Esbilac UPDATE: OK to use

[Kaitlinrose101]

You can give them some hydration to flush their system, but the goats milk Esbilac isn’t as bad as the liquid Esbilac or the Pet Lac stuff.

Transition by mixing both formulas independently according to the directions....1 part powder to 2 parts hot water. Pull up into your syringe 75% the old formula and 25% the new formula. Feed a feeding of this. The next feeding pull up 50% old formula and 50% new formula and the next feeding pull up 25% old formula and 75% new formula. After that you’ll be at 100% new formula.

Since they already have loose stool you may not be able to tell that the transition upsets their system. This is a quick transition, ideally it’s nice to take a couple of days to transition over, but they should be fine. Continue to offer water in between feedings to help replace some hydration lost from the loose stool.

You can also add some full fat vanilla yogurt to their formula to provide some extra probiotics.....about a 1/2 tsp.

Edit: I see Crittermom has advised to get fox valley 20/50. �� The transition would be the same, just do a couple of feedings at each new formula combination instead of just one feeding. ��

You guys are a life saver! Thank you so much! I got the FV ultraboost in today (which I saw was recommended to add to your formula. ) Once they are 100% transitioned to the the FV, how should I mix in the ultraboost? How do you measure and mix. I have 4 squirrels to feed. Two that are almost 6 weeks and two that are about 8 weeks. I would like to mix enough for all day.
Also, what is the best way to store the ultraboost and 20/50? On the bag, it says a cool, dry place, but I was wondering how you guys store it. Thank you!!

[Mel1959]

I always use Ultraboost with my formula. Substitute 25% of the Fox Valley with the Ultraboost....whatever the amount is that you need for a days worth of feedings. You use the same amount of water to reconstitute the Ultraboost as you do the 20/50.....1 part powder to2 parts hot water.

[Mel1959]

I forgot to say, store the bags of formula in the freezer or refrigerator. Long term I always store in the freezer. The same with the Henrys blocks....freeze them and take out a few days worth and store them in a baggie in the fridge.

[island rehabber]

I keep the bags (from Henry's) and the can of Esbilac in the freezer. Every few days I pre-mix the powders together --- either :

--3parts Esbilac to 1 part UB for pinkies, or

--2 parts Esbilac to 1 part UB for 2wks until eyes open..... and keep the mixture in the refrigerator.

Then all I have to do is scoop out the powder and mix your regular way --- 2 parts water to 1 part powder -- and feed the kids.

After eyes open I transition to Fox Valley 20/50, with one part UB thrown in. Usually I do 1 to 2 again.

[Patrisse]

I’ve had my squirrel for 2/3 weeks his eyes were shut but are open now i estimate he’s 6/7 weeks but he has gone off his milk but is eating nuts and fruit etc he poo ok I’m just worried he not getting enough? He on puppy milk

[Grinderhead]

I’ve had my squirrel for 2/3 weeks his eyes were shut but are open now i estimate he’s 6/7 weeks but he has gone off his milk but is eating nuts and fruit etc he poo ok I’m just worried he not getting enough? He on puppy milk

Please stop all nuts and fruit. At this age he should only be getting formula and a rodent block. Check out the link its 6 pages.
Next page is at the top right. https://henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

[John Roush]

2 yrs ago when COVID-19 started I rescued a baby squirrel and raised her until she was about 8 months, I was able to release her back into the wild, 2 months later she rescued another squirrel and carried it out of a tree back to us to assist.

In the process I was able to save her life, but tragically 10 months later, she died. I am trying to find out why this happened, I called over 40 Vets in the Tri State area, nobody would help us, nobody treated squirrels.

5 June, She returned back to the wild to return back to our home and 1 week later, she lost a lot of weight, we thought maybe she was dehydrated, no worries we gave her water / baby formula with calcium with syringe and kept her hydrated. She started getting better, at first she was not energetic, not playful just wanted to sleep, all signs symptoms of MBD, I found 5 ticks on her, one in each ear, 2 on her back and another crawling on her leg. I removed the ticks, washed her with soap water and kept her hydrated. She was getting better and then her hind leg started swelling, within 24 hrs she started having seizures difficulty breathing and then died. I tried to call over 40 animal shelters/vets nobody would help out because she was a squirrel. I did everything I could to save her. Just trying to see, what she might have got into,

1. 5 Jun 2021 – released her into the wild
2. 12 Jun 2021 – returned home from the wild 2 pm
3. 12 Jun 2021 – 2 pm found/removed 5 ticks, she acted confused, very scared, tried to hide/sleep all day/night in her nest, later she started to have a fever, her head was burning up, we hydrated her immediately with water/formula in syringe every hr
4. 13 Jun 2021 – she started moving a little more, still sleepy and didn’t want to eat drink, kept the syringe going with formula, a Vet said try to give HARTZ ULTRA GUARD Flea& Tick drops, I bought some from Walmart, one dose of .001 oz drop of the .031 fl oz ampule to treat for all the fleas and ticks on her. Later she started having a fever. Gave her fluids, fever broke.
5. 14 Jun 2021 – she started drinking water on her own, eating a little but on her own, later that night her right hind leg started swelling, we were thinking spider bite, no worries, she has been through this. Kept the calcium and hydrating
6. 15 Jun 2021 – doing much better, eating more and then later that day around 5 pm, my wife called and said her leg is starting to turn darker and she is not looking so good, I get home at 8 pm, she is responsive but notice she is agitated, she runs hides, feet are cold to the touch and then started convulsions, I pick her up, her breathing is slow, agonal breathing and then she is gone.

What happened to her? was it the drops? Lime disease, or something she ate, never seen anything like this, we didn’t have any number for any vet that would help a squirrel so we were on our own. I called 40 places, no help

At first we didn’t think it was that bad because she went through this with a spider bite, I mean we only had 3 days with her, could this have been enough time to help her? Antibiotics? Or was it too late? I wish we had more time to help her.

[Spanky]

4. 13 Jun 2021 – she started moving a little more, still sleepy and didn’t want to eat drink, kept the syringe going with formula, a Vet said try to give HARTZ ULTRA GUARD Flea& Tick drops, I bought some from Walmart, one dose of .001 oz drop of the .031 fl oz ampule to treat for all the fleas and ticks on her. Later she started having a fever. Gave her fluids, fever broke.

I cannot say definitively it was the HARTZ ULTRA GUARD Flea& Tick drops but if I were a gambling man (and I am) this is where I would place my bet. If it is not safe for dogs less than 5 lbs, I'd doubt it could be safe for a squirrel.

I am not really familiar with the active ingredients in this product, but as a general rule I would avoid every thing made by Hartz, FWIW.

Maybe someone else is familiar with using Phenothrin in wildlife (it appears in none of my wildlife references).