By Clarissa Summers
Sentinel drinking from the water can.
Copyright © Clarissa H. Summers 1992
Revisions and Updates: November 1999, March 2000, July 2000, June 2001, January 2002, April 2002,
October 2002, August 2003, July 2004, January 2005. May 2005, December 2005, April 2006, August 2006, April 2007, October 2007, April 2008, July 2008, November 2008, January 2009, April 2009, September 2009, November, 2009
Information in these pages has helped people in as many as 21 foreign countries as well as in the United States, not only to raise baby squirrels or heal the injured, but also to establish their own local squirrel rescue centers. I feel very honored to be able to help.
Periodically this web page is updated, thanks to questions from the public who help me fill in the gaps. The answers to most all questions are now on the web page. As is the case in all reference documents, this web page (or the printed version of it) is intended to be consulted any time a question arises.
It is recommended that you print out an entire copy of this material to have before you at all times during each phase of the squirrel's growth.
| This web page should be considered an instruction manual, a natural, holistic guide to be followed explicitly, not to be mixed randomly with information from other sources since that will only lead to failure. Please do not act first and ask questions later. What I cannot teach, the squirrels will. Many times the lessons they teach can be bitter and heartbreaking. Unfortunately, several unethical people, finding the need to be competitive, have plagiarized information directly from my web page to theirs, presenting it falsely as having come from their own past experiences. (When copycats have not "got it" within, they have to steal from others.) Although it has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I am not flattered. The information on this web page is my own creation and always has been from its conception more than 20 years ago, not just when it was implemented on the Internet in 1999. Be not deceived. Only in this web page will you find the entire original and unadulterated Truth. |
| Since laboratory tests have FINALLY proven that certain commmercial formulas are highly toxic to squirrels and other animals, Scalded Cow's Milk is the ONLY safe alternative. as it always has been. Thousands of others agree and have done so for many years, having great success with it as you will see from the lovely signings from the public on my Guest Book (link below) as well as the notification of this laboratory test.
Some people, obviously quite threatened by our fantastically growing numbers and our wonderful success rates, continue to very vocally recommend commercial formulas even though they are quite aware of their toxicity, while scathingly criticizing the Scalded Milk Formula, although none of them have ever tried it. A quotation I recently came across stated: "It takes an evolved person to appreciate new ideas and not feel threatened by them." So true! The Scalded Milk Formula has proven to be a successful formula based on my 20 years of rehabbing more than 2,500 squirrels. Once the newly-found baby gets past the first critical 24-72 hours when he comes into your care, the Scalded Milk Formula will provide excellent nutrition for his growth. (One Nutball daily is CRITICAL for these babies' health and well-being once they are older and have started eating solid foods. In fact, they need to be kept on them for the rest of their lives as long as they are in captivity, whether unreleasable or kept as pets.) Cow's milk is the basic ingredient of all adulterated commercial formulas. Defying logic, those recommending commercial formulas while criticizing Scalded Milk are actually recommending formulas of highly processed and adulterated cow's milk or by-products thereof. As basic Biology continues to teach and as is widely known, pure cow's milk builds strong bones and healthy teeth.
Our success rate speaks for itself.
And, besides that, the whole thing is just dumb and I wish they'd quit it. |
If you have comments or questions about squirrels after you have printed out and read this web page, you may email me at Clarissa -- I answer all emails quickly, so if you do not hear back from me, something may be wrong on your receiving end.
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| 1. Warm up baby on a heating pad on low in a small hamster-sized cage with several warm, woolly blankets to burrow under. (Baby should be kept constantly on heating pad!) 2. Feed Scalded Milk with a small syringe very slowly 4 times a day. 3. Stimulate with a tissue after every feeding to make him go to the bathroom. |
Upon Receiving a Baby Squirrel...
Baby Squirrel Formula (Scalded Milk Recipe)
Nut Balls/Squares(Ca1cium Information)
"But I don' wanna make those stupid Nutballs!"
Stupid list - Stupid things to NOT feed squirre1s and why
The Positive List --- things to "Yes" feed squirrels
Suggested Daily Schedule for Self-Feeding Squirrels
Nutritional Healing for Animals and Birds
For the past 25 years I have been working with nutrition in my own dogs and cats. birds and fish. The last 20 years have been devoted to extending this practical knowledge to squirrels, their care, nurture, and rehabiltation, toward releasing them back into nature. As all conscientious and dedicated rehabilitators know, it is difficult to write between feeding baby squirrels and injured adults, dealing with a "deprived" family, between licks and pats from dogs, mews from "starving" cats who have not eaten in 30 whole minutes (!), handling emergency phone calls from people needing help feeding or understanding the habits and nature of squirrels or attempting to reunite a fallen baby with its mama.
As a wildlife rehabilitator, I continue to be amazed at how fast they heal when given proper nutrition. As of September, 2004, I have taken in well over 2,500 squirrels approximately three-fourths of whom have been babies. The first 24-hour period is the most critical. If I can get them through this time (dealing with their injuries)and the next 2-3 days none have ever died. My success rate from this 2-3 day point on until release at 6 to 9 months of age is 100%
Interestingly enough, nobody had a clue about squirrel nutrition until I came on the scene and now everybody and his dog is spouting the word, "nutrition" out there on those copy-cat and antagonistic web pages even though they STILL do not know the tiniest smick about it!
Contrary to "popular opinion", there is no such thing as "lactose intolerance" in squirrels. With the well over 2,500 squirrels taken in over the last 20 years I have NEVER found even one (young or old) who was "allergic" to
scalded milk. All mammal milk contains lactose. Also, I have NEVER found it necessary to do the "Pedialyte thing" with baby squirrels, even with those severely dehydrated who have been away from Mama for at least 6 days. Gatorade is awful! Do NOT feed it! It is not intended for wildlife and isn't good for people either because of the alien chemicals and preservatives in it. Yes, they do need fluids and nutrition, and Scalded Milk supplies both.
A squirrel's nature is basically shy and timid, sweet and gentle, when properly nourished and cared for. Each new arrival (baby or adult), I wrap in a blanket and cuddle, love, and pet, warming against my heart before they are put on a heating pad. They are all very responsive to a soothing touch which helps ease them past their recent traumas.. I do the same after each feeding to boost their immune systems and promote rapid healing. This extra loving attention at a critical time when they need it has nothing to do with "making a pet out of them"! The time comes, after babies and adults are weaned and healed that handling is no longer needed or wanted. However, IF you do not plan to release your squirrels (whether because of a permanent handicap or otherwise), and IF they will allow it, continued handling is perfectly fine since they're not "going anywhere" anyway!
**NONE of the above calcium/magnesium-deficient crises ever happens in squirrels raised on the Scalded Milk/Nut Ball program.
Of all the calls and email I receive from the public and other rehabilitators, the most common cause of death in squirrels is a severe calcium deficiency. I cannot stress enough the critical importance of calcium in the squirrels' diet. In captivity calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin D are supplied by Scalded Milk Formula when babies are young and by Nut Balls when they are older. Failure to meet these nutritional requirements can result in sudden, "unexplained" death at any time. Squirrels who have not been fed a proper diet can become quite nasty and vicious -- they don't feel good! -- a warning flag that they are getting ready to drop dead. (Other symptoms of a calcium/magnesium deficiency can be found under "The Stupid List", although death is the most common.)
**Phases in the lives of squirrels
who are not being fed properly:
Besides my own observations of squirrels' needs, much of the information in these pages has come from Adelle Davis whose books on nutrition (Let's Have Healthy Children, Let's Eat Right to
Keep Fit, and Let's Get Well) are based on thousands of animal studies. She took from the animals and gave to the people, and I like to think I'm giving back to the animals.
Much of what is passed off as "new" in the scientific community today is actually "old" Adelle Davis. Universal Truth withstands the test of time.
Much information in these pages has come from the squirrels themselves who will tell what they need every step of the way to one who is attuned to them. One of my greatest teachers was my Mama Squirrel who came to me wild from the yard and thought she'd "get in on some of this food" I was doling out to those in captivity. She taught me a tremendous amount about squirrel motherhood for 5 years until a car took her life.
"Snatchy" at first, she evolved into the gentlest taker of tid-bits from my fingers. She had a sense of my work and purpose: The day after I released 13 youngsters (8 and 9 months old that I had wintered over), she installed herself and her spring babies in a nest box in the yard. To protect her own from the "new intruders", her defense was minimal -- chasing them only 2 feet away from her box -- or, once, only a well-directed defiant glare was sufficient. She could have run them totally out of the yard, as she later did to one of her own 6-month-olds, but was, with mine, quite gentle and understanding of their initial ineptitude and lack of street-wise ways.
I have also learned a great deal by observing squirrels in my yard after they have been released: How mothers will vigorously defend and protect their babies, sometimes losing the battle and leaving their own orphaned, the males who are so busy knocking each other out of the trees when they, themselves, are "in season" that the females are virtually ignored; and the wooing courtship of a male presenting his big bushy, gorgeous tail to the female rather than his face (because she will slap it!).
Since the scope of my yard is only a microcosm, the public has also taught me a great deal about the individual personalities of these little animals. It has only been up to me to listen in order to learn.
(Please take special notice of the last 8 paragraphs in this section before you do something rash like give your squirrel away or succumb to bullying or fear-mongering!)
Before you begin……
Do not feed a cold baby. So many of these babies are cold when they first come in. Warm up on your heart (skin to skin) until the heating pad is warmed up and then put him in a small hamster cage set on top of the heating pad, with small blankets for him to cuddle and snuggle under. (Small hamster cages are recommended since they are basically the size of the nests in the trees they've fallen from.) The heating pad should be set on low. He needs to warm there for at least 40-45 minutes. Buffer the heating pad with towels if heat is excessive. Heating pads should be monitored for the first two or three hours and the next two or three days and more towel buffers added if necessary. The temperature where the baby is should just be tepid. The outside of a baby may feel warm but internal organs still be cold; feeding a cold baby at this time will shut down the system: death follows, because a cold body cannot digest food.
Babies should be kept constantly warm, day and night, round the clock, on a heating pad set on low and never be allowed to get cold. Cold is one of the most damaging things that can happen to a baby squirrel, causing brain or neurological damage and death.
Heating pads may be set up on a grill or a small cake cooling rack on small wooden blocks -- this will not only help protect the surface they are placed on but will also allow cooler air to circulate underneath. Peeling skin, especially with the fur-less pinkies is caused by too hot a heating pad. Buffering with towels as explained above will correct this situation.
Baby squirrels need to be fed Scalded Milk (whole cow's milk) 4 times a day -- NEVER ever any kind of commercial formula, no matter WHAT the label says! (More on this under the Suggested Feeding Schedule and the Baby Formula section on this web page.)
Squirrels, as with all other types of rodents, are immaculate -- very clean little animals! If they come in with anything "suspect" on them, get it off!
Fly eggs must be removed immediately before they hatch into maggots. Use a flea comb, dry toothbrush or fingernails to remove eggs. Soaking large clumps of fly eggs in olive oil or salad oil for a few seconds helps w/flea-comb removal. Remove maggots with tweezers (if only a few). For larger areas, sprinkle with Sergeant's Cat Flea and Tick Powder or Adam's Flea Powder to smother them (or even corn starch if you have neither of the other two). These powders contain pyrethrins which are made from chrysanthemums and are non-toxic to squirrels.
Wash wound with warm water on cotton ball, dab dry thoroughly with a tissue, and put Desitin ointment on if you wish. Desitin is a wonderful wound healer because of the zinc in it. Only one or two applications should be necessary. Give Acerola Vit. C (15 - 24 mg. dissolved in ¼ to ½ c.c. of water)orally before each feeding for a day or two to help boost the immune system and promote healing from within.
Sugar is good for sprinkling on open wounds, especially those that are infected. Sugar reacts chemically with pus to neutralize it and only two or three applications should be necessary. Honey and Karo can also be used, but I think those are too messy. Even if the wound is a dried one, it can be moistened with a few drops of water to make the sugar granules stick and form a crust. When sugar is used, no topical or oral antibiotics are necessary.
For ant bites or fleas, see Common Sense Squirrel Tips.
Although there are a minimal few cats who do harm baby squirrels, a cat-rescued baby squirrel does NOT need an anti-biotic, as birds do. Cats do NOT infect squirrels. I have NEVER found it necessary to give a cat-caught baby squirrel antibiotics. Oftentimes, scratches and puncture wounds on babies are attributed to the "bad" cat when, in reality, they have been caused by hitting broken twigs on the branches of trees as the baby fell. Cats are some of our best rescuers and can find the babies where we can’t, such as under leaves and in tall grass.
Bloody noses are quickly and readily healed with Vitamin C, a natural antihistamine, which takes down swelling, and by the calcium in milk which is a wound healer. Sometimes those who come into us with a bloody nose will end up with tooth problems, misalignments or malocclusions. Difficulty in chewing or swallowing will be apparent when they get older and are eating solid food. Head injuries are permanent and can take them in a month, a year and three months, or at the end of a long life with us. Any squirrel with a head injury cannot survive out in nature so should not be released. (More information on these and other incapacitating injuries is under the Common Sense section.)
Abscesses (rare in babies) are NOT caused by cats, but from a bite from another squirrel and will usually erupt in 10 days, although I did have one that began to fester on the third day. Again, no oral or systemic antibiotic is necessary: Manipulation, or scab picking (when and if the scab comes off easily), to drain the wound of pus is the preferred method or just leaving it alone to eventually erupt and heal all by itself.
Babies do need to be stimulated to go to the bathroom. You may lightly tickle their bottoms with Kleenex to encourage them to go (they'll wet the Kleenex). Failure to stimulate can cause uremic poisoning and death. Do stimulate them after every feeding 4 times a day.
Urine of all baby squirrels should be clear. As they mature and begin eating solid foods around 10 weeks or more of age, the urine may become more yellow (with the grays) or peach-colored or the color of cider vinegar (with the fox squirrels).
I continue to stimulate them to make them go to the bathroom as long as I'm taking them out to syringe-feed, whether they are really "going on their own" or not. It's one way I have of monitoring them and also helps keep their blankets cleaner and drier.
Warm spit on a pointy place on the tissue helps get them started wetting when you tickle twinkies. Doodles will follow just by tickling them to make them wet, whether they are actively wetting or not. Tickle in quick little up and down strokes or round and round, back and forth, very gently -- no rubbing them raw. Babies may be dehydrated when they first come in and may
not have anything to wet out, or they may not be thrifty wetters in the beginning, but that will soon change as the body absorbs the formula.
If they are dehydrated, do NOT use Pedialyte, but feed Scalded Milk which supplies fluids as well as proper nutrition. When severely dehydrated, it may take as long as several feedings or 2 days for wet to come out. If totally empty, it may be 5 days before doodles come.
