I am feeding a tiny baby squirrel which I found at the bottom of a tree. I waited one day but no mother squirrel came to pick the baby up. Can you give me some tips ?
A. Follow these instructions
1. Get a small box about a foot square: Place soft fabric at the bottom but no towels - squirrels can get their claws stuck in the loops. Gently pick the baby up. Observe the baby to check for injuries, bugs, bleeding, bumps or wounds. If they are bleeding or you see broken bones or serious injury, take them to a vet as soon as possible.
2. Make the baby warm: Find or borrow a heating pad or hot water bottle and a blanket. Don’t let their skin touch the bottle or they can be burned.It should be medium temperature.if it gets too hot, they can simply crawl off the pad.Baby squirrels should be incubated at about 99 degrees F.
They can’t make their own heat when they are babies, so they need heat.
Make sure that you check to make sure the container and/or squirrel doesn’t get too hot. If the hot water bottle gets cold , refresh it. Place a towel over top of the container to keep the heat inside. If it’s a summer day, they might not need the towel on top.
3. Most fallen babies will be in need of water. You can see how dehydrated they are by gently pinching their skin. If the “tent” of their skin stays there over a second or more, they are dehydrated. If they look wrinkly, have sunken eyes or appear emaciated, they are dehydrated.
Most super markets and drug stores carry Pedialyte in the baby section or their own brand of rehydrating baby fluid. Gerber has a brand also. Squirrels like fruit flavors, but plain will do if it’s all they’ve got. If you can’t find Pedialyte, there is always Gatorade or any other brand that is used for rehydrating a baby.
If you are nowhere near a shop, here is a homemade formula:
One teaspoon salt
Three teaspoons of sugar mixed into one quart of warm water.
Use oral syringes, i.e. syringes with no needles, but you can use a clean eye dropper or an oral baby syringe. They also sell syringe feeders. You can also get animal nursing kit.
Make sure the baby is warm before you give it any fluids or it won’t be able to digest them.
If they are tiny hairless pink babies about 2-3 inches long, you must be very careful when giving them fluids. It’s easy to aspirate the babies and get the fluid in their lungs. This will give them pneumonia and they might die. Just put one little drop on their lips at a time and let them suck that in.
If their eyes are open, you can let them take the syringe in their mouth and gently give them a few drops.
If a lot falls out of their mouth or comes out the nose, you’re going way too fast.
If you get some coming out their nose, hold them upside down instantly for 10 seconds then blot the fluids off their nose, out of their nostrils. Wait a about minute before you continue.
Make sure you give these fluids warm, but not too hot. Store unused amounts in the refrigerator. If they won’t take the fluids, put a drop on their lips or poke a drop in their mouth so they can taste some of it first. Some will just open their mouths wide and start sucking away.
Give tiny, eyes-closed pink babies 1 cc every two hours,
Fully furred eyes-closed babies 1-2 cc about every two hours,
Open-eyed babies 2-4 cc every three hours
(1cc is about 20-25 drops from an eye dropper, 5 cc is 1 tsp)
Stimulate the baby squirrels as they need to be stimulated to poo and pee when their eyes are closed.
After each feeding of fluids you will need to gently wipe the genital and anal area with a warm, moist cotton ball or Q-tip until they pee or poo. If they are very dehydrated and haven’t eaten in a while, they may not pee for a quite a few feedings and may not poo for a day.
Keep trying after every feeding time.
You, as rescuer, will nurse the baby squirrel until they are old enough to eat on their own. Then you will teach them how to eat soft and hard foods. When they can eat on their own, you take them from the indoor box/cage and put them into large 8’ tall outdoor area. Here they learn how to find food, build a regular squirrel nest, climb, jump and interact with other squirrels. When they are 4.5 to 5 months old it is necessary release the squirrels within two miles of where they were found. This will probably be your garden if you wish.
Put them in an outdoor nest box which is wired to a tree or post. After a few days later they will leave their box and build their own nest. They will be able to find food and care for themselves at this time.
Can cats get sick from humans?
Yes. They can get flu from human beings. They can get cancer from cigarette smoke.
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