Questions about orphaned Gray Squirrel

[snoopy]

Hey. I am a first time poster so please pardon any mistakes I make in this post. I have a B.S. in Animal Science and my wife is a licensed rehabber and we have a great deal of experience with wildlife and donesticated animals. We are posting because we have come across a few problems we haven't encountered previously.

We have a baby Eastern Grey Squirrel that was brought in by the cat a couple days ago. He has no punctures but had a couple tiny scratches that we applied antibiotic ointment to. He appears to be in the 2-3 week age range and seems to be doing mostly well.

We started by rehydrating him with Pedialyte. He perked up and seemed to be feeling better. However, he has very wrinkly skin. It has pretty good turgor but is still very wrinkly. At first we thought he was still dehydrated but that doesn't make much sense.

Could the wrinkly skin be because he is underweight?

Another potential problem is that he seems to have weakness in his back legs. They're not paralyzed and he does use them to push himself along. We know about MBD and the dangers it presents. Could this be caused by anything else? Possibly also due to malnutrition?

We want to give him some calcium but are unsure of the best way. We tried with TUMS but couldn't get it to dissolve in water. We have Calcium Gluconate but are unsure if this is completely safe for him to take orally. What is the best way to get him calcium if needed? He is on Fox Valley formula.

Lastly, I believe, is that his Urine is Crystal clear. Not even a hint of yellow. Should we be worried about Kidney issues or anything else or is it most likely due to the amount of oral fluids we are giving him?

Thank you so much for any responses you leave or links you share. We truly appreciate it.

[snoopy]

I forgot to mention that his back legs look very similar to a frogs legs.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SpSjj7vDFZrqvt9KA

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xEEdBHaZKjiTwGPu5

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dfnF8sQKYHbe3DwH9

[Mel1959]

Welcome.

Is this baby’s eyes open? Do you know how old he is?

I am always very concerned when a squirrel has been in a cats mouth. The bacteria in a cats mouth is lethal to a squirrel. Sometimes it’s very hard to see the puncture marks, especially if the squirrel is furred. Do you have any antibiotics on hand if needed.

Wrinkly skin can be from dehydration or by being under nourished. Some little ones need water IN BETWEEN regular scheduled feedings.

Which Fox Valley are you feeding? How much and how often?

Posting a picture of your little one would be very helpful.

Just saw your pictures, but none of them were a full body shot. I’m not sure about the splayed legs because I couldn’t see the picture well. Can he get them underneath him? It could be that he is too weak. It’s very unusual for a young squirrel on formula to need additional calcium.

[snoopy]

Eyes are not open yet. We have been keeping a close eye out for infection but do have some antibiotics on hand.

We are feeding Fox Valley 32/40 for squirrels, opossums, and bunnies.

He can't really get his feet under him. He can scoot around but can't stand up.

Thanks for answering!


QUOTE=Mel1959;1272792]Welcome.

Is this baby’s eyes open? Do you know how old he is?

I am always very concerned when a squirrel has been in a cats mouth. The bacteria in a cats mouth is lethal to a squirrel. Sometimes it’s very hard to see the puncture marks, especially if the squirrel is furred. Do you have any antibiotics on hand if needed.

Wrinkly skin can be from dehydration or by being under nourished. Some little ones need water IN BETWEEN regular scheduled feedings.

Which Fox Valley are you feeding? How much and how often?

Posting a picture of your little one would be very helpful.

Just saw your pictures, but none of them were a full body shot. I’m not sure about the splayed legs because I couldn’t see the picture well. Can he get them underneath him? It could be that he is too weak. It’s very unusual for a young squirrel on formula to need additional calcium.[/QUOTE]

[cava]

I think he looks perfect and yes, they can be that wrinkly. He looks like he has muscle mass and fat under the skin. You may be overhydrating him and that is why you're seeing clear urine.

If his eyes are still closed it's normal for him to be unbalanced and wobbly. We rarely see MBD in 2-3 in little babies. How long have you had him and has he been formula fed? If so, it offers appropriate nutrition and decreases chances this is MBD. He won't take off until eyes open and even after that he'll still be uncoordinated for a while. At this age they would be sleeping and eating in a closed nest and not given the chance to climb or walk around.

I had a rehab who was undernourished and had lots of wrinkles after hydration due to weight loss but she filled out and she's fat but still has a few fat wrinkles.

Here's a helpful link reminding you to feed 5-7% of body weight (weigh in grams) and to discontinue pedialyte after 24 hours and stick with water after that (to avoid salt overload).

https://www.henryspets.com/baby-squirrel-care/

[cava]

Keep a very close eye on his belly and poops. FV 32/40 has a history of cementing in the gut and causing constipation and bloating.

You could safely use Esbilac Puppy Formula (Powdered) and switch to the FV 20-50 once eyes open if this is a problem. How are his poops now? His belly should be full but soft and not hard or bloated.

[Spanky]

Eyes are not open yet. We have been keeping a close eye out for infection but do have some antibiotics on hand.

We are feeding Fox Valley 32/40 for squirrels, opossums, and bunnies.

Most of us hate FV 32/40, it sits like cement too often. We prefer Esbilac Puppy formula or FV 20/50 starting about 4 weeks (or a mix of 50% Esbilac and 50% FV 20/50).

How mush does the baby weigh, how much are you feeding per feeding and how often?

I give antibiotics any time a squirrel has come into contact with a cat. Hard lesson to learn that cat bites sometimes are not seen for days... cat scratches can be deadly as well. Better safe...