Need help with baby flyer

[sshconner]

Hello everyone i could sure use some knowledge on this little guy. Anything would be much appreciated! Yesterday evening a family member called and said that the neighbors dog had a baby squirrel in its mouth and she rescued it and i met her and picked it up. Never have seen a flyer up close and i am some what panicky knowing now how much different they are than our normal gray squirrel! Little background on myself, i am not a rehabber and the extent of my knowledge in this area is from reading everything i have been able to find on these little guys. And referring to others posts. With that said i have succesfully raised a gray, my Rocky, he was 2-3 days old when i got him and he decided at about 2 years old to leave me, i was a very broken hearted big cry baby when that day came. He just a few months ago came out of hiding and let it be known he was still living behind my house where he grew up. I was brought an apprx 5 week old fox squirrell whos tree was cut down. Raised her up until around 6 months and she was then releases back in the area she was found. Lastly had 2 pinkies that i delivered to a rehabilitator because i couldnt of spent the time needed to give it my all. So thats what ive experienced up to this point. Ive fallen in love with these little guys and can say ive never experienced anything like them!

So im having a hard time figurimg age because i am unsure if this guy is poor or if this is how small they are. Im guessing about 2 weeks. It had no appetite when it got here hi fed it Pedialyte every 15 to 30 minutes for the first few hours and then I moved to feeding every 2 hours at first he was only taking what i dropped in his mouth. Still pedialyte. Every feeding he had more energu amd wanted more of. Passed one dark poo and peed around 6 this am. Started formula at 11 today and he ate around 1cc to 1.5cc. Have stimulated and not had any luck on that yet. But is much more active than before. He has a small place on front leg buy it is not deep and does not look to be causing any pain.

He has a small tooth coming in on bottom already, ears unnattched, hair on tail. His head is much bigger than body and i wonder if this is normal or is he underwieght?

Any insight on this would be awesome, i will worry myself to death if i rely solely on myself. I hope i can figure out how to post pics now. And i apologize for not beong able to proof read amd correct any errors above. Busy busy

Thank you in advance! I appreciate your time!

[sshconner]

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[sshconner]

[Shewhosweptforest]

Oh my gosh what an adorable baby I really don't know anything about baby flyers but I figured this would it back up

I don't think there's a lot of difference at this age...and I agree..maybe almost 3 weeks old. I also think the larger head is normal...sounds like you did a good job on hydrating he probably will start producing some poops and urine soon...he just needed something in him...the black poo was from Momma's milk

I think you're doing fine....follow the protocol for baby squirrels and you will be fine. Hopefully, some of our flyer experts will come on soon and give you any breed specific info

Thank you for saving this lil one...and the others you have saved

[sshconner]

Thanks! There is not alot of info on these little ones. Its the cuteness that does me im everytime. He is eating every 2 1/2 hours and has peed each time. I dont ever remember my Rocky being so little. This little one is 11.2 grams. Is it normal for them to shake when they go to walk around? I get hes just doing it but he is very very unsteady. Im hoping they will get on soon to lol thank you again!

[CritterMom]

Thanks! There is not alot of info on these little ones. Its the cuteness that does me im everytime. He is eating every 2 1/2 hours and has peed each time. I dont ever remember my Rocky being so little. This little one is 11.2 grams. Is it normal for them to shake when they go to walk around? I get hes just doing it but he is very very unsteady. Im hoping they will get on soon to lol thank you again!

Aw, he is just a teeny baby. You would shake too if you were just learning to walk and had to do it while you hauled around a head as big as the rest of your body!

What are you giving him for formula? What type?

[Milo's Mom]

Providing the baby is healthy and being fed appropriate formula here is a gauge for you on age/weight: Every single flyer I've raised has followed the below to a "T". Like so much so it's almost creepy.

