From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-11-08 17:06:51 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] RE: Taking kits away from mum at 2-3 weeks of age?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Again, my inclination is to think that anyone who says that she or he has been through this could help a LOT of other people by publicly posting the techniques and products used. It not only makes any such info easily accessible from archives in an emergency (and very young kits who can't be cared for by a mother do constitute an emergency) but it is less work than offering to do so privately and having to regularly rewrite whatever a person has to offer.
Many things about caring for very young animals can be easily shared such as using saturated cloth to help a very small animal suckle, and knowing to gently rub a saliva moistened pinkie on the genitals of very young kits to encourage urination and defecation, providing special bedding and wraps to keep even suckling ones warm, and special warmed items to keep them safe, using a Raytek Minitemp to make sure that things don't get too hot or too cold, feeding about every 2 hours, etc. I DO NOT KNOW THE CURRENT BEST NURSING MILK PREPARATIONS when a foster mother is not available. Does ANYONE have that info to add to this discussion? OTHER IMPORTANT ADDITIONS? REFERENCES? What I know about this is mostly from caring for other conditions, and also from being one of the people who raised an owl monkey infant who was rejected by his mother.
Also, remember that according to several breeders some ferret kits do NOT open their eyes till their 6th week according to multiple breeders. The only way to age accurately is by teeth and that apparently was not known, so the 2-3 weeks might have actually been 4-5 weeks. Saying that it took 2 weeks to open eyes isn't a reliable way to age them. A number of people here have cared for those kits though it can be quite hard; in fact that is one reason that people are trying to save ferret lives through pursuing regulation changes.
Procyonids and Mustelids were the two most recent branches from the Canine limb of Carnivora, so perhaps the info in here will help:
http://www.2ndchance.info/raisingraccoons.htm
It is by a vet.
Here is part that may generalize to very young ferret kits:
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A baby raccoon that is 5% dehydrated needs to get about 4-5% of its body weight of balanced fluids injected over an 8-hour period I give the fluids by injection to all but the smallest subcutaneously. With great care and sterility fluids can be given intraperitoneally (through the skin of the tummy) if you dont think the baby will live much longer. Five percent dehydration is very common in orphan babies. The physical signs that you will see are easily overlooked. The skin is slightly doughy; the mouth may be dry and the baby a bit listless. A baby that is about 8% dehydrated will have definitely doughy (skin doesnt spring back) skin, its eyes will be a bit sunken and its body cool to the touch. If dehydration has reached 10%, the raccoon will be in a stupor (semi-coma) and cold. They are rarely alive if they are more than 13% dehydrated and if they are, they really need a catheter placed in a vein something for a Vet, O.R. nurse, vet-tech or the very very brave and reckless. Giving these infants a Pedialyte-like liquid by oral tube can be sufficient if the dehydration is not severe but when severely dehydrated, the raccoon will not absorb fluids through its stomach and intestine.
END QUOTE
ANOTHER:
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Warming chilled (hypothermic) babies is very important. Particularly smaller babies tend to be brought to me with subnormal body temperatures. This is because they have little hair but more so because their surface area is greater per gram of body weight and they loose heat faster. This goes with any animal or human infant. After I have given dehydrated small babies warm, subcutaneous fluid, I like to place them on a hot water bottle or a 3M ColdHot Pack that hospitals use. Heat lamps and heating pads are very tricky it is so easy to cook the babies
END QUOTE
Echoing a mention of mine:
BEGIN QUOTE
Inducing The Baby To Defecate And Urinate:
Most mammals are induced to do this by their mothers licking of their genital area. A moistened pledget of cotton, massaged on this area will do the same thing. Once they are eating from a dish, this should no longer be necessary.
END QUOTE
and
BEGIN QUOTE
>From the first few days of life to 31 days, raccoon kits can be fed warm, reconstituted infant kitten (some use dog) milk replacer through a plastic 1ml pipette whose end has been smoothed over a lighter. This way, they ingest no air and you maintain flow rate with your thumb and index finger. The first few days I mix one part KMR powder with two to three parts of warm water, some use Nurtural
END QUOTE
Believe me when I say that there is a LOT more in that site. In fact, I think that it may be good for anyone who has a shelter, breeds, or is considering breeding to save the content of that site. It is MARVELOUS.
I hope that others will share more information and other resources. This is the sort of info that tends to be needed on an emergency basis so needs to be shared publicly by those who know things that will help others.
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