What features develop in the first six weeks of a baby squirrel's life? Also learn how to feed an orphaned baby squirrel Esbilac puppy formula.
Squirrels are among the most common wild orphans, and if an alert animal lover discovers a baby wild animal in need, there’s a very good chance this baby will be a baby squirrel.
One of the most common questions that squirrel caretakers ask in the beginning is “How old is my baby squirrel?” And it’s an important question to ask because significant changes in care - specifically concerning feeding the baby squirrel - should occur depending upon the age of the squirrel orphan.
Dr Michael Levine, DVM, has been active in wildlife rehabilitation for the past twenty years and he offered an array of information for squirrel caretakers who are looking to determine the age of their little squirrel orphan. The following information is for squirrels up to the age of six weeks.
Week One
The newborn baby squirrel is pink and hairless, about the size of a large peanut shell. At about six days of age, a small amount of tan fur will appear around the snout. The eyes are closed. One-week-old squirrels must be fed between .50 and .75 cc’s of warm Esbilac puppy formula every two to two and a half hours. Esbilac puppy formula is the only appropriate formula for baby squirrels. All other formulas will cause diarrhea, dehydration and death. In addition, all feedings must be performed while the baby is held upright to avoid choking and aspiration of the fluid.
Week Two
During week two, the pigmentation of the skin will darken slightly on the head, back and upper portion of the legs. The two-week-old squirrel must still be fed Esbilac formula every two to two and a half hours. An appropriate meal size is between .75 cc’s and 1.75 cc’s, depending on age.
Week Three
During the third week, a fine hair will begin to grow from the area of darker pigmentation on the baby squirrel’s head, back and upper legs. The teeth will begin to emerge on the lower jaw during the later part of the third week. The eyes will remain closed and the squirrel is much like a human baby in that he lacks coordination and his day is spent eating, sleeping and growing. An appropriate meal size is between 1.75 cc’s and 3 cc’s and the diet should still consist only of Esbilac formula, given every two and a half hours.
Week Four
In the fourth week, a great deal of soft hair has emerged on the baby squirrel’s head, back and upper legs, and a fine white hair will emerge on the belly and other hairless areas, like the lower legs, by the end of week four. This will be the squirrel’s last week of feeding only formula. Meal size should be between 3 cc’s and 4 cc’s, given every three to three and a half hours.
Week Five
The baby squirrel should now be fully furred, although the fur will still be thin on the underside. During week five, the fur will thicken noticeably. Week five is a big week for the baby squirrel, as his eyes will open for the first time during this week. His vision will be poor in the beginning, but within a few days, he will begin exploring his environment a bit.
Formula feedings should take place about every four hours. At week five, the amount of food intake rises noticeably to between 5cc's and 6cc's on average, though some squirrels prefer to eat even more by the end of week five. It is around this time that the squirrel can be provided with as much formula as he would like to eat, as long as the stool remains consistent.
Once the baby squirrel’s eyes are open, solid foods should slowly be introduced to the baby’s “nest” – usually a box with T-shirts or fleece, with a heating pad or heat lamp for warmth. He may not eat these new foods until about five or six days after the eyes open, but it is good to introduce the foods early so he can become familiar with the smell.
Following feedings, the squirrel caretaker should use a soft piece of damp fabric, like a soft washcloth to gently wipe the baby squirrel’s genital area to stimulate bathroom activities. This is a vital part of infant squirrel care, as the baby squirrel will not initiate bathroom activities on his own. In the wild, the mother squirrel will lick the squirrel to stimulate urination and defecation.
Notably, when the squirrel is very young, feedings can be performed every three to three and a half hours during the night to allow the caretaker to sleep.
Caring for an infant squirrel is time consuming and much like a human child, as the baby orphaned squirrel is helpless and must be fed and provided with a warm sleeping environment.
Also check out Suite101's Baby Squirrel Resource Page, with links to additional baby squirrel care articles, including pieces on how to determine a baby squirrel's age, appropriate feeding amounts based on the squirrel's age and basic baby squirrel care tips. There's also a few links on caring for an injuries that are commonly seen in baby squirrels.
The copyright of the article How Old is My Orphaned Baby Squirrel? in Pet Care is owned by Mia Carter. Permission to republish How Old is My Orphaned Baby Squirrel? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Hello Mia This Is Bethany Again! I Was Now Wondering How Often A Five Week
Old Squirrel Should Be Sleeping. Mine Is Still Sleeping Quit Often And I
Was Wondering If This Was Normal? He Eats, Then Sleeps For A While, Then
Will Play For AAbout Fifteen Min. And Then Will Go Back To Sleep. Anyway I
Thank You For All Your Help And Will Be Sending Pics Soon Thanks Bethany
Sep 24, 2008 2:24 PM
Mia Carter :
Hello Bethany!
