I rescued a second squirrel! [Saving Patch--Part 1] скачать в хорошем качестве

I rescued a second squirrel! [Saving Patch--Part 1]

Meet Patch, the second squirrel I have rescued this year. In this video, I describe my journey caring for him, from the day we found him to the day we introduced him to his outdoor cage.  In the description below are some instructions in case you yourself find an abandoned baby squirrel, based on what I have learned.  1. If you find an abandoned baby squirrel, the first thing they need is warmth. Find a cloth to rap it in--towels, blankets, or sweaters will do.  2. Be prepared with rubber gloves in case the squirrel is feisty and tries to bite. 3. If you have no experience rescuing an animal and there are no wildlife rehabilitation centers nearby, call a wildlife rehabilitator immediately and ask for advice.  4. Determine the age of the squirrel. If its eyes are open, but it is smaller than your hand, it is likely four or five weeks old (the age of the two squirrels I have rescued).  5. Check the squirrel to see if it is dehydrated. A good way to test, is to pull the skin on the back its skin slightly. If the skin goes back down slowly, the squirrel is dehydrated and needs electrolytes.  6. Feed the squirrel. If the squirrel is under seven weeks of age, it cannot digest solid foods and must have a squirrel formula. If you do not have squirrel formula, and the squirrel is dehydrated, you can make a simple electrolyte mixture. To make an electrolyte mixture, pour a cup of water (preferably not city water). Add a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt to the water. Stir and use an eyedropper to feed the squirrel. Squeeze the eyedropper slowly. Do not push too much water into the animal or it may get water into its lungs, which can be fatal. In my experience, some squirrels will drink the electrolytes greedily, and others will reject it, depending on how dehydrated they are. Do not force it, but don’t give up after the first try. As soon as possible, order a squirrel formula mix for the squirrel. The formula I recommend, is Fox Valley baby squirrel formula. Baby squirrels should be feed every three or four hours. Remember, every three or four hours means feeding it at night as well. So be prepared. This squirrel cannot be neglected! 7. Help the squirrel go to the bathroom. Baby squirrels usually go to the bathroom after every feeding. After a feeding, the squirrel would normal be licked all over by its mother which helps it urinate. Pour water over a cotton swab or q-tip. Rub the cotton swab or q-tip over the squirrel’s genital area. This mimics the mother’s licking and stimulates it to eliminate waste. The squirrel should be able to go to the bathroom on its own at five or six weeks of age. 8. Check the squirrel for fleas. These bugs are usually found behind the ears, under the legs, and anywhere else depending on how many fleas it has. If the squirrel has fleas which they very often do, fill a bucket with water and soap. Have a towel and hot water bottle ready. When the squirrel gets out of its bath it will be very cold. Use a tooth brush to scrub the fleas off. The water will kill them. MAKE SURE THE SQUIRREL’S HEAD IS ABOVE THE WATER. Do not let its nose or mouth touch the water or it could choke. Don’t worry, in my experience squirrels love baths and likely won’t squirm and try to escape. But be prepared with rubber gloves just in case. When you stop noticing anymore fleas, take the squirrel out of the bath and rap in the towel.  9. Have a cage prepared for the squirrel. We haven’t had an issue with this, because having pet geckos, we have a gecko terrarium along with a heating pad. So we were able to plug in the heating pad, place it in the cage, and cover it with towels. A small pet carrier would work too, but remember this squirrel needs warmth. Have a ready supply of towels that may get ripped or soiled. Place a hot water bottle in the cage, cover the bottle in a thin towel. Place another towel on top, but don’t make sure it’s flat, this towel is for the squirrel to crawl under and fall asleep.  10. Monitor the squirrel. It is normal for the squirrel to be asleep most of the day. If the squirrel moves around in its cage and seems to be trying to escape, check to see if the heating pad or hot water bottle is too hot. The heating pad should be at about 85 degrees F (90 degrees at the highest). 11. At six weeks old, the squirrel should be old enough to eat solid foods. It can eat small foods such as walnut or pecan pieces, sweet potato chunks, banana slices, apple chunks, or pumpkin seeds. But it still needs its squirrel formula for hydration. The squirrel also should be starting to be more adventurous. Allow the squirrel to explore and get exercise, but make sure he can’t crawl under anything where you can’t grab him back out. Also ensure that you do not have any pets nearby that could cause harm to the squirrel (e.i. cats or dogs). More squirrel rescue information will be in the next video’s description :)