Babies often have the ability to doodle on their own, long before they have the muscle control to wet, so look in the bottom of their cages for doodles before panicking. There is no "set age" when they are capable of wetting on their own. All babies are different and gain muscle strength at different ages. When in doubt, continue to tickle as long as you are taking them out to syringe-feed. I have had several "Baby Hueys" who were not able to wet on their own even after they were mature enough to be on milk from a small water bottle.
Once babies are stabilized and eating well (usually within 2 feedings after arrival), you should be able to get them to wet after every feeding. However, they will not necessarily doodle every single time. Some will only doodle once a day, some twice, and some every other day -- babies are all different.
Doodles can be little bitty pellets, a long stringy thing, or the consistency of toothpaste out of a tube. Yellow smears on blankets or on the tissue indicate diarrhea which is caused by too much sugar or Karo in a formula, so omit the sugar which shouldn't have been put in the Scalded Milk in the first place.
Diarrhea in baby squirrels is no big deal. It is messy and needs to be corrected (adding plain yogurt to their milk helps) simply because it is messy and can burn their little bottoms. (Applying Desitin to their little raw bottoms helps ease that soreness.) They usually doodle after bladders have emptied, so keep on tickling twinkies (in quick little up and down strokes or round and round) to make doodles come out. No need to obsess over this: 3 minutes or so is sufficient to get "results" if you're going to.
Chronic or long-term, hard-to-cure, very thin, watery diarrhea can be caused by some kind of bacterial intestinal organism like coccidiosis, giardia, or salmonella and in these rare cases, a drug is recommended. Babies can pick these up through their mothers' milk if she has drunk contaminated water, as in bird baths.
They are sexed like dogs and horses. If you are not sure what you have, you probably have a little girl.
I do not advocate physical therapy for the injured -- they know better than we do when they are hurt and when they feel better. As they heal, they will move around more and more as it suits them.
Common sense tells us that any who come in injured should be handled as little as possible in the beginning Excess handling only exacerbates injuries and can kill them quickly. We can love and soothe them and ease their fears by stroking their heads and down their backs for a time or two after feeding and then leave them alone to rest and sleep which is where all healing occurs. This justifies our putting them aside in a cage when they're first brought to us so they can rest or warm up for 30 or 45 minutes before we get around to feeding them. It also gives them time to adjust to their new surroundings, whether they are lucid or not. When we take them out to syringe-feed them 4 times a day, their little bodies should be well-supported by a small blanket to avoid further injury.
--
Steroids are never recommended. I have never found them to "take the swelling" down, as so many vets and rehabbers seem to believe, nor have I ever found them to be effective in the few times squirrels have been dosed with them before they came into my hands. They suppress the immune system and are NOT healers. It is only in an exceptionally rare case that a baby or adult will need any kind of drug or antibiotic. All drugs have harmful and sometimes long-lasting side effects, and all upset the natural chemical balance of the body. Too many babies have died unnecessarily from an overdose or from being given the wrong kind of drug. Injuries and wounds heal very quickly in squirrels when they are being fed properly.
Keep baby in a quiet place away from children. These are delicate and fragile little animals and are not playtoys for anyone, children or adult.
Babies do need to be stroked, petted, and cuddled when they've been taken out for a feeding session so they will know they are cherished, loved, and valued and will therefore thrive and grow. Excessive handling, though, is not recommended since they do need their uninterrupted and restful sleep between feedings.
Baby squirrels can dehydrate overnight when they're getting ready to die from internal injuries and their little systems are shutting down. The most usual place to look for signs of internal injuries are in the diaphragm area, under the rib cage, and all down in the soft-tissue tummy area. Any bruising or discoloration there is definitely a sign of internal injury or bruising or bleeding, and that is most often the telling thing when there's a death. Those places won't necessarily show up right away either but will right before death.
One particular pinkie I took in was doing fine, progressing nicely, until the 10th day. That morning when I got her out to feed, she was totally unresponsive, limp, listless and lethargic. I knew I was losing her, and she did pass an hour or so later. She had those dark places in her diaphragm area which never showed up until that morning. They most often just drift off or float away when its time for them to go, a very peaceful death. All we can do is take them as far as they will go and hope they recover from the damage (unseen and invisible sometimes) they sustained in their fall. Normally the first 24 hours and the next 2-3 days after they come in is the most critical, when they have sustained injuries.
Do NOT put babies outside! Squirrels should not go outside until right before time to release them -- when they are 5 and 1/2 months or 6 months old for the spring-born babies and 8-9 months for the fall-born babies who are wintered over in the house -- NOT wintered-over in cages outside. Babies and the young are far too vulnerable and fragile and are quite susceptible to getting colds or pneumonia from getting chilled or wet, no matter how "warm" the weather outside may seem to you.
Some very wise comments from Gina: "I tell vets all the time that wildlife are not pampered, human-manipulated, gene-experimented dogs and cats with every known genetic disease that we created in them. These animals are designed by nature to survive in nature WITHOUT human interference and they just don't need all that fancy medical stuff -- just a little basic natural supportive care and good nutrition.
I just think people and vets ought to understand that there is not some sterile person standing in the woods with their iodine for the navel, the sterile towel to wipe them down and clear their little nose in a pristine room of cleanliness, oxygen ever available and an antibiotic for that little sneeze. They are dumped in the dirt, rained on, roasted in the sun, chewed on by ants with bugs in their ears and nose, never given an antibiotic EVER, are smeared around, licked with a rough tongue and then those that can are forced to get up within 30 minutes of birth, nurse, and be able to race with the wind. Those that are not designed for that "speediness" are roughly washed multiple times to hide their scent and their bottoms continuously scrubbed.
They do not have air-conditioned and heat-controlled rooms with fluffy beds of fleece and baby blankets but still stay warm with hair, straw, and pine needles taken from their surroundings. Yet despite all of that, they survive, thrive, grow and manage to make it just FINE with out human intervention or manipulation for thousands of years, long before man was a pimple on a dinosaur. It's only when we do bother them and their parents in this wild place, destroy their homes, run over their domain with tractors, mowers and saws, kidnap them, put them into open-trash-can death traps that we HAVE to take over and take care of what WE, the most "intelligent" creature, created after we destroyed their lives that their problems begin. That, of course, is excluding natural disasters which reduces all of us to equals, although I suspect animals have the edge." She's really made some good points!
People who echo that phrase ("Let nature take its course.") simply don't know how to care for or raise squirrels, how to keep them alive and healthy on a short-term basis or even on a long-term one because they don't feed properly or haven't got the background experience of raising any squirrels at all. Or they're deathly afraid of them, rehabilitators or not! (Some will refuse to take in a baby with eyes open because "it might growl" at them!)
Do be aware that all the misinformation and disinformation (deliberate lying with their little smear campaign) on those politically-motivated wildlife-group web pages and chat rooms is intended to scare the daylights out of the public! Unfortunately, in spite of those commercial formulas having recently been exposed for their alarming toxicity to squirrels, they continue to recommend it be fed.
Too much unnecessary killing is going on now in the world because of man -- pillaging, hacking down of trees and woodlands whimsically or for commercial purposes, not only destroying habitats but wiping out entire squirrel families in the process. Bureaucratic sanctioned and unsanctioned hunting, random shooting solely for target-practice, poisons (not only rodenticides, but fertilizers and pesticides as well), being hit by cars, electricity -- all are man-caused and all take their toll.
Fabrications against wildlife are created to justify the collection of bounty money or for culling or mass slaughtering (under the guise of so-called bureaucratic or governmental "Animal Management") -- viz. Prairie dogs, wolves, coyotes, raccoons, deer, squirrels.
So-called "shelters", whether for domestic animals or wildlife all over the United States and Canada (all those Inhumane Societies), are nothing but dead ends in one way or another since most animals are immediately euthanized (murdered) whether healthy or not. The ASPCA admits it kills 9 million cats and dogs a year. Those are just some of the domestic animals they receive or confiscate. No telling how many others -- not just all forms of wildlife -- but other domestic animals such as bunnies, ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc., are also destroyed since those are not included in their "count". Others are exploited in one way or another for donation money or for personal gain. So-called "Animal Rescue" programs on cable or satellite TV are nothing but Show Business. The reality is in what goes on behind the scenes that the public is never shown.
The hidden agenda of all those State and local agencies is NOT the conservation or preservation of animals but their destruction, their annihilation.
Those of us who are kind, compassionate, and caring -- the creators and healers in this world -- do need to lend a helping hand when needed in order to counterbalance the cruelties these little ones must endure. We certainly don't "let nature take its course" when a human baby has been abandoned or thrown into a dumpster!
A word of caution to any who are considering applying for a license or permit: Some of those manipulative, controlling, politically-motivated wildlife groups (whose primary concern is NOT the welfare of the animals) have conned and infiltrated at least 4 state Wildlife Departments that I am aware of, causing them to mandate that a certain commercial formula be fed to baby squirrels. (My, my! What a stir I've caused!) Interestingly enough, and a very "telling thing", is that all other mammals and birds are so far "immune" to this ridiculous mandatory "policy". The government has no ethical or moral right to tell us what we can or cannot feed animals in our own homes. I see this as just another step up the ladder to controlling our personal freedom -- our right to privacy being taken away by governmental bureaucracy.
(More "baby stuff" is in the section on Common Sense Squirrel Tips)
Return toThe Beginning...
Do not feed a baby when you have first taken him in until you have warmed him on a heating pad set on low for at least 30-45 minutes. Babies should be kept CONSTANTLY on a heating pad, day and night, round the clock. See Upon Receiving a Baby Squirrel...
I feel very strongly about NOT using egg yolk (unborn chicken) in baby squirrels' formulas, not only because of disastrous results from first-hand experience, but because I found repeated many times in a very helpful book long ago: "NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS, NEVER GIVE EGG YOLK TO BABY SQUIRRELS: THEY CANNOT TOLERATE IT AND THEY WILL DIE!" I suspect even small amounts of egg given daily in commercial formulas will accumulate in the body and eventually cause death. We do not lose babies on this plain Scalded Milk formula.
Commercial formulas are responsible for an unfortunate 50% mortality rate, according to a nationwide survey done 3 years ago by the National Wildlife Rehabitators group of their squirrel rehabbers all across the United States, all of whom conform to their recommended and so-called "conventional" commercial-formula regimen. (Some rehab manuals will admit to a 70% mortality rate in squirrels.) Excuses for their exceptionally high death rates range anywhere from "just another one of those 'squirrel viruses' going around" (no such thing!) to "a bad batch of squirrels" -- all pure nonsense!
Commercial formulas are also responsible for the sometimes admitted 80% mortality rate in bunnies. They cause consistent diarrhea in raccoons (all those sugars); cause puppies to have droopy, listless, and lackluster attitudes; and are why possums get rickets. All are lacking in sufficient magnesium for calcium absorption by the body, as well as being unbalanced in other ways. If truth be known they are probably composed of a good 70%-80% sugar once those various sugars are toted up.
Those politically-motivated, wildlife-group-sponsored web pages and people who advocate commercial formulas while denigrating Scalded Milk and my methods, do NOT want the public to succeed in raising these babies. It's as if they want to keep to themselves a corner of the market with wildlife which is not the way this new forward "trend" is going, in that wildlife is going back into the hands of the people where it was to begin with before the government stuck its nose in and tried to take control.
Lying, propaganda, denials, and cover-ups continue on out there, especially now that those commercial formulas have recently been found to be more toxic than ever. The toxicity is something we've been aware of for decades. If these people only knew how to read, they'd see that skim milk (or a milk by-product) is listed as the second ingredient on the labels of those synthetic formulas they recommend, which causes me to wonder where they think "skim milk" comes from? Dandelions or rocks?
The last baby I took in who had been fed that stuff was hyper, wired, unfocused, and had a rapid heartbeat 3 times the normal rate (tachycardia). He also had stinky stool. (Squirrels' doodles are not supposed to smell.) He was one of those who would have died within another week of either seizuring or a heart attack, as delineated in the section near the beginning of this web page -- the unfortunate things that can happen to baby squirrels who haven't been fed Scalded Milk when they are young and given Nutballs when they are older. He would have been one of those who seizure or drop dead in the 8-9 week range (that so-called "tricky period" commercial-formula users talk about, IF they're being truthful, and which we never experience).
It took 3 feedings of Scalded Milk to calm him down so that his heartbeat and attitude were more like a normal baby squirrel. This is by no means the first or only instance of a baby I've taken in who has had these symptoms.
Another baby gray I once took in had been fed one of those awful kitten formulas recommended by the vet. She soon came down with raging diarrhea (of course!) and the vet, without a clue what side effects that commercial formula had caused, prescribed 3 different types of antibiotics which that baby did NOT need! One was for the diarrhea and I can't remember what the other two were for, but all were totally unnecessary. The sad thing was that when that woman took that baby to school with her (she was a teacher) she probably had all that messy, staining diarrhea all over her fine clothes!
Anyway, when she brought that baby to me ten days later, her tummy was huge (!), bloated, and she was starving, gnashing at the air because she was so hungry (malnourished), in spite of that too-fat belly. (We do like little Tub Tummies, but not as fat or as distended as hers was!) I took her off those antibiotics, put her immediately on Scalded Milk and within 3 feedings, she was back to acting like a normal baby again -- not "starving to death" any more, no excessively bulging tummy, and no diarrhea!
Further testimonies to the disastrous effects of ALL those commercial formulas can be found on my Guest Book. As I often tell people, unlike those politically-motivated wildlife group people, the public never lies. They have no need to. That link is:
http://www.hal-pc.org/~jbsum/guestbook.html
****The following has recently (September 28, 2009) been brought to my attention: Off the Wildlife Rehab List: "Petag's Esbilac puppy milk contains heavy metal copper. Independent lab tests of Petag's Esbilac puppy milk have revealed it contains twice the maximum allowed of heavy metal copper as per government standards. Results also revealed that the contents are 17.6% fiber while the label states it has "0% crude fiber.
A report was filed against Petag with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration on 9/11/2009. 9/10/2009 Animal Advocates sent a sterile sample of Esbilac straight from the Petag factory to an independent lab in California. September 24 they received the results which showed the contaminant -- heavy metal copper and large amounts of fiber. These results were forwarded to the FDA.
The significant lab results are as follows: Protein 24.8%, Fat 31.5%, Fiber 17.6%, Heavy metal copper 2x Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).
Petag's label states a "guaranteed analysis" as follows: Crude Protein min 33.0%, Crude Fat min 40.0%, Crude Fiber max 0.0%. -- The actual protein and fat in Esbilac is less than the minimum guaranteed by the Petag label. The fiber is far greater than the maximum guaranteed. The lab has stated that even though the product contains 17.6% fiber, there is no fiber source listed in any of the ingredients on the label.
The FDA regulates pet foods and treats. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) requires that pet foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled. The Melamine test is not finished." (End of report. I have to editorially ask what this toxic Melamine business is all about!)
For a more recent update and further information on how these people continue to beat a dead horse to death with their continued testing and retesting, go to this web
page: http://www.ewildagain.org/Nutrition/esbilac_problems_Oct15.htm Why they continue to seek a "replacer" for pure milk is beyond me!
