BOTTLE BABIES

'Tis the season for orphaned animals... 

 We have been doing wildlife rehab for years.  I've raised countless deer, squirrels, raccoon, owl, coyote, bunnies and foxes.  Not to mention, I did my fair share of reviving many puppies and kittens as a vet tech over the years.


You may be doing more harm than good if you don't take care of an orphan properly.  Whether it's kittens, raccoons, puppies or bunnies, here are some things you need to know.

1.  Warmth before food.  If you find an orphaned animal fallen from a tree after a storm and it's wet and cold, it's not going to eat.  You need to get its body temperature up FIRST.  Wrapping the orphan in a thin t shirt and holding it next to your body is a great heat source and will be very close to its natural body temp.  
When you go to bed, place the orphan in an open container with a thin layer of bedding it can burrow into (like a small towel) and place ONLY the CORNER of the container on a heating pad set on LOW.  This will allow the orphan to move closer to or further from the heat source.  Heating pads vary in temp and its really easy to kill an orphan by over heating.

2.  Orphans get hypoglycemic quickly and will be too lethargic to eat.  If you force feed them, they will choke and die.  You can easily raise blood sugar levels by dipping a cotton swab in honey and wiping it inside the cheek.  The very vascular membranes of the mouth will quickly absorb the sugar.  Once is enough.  Spiking the blood sugar can be as harmful as low blood sugar.  Once the orphan's blood glucose has risen, it's appetite will usually kick in.

3.  THIS is how baby animals eat- NOT ON THEIR BACKS!  All it takes is one inhaled drop of milk into the lungs for the orphan to get pneumonia and die.  If you'd like to experiment- lay on your back and drink a bottle of Pepsi.
*  Hint: you will choke.

4.  Here is proper hand positioning for bottle feeding.  Place the orphan belly down on your palm..  Put its head between your first and middle fingers.  This will allow you to steady it, but also be able to see if it's drinking.


5.  Stimulation:  mom licks the babies while they are nursing.  It's not just a bath.  The movement of her tongue on their bodies stimulates digestion.  You HAVE TO do the same thing until they can potty on their own.  Use a tissue or soft paint brush to wipe the whole body especially under the tail.  Be gentle.  Be ready for a mess.  But above all, keep the belly DOWN!   
If your orphan does cough, lower it's head below its body and allow those milk bubbles to run out.

If you are taking care of wildlife until you can get it to the proper people, call your veterinarian and ask for milk replacers and feeding schedule that are similar to the same age puppy or kitten.  Most species of animals open their eyes between 10-14 days.  If the orphan you have still has its eyes closed, it is very vulnerable to every problem there is.  Be careful.  Don't be a hero.  Get it to a professional!

Reminder:  wild life are not pets.  It is illegal to keep them.  Contact your local Wild Life Rehab or the DNR!