From:
katharine@nettally.com
Date: 2001-10-25 01:08:00 UTC
Subject: Re: newborn kits
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "christine mathis" <wzldad@h...>
wrote:
> I found Katherine's question very interesting about newborn kits
being raised when a mother is lost. I have tried to do this numerous
times only to fail. I have actually had a scientist friend analyse
ferret milk to find Esbilac is very close to Jill's milk but lacking
in fat. >
I know this isn't specifically ferret related but thought I could
pass on some tricks I've learned raising wildlife babies. I just
can't believe that newborn ferret babies are impossible to raise. It
does take a great deal of time and patience.
I have raised a number of orphaned wildlife babies, primarily
opossums, as small as 18g (about 2/3 ounce). Last fall, I raised 2
field mice, weighing in at 8-10g (about 1/3 ounce). I have raised
newborn squirrels weighing 12-14g (about 1/2 ounce). That's why I
can't understand the difficulty with ferret babies. I will admit, of
course, that I have lost some (more than I care to remember) but I
think that is more from genetic problems or injuries (remember,
wildlife orphans come from dead mamas, usually hit by a car, falls
from a tree, or something similar), and I will admit to aspirating my
share also.
My opossum babies are fed with a stomach tube as they don't have
sucking skills. Any other type of feeding is very time-consuming,
frustrating, and the babies usually don't get enough to eat. I use a
#3 1/2 red french tube and catheter until they reach 40+ grams in
weight. Then I move to a #5. I did attempt to raise 4 opossum
babies at about 12g a few months ago but lost all of them. Since
baby opossums are born as essentially fetuses (marsupials), these
were not even developed into "real" babies yet, very sci-fi, alien
looking. They were probably about 4-5 weeks old. They also came to
me ice cold so they were further compromised. Once opossums babies
reach about 6 weeks old, they look like newborns. They open their
eyes at about 60 days. I was able to get a #3 1/2 tube into the tiny
babies but will admit it was very scary at first.
For the mice, I used a cut off tube/catheter and put it on a
syringe. This provided a teeny, tiny nipple for them to suck from.
It worked quite well and they were total piggies. I just kept
formula in a syringe warming all the time as these guys ate every few
minutes.
You can purchase nipples which fit on the end of syringes. The
really good ones are Catac brand but Jeffers also carries some called
Mother's Helpers (I think). These work quite well with babies. They
are soft and pliable.
A trick I learned that could help with those you are afraid of
aspirating (I am terrified of it) is to take several layers of clean
cloth, cut to size and lay into a baby jar lid and saturate with warm
formula. The babies will smell it and go to it and suck. Keep it
replenished and change the fabric frequently as you don't want them
getting sour formula. You can even use make-up pads. Supplemental
formula feedings are probably necessary.
The stimulating to urinate and defecate is normal for any mammal.
That's routine procedure each and every time they are fed up until
they open their eyes.
When tube feeding, it is important to constantly weigh the babies so
you know how much to feed. They don't tell you when they're full and
it is very easy to underfeed or overfeed. Babies (unfurred) also
have a milk line on their tummy. It's quite easy to tell when they
are full. I mark each baby with a surgical marker so I can tell them
apart and keep accurate weight and development records.
As for keeping warm, I use the plastic terrariums found in pet
stores. I put a heating pad set on low under the plastic box and
usually even put a doubled towel over that. Inside the box is
usually a layer or two of fabric and I put the babies in a baby
blanket, gently folded over them. I frequently check to make sure
they are not too hot or cold. I even have worked out a method to add
humidity if the heat dries them out too much, a frequent problem with
baby opossums. I tote mine all over the place so I also have a
microwave heating pad that I use when transporting them. Babies can
get icy cold in a very short period of time. Rice socks work well
too. Once their eyes open, I put the box 1/2 on and 1/2 off heat so
they can move around to a comfortable heat level.
As for formula, Esbilac is recommended for baby ferrets (there's even
a picture of one on the emergency packs) but, since Esbilac is a
puppy replacement formula, it's logical that there would be a
shortage of protein and fat. The next step would be to contact Pet-
Ag with your friend's information. They can recommend which of their
zoologic formulas to add. Most babies require a combination of two
or more formulas to meet their nutritional feeds. Each zoologic
product has different levels of protein and fat.
I would love to continue this discussion and find out if there are
scientific reasons that newborn ferrets usually don't survive hand-
raising.
Katharine