The ABC's of SYRINGES!

[momma2boo]

I use the larger syringes for my "older" squirrels. I allow them to suck the formula on their own ... no plunger pushing necessary. Totally agree ... little ones need 1 cc syringes. Just fill several of them and float them in a warm water bath to keep them warm. If you are lucky enough to have a partner/spouse handy they can have the next one right there for a quick and somewhat smooth transition from the empty one to the new full one.
Hubby has gotten quite good at "the hand is faster than the eye" bit.

[island rehabber]

I don't know if this is even relevant, but in defense of Anne and Jackie, Florida grey squirrels are significantly smaller than northern greys! The first time I was in Tampa for a TSB gathering, Jackie had eyes-open 5-6-week olds that looked exactly like our three-week olds. It was so bizarre to me, babies so tiny with eyes wide open and tail fur coming in. So yeah, if I were feeding Florida babies I might stick with a 1cc too.

[mugzeezma]

I don't know if this is even relevant, but in defense of Anne and Jackie, Florida grey squirrels are significantly smaller than northern greys! The first time I was in Tampa for a TSB gathering, Jackie had eyes-open 5-6-week olds that looked exactly like our three-week olds. It was so bizarre to me, babies so tiny with eyes wide open and tail fur coming in. So yeah, if I were feeding Florida babies I might stick with a 1cc too.

Definitely relevant.
I look at some of the pix from FLA here and I think I'm looking at much younger babies than what is stated. I think different trauma situations slow development as well.
Some babies are just slower than others for whatever reason no matter where you are. It can be a personality thing too.
Southern Grays according to our (WWC) naturalist are practically another species. Enough so in that we should never release our Northerners down there. With the older kids here a 1cc gets slurped down so fast with some that you have to blast and refill at a rate that annoys and keeps them from eating their full ration.

[supergirldee]

Syringe 101!

...big syringes cannot be controlled as well....
you will end up pushing too much formula...and this will lead to aspiration pnuemonia!
ASk the experienced rehabbers here what they use...
they will tell you a 1cc O-ring syringe...even when the sq is 6 months old!
I always use 1 cc o-ring syringe myself...no deviation, NEVER!
[/SIZE]

I like the 1cc also as I can control intake. But I only have one at the moment so I am refilling and warming it in between with warm water and the little thing gets antsy waiting. I need a few more warm all at once... LOL

FUNNY STORY: I got mine from the Wal-mart Pharmacy and when I asked for a syringe, they looked at me like I was a drug dealer and grilled me on why I wanted one. I had to show pics of the squirrel and then they gave me one free.
Squirrel

[Squeekhart]

Q. Re: Nipples: Do the silicon nipples work well, and if so, for which ages/stages? How many would you typically go through with a single baby? Are the Miracle Nipples that much better? (If there is a thread on this, please direct me to it, thanks.

Q. Heek, serious question: Any favorite gloves to recommend? There are a zillion kinds of gloves out there. Limiting bite damage is helpful. Gloves that are less horrid smelling or feeling to a squirrel being clutched is also preferable.

From what I have read thus far, it seems the safest syringes are the 1CC ones. How many 1CC syringes would I need to cover a single baby for 3 months? Estimate?

I see all of the supplies at Henry's. The non-shut-off heating pad, the cozy little pouch, the formulas and syringes. (I have some syringes and one of the formulas, and fleeces. I think if I just get the 1CCs and the heating pad, I will be okay in a pinch with supplies for an emergency beebee care.

[Raysgal00]

I use 3cc syringes at a very large wildlife center (8000+ animals annually).
I use 1cc @ home.
Paint should dry faster than you push the plunger on a 3cc.

I don't push the plunger as my guys have no problem sucking it out but my nipple holes are too big. Now that they are sucking stronger I'm getting super nervous. Should I use the mothering nipples? I lost one of my babies during the rehydration period. He was in bad shape from the start but aspiration pneumonia took him. So then it was a drop at a time. They are now about 7 weeks old.

[stosh2010]

I don't push the plunger as my guys have no problem sucking it out but my nipple holes are too big. Now that they are sucking stronger I'm getting super nervous. Should I use the mothering nipples? I lost one of my babies during the rehydration period. He was in bad shape from the start but aspiration pneumonia took him. So then it was a drop at a time. They are now about 7 weeks old.

Be AWARE----if they can suck it on their own...you still need to be very careful --& watch constantly as they feed....-
You may need to actually RESIST the plunger from going in too fast. Different syringes can have different flow rates... Use caution and always watch carefully as you feed.
I have had babies that "self-fed" and choked on the liquid. It forced me to use my thumb under the tip of the syringe plunger... to slow it's movement....

CAUTION and control--are the keywords...

[stepnstone]

I don't push the plunger as my guys have no problem sucking it out but my nipple holes are too big. Now that they are sucking stronger I'm getting super nervous. Should I use the mothering nipples? I lost one of my babies during the rehydration period. He was in bad shape from the start but aspiration pneumonia took him. So then it was a drop at a time. They are now about 7 weeks old.

And this is the risk with not controlling the flow which should
always be controlled by the one feeding, not the squirrel!

