Patch Blog: 16 Days With A Baby Squirrel

A little squirrel baby, no larger than a human thumb, was found July 27 at in Monrovia and turned in to Family Dog and Cat Hospital . One of the FDACH employees, Michelle, asked if I knew anyone who could help and I volunteered. I had no idea the baby was only one day old when I raised my hand for this job.

The first 24 hours were crucial to rehydrate and warm this little girl. She was a powerhouse from hour 25 and, no doubt a very special squirrel. She had an abnormality in a rear leg, as well as bruising, and couldn't straighten it, but that didn't stop her from exploring her plush surroundings. She had multiple bruises and scratches on her back, and on her head. I wasn't sure why, at a time in my life that is very busy, I had this baby squirrel, but I was sure she had a purpose.

Every few hours, I woke the little one up and helped her go to the bathroom, fed her one tiny drop at a time, and warmed her water bottles for her to cuddle, taking up to 45 minutes each time. Some of you may know about my dog, Bicycle, and his adoration of little animals, the underdogs are his passion. When I had to readjust positions or had cold hands, Bicycle would welcome the baby squirrel to burrow in his neck or armpit to keep her warm. There were nights when he refused to sleep anywhere but beside her cage. It was instant attachment for me and for Bicycle...and the squirrel seemed to enjoy her time with us both.

After a few days of smooth sailing, the baby started struggling to eat properly and her tongue would become stuck to the roof of her mouth, which caused her to have occasional difficulty breathing. Because of how small she was, visibility into her mouth was extremely limited, so checking her palate was not an option until she grew a bit more.

After celebrating her two week mark on Facebook, things just didn't add up to me. Her umbilical cord was still very attached (supposed to fall off at around 10 days), and she wasn't growing as fast as she had at the beginning, I was puzzled. Her tongue was almost always stuck to the roof of her mouth and it was becoming difficult to feed her because she was suckling on her own mouth versus the drops of formula. I finally found a solution and she started suckling the syringe under my control of one drop at a time (about .01cc each drop). This caused a little gassy squirrel and I had to learn how to burp her. That was interesting, and it worked.

The 15th day was tough. One of the most important things to watch for with these infants is the possibility of aspirating on the formula. Up until this point, she hadn't aspirated. I attempted to get her tongue down from the roof of her mouth again and it just went right back up there. I was sure that was her problem and there was nothing I could do to prevent it.

The next issue came suddenly and it was as I was on the road to Ontario. I pulled into a Starbucks to feed this sweet little baby. I woke her up and she stopped breathing for a moment, I gave her a few compressions and a breath. Something was drastically wrong with her breathing. One of the signs of aspiration is a clicking noise when they breathe. There was no clicking, just labored breathing. The remainder of my half day in Ontario was spent reviving her, as she so clearly was struggling. My goal was to return before the vet closed and euthanize her, but I returned too late. I was keeping her warm and making sure she was breathing and I continued to watch her closely.

Unfortunately, later that evening, I heard the clicking in her chest. She had most likely aspirated before the Ontario trip, since I had not given her any formula since then. That was a devastating discovery. For hydration, I was giving her a tiny amount of fluids under her skin with an insulin syringe. Regardless of my experience with giving animals fluids, this was, by far, the most challenging fluid administration I'd ever performed. I was successful, but I knew this alone was not going to save her. I contacted a local exotic vet, Sari Kanfer, DVM of Exotic Care Center in Pasadena and a few other resources. I got her started on antibiotics later that night.

I checked my online resources and discovered a few stories of 10 week old squirrels having similar issues. They all had cleft palates and made it through, just differently than most. After following the vet's instructions and steaming the baby in the bathroom, she began to cough, which was what we hoped for. She slept on my chest that night and I watched a lot of infomercials. I woke her up to give her more fluids and to make sure she was doing better.

She made it through the night like a champ, but about 10am, she took a major turn for the worst and stopped breathing again. A few chest compressions and a breath, nothing. A few more chest compressions and another breath, whew, she's breathing and moving around. The odd thing was that the clicking had disappeared, so had the antibiotics and steam worked that fast? I decided to go to work for an hour and pick up a nebulizer from a friend.

When I returned, an hour later, the baby was having too much difficulty breathing and I had made the decision to take her to be euthanized. As I was walking to the front door, after allowing Bicycle to see her one last time, the baby stopped breathing. I sat with her and gave her a few chest compressions and one breath. Feeling every bit of her lung movements, I felt her take a few last shallow breaths and then one big sigh. She was gone.

The sadness of such a tiny life gone was overwhelming for not just me, but for everyone who had been following her journey on Facebook. There was not a dry eye in the group that commented on her last photo.

Squirrel baby, named in the final hours, Angelina Anjay (messenger with strength), made it to just over two weeks old and passed away on August 11. I miss her terribly and Bicycle still looks for her. I realize that not everyone understands saving a baby squirrel. Squirrels are rodents, I get that. I also get that if I can help a baby animal, even if for a short time, I will do what I can do.

Spending time with Angelina has enriched my heart with 16 days more love than I had before her. Although, tiny and young, she was a powerful little girl. Her Facebook album got more hits than any previous album on my page. She had an impact and was special to many people in ways I may never know. I'm grateful.

*Squirrel rehabbers recommend not trying to tackle these situations yourself, but to find a local rehabber that has the experience and tools to take care of a baby or injured squirrel. It is illegal to keep a squirrel as a pet and my intention, if it was possible, was to release her when she was ready, as I had done with previously rescued baby squirrels.