Anyone need help with 1-4 hurricane babies?

[mel_la_fee]

I expected to hear from people in my local community about babies, which is usually how I get them, but so far I’ve only received one pinkie. I’m honestly a little devastated because he didn’t make it. I knew it would be an uphill battle when he came to me already clicking, covered in ant bites, and bleeding from his nose, with visible bruising (it honestly looked like road rash though possibly it came from branches?) on his right side. The odds were not in his favor but I tried my best. Unfortunately, at just 2-3 days old and 14g I think it was all too much for his system to handle. I was heartbroken…

In preparation for the storm though, I re-upped my supplies, including new miracle nipples in two sizes, various syringes (.5cc-5cc), and a 28oz tub of the esbilac with pre & probiotics (unopened as my little one didn’t make it long enough to get to the formula stage ). I also have the fleece, heating pads, what I call my incubation tub, and multiple indoor cages as well as an 8x10 outdoor enclosure for release- though it has to have the roof repaired and be fixed up after storm damage before I put squirrels out there.

I really want to help and I’m so sad my pinkie didn’t pull through. That said, I can only take a few because I currently have a broken leg. That mostly means I can’t drive (it’s the right one) but the leg is already weight-bearing to a certain extent so I’m still very mobile. I also have a low table set up in my bedroom where all of my supplies are close at hand and I have no issues moving around my house to reach whatever I need. I’m one of the lucky ones in Central Fl who didn’t flood or lose power.

Also, I’m currently not working (because of my leg) so I’m home all day I have nothing but time in which I can wake up every other hour. Because of the state of my mobility, babies that are only a week-2 weeks old are probably ideal because I should be walking by the time they can get into any mischief. But, I can reasonably take anything since I have the time and cages/supplies.

As I said, I cannot drive, but I have people who can potentially meet somewhere for a pick up if it’s close enough. I understand if someone doesn’t trust me because of the mobility issue. I’m not sure how I’d feel about that either. But I have been rehabbing squirrels, opossums, and raccoons for 12+ yrs now. My only current rehab resident is an opossum that we think ingested antifreeze (the house next door was being remodeled and they pulled out the AC). That’s a hard thing to diagnose but the circumstances around his symptoms made it the most likely culprit and his neurologic state has been steadily improving. After 8 weeks he’s finally starting to forage around his enclosure and can walk again. Opossums are really wild in what they can rebound from.

Anyway, I have some experience and supplies. I don’t think it’s wise for me to take on a lot right now, but I do still want to help. So feel free to hit me up.

[CritterMom]

Wellcome back - haven't seen you in a while. Can you let us know the general area you live? Between the two, the latest hurricanes covered a LOT of area.

[Charley Chuckles]

It's weird I also usually get calls and I'm one of the ones who didn't lose power 🙏
Unlike you I kinda have my hands full of many different issues so it would be difficult for me.

[mel_la_fee]

Wellcome back - haven't seen you in a while. Can you let us know the general area you live? Between the two, the latest hurricanes covered a LOT of area.

Very true. I’m in central Fl- specifically the Kissimmee area just south of Orlando. I don’t post or respond often but I do keep up on the forum because the answers given to others are very helpful to me. Maybe one day I’ll feel secure enough in my experience/knowledge to answer questions the way you do (fingers crossed). As it is, I mostly show up for dosing info or after a storm. So here I am

[mel_la_fee]

It's weird I also usually get calls and I'm one of the ones who didn't lose power 🙏
Unlike you I kinda have my hands full of many different issues so it would be difficult for me.

Yeah- we usually get calls right? It’s weird but possibly connected to the cell towers that went down. I just want to be helpful if at all possible.

[CritterMom]

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...28#post1373328

Too far?

[mel_la_fee]

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...28#post1373328

Too far?

That user pm’d me and yes, it was about 5 hours away, which did not seem like a reasonable trip unless there were no others that were closer. Especially because it’s a juvenile with a bot fly infestation as well and I thought the stress of capturing and driving it so far might further compromise it.

I gave them some tips as well as the numbers of several people/rehab centers that should all be within an hour from them (I pulled them from my NWRA directory). I haven’t heard any updates but I also gave them my number to call if they couldn’t find anyone, so hopefully they got the help they need!

[TomahawkFlyers]

Maybe they'd consider meeting halfway? 2.5 hours is stiff but perhaps reasonable.

[mel_la_fee]

Maybe they'd consider meeting halfway? 2.5 hours is stiff but perhaps reasonable.

As it’s a juvenile that’s already living outside, a 5 hr car trip in a carrier could be very traumatic, regardless of who’s driving. I didn’t get images, an exact age, or weight, but I know capturing a wild adult or subadult that’s already compromised can lead to other health complications or death if they get too stressed out. So basically, anyone that’s closer and knows what they’re doing would still be better than putting it in a car and letting it stress out over the noises, light, and vibrations of a car ride for multiple hours.
Babies are far more resilient in this way because as long as you have a sort of ‘nesting’ arrangement for them and feed them on time, they can tolerate long-distance travel. Pet squirrels can handle it as well if the human they trust is there to calm them down, but that wasn’t my impression this time. I think it was legitimately a young-ish wild squirrel with an infestation that couldn’t keep weight on because of the tax on its body from bot flies. That’s something that needs to be handled safely with as little stress as possible.

Of course, it doesn’t help that my leg is broken in 3 places and I can’t drive 😅- so meeting them halfway would require roping someone else in to do the pick up for me, or a very expensive uber! It wasn’t an impossible ask, which is why I still gave them my number. It just wasn’t ideal if there were other people closer. Especially because you don’t want the scenario where it’s little body and heart give out while you’re in the midst of transporting it to get help.

It does bother me a little that I offered to assist and then the first person to contact me was someone I felt should seek help elsewhere. But, ultimately, my desire to help cannot outweigh the actual needs and parameters of the situation. That baby would benefit from a closer rehab facility so that’s why I sent them links and phone numbers that are closer. In a small way I’m still trying to do my part