Thanks for your question!
It sounds
like your little guy is completely normal. These little guys really only
sleep and eat for the first few weeks of life. In the next week or two, I
will expect you'll start seeing more and more activity from him. It will be
a gradual process and that's when you'll want to transfer him to a cage, if
you've not done so already.
Basically, they do nothing but sleep
until their eyes open around week five. Then, it takes them about another
week for their eyes to fully begin to work (we think that, like human
babies, everything is blurry and confusing at first). So usually around
week six, you'll start to see more time spent exploring and playing, and
less time sleeping.
The timetable does vary slightly from
squirrel to squirrel. Sleeping is what helps these little guys grow and
stay healthy. As long as he's eating well and gaining weight gradually and
growing and his breathing is clear, you're in good shape!
Enjoy
him! And as always, just let me know if you need help - I'm more than happy
to give it! ;-)
-Mia Carter Pet Care Feature Writer,
Suite101.com
Sep 28, 2008 3:44 AM
Guest :
Hi Mia, My name is Molly, i have what i am pretty positive to be a 5
or 6 week old baby girl squirrel. I'm wondering why her eyes are not
opening at all. I'm not supposed to do anything special right? They just
open up all by themselves? I am starting to get a little worried. thank you!! molly & tinkerbell
Sep 28, 2008 6:11 AM
Mia Carter :
Hello Molly!
Thanks for your question.
Your little
squirrel is probably perfectly healthy and normal. You don't have to do
anything - the eyes will open when they're ready. It just takes some a
little longer to open their eyes. It usually occurs during the middle of
the fifth week, but I've seen it occur as late as the middle of the sixth
week in one little guy (which makes me suspect that some of these little
guys simply appear older than they really are!)
The only thing
I would watch for is discharge, swelling, tenderness or redness around the
eyes. That could indicate an infection that's causing the eyes to actually
swell shut. So that's the only thing I would look for. But as long as she's
eating well and gaining weight and growing, I think you're in good shape!
I wish you luck with little Tinkerbell! Don't hesitate to let
me know if you have any other questions. And if you take any good photos of
her, feel free to send one along to PetCare@Suite101.com - I'm always
looking for good photos of baby squirrels to accompany these articles!
We'll make her a little squirrel celebrity. ;-)
-Mia Carter Pet Care Feature Writer, Suite101.com
Sep 29, 2008 8:15 PM
Guest :
ON AUGUST 24 I FOUND TWO BABY SQUIRRELS, NO MOTHER. ONE IS DOING GREAT ON
THE PUPPY MILK THE OTHER SEEMS TO ONLY WANT TO SLEEP ALOT. THE ONE HAD A
LITTLE RUNNY STOOL SO I ADDED A LITTLE YOGURT TO HER MILK. SHE IS JUST NOT
THE ACTIVE LITTLE THING HER BROTHER IS. THEY WERE SO LITTLE WHEN I FOUND
THEM, DON'T KNOW AGE. DO I NEED TO TAKE OFF MILK AND GIVE HER PEDALITE?
DON'T WANT LOSE HER. HELP. DIANNE
Sep 29, 2008 8:28 PM
Mia Carter :
Hi Dianne!
Thanks for your question.
It's lucky you
have two of these little guys so you have a point of comparison. It does
sound like the little girl is a bit unwell. It's difficult to say why -
maybe she's gotten some illness, maybe her body is just having a bit more
of a tough time adjusting as a result of the stress from her ordeal. It's
hard to say.
Hands down, the best option is to bring her to the
vet. So if that's a possibility, I'd strongly recommend that - an exam
would give us the best information about her precise situation or illness.
That said, there's a few things we can look at: Firstly,
what are they eating? Are they eating Esbilac Puppy Formula? Different
brands, or the kitten version of the formula is not as well tolerated. So
that may be the problem here - she's just not tolerating the formula as
well as her brother. So I'd switch to the Esbilac Puppy Formula if you're
not on it - switch over the course of several days, graduallly phasing out
the old formula and introducing the new one.
Secondly, let's
look at how hydrated she is. If she's dehydrated, this can cause weakness
and lots of sleeping (though keep in mind that for the first five or six
weeks, they usually only sleep and eat. But the diarrhea does have me a bit
worried). Lets start giving her some extra Pedialyte in addition to her
meals. Before each meal (or, in between meals if you can manage it) let's
give her some Pedialyte. This must be done separately from the food. If
you're using the powder to mix their formula, mix her's a slight bit more
concentrated because she'll be apt to eat a bit less and we want her to get
those necessary calories. Sometimes, dehydration is a self-perpetuating
problem. They get dehydrated because of diarrhea and they get diarrhea due
to dehydration.