[clover]

my dog found my squirrels right after hurricane harvey. there was no place to purchase o-ring syringes, as everything was closed. i ordered some online, but we also had no mail service due to flooding, so i had to wait. i was forced to use one of the bulb syringes that i already had at home.

i had issues with the syringe sticking and feared aspiration. coconut did not help, but i found something that did!! aquaphor. i cleaned my syringe after each feeding, and applied a light coating of aquaphor. when i prepped for the next feeding, i would apply more. NO MORE STICKING!

instead of sticking, the flow was much more smooth. while i still needed to push the formula out of the syringe for my smaller squirrel, i did not have to for my older one. the flow was so smooth, the suction from her feeding pulled the plunger down. instead of pushing the formula out, i held the plunger to prevent her from eating too quickly.

neither of my squirrels liked eating with a nipple on the syringe, they preferred to eat from it directly. when my o-rings finally came in, the tips were much smaller in diameter, and my squirrels would not eat from them. i was able to use the same bulb syringe with no sticking for about 9 weeks. i had to eventually stop using it, because when my girls got teeth, they would damage the tip while feeding- i would have to cut it down to remove the sharp edges. eventually, there was nothing more to cut off. luckily, at this point, they were older and adapted to change much easier, and began eating from the o-rings.

as a side note- my youngest was only a day or two old when i got her. she would make a mess each time she ate- literally covered in milk. i had to bathe her after each feeding, and she was eating every 2 to 3 hours, so she was getting a lot of baths- her skin was getting terribly dry- she had no hair. i started putting a light coating of aquaphor on her after each bath and had no more issues with dryness.

aquaphor is AMAZING!

[Charley Chuckles]

Well just when I was so happy to graduate from all the 1cc syringes to a 3cc syringe I read this🤦
I did use the 3cc syringe early this morning and am about ready to feed again. I did notice them not taking to the syringe as well even though I use the push stop method 🙄
Ok glad I saw this I'm going back to the 1cc even though it's so much more work😝

[Butters]

This is a great post, Jackie. I hope they make it a sticky.

I was one of the dumb ones - didn't even know there were two kinds of syringes. Luckily, I had a sympathetic pharmacy at the grocery store (they call me "Squirrel Lady" - I brought them a photo of their "nephew") to get syringes from, but I probably went through 75 of them raising Mister P - and I am not kidding.

The good ones are only a few cents apiece!!

Hi! could someone link a good syringe? thanks

[emharp37]

Hi,
I’m Emily and I’m new to this forum and I’m also very new to squirrels and def raising them so if I’m doing this wrong then please be easy on me. 😂 but thanks for this but now you have me nervous that I’ve been feeding my wrong. I do have an 0-ring syringe but the store I was at only had a 5ml one so I figured it would work (I read that on som article that came up when I googled what size I needed). I thought I was doing the right thing but I hope I haven’t made her sick! I’ve had her almost 2 full weeks with no issues. I will go tomorrow and buy her a 1cc syringe and that will be the one i always use, my current one will be trash! Thanks again!

Syringe 101!
THis is one of the most important tools in raising a baby squirrel....
I am showing the difference between the cheap big yucky killing syringe and the right one!
The syringe pictured with a big black bulbous eraser looking plunger is DANGEROUS and junk!
THese are DISPOSABLE and meant to be used once and for medicine basically. They will work in a pinch, but after a few uses, they stick. Even after appling oil, they will stick...they are made from inferior rubber(?) and will kill baby sqs! TRUST ME PLEASE!

THe one with the tiny black O-ring is correct!

Also SIZE...
never think that bigger is better...bad thinking...DUMB kills!
Big Kills!
...big syringes cannot be controlled as well....
you will end up pushing too much formula...and this will lead to aspiration pnuemonia!
ASk the experienced rehabbers here what they use...
they will tell you a 1cc O-ring syringe...even when the sq is 6 months old!
I always use 1 cc o-ring syringe myself...no deviation, NEVER!
I also have an 8 year old CODAN 1 cc syringe...some syringes will not die...and CODAN lettering stays legible...
Oversized & cheap syringes kill!

Nipples are optional, but I personally use a silicon nipple!
They are reusable...but should be removed when squirrel starts biting. They can be fatal if shallowed!
Thanks for using the right tools!

[Mel1959]

Emharp37, hi and

You are wise to go and get a 1cc syringe asap. I have never used anything bigger than a 3cc syringe to feed any babies because I’m just not comfortable with the volume that comes out.

What brand of formula are you feeding? At Henryspets.com you can purchase 1 & 3cc syringes as well as nipples that attach to the ends of the syringe that make feeding SO much easier. They also sell Fox Valley 20/50 formula which is one of the formulas recommended for 4 weeks old and on up till they wean which is usually around 12 weeks old. Henry’s also sells the recommended rodent block (picky eater or hazelnut) that should be the first food introduced to your baby at about 5 weeks old.

Please let us know if there’s any help you need. You can start a new thread under the heading that’s appropriate such as “non emergency help needed”. Once you click on that heading a new window will pop open and there will be a tab to “post a new thread”. Once you click on that you can give your thread a title and ask for assistance or share your concerns. I hope this explanation helps and doesn’t totally confuse you.