Squirrels are not dogs, nor are they cats. They should NEVER be fed dog food or cat food (in the form of puppy or kitten formula) when they are young, nor should they be fed dry or canned dog or cat food or Rodent blocks or Monkey biscuit when older. (Squirrels are not monkeys either!). (See the negative part of the Stupid List for more on this.)
Scalded Milk WITHOUT egg yolk is recommended for ALL vegetarian animals, babies or adults (when needed),including deer, rabbits (See section about Rabbit Basics), mice, rats (wild and domestic), hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, as well as all types of tree squirrels or ground squirrels including flying squirrels (see section about Flying Squirrels), prairie dogs, chipmunks, groundhogs, marmots, beaver, and nutria.
If you have been feeding one of those awful commercial formulas, you can switch over IMMEDIATELY to Scalded Milk -- no gradual weaning necessary. Since intestinal flora have been messed up and are unbalanced, a good bit of Dannon Plain Yogurt needs to be added to their milk feedings twice a day in alternate feedings because yogurt is rather filling. Put in the part you warm up to feed (not in the main portion you refrigerate since it'll only be lost in there), enough to coat the spoon or your finger when you stir it up or even a bit more. You should see a definite difference, not just in their doodles (no more bad odor), but in their attitudes after 3 feedings of Scalded Milk. They are much calmer, more serene and much more at peace with themselves, but still healthily active.
Carnivorous animals, such as possums (see section about Possum Basics), raccoons, kittens, and puppies do well on Scalded Milk with one or more raw egg yolks added per cup of milk. The "rule of thumb" is to omit the egg yolk with vegetarian animals but to add it for carnivores. Whether or not to add Karo (white corn syrup) depends on the doodles of the animal. Most often, it should be completely omitted to prevent diarrhea from occurring. Dark Karo is never recommended since it has twice the laxative power of the white or clear kind.
Diarrhea in baby squirrels is no big deal. It is messy and needs to be corrected -- adding plain yogurt to their milk helps, although with plain Scalded Milk no such problem should occur. Diarrhea (caused by all those sugars) is messy and can burn their little bottoms which an application or two of Desitin ointment can soothe. Use a Q-tip to apply it with if you have a really tiny baby.
Chronic, hard-to-cure, very thin, watery diarrhea can be caused by some kind of bacterial intestinal organism like coccidiosis, giardia, or salmonella and, in these very rare cases, an antibiotic is recommended. Babies can pick these up through their mothers' milk if she has drunk contaminated water, as in bird baths or ponds that have dried up somewhat after a flood.
Commercial formulas are basically a negative rearrangement and chemical adulteration of cow's milk: The perfectly good animal fat has been removed and replaced with super-saturated coconut oil and/or other vegetable oils for monetary profit (selling skim milk at around the same price as whole milk and selling cream separately for top dollar). All
mammal milk contains animal fat. Whole milk alone contains plenty of vitamins and minerals, naturally occurring, and there is no need to add any supplements in an unbalanced and extraneous way as is done in commercial formulas. Preservatives, artificial chemicals and unnecessary by-products are also often added to commercial formulas.
Neither cream nor any trumped-up (fake) commercial substitute for cream (non-dairy or so-called "zoologic" stuff) should EVER be fed to or added to the Scalded Milk Formula, which already contains sufficient fat. Cream or any so-called "cream substitute" is too difficult for baby squirrels to digest, stops up the system, causes bloat, and quickly leads to death. Regardless of arguments against "too little fat in cow's milk" (all nonsense!), commercial "cream substitutes" have a known history of killing baby squirrels quickly. Textbook knowledge, "conventional lore", and "scientific studies" often run contrary to (or are contradictory to) hands-on experience.
There are basically two methods for scalding milk -- in the microwave or on top of the stove. Microwaving is by far the quickest and easiest method.
"To scald" means to heat until just before the milk comes to a boiling point. The reason for scalding milk is to kill the enzymes that can be very upsetting to a squirrel's stomach. For this same reason cheese should never be given because of the enzymes it contains.)
The stove-top method is to heat in a pan or double boiler on medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until milk becomes frothy. Let cool, stir skin back down into milk, put in a fastidiously clean jar, and add 200 I.U. Vitamin E to formula. Since Vitamin E tends to float on top, shake container well several times to mix. Store in refrigerator and take out a small amount each time to rewarm at each feeding time.
If you don't have the Vitamin E right now, don't worry about it, but when you do get it, get the liquid kind (not the capsules) since that's what you'll use later on in the Nutballs. -- Do be aware that there are types of liquid Vitamin E that are not intended for human consumption, that are only meant for cosmetic purposes, external use only, so make sure the label says something like "pure enough to eat". Don't be thrown by the amount on the bottle label -- that can be anywhere from 14,000 I.U.s to 28,000 I.U.s or more -- all that is is the amount in the whole bottle and you will only be using a few drops in the milk.
One of the gentlest ways of reheating already-scalded milk is to boil a small amount of water in a Pyrex custard cup in a microwave oven or in a pan on top of the stove and set the small amount of milk formula (in a baby food jar) in the hot water for a few seconds or so until it is at room temperature. Throw away any of this unused formula (or give it to the dog!).
For only one or two baby squirrels, cut the recipe in half or thirds. This should keep for 2 to 3 days in refrigerator. Make up a fresh batch after that period of time.
This Scalded Milk Formula can also be used for baby opossums except that for them a raw egg yolk can (or doesn't have to) be added to 1 cup of the milk after it has been scalded and cooled. (See section on Possum Basics elsewhere on this web page.) ** If you are feeding both infant squirrels and infant opossums label your
refrigerated formulas in the containers so you won't feed your baby the wrong food.
Baby squirrels, when they first come in and are dehydrated or have been without mama for some time will not necessarily wet or doodle until they have had several feedings, so please don't mistake this lack of doodling as a sign of constipation. It takes a good 3 feedings for what we put in to come out. Elsewhere on this web page, I have also mentioned that if they are severely dehydrated, it may take a good 2 days for wet to come out and if totally empty, up to 5 days for doodles to come. Dark Karo should never be used since it has twice the laxative power of the light (clear).
If you have been feeding one of those awful commercial formulas, you can switch over IMMEDIATELY to Scalded Milk -- no gradual weaning necessary. Since intestinal flora have been messed up and are unbalanced, a good bit of Dannon plain yogurt needs to be added to their milk feedings twice a day in alternate feedings because yogurt is rather filling. Put enough in the part you warm up to feed (NOT in the main portion you refrigerate since it'll only be lost in there) to just coat the spoon or your finger when you stir it up. You should see a definite difference, not just in their doodles, but in their attitude after 3 feedings of Scalded Milk. They are much calmer, more serene, and much more at peace with themselves, but still healthily active.
Another old formula good only for short-term emergency feeding is canned Pet or Carnation Evaporated milk mixed half-and-half with water. (Scalding is not necessary since it as already been done in the canning process.) Vitamin E amount stays the same. On a long-term basis this type of canned milk is not satisfactory for babies because of synthetic or chemical additives, especially carageenan, which can cause colon problems.
Goat’s milk is NOT recommended. After 2 days on it, baby squirrels start smelling bad (like a goat?). Squirrels are NOT supposed to have an odor. More days on it and they will get chronic diarrhea.
Fat babies are not necessarily "bloated" after feeding -- they’re just fat and chunky which is normal. A baby should look rather thinnish before a feeding and then full in the stomach (or fatter) after having been fed. Once they quit growing "up", after a growth spurt, they begin to grow "out" and will have naturally tubby tummies even before feedings.
*** Pet Nursers are deadly to infant squirrels. Do NOT use them. Eye droppers are never recommended either since babies can ingest air when they get older and try to suck.
Do NOT use any syringe larger than a 3 c.c. one, no matter how many times you have to refill it. Large syringes and Pet Nursers cause bubbling through the nose, aspiration into the lungs, pneumonia, and death. A 3 c.c. O-ring syringe and Catac nipple on the end are recommended for feeding purposes. (Since nipples are so long, it's a good idea to block half of it with our fingers when feeding.) I used a small syringe alone with the first two babies I raised since I didn't know about the Catac nipples, and they did just fine.
Use a 1 c.c. (same as a 1 ml size) syringe for tiny babies or pinkies until they are taking well over 5 c.c.'s of formula at one feeding. At this time you may change to a 3 c. c. syringe but go VERY slowly, to prevent bubbling through the nose: The flow force sharply increases
between a 1 c.c. (same as a 1 ml size) and a 3 c.c. syringe because the syringe tube size has increased. With really minuscule babies such as baby rats or hamsters, a 3/10ths of a c.c. syringe or a 1/2 c.c. one is best to use. (Many people aren't even aware that these teeny tiny sizes of syringes exist, but they do!) ****WARNING! -- Do NOT order supplies from any "squirrel-based" web page! Use "bird-raising" pages instead, if you must: They use small 0-ring syringes and the Catac nipples for feeding baby parrots and hopefully will not try to sell you worthless, unnecessary or "meddled with" supplies. If you do decide to order Catac nipples off the Internet, be sure holes have NOT already been punched into them first. Saboteurs out there do NOT want you all to succeed! Nipples with holes too large will cause aspiration and death from pneumonia and drowning as will syringes that are too big. Luer-Lock syringes are NOT recommended. -- Be wary of syringes that come with nipples already attached -- someone has maliciously been fiddling or tampering with them since this is NOT how they come from the manufacturers.
Feeding too fast with a Pet Nurser (baby animal bottle) or with too large a syringe can cause "foreign body pneumonia"(fluid going into the lungs) for which there is no cure. They will refuse to eat or swallow and are restless and uncomfortable for 2 days until they finally die. Drowning has the same causes, but doesn't have to be instant and can take them in 18 hours. With drowning, they will continue to swallow although appetite is very poor, will have a rapid heartbeat, just as with pneumonia, but they will also have a terrible snorkeling or wheezing rale when they breathe. Prevention is the best cure by feeding slowly and correctly from the beginning.
Lubricate rubber part of the plunger of O-ring syringe (or those disposable ones) with 100% Food Pure Silicone Grease (from Scuba Diving shop) or with Pure Glycerin (from the drug store) to keep syringes free-flowing and prevent accidents. (With either one of these "lubricants", all it takes is the barest smear -- not a "dunking" by any means!)
Punch holes in Catac nipple with sharp point of utility blade and test nipple on end of full syringe. Tiny streams or a single drop of liquid should come out. Do NOT use scissors to cut the tippy end off with as some of those awful instructions in the packages say -- pinkies will drown with such a big hole. Feed very slowly -- a drop at a time -- until you learn the technical skill and have a feel for your baby's pace. Too fast can cause drowning or pneumonia or bubbling through the nose, all of which we do want to avoid. As previously mentioned, I raised my first two squirrels using just a small syringe alone since I didn't know about the Catac nipples, and they did just fine without.
If you do have a Catac or very long thin nipple jammed on the end of a syringe, only put about 1/4th inch or so of the tip in your baby's mouth since that's about how long mama's "ninny" is. You can block at least half of it off with your fingers or by laying it across your thumb so babies won't choke on it. Later when babies have grown and snouts are longer, you can let them take more into their mouths. They may like to "impale" themselves on it at this time, but we can still block it off with two fingers and hold it securely onto the syringe as I've shown on the Photo Gallery web page. Do wipe sides of mouth off with a tissue after feeding, even of they're not messy. They will do this themselves after feeding when they are much older and eating solid foods -- that's one of the signs that they are full!
Flush nipple and syringe after feeding with cool water only. Let air dry with plunger still in the syringe tube. No sterilizing is needed and is NOT recommended!
Mouth-gagging when feeding is caused by humans. This is a trance-like state where the baby is not being allowed to suck because milk flow is coming too fast. You can be sure they never pulled this "trick" with their mothers or they'd never have gotten a drop to eat! Mother squirrels do not squirt their milk as do dolphins and whales, but expect their babies to suck. Humans must do the same when syringe-feeding and allow the babies to suck, in order to not create this bad habit, difficult to break once the baby has learned it. Sometimes it helps to change the feeding position and/or to hold the baby's mouth closed to encourage him to suck by keeping your thumb tucked under his lower lip or encircling his little snout with your thumb and forefinger which keeps his tongue girded around the nipple and encourages sucking. Don't push on the plunger of the syringe, or only do so gently, until you feel him sucking.
Some grays like to only smack on the nipple during feeding and aren't sucking at that time, so don't push on the plunger of the syringe when they are only playing with it like this. And, even then, only inch the plunger down a tiny bit at a time. They also like to break away as if going in search of another ninny. This does not necessaarily mean they are full, so line them up again, get them back into a normal feeding position, and offer more milk. They will quit eating when they are full so there is never any danger of over-feeding them. Let them have all they want at every feeding. They will stop or push away when they are full.
Loose stools or diarrhea can be corrected by completely omitting Karo if any has been added, or by adding plain yogurt, a pinch of baby acidophilus, or a very small amount of pureed baby banana (found in jars in the baby food section at the grocery store). Too much sugar causes diarrhea. Yogurt is made from Scalded Milk and is perfectly safe for squirrels. It will take 3 milk feedings before what you "put in" to come out, so don't expect instant results. Once the diarrhea has been stopped, don't panic and feel that he's constipated for the next day or so. He's not. You've just stopped the diarrhea!
Diarrhea in baby squirrels is no big deal -- UNLESS you have been feeding one of those highly toxic commercial formulas -- but it is messy and needs to be corrected simply because it is messy and can burn their little bottoms.
As has been mentioned elsewhere in this web page, chronic, hard-to-cure, very thin watery diarrhea can be caused by some kind of bacterial intestinal organism like coccidiosis, giardia, or salmonella and in these extemely rare cases, a drug is recommended. Babies can pick these up through their mothers' milk if she has drunk contaminated water, as in bird baths.
Do NOT use the new yogurts containing aspartame: It is deadly to squirrels and other rodents. (It's toxic to people, too!) Aspartame is also found in Pedialyte and caused convulsions and death within an hour to squirrels of a rehabilitator who verified its toxicity with Texas A&M. Dannon Plain yogurt (or Dannon Vanilla yogurt) is the only brand recommended at this time because they are free of artificial preservatives, and chemical additives.
*** Doodles (the stool) of milk formula should be dark yellow or orange. Any color change toward very pale yellow is a warning sign that food is not digesting properly and that the intestines are bereft of beneficial flora. The next phase could be white doodles and death is imminent -- the baby has become more and more listless and lethargic due to depleted intestinal flora. At the first sign of doodles that are too light colored, add a small amount (a pinch) of baby acidophilus or a good hefty dollop of plain yogurt. You may also add, if you wish, a small amount of pureed baby banana (in the jars from the baby food section in the grocery store) for flavor. Don't overdo the baby banana because too much fructose can also cause diarrhea -- just enough for taste is sufficient.