7 days ---- 7g
9 days ---- 7-8g
12 days -- 10-11g
14 days -- 11-13g
17 days -- 12-13g
19 days -- 15-16g
21 days -- 16-19g
28 days -- eyes open
30 days -- 25-26g
31 days -- 27-28g
35 days -- 30-31g
38 days -- 32-34g
41 days -- 34-37g
50 days -- 41-52g (note the large variation now)
52 days -- 43-53g

[sshconner]

His eyes ooened today!! He is so so very cute. I Am feeding him Esibilac puppy formula. He had formula yesterday for three feedings and still no poop. Well one little ball tiny. I gave him some more of the sugar water mixture this morning instead of formula. While i ran kiddos to school he pooped kinda tarry brown? He seemed to have more energy yesterday moving around at feeding time. Im really skeptical on the formula i raised my grey squirrel on KMR kitten milk and he did great. There is so many opinions on the Nos amd Dont's. I went with esibalic becaise of the nos and donts on the Kmr. What do you feed your flyers? Sunday he weighed 11.2 g Monday 11 5 didnt weigh yesterday today is 11.8. So he just had pedialyte and he has a little yellow diarreah. And yes ma'am on the big head amd shaky legs. I cannot get over how tiny he is!! It freaks me out just a little and scares me alot. Lol I appreciate u guys commenting, if i should do anything difderent on feeding i was thinking one more feeding of pedialyte in couple hours before back to formula. He is a really good eater i just pray to have my crap togehter for him. Do these guys bond with just one person or are they "family friendly" lol My Rocky was hell on wheels if you wasnt me he didnt like you! It was very hard to keep the balance of kids, ole man, my rocky because they could never be together and i had to have them all. I wouldnt trade it for the world raising that little fella though. Thanks again!

[sshconner]

[Mel1959]

The formula is Esbilac powdered puppy formula, right? The liquid in the can and the powdered are NOT the same. Loose stool can be a sign of over feeding. We recommend that babies be fed 5-7% of their weight per feeding. If your little guy is 11.8gr then he should get .59cc (5%) to .83 (7%) per feeding. If he's taking 1.5cc that's too much and can cause diarrhea. You want to gradually increase the amount of formula he gets as he gets bigger. Too much is a big shock to his system. Cut back on the amount you feed each time to within the 5-7% rule and see if his diarrhea subsides.

While he has diarrhea you should continue with the pedialyte. He needs the electrolytes. Don't give for more than a couple of days, though. The sugar or honey in the water can cause loose stools, too.

[Jennefer]

Ditto to what Mel1959 said! Hi Sshconner! Your little guy is adorable! Big head & shaky legs/wobbly movement is totally normal for his age....if his eyes just opened he's around a month old. I've recently raised & released 6 flyers! LOVE these guys. Dont be afraid of how small he is. They are a lot like grays, in a tiny package. Please pay attention to the 5-7% feeding rule on these guys - over feeding will causes issues. Another thing...you can hydrate him with plain water between feedings, no need for pedialyte more than 24 hours. The pinch test on flyers is tough b/c they have so much extra skin rolling around. As long as he's getting formula every 3 hours he will be fine. As far as formula, I have always used Fox Valley 20/50 (not FV 32/40). My flyers never weaned off it. They were still drinking formula daily up to the day they were released at 7 months old - out of a dish then, not syringe. Formula is the single best insurance against MBD (make sure you read about it if you dont know what it is- good threads here on TBS). I currently have one flyer inside that came back to me about 3 weeks ago b/c he was injured & he's taking formula every day at almost a year old. Overall, flyers need more protein than grays. My guys love meal worms & wax worms (can dust them with calcium powder from Henry's), freeze dried chicken (100% chicken cat treats), scrambled eggs, etc. He's still a bit young for solid food, but in another few weeks I'd start putting rodent block in with him. I used Henry's Healthy Blocks for flyers (high protein). You can order them online at Henry's Healthy Pets. They also have a fabulous cheetah print pouch that ALL my flyers loved & slept in vs under fleece. Start by putting one block in with him around 6 weeks..he wont do much with it, but soon he'll start to shred it, then nibble it. After he's eating that, move on to veggies (same as what you would feed a gray - greens, mushrooms, etc), then a fruit or 2. I always keep nuts to a minimum...maybe 1/4 of a pecan once a week. Remember, their stomachs are tiny, so where you may give a gray a full nut, these guys would only get a pinch, as a treat, not a main part of diet. I used to give my guys a in-shell hazel nut once a week & they would literally drill a tiny whole it in & somehow get the nut out. Kept their teeth filed & they had to work for the nut! Go ahead now & put some sticks (outdoor if no pesticide used) or the chew kind from pet store. My guys liked lava chews as well. Never did take to antlers. But love oak branches!

