So....you have found a baby squirrel!!!!!

I would urge you to contact your local 'squirrel friendly' wildlife rescue centre as they are experienced in caring for these delicate wild animals. They require a specialist diet and may need life saving medication.

They may seem cute and cuddly now but they are wild animals and should not be treated as pets, they will grow very quickly and need the correct care to get them ready for a life they deserve 'IN THE WILD'.

 

If it does happen that the baby has to stay with you for a short time until the rehabber can get to you, please follow the guidelines below.

 

Never feed a cold baby!

Please do not attempt to feed a baby that has just been found.

The baby will need to be warmed first before any attempts to feed.

A squirrels normal temperature is 99 degrees.

 

You will need a suitable cage/carrier/container(remember that even tiny babies can climb) so the height of the cage should not be too tall in case the baby falls and breaks a bone,which can happen easily. If you use something other than a secure cage/carrier ie....an open top container/box you will need to secure the top somehow as to not let the baby climb out....the last thing you want to happen after your time and effort to save the baby is for him/her to climb out while your sleeping and die from cold in the corner of the room somewhere.

 

Ok... thats the container sorted....now for HEAT!!!

Baby squirrels under 5 weeks old cannot Thermoregulate, so you must provide a heat source for them.

If you have an electric heat pad....excellent, this will need to be place under your chosen housing, please only put half of the container onto the heat pad, allowing a cooler half ,giving the baby a place to move to should he/she become too hot.

Depending on what kind of heat pad you have, you will probably still need to provide a hot water bottle too.... Remember a squirrels normal temp is 99 degrees!

Wrap the hot water bottle in a soft fleece material (not towels as their toes get broken very easily if they get caught on the towel fibres).....be sure to cover the water bottle securely leaving no open spaces that the baby can crawl into and burn itself on the hot rubber.

You may even have one of those microwavable wheat bags??....treat the same as a hot water bottle and cover to prevent burns. 

Place your COVERED water bottle/wheat bag into one side of the housing, wrap the baby in a fleece blanket and place onto the heat source.Cover the baby over with some of the fleece blanket as they like to feel secure.

 

CHECK BABY FOR SIGNS OF INJURY!

Check for Broken bones, any signs of Internal injury,does the baby have a Bloody nose?, Broken teeth? any cuts/scratches? any fly eggs/maggots? please check every opening on the baby as maggots do not take long to work their way into internal organs.

Fleas?(please dont use dog or cat flea treatment on the baby without speaking to a vet)

 

CAT BITES KILL!!!.......CAT BITES KILL!!!.....CAT BITES KILL!!!....

If the baby has been bitten/scratched by a cat it will need antibiotics from the vet immediately or it will die!!!

Cats carry a bacteria in their saliva called pasteurella which is deadly to a squirrel, you must get the squirrel to the vet ASAP (not later....not tomorrow)

 

Once the baby is warm (this may take a while) you can REHYDRATE.

You must Rehydrate the baby with the correct fluids before giving any milk formula.

Here at SBS we use Royal Canin rehydration support,you can buy this from your local vets.

 

If you are unable to get this, you can make a homemade solution: Get a cup of warm pre-boiled water and add a quarter TEA spoon of salt & a quarter TABLE spoon of sugar. (this homemade method should only be used for an emergency and not used long term)

You will need a 1ml syringe (without needle) and a suitable nipple that fits tightly on the end.(do not use pet nurser bottles or medicine droppers/pipettes, you will aspirate the baby)

Never attempt to give fluids in a bowl as this will aspirate the squirrel.

The amount of fluids to give the baby will vary depending on age/weight and how dehydrated the baby is...(contact us or your local wildlife centre where you can get help with this.

Do Not squirt the fluids from the syringe into the babys mouth!.... he will aspirate!

Hold baby squirrel in an upright(slightly forward position) Never on their back!

Some babies have such a strong suckle that you will need to hold back the plunger slightly so that they do not choke on the fluids.GO SLOWLY!

Feed the rehydration fluid warm.

 

DONT ALLOW BABY TO CHILL!(THEY CHILL VERY QUICKLY)

 

Offer the baby fluids from the syringe every 40-60 mins for the first few hours if only a small amount is being taken....if baby is taking a good amount then you can hydrate every 1 -2 hours.

In cases of severe dehydration a subcutaneous injection will be needed....please take baby to the vet or local wildlife centre.

Once the baby is nicely rehydrated, you can start giving FORMULA(this is usually somewhere between 6-8hrs after fluids have been given)if the baby is still dehydrated after this time,speak with your vets.