Any baby who has been fed one of those alien commercial formulas, needs a good dollop of Dannon plain yogurt in his milk twice a day because intestinal flora are out of whack. It takes 3 feedings for what we put in to come out, so don't expect instant results.
A balanced feeding schedule is critically important! Feedings that are too close together are deadly: Milk fed on top of old milk sours in the stomach, the digestive system
shuts down and bloat and death occur from overload and toxicity. Skipping feedings is detrimental to babies and also can cause death. You cannot skip a feeding and try to catch up later. Baby squirrels are very difficult to raise and very easy to kill. If you cannot feed on a balanced, regulated schedule, find someone who can, preferably (above all!) someone who follows the Scalded Milk and Nutball regimen). Many a baby has died needlessly because of the thought, "big enough to be eating on his own," when he is not. I have taken in many an adult injured squirrel who was "big enough to be eating on his own" - and wasn't -- so had to be syringe-fed until he felt better. When in doubt, formula feed!
Return toThe Beginning...
No middle-of-the-night feedings are necessary if baby is well and stabilized. Rehydrating works just fine with Scalded Milk Formula which not only provides fluid but also nutrition. I have NEVER found it necessary to do the "Pedialyte thing" with baby squirrels and, in fact, I strongly advise against it since it is totally non-nutritious.
Amounts to feed: This is a general guide, not necessarily intended to be rigidly adhered to since sizes of squirrels and appetites vary, but is intended to help you avoid the "2-3 drops per feeding" syndrome that people have inadvertently done and literally starved a baby to death. Squirrels stop eating when they are full. They eat increasingly more as
they grow and get larger, obviously.
A general rule here is that babies will take as many c.c.'s as they are weeks old: For example, 3 c.c.'s at 3 weeks, 4 c.c.'s at 4 weeks, etc. until at 6 weeks when their appetites
surge. Recommended feeding times are around 7 a.m., 12 noon, 5 p.m., and 10 p.m.. Exceptions to this "rule" are the smaller breeds of squirrels, such as the little Douglas reds, flying squirrels (see section on Flying Squirrels elsewhere in this web page), chipmunks, and some of the ground squirrels who are naturally going to take less since their bodies and tummies are smaller. Let them, too, have all they want at every feeding. They will also stop eating or push away when they are full.
they wean themselves
All baby squirrels want to do is eat and sleep and grow. Allow them to do so by limiting your handling of them to feeding times. They do need to feel loved and cherished and valued so they will thrive and grow, all of which you can do when they've been taken out to be fed. They become more active as they grow older and once eyes have opened. Keep them on heating pad (outside of cage) on low heat with buffering towels (do not over-heat) until quite well furred-out. If you are not sure when, at that time, to take them off the heating pad, put the cage half on and half off the pad. They will seek the most comfortable zone to sleep in.
Babies need to be stimulated to go to the bathroom. If desired, you may use a warm damp cotton ball for very tiny babies o, better yet, tickle bottoms with Kleenex (they wet the Kleenex). Failure to stimulate can cause uremic poisoning and death. Stimulate after every feeding to get out both urine and doodles until they are able to go on their own. Some will have the muscle ability to doodle on their own long before they are able to wet on their own. If you're worried they're not doodling when you stimulate them, check the bottom of the cage to see if they've not already been doing it themselves without your knowledge!
Baby should be held in the palm of your hand in a semi-upright position, sort of leaning back, but never, ever lying on his back. See my Photo Gallery web page for how to hold smaller and older (eyes-open) babies when feeding. That link is: http://www.hal-pc.org/~jbsum/Squrl_Images/photogal.html -- or return to the beginning of the web page and poke the PHOTOS box.
I've found that sometimes when their feedings are interrupted, they lose their momentum, so it's best to just keep on keeping on while you've got the baby in hand, even if the baby does get "impatient" that you are "taking too long" to refill that syringe. Don't keep taking the syringe or nipple out of his mouth -- you're only causing him to get frustrated and to lose his momentum for eating. To mine when they try to tell me, "Well.....'Other mother' never needed to stop and refill," I'd just say back to them, "Yeah, well, you'd never have taken 18-24 c.c.s or more from 'other mother' in just one feeding, else she'd have been a prune!"
We don't start them on solid foods until way after their eyes have opened. Some will be more ready at an earlier age than others. Some can start when they are 8 weeks old, others when they are quite a bit older, since squirrels are different and can develop at different rates.
When they start chewing on things (the cage, the syringe or the nipple), they are ready to start eating solid foods. Best to start out with a pecan half or two in the cage after the morning milk and the 5 o'clock one. Hold off on slimy fruits and vegetables for a while since they can very easily strangle or choke to death food that has been accidentally left in the cage overnight uneaten. Next fruits they can have after introducing the pecan halves are peeled apple, crisp pear, etc.
Another method I use is to wait until they are taking a good 15-18 c.c.s of milk per feeding since they are old enough at that time to eat a little more efficiently. They do have to learn how to eat, and will do a lot of crumbling in the beginning, moreso than if you wait until they're up to the 15-18 c.c.s per-feeding stage.
Chewing on the nipple or syringe is another sign they are ready to begin solid foods.
There is a time when their diet will consist of mainly Scalded Milk and pecans twice a day, which is just fine. The variety in foods that they will accept does not come until much later, so do not expect them to eat the gamut in the very beginning. Taste buds are not developed until much later. Strong flavors or difficult-to-eat foods such as corn and broccoli will not be well-received until a later age. Squirrels also have different likes and dislikes in food, just as humans do, so it is not the end of the world if, later on, they do not like cantaloupe or grapes, etc.
Avoid slimy fruits in the beginning, such as peach, plum, cantaloupe, grapes, etc., and stick to the crisper ones such as peeled apple, pear, or Zucchini squash until chewing abilities are better developed. As I have mentioned elsewhere in this web page, nobody ever choked or strangled to death on pecans as they can so easily do with the slimy fruits when they are still in sucking mode.
Gray babies will occasionally try to quit taking their milk cold turkey -- that "opinionated wretch" stage! Get them out in the morning and they'll keep mouth politely closed. Or only take a few c.c.s when previously they'd been making little pigs of themselves. This is when it's time to start cutting their milk back to 3 feedings a day, and sometimes very quickly to 2, just depending on how "stubborn" or opinionated they think they're going to be!
Water is not necessary for them to drink while they are still on Scalded Milk 2-3 times a day. They do get plenty of fluid in their milk, as is evident from the profuse amount of wet produced! Some squirrels will drink a lot of water later on, a sip or two here and there, just as a "thing to do" while others will only drink a small amount each day. Others will bounce it out of the water bottle once they start getting more active or doing flips in their cages. They often take in sufficient fluids from the fruits and vegetables we give them so they may not need or want much water.
It is also around this time that they are getting difficult to handle, going through the "imaginary danger" stage, tending to bolt or trying to explore and be adventuresome. They may try to yank the nipple off the syringe. Time for handling them to be over. At this time, they can either be syringe-fed through the bars of the cage or put on milk from a small water bottle hung from the side of their cage for no longer than 15 minutes at a time twice a day -- for the morning and 5 p.m. feeding. Solid food follows after these milk feedings. It helps to put a titch of Dannon Vanilla yogurt in the milk at this time to entice them to drink their milk from the small water bottle. Putting them on a milk bottle too early can cause problems, so it's best to wait until they know how to handle the flow and can lap proficiently. Practice with a water bottle hung on the cage several days before helps them with their lapping ability.
It's after the 2 milk feedings (morning and the 5 o'clock one) that they get their solid foods, since the milk is still the most important thing, especially when they're going through these early growth spurts. We cannot estimate an age when they will begin to wean themselves or start solid foods, since all squirrels are different. If you are attuned to their behaviour and let them tell you when they are ready for the next step, they will be more than glad to do so.
Squabbles over food are normal. They will often steal food from each others' mouths, which is what they do with their mothers out in nature, I suspect. The mentality of a squirrel is often, "I'll bury mine and we'll share yours!" which does not go over well with the sharer!
Squirrels do not mate in captivity. Oftentimes the hugging in play may be mistaken for mating behaviour when it's actually an invitation to come play and wrestle when another is trying to climb the side of the cage. Much whining, sniveling, squealing and squawking can happen during this scenario but it only means: "I want to go there and he won't let me! (*Snivel* *Snivel*)!"
When babies are old enough that they are eating solid foods efficiently and have cut themselves back to 2 milk feedings a day, it's time to start them on Nutballs. Nutballs provide vitamins and minerals and, especially, dolomite which keeps temperaments on an even keel, prevents seizures, convulsions, and death (from "phosphorus overload"), prevents rickets and going down in back legs, and promotes heathy bone and muscle growth. They are the critical key to keeping squirrels uncrippled and alive and healthy on a long-term basis.
(More on baby stuff, doodles, and stimulating is under the Scalded Milk Recipe.)
Return toThe Beginning...
Eyes open at 6 weeks of age for fox squirrels, flying squirrels, and the little Douglas reds. and at 7 weeks for the greys (cat) squirrels. Some (a very minute few) will open eyes prematurely (at 4 1/2 weeks sometimes) because of the trauma of their fall or because they are precocious. Just because they have bottom teeth (before eyes open or even after) does NOT mean they're ready yet to eat solid food. When the top teeth come in, I suspect the molars are erupting as well -- they can't chew their food without those molars.
At around 12 to 14 weeks of age, baby squirrels will go through an "imaginary danger" period just before they start to wean themselves from the syringe. Increased awareness of their surroundings causes them to startle or to bolt at the least little noise or even at "ghosts". Since they are using their toenails more and more at this time, hands and arms of caretakers can become quite scratched up as babies get more and more difficult to handle.
It is at this time that I quit handling, leave them in their cages, and let them begin to feed themselves from milk from a small water bottle (usually twice a day at this point), leaving it up only 15 minutes at a time morning and at the 5 o'clock feeding.
Healthy baby squirrels can also be quite wiggly, so much so that we wonder how any of them ever stay in their nests! I'm thinking that people are mistaking this for "twitching" which they can sometimes do when they're dreaming, just as our cats and dogs do.
When they begin to mature, young squirrels will reach a point where they do not want to be handled (clutched), since they are prey animals and anything that is touching them is either going to take their food or eat them. They may become quite defensive about their food and their cage (their territory), and we need to respect their wishes. Their increased awareness of danger and alertness settles down to not quite such an exaggerated state as they mature.
As they mature, squirrels will become one-person animals, preferring their main caretaker to other humans. When they begin to go into this phase, they will often aggressively lunge at (while still in the cage) or bite one who is "NOT the mama"! Best that the "not-the-mama" person keep his or her distance (don't push it!) and not take personally any of this perfectly normal behaviour!
A tremendous growth spurt occurs between 6-9 weeks of age (foxes) and 7-10 weeks (grays), during which time their size will triple. Rehabilitators are more aware of this growth spurt because of the varying ages of babies received during baby season twice a year. Another growth spurt is between 4 months of age (when they are one-third grown) and 6 months of age (when half grown).
A normal healthy, well-filled-out fox squirrel should weigh l5-l6 ounces (about 1 lb.) when 6 months old, and l and l/2 to 2 pounds when full grown at l year of age. Grays will weigh 2/3 lb. to l lb. or more when fully matured. There is no such thing as "runtism" in baby squirrels. Best not to get too caught up in exactly how much bitty babies weigh. They are all different and go through growth spurts at different times. Also, we can tell by looking and feeling if they are growing, thriving and gaining weight. Observation is one of our very best diagnostic tools!
A major factor in preparing a squirrel for release is to no longer handle him after he has been weaned. Letting a squirrel climb or run up and down on people after he has been weaned from the syringe to milk from a small water bottle only teaches him that people are nice and are to be climbed or jumped on when released. Most people do not understand what a tame or friendly squirrel is and think they are being attacked. Unfortunate events can happen in homes as well where squirrels are allowed the run of the house. They can unexpectedly bite someone who is not the primary caretaker, be flung across the room and die of head trauma or internal injuries. For this reason, confinement to a cage is for the protection of the squirrel from other animals as well as from people.
It is wise not to give a baby squirrel too much space too soon. Cages that are too large for them can result in injury and death because of a fall even from a height of only 2 feet. (One person put her 8-week-old baby in a 2' x 2' cage and went in one morning to find him dead of a broken neck. Another put her 10-week-old baby in a 6-foot-tall cage, found him with a broken back from a fall, legs dangling and useless, and he was dead within 24 hours. When they seem to outgrow their baby-sized or hamster cages, mid-sized ones (half the size of a 2' x 2' -- the size of small carrying cages) are recommended until babies are a good 3 and 1/2 or 4 months old, when they are more sure-footed and coordinated and can handle a 2' x 2' cage. Larger cages can be used later if desired, usually just before release is planned. (More information on caging can be found under the Common Sense section.)
Excess exercise is not necessary -- to the point of letting them get out of their cages and run around the house, climb on curtains and people. They get plenty of exercise in their cages. The flips that so many grays and a few fox squirrels will do are all part of their in-cage "exercise regimen". Before release, a larger pre-release cage provides ample space for exercise in leaping, climbing, and movement when they most need it.
Return toThe Beginning...
Babies are started on Nutballs when they have cut themselves back to 2 milk meals a day (morning and 5 p.m.), have been eating some solid foods well (not necessarily the whole gamut) for a good while, and are taking their milk from a small water bottle.
These Nut Balls/Squares are CRITICALLY IMPORTANT in the diet of all types of squirrels who are no longer on their baby formula of Scalded Milk and are eating solid foods. They supply the vitamins and minerals necessary to prevent squirrels from dropping dead of sudden "heart attacks" which can occur after only a few days of a severe calcium/magnesium deficiency. Adult squirrels need them, too, to ensure healthy longevity!
Nut Balls/Squares prevent rickets, convulsions, seizures, malnutrition, tooth problems, brittle bones and broken bones that do not heal properly. Any excessive crabbiness, hyperactivity, biting, nastiness, attacking can be caused by too much phosphorus and insufficient
calcium/magnesium in the diet: These symptoms should be a warning flag because the next step is sudden death. All can be prevented by giving one simple little Nut Ball/Square daily in conjunction with the proper natural foods - their nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
There is no existing commercial vitamin/mineral preparation for squirrels or other rodents that can be substituted for or used in place of these Nut Balls/Squares. All of them block or prevent calcium absorption. Cuttle bones are for birds, NOT squirrels. They are not a substitute for Nut Balls since they contain NO magnesium or Vitamin D, and calcium, therefore, cannot be assimilated by the body. (For more about this see the section called, "But I don' wanna make those stupid Nutballs".) Raising squirrels is not easy or cheap: They are very difficult to raise and very easy to kill. If you cannot afford to make Nut Balls/Squares or do not have the time, give your squirrels to someone who can. It will show you care about giving then a life free of totally unnecessary suffering or a needless death.