Another thing, in a few weeks he will start getting a "greasy" look to him...also normal. DONT bath him! They dont do well with wet fur. The greasy look will pass. Flyers this young mostly sleep all the time. Normal behavior as they get older is to sleep all day & be up moving around at night. These guys are very social, and assuming you plan on releasing him, he will need to be part of a group or colony. They are not like grays in terms of being a singleton - they should not be released alone. I highly encourage you to find another baby flyer around his age to pair with, or consider giving him up to someone that has multiple babies. These guys arent as common to find being rehabbed as grays, but it is possible. Keep him out of bright light & away from loud stuff, like TV's, radios, etc. I always kept my guys cage covered & in a separate room away from the main hub of the house (living room, kitchen, etc). Remember, these guys are nocturnal, like little vampires, so they dont like bright light. They typically will like more than one person (unlike grays), although some of my guys were feisty & some loveable. They all have distinct personalities, just like all of us! I never let my family or friends handle my flyers since they were being rehabbed to go back into the wild. Good luck with your little guy. Feel free to ask any questions, and definitely post pics & keep us updated on your progress! Flyers are special little guys! You will never forget this little one!

Pics of my guys about a week older than your guy...notice big head! And one of them in their Henry's pouch!

[sshconner]

Those guys are really adorable! This little one has got me with that cuteness thing. He just seems so dang little. I got my FV in today. When do tjeu become steady on there feet? He will crawl aroumd on my hand when hungry but other tham thay he sleeps. He has not pooped since the little bit of diarreah couple days ago. Anything i could be doing?

[Jennefer]

Thanks! They are little but you'll get use to it. A coworker brought me a 3 day old kitten a few months ago to help out til she found someone to take it & everyone was oohing & ahhing at how small. Oh my gosh how can you feed him, he's so small....after raising baby fliers, the kitten seemed like a giant!! . Good on the FV....make sure its the 20/50, not the 32/40. You will want to transition him over on the formula so you dont upset his tummy. Start with 3/4 esbilac & 1/4 fv for few feedings. Then go half esbilac & half FV for a few. Then 1/4 esbilac & 3/4 FV, then finally full FV. Should take a few days. As far as him not pooping, look around his blanket as he may have started pooping on his own. Also, assuming you have been/still are stimulating him to go potty/poop before/after he eats, correct? Just like grays, need to do same thing. He may not have a lot of poop in him yet if he's recovering from diarrhea. Im leary of giving him anythg for constipation if he's just getting back on track from loose stools. Keep a close eye, stimulate his bottom every feeding & go from there. And more pics are always appreciated....everyone loves lil flyers.

[sshconner]

This little fella is worse than my man, velly full wants to i mean is going to take a nap! He is trying to jump at me maybe, flip floppin for sure. He has showed so much personality since yesterday evening. I still kind of worried about him being 5 weeks old ish and he weighed 17g this am. He is eating about 1cc every three hours. His poop looks right.he is not poooing that often though. I will try and get some pics. Really curious as to why he is so much smaller than what was listed above in the chart do they have runts? Thanks guys

[sshconner]

[sshconner]

[Jennefer]

This little fella is worse than my man, velly full wants to i mean is going to take a nap! He is trying to jump at me maybe, flip floppin for sure. He has showed so much personality since yesterday evening. I still kind of worried about him being 5 weeks old ish and he weighed 17g this am. He is eating about 1cc every three hours. His poop looks right.he is not poooing that often though. I will try and get some pics. Really curious as to why he is so much smaller than what was listed above in the chart do they have runts? Thanks guys

He is adorable!!! I went back to earlier thread & looks like he's gained a bit of weight (from 11g to 17g) so hes moving in right direction. Thats good. I believe there are runts....one of my 6 was huge & one was very small (hence his name Tiny). Like noticably smaller. As long as ur guy is consistantly eating thats good. My older guys barely eat more than 1cc....but they also eat solids. Keep in mind tummies are small. You can start putting a block in with him now. He'll probably shred it. Its a process. Also try pottying him before he eats. He may eat more if he doesnt have a full bladder. I used to do playtime with my guys....started with a series of small boxes on floor, would sit in front of them, place them on box & let them jump to my hand. Everyday we'd practice, scooting little further away, adding bigger boxes until they were eventually able to jump a long way. Then to table top & had them jump to me. Graduated up months later to top of curtain rod down to my head!! Just make sure fans are off & toilet seats are down. Each week he'll get better at jumping. And one magic day he will spread his arms & glide. Nothing else like it!!! Love the pics. He looks good. Does look small like my Tiny. Whats his name?