Should I feed a baby squirrel I found?
Feeding a baby squirrel that was orphaned or stayed is not encouraged , and the reason being that you
are totally unsure of the type of formula it needs. Just before you decide to feed a baby Montgomery squirrel, it
is important that you locate an animal rehabilitator first before any other thing. While most people may
decide to feed the squirrel some water, milk or even solid foods, other may simply feed the squirrels with
some vegetables- all these foods may trigger some side effects when the medical condition of the Alabama squirrel
is not known.
If you find a baby squirrel with no fur and its eyes are closed , then the squirrel is probably sick and
needs urgent attention. Tough the average temperature of a baby Alabama squirrel should be warm, and that means
between 25 and 38 degree Celsius, any temperature above this range may mean that the squirrel is sick and
needs urgent medical attention, thus you must call a medical rehabilitator immediately but never feed the
squirrel. Do not feed a baby squirrel anything too high in fat or protein, though water may be allowed if
the squirrel is suffering from dehydration, likewise you may have to keep it warm because baby Montgomery squirrels
rapidly lose body heat when they don’t have fur .
There are dangers of feeding a baby squirrel with improper diet such as Montgomery cow milk, it has been observed for
instance that feeding a baby squirrel with cow milk for more than a week will cause the animal to lose hair
in certain parts of the body, including the legs and knees. Squirrels fed on milk may develop sparse hair
that wouldn’t cover the skin properly. Diarrhea is another common problem associated with feeding squirrel
with improper diets like cow milk. Aside diarrhea, rapid weight loss has also been detected among squirrels
fed with improper diet especially when they are less than 6 months of age. The rapid loss of hair, for instance
is an indication that the animal cannot absorb some of the nutrients inside the improper diet. A 3-week old diet
properly fed should weigh between 35 and 65g but an improperly-fed squirrel may weigh less than half of that.
When fed with the wrong diet for too long, an Alabama squirrel may find itself digesting its internal system because it is
not used to such diet, and some diet may even discharge some fluids , indicating that the animal is very sick. Improper
diet also means stunted growth and malnutrition. With all these possible issues, it is very important to call an animal
care service immediately when a baby squirrel is found wandering, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the law by
feeding an animal with the wrong diet that can cause severe problems to its body.
To learn more about our services, visit the Montgomery wildlife removal home page.