****A CAVEAT: As has been mentioned elsewhere on this web page, NEVER buy "ready-made" Nutballs over the Internet! Some unethical person, with whom I have never communicated, has attempted to cash in on, make money from, the work that I do for free. In spite of what are listed as the ingredients, these cannot be trusted to be complete or wholesome, nor do we even know how OLD they are or under what kind of conditions they've been kept. Toxic mold can grow on them if they've not been properly stored. (Some molds are invisible!) Because Nutballs tend to crumble, they do not travel well and are intended to be made up fresh as needed and taken straight from the drying place to the freezer.
Unfortunately, other unethical web sites and chat rooms, obviously feeling quite threatened by our work and the successes we have had, have usurped the title of "Nutballs", coming up with a very weird (!) concoction, attempting to mislead and confuse the public (as always). Feeding those "things" to squirrels will only lead to failure. It is quite obvious that those people don't know the first thing about nutrition: Vitamins and minerals are symbiotic, work together, but can counteract each other if not properly combined. Only on this web page will you find the pure, unadulterated Truth! (Date of posting of this caveat is November 21, 2008.)
Love is no substitute for labor: The two go hand in hand. Many a loved animal has suffered and died because his caretaker would not put forth the effort to feed the proper diet.
*** A word on "meddling": This is a balanced recipe. Do NOT omit, add to, or substitute for anything in this recipe (unless the ingredient is earmarked as "optional") because counter-action, blocking, or destruction of key ingredients
can result, throwing the whole balance of vitamins and minerals out of kilter.
Omitting the dolomite in the Nutball recipe completely defeats its purpose.
Most of these ingredients can be found in health food, grocery, and discount retail stores such as Wal-Mart (some in tablet form which you'll need to crush up into powders, using the same amounts as the recipe calls for). If you have difficulty locating dolomite or any other of the ingredients, they may be ordered from almost any vitamin supply house on the Internet. Or you can do a Google search on KAL Dolomite Powder and compare prices at the different health food sites. Watch those outrageous shipping fees, though!
Plain old refrigeration is not recommended, because, no matter how "air tight" the jar or bag, moisture gets in and oils in the Nutballs will start to turn rancid after 10 days or so. There is no need to "thaw them out" before serving.
When baby Squirrels begin to cut back on their Scalded Milk Formula at 9-10 weeks of age or older to start on solid foods, they continue to need the calcium formerly supplied by milk. These Nut Balls are not only a complete source of vitamins, minerals (especially calcium), and amino adds, but also of fat, Vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus, and Vitamin C vitally necessary for the assimilation of calcium.
Benefits of calcium are that it is a relaxer-- a calmative (fixes hissy emperaments) -- as well as a pain reliever. Since it is also a natural sleep inducer, I like to give my squirrels their Nut Balls/Squares before their evening meal to help them sleep better. Calcium prevents convulsions, seizures, and death from "phosphorus overload". (Too much phosphorus can cause nervousness.) Danger signs are when squirrels squabble unnecessarily
or are too "wild", skittish, or nervous acting.
Blockers: Spinach, turnip greens, broccoli,cauliflower,cabbage, green beans. whole grains such as oats or oatmeal, whole wheat flour or breads. wheat germ, bran, and corn
or cornmeal can prevent calcium absorption. Grapes and all berries, including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries have oxalic arid in them and also block calcium. Therefore, don't give any of these at the same meal with Nut Balls/Squares. If squirrels won't eat their Nutballs at the designated time, you are either giving too much food or allowing them to have stash. (See the section on "But I don' wanna make those Stupid Nutballs")
Avoid all artificial chemicals and preservatives and strive for their natural diet of nuts, fruits, vegetables, and occasional seeds in combination with one Nut Ball/Square daily.
You will have exceedingly healthy squirrels who will live to be released
Return toThe Beginning...
A question often asked is, "Where, out in nature, do squirrels get their calcium and magnesium?" The question is a good one, but one I hate to hear, since the motivation behind it always is: "I'm not going to waste my time and money making those stupid nutballs."
The answer is that we simply do not know where they get their calcium out in nature. When I've put this question forth to others, I've gotten different answers -- from "dirt" to "grass and leaves" and "bark", none of which I can tell people, not only because, to me, these aren't satisfactory answers, and then, too, people would be going out and gathering up a bunch of dirt, grass and leaves, and bark for "supper"! And they'd still end up with a dead squirrel.
What we do know is that ALL squirrels in captivity, no matter what their age, MUST have their daily calcium/magnesium/Vitamin D in order to stay healthy, uncrippled, and alive on both a short-term and a long-term basis. One Nutball daily supplies this need.
"Clever" methods people have used to avoid making the Nutballs have already been tried. All have failed. Some of these methods are: cuttlebones from the pet shop (don't work), deer antlers (don't work), or dog bones (don't work either -- I have sometimes joked that people need to make sure the dog is good and dead first!), putting squirrels in sunny windows (doesn't work -- UV rays are blocked by screen and glass, as they are with house plants). Nor does Neo-Calgluconate from the vet. All these so-called "substitutes" are the equivalent of bone meal and other commercial calcium supplements. Magnesium is the key ingredient always missing in those supplements and the one most critical for muscle control and preventing seizures or sudden, unexplained death. Magnesium is necessary for the assimilation of calcium by the body (along with Vit. D), as all Biology and Nutrition courses teach (not dietician courses). Without magnesium, calcium just cannot be absorbed.
Putting squirrels out in the sunshine for Vitamin D does NOT work either. One person who tried this ended up with a chronically ill squirrel while the other turned into a vicious attacker of people. They do NOT get calcium or magnesium from sunshine!
Full-spectrum lights are dangerous!!! An overdose of Vitamin D from them can cause death from liver toxicity and failure. Squirrels get a sufficient daily amount of Vitamin D from the cod liver oil in their Nutballs.
There is some calcium in nuts, but only in insufficient amounts and to rely on them as a source of calcium/magnesium is a mistake and will NOT prevent problems. Almonds are highly touted by the media as containing calcium, but what they don't tell you because they don't know any better, is that the oxalic acid they also contain blocks calcium absorption. The same is also true with many fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach and others I've mentioned elsewhere on this web page. Calcium combines with oxalic acid within to form calcium oxalate, which in high amounts becomes a poison and is probably the main cause of kidney stones in people. In fruits (mostly the berries), it's the phytic acid that blocks calcium.
When I first started rehabbing squirrels 20 or so years ago, I was fortunate enough to find the Scalded Milk recipe. Once my two babies started trying to wean themselves, I realized (because of my nutrition background), that I could not leave them high and dry from that point on with no calcium or magnesium, so I developed the Nutball recipe. As time went on, and I took in more and more squirrels, I heard of the major problems other rehabbers were having, none of which were happening to mine. So I knew I was "on to" something good! I didn't start speaking out about it until I'd rehabbed a good 275 squirrels.
Interestingly enough, nobody had a clue about squirrel nutrition until I came on the scene years ago and now everybody (and his dog!) is spouting the word, "nutrition" out there. They STILL haven't a clue.
There are a few squirrels out there who have managed to survive without having been raised on Nutballs, but there's always the risk of losing 50% or many, many more of them to "unexplained death" or "phosphorus overload" (another term for a calcium deficiency). As with people, too much phosphorus makes squirrels extremely hyperactive, nervous, and prone to dropping dead suddenly.
To paraphrase the old adage: "I can lead a horse to water, but I cannot make him drink." Again, as I've stated in The Little Red Box at the beginning of the web page, the squirrels will teach what I cannot.
If you have a problem getting squirrels to eat the Nutballs, it's because you are feeding too much other food or allowing them to have stash which they can draw upon to "spoil their suppers" (like children) -- OR someone is "sneak-feeding" them behind your back, sabotaging your work!
****A CAVEAT: NEVER buy "ready-made" Nutballs over the Internet! Some unethical person, with whom I have never communicated, has attempted to cash in on, make money from, the work that I do for free. In spite of what are listed as the ingredients, these cannot be trusted to be complete or wholesome, nor do we even know how OLD they are. Toxic mold can grow on them if they've not been properly stored. (Some molds are invisible!) Because Nutballs tend to crumble, they do not travel well and are intended to be made up fresh as needed and taken straight from the drying place to the freezer.
Unfortunately, other unethical web sites and chat rooms, obviously feeling quite threatened by our work and the successes we have had, have usurped the title of "Nutballs", coming up with a totally different and very weird (!) concoction, attempting to mislead and confuse the public (as always). Feeding those "things" to squirrels will only lead to failure. It is quite obvious that those people don't know the first thing about nutrition: Vitamins and minerals are symbiotic, they work together, but can counteract each other if not properly combined. Only on this web page will you find the pure, unadulterated Truth! (Date of posting of this caveat is November 21, 2008.)
Follow the recommendations laid out on the Suggested Feeding Schedule: No food after 10 o'clock in the morning, no stash, no lunch, and when Nutballs come first thing (after their milk) at 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening, they will be greedy-eager and snatch for them. They cannot be allowed to graze on food all day long, otherwise they'll end up being picky eaters.
There is no such thing as a "free" animal. Proper diet, caging, and care are all part of the responsibility and upkeep of choosing to raise a squirrel for release. The rewards of our efforts are many.
To reiterate: Love and labour go hand in hand.
Return toThe Beginning...
A List of NO-NO's
All other commercial formulas supposedly intended for baby animals, no matter WHAT the brand name, cause the same unfortunate symptoms since compositions of all those formulas are basically the same. (More about the unfortunate side effects of these commercial formulas can be found under the Baby Squirrel Formula section.)
What Improper Nutrition Can Cause in Squirrels: (These symptoms are NEVER seen in squirrels who have been raised on Scalded Milk and have been given Nutballs as a part of their daily diet when they are older and have started eating solid foods.)
**** THESE NUTBALLS ARE CRITICAL TO THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF SQUIRRELS WHEN THEY ARE OLDER, HAVE STARTED CUTTING BACK ON THEIR SCALDED MILK, AND ARE EATING SOME SOLID FOODS WELL!
More NO-NO'S.
Poisonous Plants and Woods (This is not Intended to be a comprehensive list. Add to it as you hear of others)
Desirable or Non-toxic woods (For
squirrels to chew on)
Safe formulas for baby squirrels:
When baby squirrels begin learning how to eat solid foods, I start them out on pecan halves. (No one ever strangled or choked on a pecan.) They still need their 4 milk meals a day at this time. It usually takes them about a week of crumbling pecans and making a big mess before they learn how to eat sufficiently to sustain life. Add peeled apple, peeled pear, zucchini, etc., to the diet as they become better able to handle solids and as their taste buds develop.
Hold off on soft or slimy foods, such as grapes, peaches, plums or lettuce until they are much older, to prevent the possibility of strangulation or food's becoming stuck on the roof of their mouths. Broccoli is one of those stronger-tasting foods that they may not care for until they are a little bit older and taste buds have developed more.
Nuts: (Protein needs come primarily from nuts and are the most important factor in the diet because of the amino acids supplied for growth and
development. Make sure all nuts are fresh. Rancid nuts are toxic.)
It goes without saying that any rancid or dried up, withered, nut should never be given.
Fruits and Vegetables: (Supply essential vitamin and mineral requirements) Give 4 or 5 daily -- chunks should be subtantial, about an inch high and an inch or so wide, small enough that they can easily hold in their little hands, but NOT teeny tiny.
Return toThe Beginning...
Rather than allow free-choice feeding (all the food they can eat, whenever they want), it's best to control what is given in order to prevent finicky eaters. When squirrels get older, 2 meals a day is all they need for the duration.
Breakfast: First
thing in the morning I give each squirrel:
This is sufficient food for fat, healthy squirrels. They do well on a "controlled" diet such as this, rather than to have food eternally available to them. -- The most common cause of squirrels not eating their daily Nutball is too much food in the cage. All stash should be removed so they'll have nothing to draw on to spoil their suppers. Once a squirrel starts to bury food, he's no longer hungry, so don't put any more food in there.
Return toThe Beginning...
Squirrels are virtually disease-free and are very clean little animals (though they do make big messes when they are older, IF they are healthy). They do NOT carry diseases transmissible to humans. They can get abscesses in 10 days to 2 weeks from biting each other but do NOT infect people when bites are sustained from mishandling the older babies or adults.
Cats do NOT infect squirrels, either, no matter what anyone says, so no antibiotic is EVER necessary if a cat finds one, baby or adult, and brings it home. Sometimes the small scrapes or scratches found on babies are caused by his fall from the tree and what twigs he hit on the way down, not necessarily by the cat.
Squirrel pox or fibroma (rarely seen) is NOT contagious to people OR to other squirrels, is spread by mosquitos, and runs its course in 2 1/2 months if the diet is nutritionally sound. No antibiotic or topical ointment is necessary -- none of those work anyway. Pictures of a baby with it are at the very bottom of my Photo Gallery web page for any who are interested. That link is: photo gallery
Common sense tells us that any who come in injured should be handled as little as possible. Excess handling only exacerbates injuries and can kill them quickly. We can love and soothe them and ease their fears by stroking their heads and down their backs for a time or two after taking them out to feed and then leave them alone to rest and sleep which is where all healing occurs. This justifies our putting them aside in a cage when they're first brought to us so they can rest or warm up for 30 or 45 minutes before we get around to feeding them. It also gives them time to adjust to their new surroundings, whether they are lucid or not. When we take them out to syringe-feed them, their little bodies should be well-supported by a small blanket to avoid further injury.
(Incidentally, we rear children and raise animals. We do NOT "rear" birds or animals!)
Pet Nursers (animal baby bottles) are deadly: Do not use them.
Please do NOT use any of those spot-on flea deterrents intended for dogs and cats. Squirrels are too small and certainly don't need any of those alien chemicals systemically in their bodies anyway. They don't necessarily work, either. One baby who was brought to me sopped with that chemical still had squirrel fleas crawling all over him even though that stuff had been put on him long before he arrived.
Please do NOT use one of those full-spectrum lights to shine on squirrels! They get sufficient Vitamin D in their Nutballs. An excess of Vitamin D can cause liver toxicity and death since oil-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver.
Babies do NOT grow in their top front teeth until some time after eyes have opened. It is at this time, I suspect, that the molars are also coming in, which they need to have in order to be able to eat solid foods efficiently.
If top teeth are missing in older squirrels, bottom teeth may often have to be snipped periodically before they grow up into and penetrate the upper palate. Sometimes top teeth will grow too long if the nose has been damaged or mashed in and the jaw juts out You should not be able to see a squirrel's teeth (or not much of them!) if mouth is politely closed. When bottom teeth are too long, squirrels can look like Bugs Bunny in reverse! In the case of mouth damage, upper incisors can curve back up into the mouth, penetrating the palate, causing infection and eventually death if not corrected.
Top teeth should be about 1/4th inch long, coming down from the upper gum. The bottom teeth (incisors) of a normal squirrel will fit snugly right behind the top teeth so the pointed little ends are not visible when mouth is closed.