Also, let's revisit the yogurt idea. Some don't
do well with even a small amount of dairy. Instead, we can give her the
"good bacteria" - also called probiotics - that are present in
the yogurt separately. You can get probiotic capsules at any big pet store
near the vitamin section. A good type is called Acid-Pak and it's made just
for rodents. We can add a bit of this into her meals to get the same effect
as the yogurt.
And again, I'd try to find a vet. She may need
antibiotics. They can also give you fluids to inject under her skin - very
easy to learn and costs about $10 for for two weeks worth of supplies.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
-Mia
Carter Pet Care, Suite101
Oct 1, 2008 10:20 PM
Guest :
hi my name is Marianne and i am the new mommy of a baby squirrel. we found
him in the cemetary near our house the other day completely soaked to the
bone and almost gone. we bundled the baby up in a soft towel and brought
him home. i have been giving him pedilyte along with kitten formula but he
isn't very hungry. he seems to be sleeping alot in the pet carrier that we
put it in. i have a heating pad under a very soft blankie and he likes to
curl up in it and have a soft baby towel over it. am i doing soemthing
wrong that it isn't eating as much as it should? it looks like it is about
5-6 weeks old as it's eyes are open. it will move around some and likes to
crawl in my lap and my son's lap also. we named it Alex as we aren't sure
if it is male or female. if you have any more suggestions and all i would
greatly appreciate them. thank you, Marianne
Oct 5, 2008 2:54 PM
Mia Carter :
Hello Marianne!
Thanks for your question. I've written up an
answer for you in one of my latest blog entries.
Here is the
URL for your answer: http://www.suite101.com/blog/miacarter/q_am_i_caring_for_my_orphaned_baby
_squirrel_properly
I wish you luck! -Mia Carter Pet
Care Feature Writer, Suite101.com
Oct 9, 2008 1:41 PM
Guest :
Mia, About 5 weeks ago I found a baby squirrel in my chicken pen. His
eyes were open but he had very light colored fur, no top teeth, could not
hold himself up, etc. I think he was about 5 weeks old. My sister said to
give him honey water until I could get to the store. We live in a very
rural area of TN and no stores were open because it was Sunday. My
daughter and I looked at your sight and found out what we needed to do for
him. The next day we bought Esbilac at the Co-Op and gave it to him as
scheduled. We took that poor squirrel everywhere so he could eat on time
and keep warm. He has been to Arkansas, Mississippi, and all over West TN.
As I type this I am watching him climb wildly all over his cage. He is
strong and healthy, very inquisitive, and nice to humans even though he
remains a wild animal. He does not want formula anymore and does well with
most foods (he does not like avocadoes). We look forward to his successful
release in a couple of weeks. Thanks for your helpful sight, Becky Youngblood
Oct 12, 2008 8:46 AM
Guest :
I have two baby squirrels that fell out of a tree five weeks ago. No Mother
around.The boy is a mess and plays constantly,but the girl refused to take
her formula or even her apple yesterday. The girl has a rapid heart beat
and sits with her head down. I hope my vet will look at her tomorrow. Is
there anything I can give her tonight in case she has something in her
lungs? I don't want to loose her. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Dianne Stetler
Oct 12, 2008 7:51 PM
Mia Carter :
To Dianne, With the Sick Little Girl Squirrel:
Thanks for your
question. I hope your baby squirrel is doing better soon! I've answered
your question in my latest blog entry, which can be found at the following
URL:
Hi...I found 3 Baby squirrels in a nest (two girls and a boy Lucy Lily and
Leo) on the ground that had fallen out of a tree. I started them on
pedialyte immediatley and used esbilac puppy formula... I ran out of the
esbilac and used a generic puppy replacement for 2 days. All of my babies
have runny stool and I am worried that they are sick. I just got some more
esbilac...Can I start using it right away?...Also, they were trying to
nurse on each other and hurting each other so I put each one in a sock so
they could still sleep together...but now the boys genital area is so
Swollen and I don't know why. PLEASE HELP
Nov 20, 2008 5:36 PM
Mia Carter :
To the Mom of Lily, Lucy and Leo:
I'm sorry to hear your
squirrels are unwell. I've answered your question in my latest blog post,
which can be found at the following URL:
You can copy and
paste that URL into your browser, or visit by blog via my profile page.
