto what lennysmom said. I start my guys on the high-protein growth formula blocks, one per day at 8 wks old and then graduating to 2 per day until release. If they get bored with them I switch to the Picky Formula. They are your insurance that your squirrel is getting all the calcium and other vital nutrients it needs, regardless of what other foods it actually eats that day.

henryspets.com was actually founded, and is run by, a Squirrel Board member named Leigh. She and her partner Jay bake every single block themselves, on premises, and they are squirrel lovers to the max.