Bottom teeth may need to be trimmed, too, if overgrown, since they can penetrate into the nostrils or cause jaws to be thrown a bit out of joint. One of the signs of problematic teeth is the head being thrown back when eating or inefficient crumbling of food (not to be mistaken for the initial crumbling of nuts babies do when they are first learning how to eat solid foods). A young one with this problem cannot be released since he obviously could not survive very long out in nature and would slowly starve to death.
A tool available at art stores or arts and crafts places called either a Sprue cutter or a Nipper tool or a Diagonal Cutter, intended for cutting delicate jewelry wire, has a nice sharp little V-shaped point to it that is easier to get into a squirrel's narrow mouth than fingernail clippers.
Do NOT use CAT nail clippers -- they have been known to cause splintering of teeth and ensuing infection and death.
Teeth will turn orange on the front side at any time, not necessarily at a particular age. This is part of the hardening-of-the-enamel process that they go through when they get older and teeth start strengthening.
Any with hip, spinal, or head injuries or clumsy, coordination problems should not have tall cages since they can fall and reinjure themselves, sometimes fatally. Best to have them in cages that are no higher than 14" to 18" tall at the most so they won't be tempted to climb. Carpet remnants are recommended for flooring, not only for traction in walking but for softer cushioning.
Squirrels with rickets or lordosis cannot be released since those calcium-deficient conditions can only be arrested; the damage already caused to earlier bone development cannot be undone. Scoliosis is rare in squirrels (I've only seen one in 20 years of rehabbing) but can be caused by injury or a calcium deficiency.
Other obvious handicaps are missing limbs or most of a tail, total blindness, or even blindness in even one eye since distance judgment in jumping is impaired and they are very vulnerable to predators coming in at them from the blind side.
When trees have been felled or a branch is lopped off carrying the nest to the ground with it, the damage to baby squirrels is often much worse than just a free fall to the ground would be because of the heavy vibration of the tree hitting the ground. If they are not instantly killed, they can sustain head injuries. With older squirrels brain damage can be caused by being violently thrown from one of those awful squirrel feeders that have the windmill effect or being shaken too violently by a dog. Head injuries in these cases are similar to Shaken Baby Syndrome in humans, where the brain is rattled, although with squirrels, other organs can be affected and damaged as well. Landing on concrete or on any kind of hard surface or being buffeted by strong winds or hurricanes are other causes of brain or neurological damage. This is one of the reasons it's very important to be aware of the circumstances under which they were initially found.
They can have what I call "hidden head injuries" -- those lie latent but will act up later on down the road, or may not be discovered until they've been released. This type of injury is evident in the ones who go haywire after release, go round in circles, or seem to be terribly inept, not going forth to do their "squirrel thing". They may seem fine and look perfectly normal in the cage but almost immediately after release this kind of anomaly will show up. These need to be pulled back in to spend the remainder of their lives with us in captivity, since they'd never survive out there in nature.
Adult injured squirrels who have been hit by a car or babies who have suffered what I liken to Shaken Baby Syndrome (in children when the brain has gotten rattled) may sleep excessively, even after they've healed -- as much as 23 out of 24 hours a day. Let them do so. They need that sleep. They also need to be gently handled, wrapped up in a small baby blanket when taken out to be syringe-fed my Banana Milk Shake until they are feeling better and are ready to start eating solid food.
Head injuries are permanent and they usually do take them in the end, whether it's within a month after arrival, a year and three months, or at the end of a long, full lifetime with us. All we can do is take them as far as they will go, even though their little lives with us may be short.
Any squirrels who are considered unreleasable I see no reason not to continue handling, if they'll let us! What difference does it make if we DO make pets out of them -- they're not going anywhere anyway!
If there is no blood, no bone sticking out, and bones are properly aligned (as in the case of a long-bone break), there is no need for a wrap or a splint. Muscles hold the broken bones in place and by the 3rd day, they will be holding the foot in a natural position although they will still continue to favor it for a while. Healing takes place within 10 days to 2 weeks, with a proper diet, but I like to give them that 3rd week to make sure it's good and healed. At the end of 6 weeks, healing is virtually complete and this is when I decide whether they can be released or not but only when the time is right and they are old enough.
Scalded Milk for the babies and Banana Milk Shake or Nutballs for the older juvenile and adults are the best diets for any with broken bones. The calcium in these promotes healing (of other injuries, too, including wounds), eases pain, and helps them sleep which is where all healing occurs.
One of the best healings I ever had was with a 6- to 8-month-old fox squirrel who came to me with both thighs crushed. Her little bones were just a-cracklin' inside. I felt no X-ray was necessary, nor was a visit to the vet. I gently and carefully took her out of her cage, wrapped up in a small baby blanket for support and syringe-fed her my Banana Milk Shake. She healed beautifully -- all those little "puzzle pieces" quickly knitted right back together again, within 10 days to 2 weeks. When she was released 6 weeks later, you'd never have known there had been anything wrong with her in the first place!
Fur loss (alopecia) can also be caused by a diet heavy in peanuts, field corn, and sunflower seeds -- all of which are incomplete proteins and should never be fed in the first place! In captivity, fur loss can be caused by an allergy to detergents or fabric softeners on the blankets, but usually severe itching will accompany this.
Severe itching can also be caused by dried caked milk on chin, cheeks, or arms, by mites, squirrel fleas or "the bugs", a tiny little larval type of bug that is species-specific to squirrels -- in other words, they are not "contagious" to other animals. (A severe infestation of "the bugs" can cause fur loss since they feed on hair follicles. These are rarely seen by most people and only come in on dying or debilitated squirrels.) Flea combing will help determine if the itching is indeed caused by bugs and a light dusting with Sergeant's Cat Flea and Tick Powder will help. (Only one application is necessary.)
Dry skin and dead hairs itch during shedding time and can cause excessive scratching. There are places that they just cannot reach -- in the middle of their backs and at the base of their tails -- just as cats and dogs can't, so they will often try to scratch there but end up only causing raw places and sparse fur on their necks or shoulders. A light coating of olive oil helps ease and heal dry, itchy, or flaky skin and makes the fur grow back.
Another cause for excessive scratching and itching can be too warm a heating pad, especially for the older, more furred-out babies. (Thank you, Melodie, for reminding me of this one!)
Sprayed pesticides such as those aerosols used for West Nile Virus are responsible for killing adult squirrels, leaving eyes-open babies orphaned and totally furless. Takes a good 8 weeks on a proper diet for fur to be fully restored once these babies have been taken in and the toxins have worked their ways out of their little systems. Lawn chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc.) or chemicals sprayed on trees have lasting effects, even to dogs and cats as well as to squirrels out in nature, causing skin "allergies" and death.
Squirrels, the grays in particular, will sometimes lift an arm and scratch under it in smug self-satisfaction when they think they've done something clever. This is nothing to be concerned about and doesn't mean they really DO have an itch!
In the summertime they will have thinner coats. Tails can get thin or ratty looking by being whocked against the sides of the cage when they do their flips. Even out in nature they can come back with tails missing fur in places because they've gotten in a tangle or stuck it somewhere it shouldn't be.
Grays and fox squirrels shed differently -- the foxes start at the head and work down, so there's a definite demarcation of new fur coming in all across the back working its way downward to the base of the tail. Grays can get quite bald symmetrically in certain places, whether in captivity or out in nature. The first indication of new fur getting ready to come in is when skin pigmentation turns gray, just as happens when they are babies.
Yes, squirrels do drink water. However, water is not necessary for them to have while they are still on Scalded Milk 2-3 times a day, although you may hang a small water bottle on the side of their cage for them to practice on when they get older. They do get plenty of fluid in their milk, as is evident from the profuse amount of wet produced!
Some squirrels will drink a lot of water later on, a sip or two here and there, just as a "thing to do" while others will only drink a small amount each day. Others will bounce it out of the water bottle once they start getting more active or doing flips in their cages. They often take in sufficient fluids from the fruits and vegetables we give them so they may not need or want much water.
Sticks to climb on that are poked through the sides of the cage and are off the bottom of the cage floor are good entertainment. They chew on those and will have them down in an instant, but it keeps them occupied for a while. Stuffed toys to throw around (with no plastic parts and only polyester stuffing inside) are also recommended.
A cardboard nest box (all sealed up, but with a hole cut in it and a blanket in there) is good entertainment for them, too, for them to climb on and tear up when they're older. Also gives us a little something to do -- cleaning up the mess! Pine cones are good for later on when they are big enough to work on tearing those up. These shouldn't all be given to them at once, just one at a time when they seem bored.
Music boxes are a lovely diversionary tactic (for us, too!) for when they get too rowdy. Wonderful to watch their facial expressions when they cock their little heads to listen! Don't over-do this , either, else it will lose its effectiveness.
In January or February when the fall-born babies start getting restless and pacing is a good time to move them into a larger cage.
Return toThe Beginning...
I will never recommend that any commercial formula be fed even to the carnivorous animals for whom they are intended, much less to our vegetarian squirrels, because they are all inferior products. Composition of all commercial formulas is basically the same, no matter what the brand name, even for human babies. I have suspected for years that human commercial formulas are solely responsible for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in human babies, just as they are for sudden, unexpected deaths in squirrels.
Age Amounts to Feed
0 - 2 weeks ½
- 2 c.c.'s formula 4 times a day, every 5 hours during the day. Too-frequent feedings (such as every 2 hours, or even every 3 hours) is too taxing -- causes bloating, their little digestive systems to shut down, and an imminent death. Watch tummy to make sure it is empty before feeding again.
2 - 4 weeks 2 - 4 c.c.'s
formula 4 times a day. (Every 5 hours.)
4 - 6 weeks 4 - 6 c.c.'s
formula 4 times a day. (Every 5 hours.)
6 weeks on to when
They will take anywhere from 6 c.c.'s of Scalded Milk formula, gradually increasing, over the next few weeks, to as much as 18 c.c.s or more per feeding. (Some baby gray squirrels do perfectly fine on only 3 c.c.'s 4 times a day at 6-7 weeks of age. They refuse more at this time but will take increasingly more after their eyes have opened and as they get older.)
10 - 14 weeks Continue feeding formula 4 times a day until eating solid foods well enough to sustain life (usually takes them about a week to learn how to get food down rather than crumble it). Then you can begin to cut back to 3 milk meals a day, then 2, and finally, 1, and then none, but this cutting back should be determined by the baby's appetite, not your logic! I prefer to cut out the nighttime 10 o' clock milk feeding first and then the noon feeding, because these seem to be the ones babies diddle over the most since they are still full from milk and solid-food breakfast and dinner. Take several days for each cut-back. Letting them wean themselves is the best and safest method to follow.
Age Characteristics
0 - 2 weeks True pinkie; umbilical cord or remaining navel spot (scab) will be present. Navel spot usually comes off in 10 days to 2 weeks.
2 - 3 weeks Dark pigmentation beginning to come in from top of head to down back -- darker coloring (fox squirrel), lighter gray color (cat squirrel).
3 - 4 weeks Slight furring begins in pigmented areas, especially on top of head.
4 - 5 weeks More fur coming in down back, but tail fur still sparse. Gray squirrels are wigglier and more restless than fox squirrels whose mouths are wider and bigger.
5 - 6 weeks Furrier, tail furred more. Eyes begin to open at six weeks (fox squirrels), sometimes one at a time. White or silver fur beginning on tail of gray squirrels.
6 - 7 weeks Cat (gray) squirrels open eyes and begin furring out more from this point on-smaller than fox squirrels. No fur on stomachs until 9 - 10 weeks.
(makes 100)
to NOT feed squirrels and why)
No pet shop "toys" are recommended at this time for these little wild ones.
Please don't give commercial cereals -- they are NOT part of a squirrel's natura1 diet and are only recommended by lazy people who prefer commercial already-packaged products and are not concerned with the health or welfare of their animals. ALL whole grain cereals block calcium, and often contain chemical additives and honey which has the potential for deadly botulism. The daily Nutball they get is sufficient in terms of any supplementary nutritional need.
Sugar is good for sprinkling on wounds, especially those that are infected. Sugar reacts chemically with pus to neutralize it and only two or three applications should be necessary. Honey and Karo can also be used, but I think those are too messy. Even if the wound is a dried one, it can be moistened with a few drops of water to make the sugar granules stick until a crust is formed from the sugar. When sugar is used, no topical or oral antibiotics are necessary.
(I give this formula 2 or 3 times a day, depending on the situation, followed by as much Scalded Milk Formula as they want until eating well enough on their own.) A word of caution on extended use of this formula: Prolonged use of Nutri-Cal can cause Vitamin D toxicity to the liver and death in squirrels.<
BR>Give Elixir ( ½ to 4 c.c.'s depending on size of squirrel) 2-3 times first day, twice the 2nd day, once the 3rd and 4th days, if still needed. Then discontinue use.
Elixir should be followed by feedings 4 times a day of warm Scalded Milk without Karo (Nutri-Cal has sufficient Karo in it), mixed with Dannon Vanilla Yogurt or plain yogurt (enough to coat the finger when stirred), until baby or adult is full. Use 1 or 3 c.c. syringe and Catac nipple (if you have one) with hole in the end to feed with. An adult squirrel's tummy capacity per feeding is anywhere from 12-15 c.c.'s (gray squirrel) to 15-18 c.c.'s (fox squirrel)
This Elixir helps bring the limp, listless, and lethargic juveniles or adults back to life. My Banana Milk Shake is really more suitable than the Elixir for one who does not bounce back to normalcy quickly, within a day or two, since it serves as a meal and sustains life until they feel more like eating solid foods. The Banana Milk Shake is NOT intended for the bitty babies since their little "tubes" are too small to handle the thickish mixture.
Return toThe Beginning...
They should be fed 4 times a day, 5 hours apart. Though they eventually become nocturnal, this trait does not start showing up until they begin to wean themselves at 10-12 weeks of age, so daytime feedings are just fine for them. As with the larger squirrels, no middle of the night feedings are necessary.
A 1 c.c. (same as a 1 ml.) syringe should be used for feeding -- they will lap off the end of the syringe -- but if a Catac nipple is available, they will also suck. The nipple can be cut in half crosswise to shorten it so it's more easily managed by tiny mouths. As with any tiny baby, push the syringe very slowly so that only a drop at a time comes out, letting the baby set his own pace of eating.
Do make sure you have low or rather dim lighting to feed by once their eyes have opened. Large nocturnal eyes are super-sensitive to bright lights and can make them nervous.
I treat my flying squirrels the same way I do the larger tree squirrels, nutritionally. They just take smaller amounts of food than the big ones do. When they show signs of wanting to begin eating solid food, I start them out on two halves of a half pecan (broken in half lengthwise) and proceed from there, the same as for the larger tree squirrels.
When they are older and off milk, pecans or walnuts are their morning meal and a small piece of fruit or such if they wish (some will come out and take them, others won't), and the piece of nutball and three fruits or vegetables are given at night. A very small water bottle or very small bowl with water is provided, depending on which way the squirrels decide they like to drink it. Sometimes I'll have both types available.
