You should not feed a baby squirrel you have found for a number of reasons. If you touch this baby, you will get your scent on it. When your scent is on it, the mother won't want to touch it when she comes back for it, which she might. Baby squirrels are often found out in the open, and if left to their own devices will generally be returned to their mothers naturally. In another scenario, the baby squirrel could be injured or sick. If the mother knows this, she will likely leave the baby to focus her attention on the strongest of her youngsters, and the ones most likely to survive. Aside from all of these things, you don't know what a baby squirrel eats, and it might not even be old enough to be away from its mother and fully weaned yet. Giving it cows milk is not advisable, and this will make the poor little thing sick. And, of course, you are not yet thinking about the disease threat. Although the chances your baby squirrel is carrying rabies is rare, it is still a concern you'll need to think about, and there are also disease threats in the waste matter of the squirrels also. In short, if you see a baby squirrel, it's best to leave it alone. Nature needs to run its course.
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When you find a baby squirrel, you need to contact the veterinarian and the rehabilitator first. But before you can contact them, then you should know how you can help the baby squirrel. If you find an adult squirrels, you have to be careful to avoid being bitten. Before giving anything to baby squirrel, you have to make it warm first. You can warm the baby slowly and monitor how it is getting hot so that you do not overheat it.
Put a squirrel in a plastic or a box container with clean cloth like a baby receiving blanket or baby diaper without a towel and put a light over a squirrel. Put heating pad under the box, so that it does not overheat and monitor it slowly. A baby squirrel should not be kept in a dry environment because it may cause it to have dry skin. You can use baby oil and rub it on daily basis for some days to help it. You may put wet cloth in the corner of a box so that it can help in maintaining the moisture of a box. However, such wet cloth should not be near a baby squirrel.
Before giving any food to a baby squirrel, you need to rehydrate it. When you give baby formulate to a baby squirrel without having to rehydrate it first, it may die. Put pedialyte in a small container and use microwave to heat it. It should not be too hot before you give it to a baby squirrel. You have to give Pedialyte after each 15 minutes for at least 2 hours. When unused Pedialyte has been stored for over 72, it has to be thrown away. When you are sure that the baby has been rehydrated well, you should start to give the formula. Pedialyte is only meant to rehydrate the squirrels and the baby squirrels should not be put on it for a long period.
When you are sure that the squirrels had been rehydrated fully, then you can give puppy milk replacer to the baby squirrels. When the baby squirrels is given the wrong formula, it will lead to metabolic bone disease with other problems that cannot be reversible when they have already taken place. Use distilled water only to mix the food and you should introduce the food gradually to the baby by mixing it first with 75 percent rehydration solution by 25 percent of formula, then 50 percent and then 75 percent of the formula then with 25 percent of rehydration solution for 2-3 feedings. The formula should be warmed in the microwave. The formula should not be overheated and you may test formula at the wrist to be sure that it is not that hot.
When you get the squirrel for the first time, it will not be familiar with a syringe or a dropper. You should not use a pet nurser since it can drink faster and it may get the formula into its lungs and it will suffer pneumonia or it may drown. You can use syringe that has been fitted with a Catac nipple on its end. Such nipples may be found in the catalogs where there are pet supplies. The baby can be feed after every two hours and this should be adjusted as it grows older. However, when it is a wild squirrel, you should contact the rehabilitator at once to come to get it.
Go back to the Squirrels in the Attic home page or read Baby squirrels in the attic or How do I know if there are baby squirrels in the attic?
NEED LOCAL HELP? We are wildlife removal professionals servicing 95% of the USA. Click here to hire our local squirrel removal expert in your home town. Updated 2021. But read the below advice first!
When you find a baby squirrel, you need to contact the veterinarian and the rehabilitator first. But before you can contact them, then you should know how you can help the baby squirrel. If you find an adult squirrels, you have to be careful to avoid being bitten. Before giving anything to baby squirrel, you have to make it warm first. You can warm the baby slowly and monitor how it is getting hot so that you do not overheat it.
Put a squirrel in a plastic or a box container with clean cloth like a baby receiving blanket or baby diaper without a towel and put a light over a squirrel. Put heating pad under the box, so that it does not overheat and monitor it slowly. A baby squirrel should not be kept in a dry environment because it may cause it to have dry skin. You can use baby oil and rub it on daily basis for some days to help it. You may put wet cloth in the corner of a box so that it can help in maintaining the moisture of a box. However, such wet cloth should not be near a baby squirrel.
Before giving any food to a baby squirrel, you need to rehydrate it. When you give baby formulate to a baby squirrel without having to rehydrate it first, it may die. Put pedialyte in a small container and use microwave to heat it. It should not be too hot before you give it to a baby squirrel. You have to give Pedialyte after each 15 minutes for at least 2 hours. When unused Pedialyte has been stored for over 72, it has to be thrown away. When you are sure that the baby has been rehydrated well, you should start to give the formula. Pedialyte is only meant to rehydrate the squirrels and the baby squirrels should not be put on it for a long period.
When you are sure that the squirrels had been rehydrated fully, then you can give puppy milk replacer to the baby squirrels. When the baby squirrels is given the wrong formula, it will lead to metabolic bone disease with other problems that cannot be reversible when they have already taken place. Use distilled water only to mix the food and you should introduce the food gradually to the baby by mixing it first with 75 percent rehydration solution by 25 percent of formula, then 50 percent and then 75 percent of the formula then with 25 percent of rehydration solution for 2-3 feedings. The formula should be warmed in the microwave. The formula should not be overheated and you may test formula at the wrist to be sure that it is not that hot.
When you get the squirrel for the first time, it will not be familiar with a syringe or a dropper. You should not use a pet nurser since it can drink faster and it may get the formula into its lungs and it will suffer pneumonia or it may drown. You can use syringe that has been fitted with a Catac nipple on its end. Such nipples may be found in the catalogs where there are pet supplies. The baby can be feed after every two hours and this should be adjusted as it grows older. However, when it is a wild squirrel, you should contact the rehabilitator at once to come to get it.
Go back to the Squirrels in the Attic home page or read Baby squirrels in the attic or How do I know if there are baby squirrels in the attic?
Go back to the Squirrels in the Attic home page.
NEED SQUIRREL REMOVAL HELP? We service over 150 USA cities. click gere to hire us in your home town. Updated 2021.