Just click on my byline at the top of this article. -Mia Carter Pet Care Feature Writer, Suite101.com
Jan 9, 2009 10:26 PM
Guest :
Mia This is Dianne. You helped me with my sick baby squirrel and I never
thanked you. At that time I was afraid to take my squirrel to my vet
because I am not a person licensed to take care of wild animals. To my
surprise I had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with a lady
that is a small animal caretaker and she works with a vet that helps her
with their treatment. My baby was close to death when I took her for meds
and today both squirrels are doing great. She and my vet and her vet saved
her life. I dread spring (my favorite time of year usually with my flowers)
because now it will be release time for my two kids. My husband and I have
really enjoyed them. We have a big house and have turned a large closet
into their room complete with their own (TREES). So thanks so much for
answering me and letting me know that vets would see squirrels. I have
loved all animals all my life. I am now a 60 year old woman and some
unhappy people have made nasty comments about pets aren't as important as
children. I have raised my children and I will continue to take care of all
animals as long as I live. I could not and will not live without pets and
pity the people that do not know the love of an animal. Thank You Dianne
Stetler
Jan 10, 2009 2:31 PM
Guest :
hello Mia my name is stacie and i found a baby squirrel 3 days ago it was
in the middle of the street almost frozen to death with snow still falling
i stopped and picked it up it seemed to be fine up till this afternoon it
has started to have some shaking episodes sorta like seizures and im reslly
worried about it he is so gentle and it's breakijng my heart but it's the
weekend and i'm in a small town so theres nothing i can do till monday and
i hate to see him suffer my children are extremely upsset as well any ideas
for us please and thank you so much
Jan 10, 2009 3:19 PM
Mia Carter :
To Stacie:
I've answered your question in my latest blog entry,
which you can find at the following URL:
http://www.suite101.com/blog/miacarter/q_why_is_my_baby_squirrel_shiverin
g
I hope you find the information helpful and I hope your
baby squirrel is feeling better soon!
-Mia Carter Pet Care
Feature Writer, Suite101.com
Aug 11, 2009 10:42 PM
Guest :
Hello Mia, Thanks for your advice. Can u kindly tell me from wer could
i get the food for my one week old squirrel and what type of foods should i
feed my little boy. Regards, Binoy
Sep 5, 2009 5:46 PM
Guest :
Hi Mia, my name is Madison. I found a baby squirrel a week ago Sunday and I
have followed every instruction that I have recieved. (I believe he was in
his fourth week fr he had fur on his belly, though he was rather small). I
gave him some electrolyte vitamin water to rehydrated him for about a day.
After that I started feeding him Esbilac (the liquid kind; I could not find
the dry mix) and I started making it watery and made it stronger and
stronger. I started off with 4ml. and his belly was very large after each
feeding and he started having diarrhea. I pulled him off and only gave him
2ml. of 1/2 water 1/2 formula. He continued to have diarrhrea and was
starving so I put him back on his regular formula and slowly increased back
up to 3ml. and sometimes 3 1/2ml. I don't know whether I should take him
off for a whole day and put him just on electrolyte water or what. I am
going to start feeding him 1ml. of vitamin water in between feedings and i
am going to put some yogart in his formula to thickin his food up a bit. I
don't see how he could be sick because his stool, though runny is a good
mustard brown color and he is active, sleeps well, eats well, is growing
nicely and is starting to open his eyes. He urinates at every feeding and
dedicates almost every time. I don't know if I should take him to the vet
or what. But I would like to solve the issue! PLEASE HELP!
Sep 18, 2009 1:18 PM
Guest :
Mia, your site is EXTREMELY helpful! Yesterday we heard what we thought was
a baby bird chirping & while looking for the source we saw a baby
squirrel dangling from a tiny branch 25 feet above our front lawn we
watched hopefully only to see it plunge to the ground. Upon careful
investgation we found 2 babies! (we had heard them crying for at least 4
hrs. before this....now we know what baby suirrels sound like.) We
contacted a local vet who instructed us to use puppy formula & bottles.
Well they aren't interested in the bottles, right now we are using an
infant medication syringe for feedings every four hrs. They sleep, and eat.
Their ears are not open yet. Thanks, Gia
Oct 11, 2009 9:39 AM
Guest :
my friend saved baby squirrel from a cat today I'm pretty sure hes five or
six weeks old, there's a very small puncture on the in side of his right
leg.is there any thing i clean it with? it does not look bad and hes using
the leg just fine. thanks
Oct 11, 2009 1:18 PM
Mia Carter :
To the reader who saved the squirrel from the cat:
This little
guy will need regular cleaning of the wound to prevent infection. Bite
wounds are VERY prone to infection and this could be deadly for this little
guy.
Please read these two articles to learn more about how to
care for his injury in the immediate future; I *strongly* recommend a visit
to the veterinarian for a thorough cleansing and antibiotic medication.
Even a minor wound can kill a baby squirrel if it gets infected (which is
more often the case than not):
Sep 10, 2008