Flying squirrels are prone to rickets, seizures, going down in their back legs and sudden "unexplained" deaths if their calcium/magnesium/Vitamin D needs are not supplied. Scalded Milk when they are babies and 1/4th of an inch-square Nutball daily later prevents these debilitating situations from occurring. Most people cannot keep flying squirrels alive or healthy longer than 3 1/2 months since they don't feed properly or succumb to the advice of others who recommend formulas and solid foods sold commercially.
We do not give meat to our flying squirrels, nor bugs, since oocysts and protozoa from insects can cause illnesses and diseases down the road that can be difficult to diagnose and to cure. They do just fine and live healthily for years on a vegetarian diet of nuts, fruits, and vegetables, and 1/4 of a Nutball daily.
Their cage when they are tiny babies should be a small hamster cage (the size of their regular nests up in the trees), if they cannot escape through the bars, or one made of hardware cloth. They should be kept on a heating pad on low until they are well able to hold their own body heat. As with the larger squirrels, if you are not sure when they are ready to leave the warmth of the heating pad, place the cage half off and half on the heating pad and let them choose the zone they're most comfortable in.
When the time comes that they need a larger cage, a basic 2' x 2' is sufficient, but the grid should be of the 1/2" x 1' size. They like shelves to perch on (even a small corner shelf is appreciated), sticks to flit to and swing on, and small boxes for nesting and garbage and pantry needs! (Which is not to say that all garbage goes in such boxes!) A small cardboard box can be used for nesting, placed on a shelf and anchored by string to the bars of the cage for stability. The other "storage" boxes can be the small Kleenex-sized ones.
I have never had flyers breed in captivity, nor has anyone else I know since ours have all been taken in as orphaned or injured babies and raised from that point on. We all have mixed sexes, males in with females. I heard of one instance of one who bred when she was allowed the run of the house and even then, it was just that once that she had babies. Another instance I just recently heard of were in a substantially large cage -- 5' x 5' -- and they apparently "multiplied" successfully -- two new ones just "appeared" one day! Most of those who are sold to the public as "having been bred in captivity" or "hand-raised", I feel sure were actually wild caught, and/or mothers were trapped while they were pregnant or captured along with the babies after they had already given birth.
A Caveat: Two people have recently told me their basically encaged flyers ("encaged" as opposed to having the run of the room or the house) presented them with babies. Both were in relatively small cages, 2' x 2' or so. In one case, the mother mutilated (eviscerated) and killed 2 but the 3rd was salvaged even though she'd already started trying to eviscerate it, too. The second mother chewed legs off both, killing them in the process, and the third had disappeared, so it was suspected that she ate the entire baby. Should they chance to give birth in captivity, it's best to take them from the mother as soon as possible and raise them ourselves, just as we have to do with the larger tree squirrels who come in injured and pregnant and give birth in captivity. Those don't take care of their babies and will neglect them until they die of starvation or from being too cold.
It's NEVER a good idea to carry them around all day in pockets or pouches, no matter what pet shop people or breeders say. How would WE like it if some monster hauled us around all night when we're trying to get our nice, peaceful rest! Too much noise, too many vibrations, and distractions. The idea, I'm sure, for the "toting" them around is so they will bond to their caretaker, but that's absolute nonsense! They all bond just by being taken out 4 times a day to feed and tickle to make go to the bathroom.
The best place for them during the day is in a small cage (when they are babies -- on a heating pad on low) with little warm wooly blankets they can hide and snuggle under.
Unfortunately, many breeders are in it for the money and have rarely, if ever, hand-raised flying squirrels. Consequently, they don't know much about proper food or feeding methods. Babies are often taken from their mothers way too soon, before they've even been weaned or are eating solid food well. Those have to either learn how quickly or die.
When flying squirrels are older and tend to hang on the back or sides of the cage to wet out, I've clipped a towel over the back of the cages, sometimes letting it come around halfway on both sides, or the wall behind them can be covered with a temporarily tacked-up piece of plastic or thin shower curtain liner ($1 at the Dollar store since it doesn't need to be a heavy-duty one).
Owls of all kinds -- from the tiny screech owls to the larger ones -- prey on flying squirrels since both are nocturnal. Best not to release these flyers if you have such predators in your area or in your yard. (And don't take them out somewhere and dump them either! That's NEVER recommended for ANY animal we've raised, as you'll see from the Release section elsewhere on this web page.)
Since flying squirrels are not considered "game animals" (i.e. -- so they can be shot and killed by the hunters) and, since they are often sold in pet shops as pets, they don't necessarily HAVE to be released but can be kept as pets. They are generally very quiet during the day and certainly don't make nearly as much noise at night as hamsters do!
Return toThe Beginning...
Tiny babies need moisture just as is in their mother's pouch to prevent their skin from drying out and flaking off, so it's wise to put a wet sponge with a a zip-lock bag laid over it in the cage somewhere away from their blankets. They should be in a container with holes in the lid so moisture can be evenly distributed or in a small cage that's partially covered on three sides and the top to help hold the humidity in. These are often the pinkies who have to be tube-fed, and who, 80% of the time, do not make it.
Possums do well on Scalded Milk. In fact, that's what they should be fed in order to prevent spinal column deformities, rickets, or going down in back legs and becoming permanently paralyzed, especially if this situation isn't caught in time. These debilitating symptoms are caused by commercial formulas which all lack the magnesium necesary for calcium absorption by the body. (Sticking them out in the sun daily won't cut it, nor will the other silly "gyrations" recommended by those wildlife group people.)
Possums can have a raw egg yolk in their milk, as I've mentioned elsewhere on the web page, but you do have to be careful, if you've also got baby squirrels, not to mix up their no-egg milk with the possums' eggy milk by labeling the jars and/or putting them in different parts of the refrigerator. Whether or not to add Karo (white corn syrup -- 1 teaspoon or more per cup of milk) depends on the doodles of the animal. Most often, it should be completely omitted to prevent diarrhea from occurring. Dark Karo is never recommended since it has twice the laxative power of the white or clear kind. Dannon plain yogurt may certainly be added to their Scalded Milk -- it's good for the beneficial intestinal flora!
Later you can start offering pureed baby food meats to them -- all kinds but not pork or ham. Dolomite powder (about 1/4th teaspoon daily) and 2-4 drops of cod liver oil mixed in the meats should also be added once daily to prevent rickets. Meats are all so high in phosphorus that dolomite powder is necessary to balance out a "phosphorus overload" (same thing as a calcium/magnesium/Vitamin D deficiency) which causes crippling and death. (Bone meal won't cut it! It's too high in phosphorus, makes them nervous, and contains no magnesium or Vitamin D.)
Baby fruits are good if they're still in the lapping stage and aren't chewing yet. Chunky types of meat, such as canned chicken are fine for later on when they are older. Avoid any processed meats which have nitrates added since those are carcinogenic.
Hard-boiled egg yolk is another good protein source, as is cottage cheese. And they do love those fruit-flavored yogurts, or Dannon Vanilla yogurt, all of which can be thinned down a bit with Scalded Milk if they're too thick for them to lap in the beginning.
It's amazing how fast they grow -- it's almost as if the more they eat the quicker they grow. Supposedly they continue to grow all their lives even after they've been released.
If they're tromping through their food, one of those small deep crockery bowls is recommended that they can't turn over and that they can't so easily step in to but can still stick their snouts down in.
Later on you can put dry cat or dog food (small pellets) in a dish for them to have all the time to eat, along with their fresh meats and fruits (fresh banana and apple chunks are favorites), but you still have to be sure they're getting sufficient calcium. Those dog or cat foods do block calcium because of the corn and other whole grains in them, so it's good to be aware of that.
Possums can be quite messy -- their poop is so undissolvable that if you miss anything on their blankets when you wash them, it goes into the washing machine and comes out the same way.......all glumped up!
They make a little snuffling noise to call their mothers, whether to "real" or adoptive mothers. They do have a defense mechanism -- several of them, in fact, particularly the adult possums -- opening the toothy mouth is the most common one (I think this is the cutest!), but they can drool, slobber, hiss, or emit foul odors when they are afraid, all of which intimidates their "enemies", including people! And, of course, everyone knows about their ability to "play dead". (Make the dog go away and the possum will be on his way to continue eating roaches or carrion out in nature.)
****** Some very important words of wisdom from Gina: "Commercial dog and cat food is just terrible. I try and buy stuff that mainly has meat listed first, no soy and if they have it, which most do, but way down on the list wheat or corn. Your choices are limited. The dog food I buy is a lamb and rice type, contains no soy, wheat or corn and most of the ingredients you can read and say, HEY! that's an actual product, vitamin or mineral. ~LOL~
The Taste of the Wild is horribly expensive in a big bag but I can get a 5-lb. bag for $10 and that will last Flower almost a month. It actually lists venison, salmon, blueberries, broccoli, etc., on that bag -- nothing mysterious on there. I add a natural diet to that also such as chopped chicken, beef or lean pork, sometimes a can of salmon and fruit. I have trouble getting her to eat any veggies except carrots, sweet potatoes, sugar snap peas, pinto beans and purple hull peas. She can't have very many carrots or sweet potatoes just like the squirrels, so she gets those once a week. Sometimes she even eats a couple of the squirrel Nutballs. She likes them but I give her yogurt with 4 drops of cod liver oil in it four times a week or mix avocado with dolomite powder and 4 drops of cod liver oil. ****Do not feed them road kill. You do not know where it's been or what's been on it and parasites are a big problem. I know they would eat it in the wild but dealing with worms in your possum is a real pain."
Possums who have been raised in captivity can be released when they are a good 11 or 12 inches long, not including the tail, or even older and larger. Any who are let go when they are too small are considered "hawk bait" or easy prey for other types of predators.
Their body temperature, metabolic rate, is so low that the rabies virus does NOT live in possums.
Return toThe Beginning...
Basic Baby Animal Care (third box down on from the beginning of this web page) applies to any baby animal, especially to these little vegetarian rabbits. Keeping them warm on a heating pad on low is very important, as with any baby animal. Food will not digest in a cold body and can cause bloating and death. Baby rabbits don't need too much heat. They do need to be kept warm, but not overly so since they dehydrate easily, causing death within a day! Buffering the heat with a thick towel as a barrier between the heating pad and the cage helps, especially if there is more than one rabbit. In groups, they help keep each other warm. They need small baby blankets or an old T-shirt for nesting material in their little hamster cage. (Hamster cages are recommended since they are basically the size of their real nests.) Cedar shavings or other kinds of wood chips are never recommended.
I find it hard to believe that bunnies can tolerate egg yolk (unborn chicken), even though there are some web pages out there and people, too, who swear they do just fine on those commercial kitten formulas and/or on canned Pet or Carnation condensed milk, mixed half and half with water with a raw egg yolk added to one cup of this. However, according to the nationwide survey mentioned elsewhere in this web page, commercial formulas have been responsible for the admitted 80% mortality rate in baby bunnies, so perhaps it's the egg yolk that kills them.
The following lengthy quotation is from Stephanie with great gratitude!:
"There are so many "if's" with baby bunnies. Their digestive systems are so sensitive. I have found that the sweeter the milk, the better they do for some reason. Their mothers' milk is very thick and rich, which is why I believe they are fed or need to be fed in the nest, only 2 times daily. (Mothers only visit the nest twice a day -- to feed them -- and this is why so many baby bunnies end up being kidnapped: People think they've been abandoned.)
I have heard that goats' milk is best, but I've never tried this. The recipe I have used is 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand) with 2 tsp of heavy cream added and a dollop of plain or even vanilla yogurt. They really seem to suck this down. The acidophilus in the yogurt seems to help the diarrhea. Dandelion and/or yarrow can be given for diarrhea, should that occasion ever arise. Dried leaves from oak, elm, or willow can also be used -- 2 tbs. added to one gallon of water, but dandelion is easier to come by since it can be found at Wal-Mart or in health food stores.
Also, keeping the baby upright while feeding is really important as baby bunnies can aspirate more quickly than any other mammal. I feed as much as they will take and I like to see rounded stomachs when they are done. Sometimes they need to be coaxed a little just to get them going. Only handle them when feeding, and then leave them alone and in a quiet and dark place.
When taking them out to feed, baby rabbits can jump out of your hands -- mainly to get away from you! They are quick and before you know it, they are on the floor and the damage is done. They die within a day, usually of internal injuries. They are so scared of human contact that they would rather die than be touched!
And another important note that many people can go by: If they have a little white star on their head (the cottontails), they need the formula. If the star or white spot on the middle of their foreheads is gone, then people need to put them back where they found them, unless they are injured and bleeding. IF injured or in need of human intervention, then they can put them in a deep box with straw, not hay (it molds quickly) along with clumps of grass and dandelion. Also a sprinkle of commercial rabbit food on the floor of the box is fine. They do not use food dishes! Put their water in a shallow pan. I hope this helps just a little. I have found that with all these precautions, that they really do come along nicely.
Most of them need to be coaxingly fed to get them on-track. That is why I say that they can aspirate quickly. They don't seem to do the 'sneeze' thing like the squirrels do to clear the bubbles from their noses. They actually breathe it in causing them to aspirate. That is why it is imperative that people go extremely slowly when feeding baby rabbits.
The Catac nipple works but there's a trick to it. What I do is to cut off 3/4ths of the bottom of the nipple, making it look more like the mother's nipple. I then attach the bottom end (not the upper, rolled part) to the end of a tiny syringe, and to make the nipple stay on, I use a twist tie. This keeps it from flying off the end of the syringe. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to get the air out, forgetting to hold the nipple in place, and it goes flying across the room with the milk squirting all over. Yes.....fun, fun fun! Try that at 5 in the morning! I found that by doing the nipple modification, the rabbits really appreciate the effort!
I then put it by their mouths and gently squeeze the syringe, and they will smack their little mouths to swallow the liquid. I find that when they are really tiny, the nipples I get are soooooooooooo long, that they swallow half of it before they get to suck. Why don't they make these nipples smaller? hmmmmm. I can't imagine any animal getting the right sucking action from these. Anyway, unlike the squirrels that I put to a larger nipple at about 7 weeks, I keep the rabbits on the same nipple because they mature much younger than the squirrels, even though they look so small.
Unlike squirrels, rabbits are weaned between 4 - 6 weeks. The little white star on their forehead or lack of it, is just another tell-tale sign of their age. I'm always trying to find a better way. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The nipple thing really works!
Also, a bunny's nose is extremely sensitive, and should they fall, because they "catapult', they sometimes ( more often than people think) land on their faces. This causes them to bleed from their noses and mouths. Obviously not good, and they, more often than not, die from this fall. So, here's what I suggest to all the bunny people. If you want a hoppy ( hee-hee!) healthy bunny, sit on the floor and feed them. Then you don't have to worry about falls. Also putting them in a blanket so just their heads stick out also works. This way they think they're still hiding!"
