Many of us get a little bloated from time to time, this can happen to baby squirrels too. If you think that your baby squirrel is too bloated, you’d be right to be concerned.
This article explores why this happens, if it’s a big deal, and how to treat bloating in baby squirrels
Baby squirrel bloated stomach:
Baby squirrels will eat almost anything we feed them, they have no portion control and can be quite ravenous about food.
Bloating in baby squirrels happens because of issues relating to their formula, the animal eating too much, or the animal eating too often.
Issues relating to their formula
Squirrels have evolved to drink their mother’s milk. If you start a baby squirrel on full-strength formula, then it may become bloated, the baby’s body needs time to adjust to taking formula.
Feeding the incorrect formula to a baby squirrel can also cause bloating in the animal. A formula that is shaken too much, where air bubbles form, or a formula that is too rich can also cause bloating in squirrels
What to do:
Feed the baby ¼ strength formula for the first two to four feedings of its life. After this, move on to feeding the animal ½ strength formula for the next two to four feedings, ¾ strength formula for the next two to four feedings, and finally, full-strength formula after this.
Feed your pet squirrel esbilac powder formula, avoid the liquid variety, this type can cause diarrhea.
If you’ve been feeding your pet squirrel the liquid formula, start to feed the animal the powdered formula as soon as you can.
If you can’t feed your baby squirrel esbilac, you can order and feed your baby squirrel Milk Matrix Zoologic 33/40, or Fox Valley 32/40.
You can also use gas drops (simethicone) to ease the gas in the squirrel’s stomach.
Eating too much:
Baby squirrels will eat too much if we let them.
If they eat too much, their stomachs will become overly rounded and feel firm to the touch, a normal baby squirrel’s stomach should only be slightly rounded and feel like a half-filled balloon.
If your baby squirrel’s stomach seems too full then the baby is likely eating too much and is bloated because of it.
What to do:
Start decreasing the amount of food that your baby squirrel eats, do this gradually.
The amount of food that your baby squirrel should be eating depends on how old your baby squirrel is and how much your baby squirrel weighs. Guidelines on how much you need to feed your baby squirrel are explained later on.
Eating too frequently:
The effects of the squirrel eating too frequently are the same as when the squirrel eats too much, their stomachs will be too full, hard, very rounded, and bloated.
In this case, bloating happens when you feed your baby the correct amount of food at feeding time, but feeding time happens too frequently
What to do:
If you know that you’re feeding your baby squirrel the correct amount of food at feeding time, then you’d need to decrease the frequency at which you’re feeding your baby squirrel.
The baby’s stomach should be deflated before you start the next feeding.
If the baby’s stomach hasn’t deflated, wait a little while before feeding again or skip this round of feeding and hydrate the baby instead.
Also helpful:
Dipping the baby into warm water can also help to reduce bloating. To do this, add warm water to a container and dip the baby squirrel in it.
Make sure that the water level isn’t too high, water that reaches the baby squirrel’s armpits is high enough.
Massage the baby’s tummy while it’s in the water, do this for 5 minutes. Dry the baby very well after the dip and make sure to keep it warm.
How much do I feed a baby squirrel?
Red squirrels and grey squirrels need to be fed after the same number of hours, but how much they need to eat differs:
Newborn to 1 week old: Grey squirrels need to be fed 7.5cc to 1.25cc, red squirrels need to be fed 0.5cc. Both need to be fed every 2.5 hours
2 weeks old: Grey squirrels need to be fed 2.5cc to 3cc, red squirrels need to be fed 1cc to 1.5cc. Both need to be fed every 3 hours
3 weeks old: Grey squirrels need to be fed 4cc to 5.5cc, red squirrels need to be fed 1.75cc to 2cc. Both need to be fed every 3 hours
4 weeks old: Grey squirrels need to be fed 6cc to 9cc, red squirrels need to be fed 2cc to 2.5cc. Both need to be fed every 3.5 hours
5 weeks old: Grey squirrels need to be fed 10cc to 12cc, red squirrels need to be fed 3cc to 4cc. Both need to be fed every 4 hours
6 weeks old: Grey squirrels need to be fed 12cc to 14cc, red squirrels need to be fed 4cc to 6cc. Both need to be fed every 4 hours
7 weeks old: Grey squirrels need to be fed 14cc to 16cc, red squirrels need to be fed 7cc to 8cc. Both need to be fed every 8 hours
8 to 12 weeks old: Grey squirrels need to be fed 16cc to 18cc, red squirrels need to be fed 9cc to 10cc. Both need to be fed every 12 hours
It is recommended that the baby be fed 5% to 7% of their body weight (in grams) of food at each feeding. 5% in the beginning, 7% after a couple of feedings.
Weigh the baby and calculate this amount before feeding if you can, this is a general guideline.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Baby Squirrel Twitching In Sleep, How To Tell If A Baby Squirrel Is Dehydrated, How To Stop Diarrhea In Baby Squirrels, Baby Squirrel Constipated