The CORRECT formula to use is ESBILAC powdered formula or Fox Valley.

Do not use anything you pick up from your local pets at home/pet shops such as lactol and please do not use a cows & goats milk mix.....these mixes are awful and if the baby does manage to survive on them, it will surely die later after release(usual onset around 12-18months) of MBD (metabolic bone disease). This is a very painful disease,which cripples the bones, causes seizures and is painful to watch.....so if you cared enough to rescue the baby then please provide it with the correct care.

 

YOU MUST STIMULATE THE BABY TO GO TO THE TOILET AFTER EACH FEEDING!

Use a piece of cotton wool or similar moistened with warm water and stroke from the tummy down to stimulate him/her to pee and poop ;)

Use a clean piece each time.

Some babys will toilet easily,but others need patience. (try to make the movements a little faster,almost like a tickle to see if this stimulates better.Be careful not to make the baby sore.

Always keep check when toileting that all seems well with urine/faeces, ie..colour/smell....any diarrhea?

IF YOU DO NOT TOILET THE BABY : THE BABY WILL BE POISONED AND WILL DIE!

You must continue to stimulate the baby in this way until he/she is able to go by themselves, this is usually around 5/6 weeks old

 

 

Ok...so now we are introducing the Formula. (you can mix this up ready while you are still rehydrating and store covered in the fridge a few hours before you need it, its always better if it has had time to dissolve all the particles)

Squirrels do not like cold milk formula! always feed the formula warm!

For the first few feedings you will need to dilute the formula more than it says on the tin, This is to allow baby time to adjust.

mix 1 part powder to 4 parts pre-boiled water (water should be midway between warm and hot for mixing) 

REMEMBER.....to go slow with that syringe so that the baby is not aspirated,you should not see bubbles or any fluids coming from the babys nose!

If you do see milk or bubbles from the nose, you have  Aspirated the baby, you must tilt the baby forward(head down) so not to let the fluids drain into his/her lungs.(this will cause pneumonia and the baby will need medical attention or can die.)

 

If baby seems ok with the first few feeds, then slowly decrease the water volume to your mix over the next feeds (slowly) until you are mixing 1 part powder to 2 parts water.

Always store your powder in the fridge!

Any made up milk must be stored in the fridge & used within 24hrs. (we only make 12 hour batches at a time)

Make your formula a few hours ahead of time to allow the contents to mix well, stir well before pouring out the small amounts you will need each time.

Never use a whisk!!

Heat only what you will use for each feed into a small bowl.(to heat each feed we use a bowl with hot water and then place a smaller bowl containing the formula into  the water bowl to gently warm).....discard any unused milk that has been warmed.

 

You must wash the baby squirrels face, chin, neck and front legs after feeding in case any milk has run onto these areas. If not the milk will dry and slowly the hair will fall out from these areas.

 

The feeding schedule and amounts will vary depending on baby's age & weight.

you must weigh the baby everyday (around the same time of day each time before feeding).

You will need a small set of scales that have 1 gram increments.

 

From:

birth to 2 weeks- Every 2 hours feeding (around the clock) 'are you still up for this??

2 to 3 weeks-         Every 2.5 hours (every 2.5 to 3hrs through the night)'tired yet?'

3 to 4 weeks-         Every 3 hours (1 night time feed ONLY if needed)                                                                                        ie..6am,9am,  12noon, 3pm,                                                                                                                               6pm,9pm,12midnight                                                                                              

5 to 8 weeks-         Every 4 hours (no night feed)

 

from 6-7 weeks.... pieces of solid foods can be introduced as well as their milk. (please see food list)

 

9 to 10 weeks-      you can now stretch their feeds to 4 times a day and by 12 weeks they should  not be on more than 2 feeds per day. If they are taking a lot less each feed reduce to 1 feed per day until they no longer want it. We always let them wean themselves,...

Let them decide!

You will have a lovely strong boned healthy baby!

 

 

Amounts to feed at each feeding!

You will need to weigh baby to get the correct amount of ml .

A general rule is a baby up to 5 weeks old can safely have 5% of  its bodyweight.

As the baby gets older you can safely go up to 7% of bodyweight.

 

For an example: 100gram baby can have 5% of bodyweight= 5ml of formula

 

The above is general guideline for you to follow, some squirrels will want more or less.

You must always get the babys weight each day.

Do not let the baby overfeed, do not allow the tummy to get so full that its tight.

Always toilet baby after feeding.

 

 

 

copyright © L.Mcivor. Saving baby squirrels