And yet another suggestion from Kim in Maryland: "A little on baby rabbits that you may wish to incorporate in your site -- if orphaned very young, weaning mortality rate can be quite high, because of the lack of gut flora as the babies transition away from formula. To be proactive against the deadly diarrhea, as a part of their weaning diet, I provide a small bowl of oral rehydration formula (see paragraph below) and rolled oats along with a premium rabbit pellet(ie, Browns) that has the Lactobacilllus they so desperately need. Also, they must be given small pinches of alfalfa hay, always fresh daily, to provide roughage as they wean. As soon as weaning begins, rabbits should be monitored closely for diarrhea. If a rabbit should come down with diarrhea, the oral rehydration formula should be given immediately by syringe. Then watch for each diarrhea episode and administer the oral rehydration formula after each. Dehydration is rapid and fatal within a few hours with very young weaning rabbits."
(Me back again!) A home-made oral rehydrating solution is much less expensive than the sometimes chemically-altered, preservative-filled, commercial brands available: It's composed of 1/2 cup water with 3/4ths teaspoon of sugar and 1/4th teaspoon of salt added. This is a 2 and 1/2% solution as compared to the 5% Lactated Ringers' type and is intended to be given orally, NOT injected since it is not considered sterile enough for that. I'm not sure how often it needs to be made up fresh, but I should think it can be given at least two or three times before a new batch is made, kept in the refrigerator, of course.
Later on you can keep a bowl of rabbit pellets mixed with rolled oats (oatmeal) out for them at all times. Best not to buy any grocery store pellets since the turnover is so slow -- we don't know how long they've been sitting on the shelf "unbought".
A small amount of spinach is fine, too, as are any types of fruits and vegetables (same things we give the squirrels) -- these should be added gradually as they get older and start eating more and more solid food. Parsley, broccoli, and Romaine lettuce are good for later on, too, though they may be a bit strong tasting for tiny ones, just as they are too strong in the beginning for baby squirrels.
A domestic bunny I had for so long even ate Nutballs, asked for his 3 daily, as well as his daily walnut or pecan -- I joke that he must have thought he was a big squirrel!
They can eat most anything fresh that our squirrels do except for avocado, mushroom, and radishes none of which are recommended, though they do eat radish tops, parsley, and carrot tops which most squirrels eschew.
A small handful of Timothy hay later on for them to munch on provides some of the roughage they need to keep intestinal passages clear.
Bunnies can be very deceptive about how active they are. They are nighttime creatures and will rest during the day. They will often be very still when you are looking -- this is one of their natural defense mechanisms, a survival technique. They tend to be shocky and need to be kept in a very quiet place away from children, away from noise, and be given something to hide under such as small blankets and/or a small cardboard box and should never be handled by children who can so easily and unintentionally crush them.
Water can be made available later on in a shallow crockery bowl. A salt block for them to lick will also be appreciated when they are older. An apple tree twig, if not sprayed with pesticide or fertlizer can also be given for them to chew on, to keep their teeth filed down if you wish.
Some people don't let theirs go until they're around 6 months old and survival skills have kicked in, just as we do with the squirrels. They need a time when the weather is good and no storms are predicted. In the late afternoon or early evening is best, but make sure they've had a good supper beforehand.
Return toThe Beginning...
Much of what applies to Flying Squirrels (see that particular section elsewhere on my web page) can also be applied to Sugar Gliders, even though these are marsupials. They, as with possums, are also prone to rickets (a defective bone condition), going down in their back legs (muscle weakness), and an untimely death when the diet is lacking in calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin D.
They can certainly be kept on a strictly vegetarian diet with a small piece of a Nutball (about 1/4th or more of a one-inch square daily) and nuts to supply their daily protein needs. Walnuts seem to be preferred by them more than pecans but either or other types will also suffice. Occasionally, a small piece of canned chicken meat or part of a hard-boiled egg yolk may be given, if desired, but are not necessary for optimum health.
Bird seed is not a suitable food. Commercial foods are never recommended since all block calcium absorption by the body. Even though they do prefer fruits, as do the flying squirrels, some vegetables are well-accepted. Scalded Milk, of course (with no Karo or other added sugar and with a nice glop of plain yogurt added to the milk), is recommended for any still-nursing baby or any juvenile or adult suffering from a calcium/magnesium deficiency. For these latter two types, my Banana Milk Shake is recommended since it is one of the quickest ways to get calcium and magnesium working in the body and for healing to begin.
Bugs and insects are never recommended because of the oocysts and protozoa and other "ooey-ooey's" within!
Toting them around all day (during their "nighttime") is neither necessary nor recommended to promote bonding. (How would we like it if some monster hauled us around all night when we were trying to get our restful sleep!)
(Not "The End". Just waiting for more questions to come!)
Return toThe Beginning...
People who echo that phrase ("Let nature take its course.) simply don't know how to care for squirrels, how to keep them alive and healthy short-term or even on a long-term basis because they don't feed properly or haven't got the background experience of raising squirrels at all. Or they're deathly afraid of them, rehabilitators or not! (Some will refuse to take in a baby with eyes open because "it might growl" at them!)
Do be aware that all the misinformation and disinformation (deliberate lying, especially now that the toxicity of those commercial formulas has recently been exposed) on those politically-motivated wildlife group web pages and chat rooms is intended to scare the daylights out of the public.
Too much unnecessary killing is going on now in the world because of man -- pillaging, hacking down of trees and woodlands whimsically or for commercial purposes, not only destroying habitats but wiping out entire squirrel families in the process. Bureaucratic sanctioned and unsanctioned hunting, random shooting solely for target-practice, poisons (not only rodenticides, but fertilizers and pesticides as well), being hit by cars, electricity -- all are man-caused and all take their toll. Fabrications against wildlife are created to justify the collection of bounty money or for culling or mass slaughtering (under the guise of bureaucratic or governmental "Animal Management") -- viz. Prairie dogs, wolves, coyotes, raccoons, deer, squirrels.
So-called "shelters", whether for domestic animals or wildlife, all over the United States and Canada, are nothing but dead ends in one way or another since most animals are immediately euthanized (murdered) whether healthy or not. The ASPCA admits it kills 9 million cats and dogs a year. Those are just some of the domestic animals they receive or confiscate. No telling how many others -- not just all forms of wildlife -- but other domestic animals such as bunnies and ferrets, etc., are also destroyed since those are not included in their "count". So-called "Animal Rescue" programs on cable or dish TV are nothing but Show Business. Much goes on behind the scenes that the public is never made aware of.
The hidden agenda of all those State and local agencies is NOT the conservation or preservation of animals but their destruction, their annihilation.
Those of us who are kind, compassionate, and caring -- the creators and healers in this world -- do need to lend a helping hand when needed in order to counterbalance the cruelties these little ones must endure. We certainly don't let "nature take its course" when a human baby has been abandoned or thrown into a dumpster!
A word of caution to any who are considering applying for a license or permit: Some of those manipulative, controlling, politically-motivated wildlife groups have conned and infiltrated at least 3 or 4 state Wildlife Departments that I am aware of, causing them to mandate that a certain commercial formula be fed baby squirrels in spite of its recently exposed toxicity. Interestingly enough, and a very "telling thing", is that other mammals and birds are so far "immune" to this ridiculous mandatory "policy". The government has no ethical or moral right to tell us what we can or cannot feed animals in our own homes. I see this as just another step up the ladder to controlling our personal freedom -- our right to privacy being taken away by governmental bureaucracy..
Hinged front door for easy access for cleaning.
Hang 10 feet up a tree with hosed wires and large screw eyes.
Flat top is important. Squirrels won't take 'possession' if they can't splat out on it!
Wire screwed on to box with large screw eyes to stabilize to tree.
Put warm, woolly blankets in for the winter.
Specifications:
Squirrels who have not healed 100% from their initial injuries should never be released, nor should those with handicaps since they cannot survive. Some of these incapacitating handicaps are: blindness in one eye (or both, obviously), tooth problems, head injuries which are always permanent, lack of coordination when they are more mature, spinal injuries (broken backs or disjointed spines), or even hip injuries since their climbing abilities are compromised. A more detailed description of these types of injuries can be found under the Common Sense Squirrel Tips section All can certainly live a perfectly viable and comfortable life in captivity and there is absolutely no need to have them euthanized (murdered)!
Squirrels who are handicapped or unreleasable shouldn't be kept outside since it triggers that need to be free which they cannot have. Outside, they tend to be more skittish, on the alert for danger, unsettled, and what they eat or don't eat is very difficult to monitor.
For those who choose to release their squirrels, a "gradual" or "slow" release is recommended. This involves setting the cage (with squirrels in it) outside for 3-4 weeks in a sheltered, shaded place so they can become accustomed to the sounds and elements of the world. This is the least stressful way to reintroduce them back into nature. Squirrels are at least 5 months old or older when intelligence, independence, and survival skills begin to set in, and it is at this time that preparation for release should begin. Survival skills for some of them don't kick in until they're 7 months old.
Four months of age or (worse!) even younger at 10 weeks of age is entirely too young to release. Not only are they so small at that age that predators can pick them off easily, but they have absolutely no sense of danger, of direction, and very little knowledge of how to fend for themselves without a mother squirrel's guidance. They can also be too trusting of humans and other predators. Six months of age or older for spring-born babies is much preferred because they are smarter, much more aware of what danger is, and are larger and better developed physically to climb trees. Those fall babies who are wintered-over in the house are often 9 to 11 months old when released.
Releasing too early can be equated to giving a 2-year-old human child the keys to the car and saying, "Have a good life". They are not physically equipped or mentally prepared to take on such a challenge.
Squirrels who are taken out and dumped somewhere, as some of those callous wildlife-group rehabbers do, are absolutely terrified, as we would be suddenly out on our own in a strange place with no idea where to go for food, water, or shelter, and having to deal with all the harsh dangers of an unknown territory. Should they get hurt, they have nobody to turn for help. This is a very callous, cruel and inhumane method of getting "rid" of animals that have become "inconvenient" -- "Out of sight, out of mind" -- as they are sent out there only to die.
The transition to a sheltered place outside may be scary to some squirrels, while others will handle it without a blink. Usually, the first 24 hours out are the most frightening -- squirrels do not like change! -- but after 2-3 days, they should be better adjusted and become more normal and active again, pursuing their "busy-ness".
While to-be-released squirrels are sitting out there, soaking up the noises and atmosphere of the world, "wild" squirrels may come around to get used to "the new kid on the block", and the to-be-released squirrels can watch them to see where the food supply is and hear the alarm systems other squirrels and the birds (usually blue jays) send out, so they'll get a sense of danger and awareness. They can also see where feeding stations are.
It's best to release early in the week, on a Monday or Tuesday when all is quiet, no construction noises around and the weather forecast is clear for at least 5 days (no hurricanes, thunderstorms, or fronts predicted). When the early-morning wildlife "traffic" has cleared out and captive squirrels have had a substantial breakfast, the cage door is opened and squirrels can come out at their leisure. They do need to be monitored closely for the first hour or so, to ensure they stay out of trouble as they explore, and then off and on throughout that day and for the next day or so. By the end of the week, they've got a handle on things and have become rather street-wise. Adult squirrels who have healed from their injuries and are released are already street-wise and tend to run off, as will juveniles who came in older and wiser.
Squirrels who have been born in the fall and must be wintered over can be released when the weather has settled in the spring (no more cold fronts or storms predicted), nighttime temperatures are reasonable (at least in the upper 60's or 70's), and the trees are fully leafed-out. The trees do need to be ready to receive them since those are their natural habitats.
Contrary to "popular opinion" (by the uninformed), squirrels do NOT imprint on people. They do (or should) become one-person animals as they grow out of babyhood, not wanting to be handled (clutched), and may continue to remain tame and friendly to us after release if they have been fed properly and treated kindly, but will (or should) flee to the trees when strangers come into the yard but then come back down when those people have gone. They are certainly not like geese who, because of imprinting, must be led home to Canada by a glider!
The first 24 hours and the next 2-3 days after release are critical. Newly-released squirrels do need supervision, help if stuck or in a pickle, and back-up feeding which should be provided as long as they need it (anywhere from 2 feedings to more than 6 or 8 years of hand-outs! One of mine stayed around for 8 1/2 years until she wandered off for a few months but did return later). Nest boxes of wood with flat tops are provided for them in trees or if they need to come back to their cages to sleep, they are free to do so.
If they do not want to come out of their cages immediately, don't make them or force them to do so. If they so desire, they will come out of their own free will. They aren't necessarily going to run off at first either but should slowly (and sometimes ineptly!) explore their new-found territory.
If they want to come back in the house, let them. Refusing to come out of the cage or wanting to come in the house should tell you they don't want to go -- a symptom of a mild head-injury, that "no go forth" that I've mentioned under the Common Sense section. Those who are kept as unreleasables don't miss what they've never had, particularly when they've come in as babies. Those who come in as adults settle in fairly quickly to a safe life in captivity, knowing they'll never be hurt again.
Not only is back-up food provided, but also sources of water should be scattered around on the ground. Squirrels cannot get easily to free-standing birdbaths unless they are only inches away from tree trunks, so water in dishes or plant saucers on the ground are recommended for them.
Oftentimes newly-released squirrels will come back to their cages at night to sleep. I've had them return as long as 6 weeks, so it's best to change nothing in their cages to ensure they continue to return as long as they wish. When they do return, cage doors should be locked at night for their own safety and protection against possible nighttime predators and doors reopened the next morning after a hearty breakfast so they can go loose again.
Squirrels are all different. We never know what they are going to do when released. There are no guarantees. Generally speaking, those who are fall-born, spring-released will stay around in our yards much longer (sometimes for years!) than the spring-born, summer-released ones do, perhaps because they are older and wiser and know a good thing when they've got it! Some of them will come back in the evening or return the next day. Others may go forth to explore the neighborhood and return 2-3 days or a week later. All we can do is be patient and wait, continuing to put food out for them in case they do return when we aren't there to hand-feed them.
Return toThe Beginning...
Squirrels have so many wonderful functions for us, mainly as healers. They do bring people of like minds together and seem come to people in their time of greatest need for healing -- after they've just buried an old cherished pet or a dear family member or when someone's been given bad news about a debilitating disease. And, they all live in the "now" which we ourselves are supposed to be doing! They are very quick to forgive and forget when they've gotten mad -- only stay "mad" for about 5 minutes when they feel they've been "wronged" or are ticked off about something. Wonderful little animals who have much to teach us!
Squirrels should be nurtured and cherished for the unique, sweet and gentle little animals they are. As nature goes, so does man. When man lives in peace and harmony with nature, he also has peace and harmony within. If you are kind to Mother Nature, She will be kind to you. (The reverse is also quite true!)
Those of us who practice proper nutrition and handling have phenomenal success rates. Love and labor go hand in hand in rehabilitating these gentle little animals. We need not betray their trust.
