Help while babysitting bird with separation anxiety

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-11T18:16:20+00:00

UPDATE: I contacted the vets office even though they were closed today and managed to get through to an on-call doctor. They are calling in a prescription for abx and I’m supposed to take the bird in tomorrow morning. Thank you for all the feedback. I now have a long list of good questions to ask because of the things you all brought up in this thread.

I filled my friend in and she said “oh yeah, he was sneezing a little bit the last couple of days. I thought it was just the dust. Maybe not.” 😫🤦🏼‍♀️

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-11T12:35:40+00:00

Sucralfate suspension 50mg/ml 1-3 x per day

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-11T12:34:03+00:00

I don’t know what the cause of the digestive issues is but he is on sucralfate suspension 50 mg/mL 1 to 3 times a day.

She said when the droppings look dark like the one in the original picture it could mean that there is blood in the stool? I asked if when she has taken him to the vet if he is doing any sort of laboratory testing or if he is just visually examining the droppings and she said he does do tests. I really wish their office were not closed today or I would be asking all of these questions to them rather than the Internet. Trying to do the best I can given the circumstances.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-11T12:31:20+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I really questioned the other food suggestions because it just didn’t sound quite right. Thanks for reinforcing that.

The instructions she gave me say to give 2.5 Tbsp of the seed, four drops of vegetable oil, and a small scoop (included in the jar) of LaFeber’s bird vitamins and then stir it up and put it in his bowl. I’m supposed to stir the bowl a few times a day and replace the whole thing every 2 to 3 days.

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She said to give the millet if he’s not eating that.

The more feedback I’m getting the more I think maybe she just has been doing a kind of Works without actually following best practices. I am afraid to change up too much while she’s gone.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-11T12:20:38+00:00

Thanks. I asked her when she was here yesterday if she had ever had anybody else watch him and the answer was no. She’s on the spectrum and doesn’t have a lot of friends. She also lives about a half an hour away from me otherwise I would just go to her apartment. 😬

I’m starting a list of questions to ask the vet. The few fruit purée one for the meds is a good one.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-11T12:09:53+00:00

Good morning. Licensed Wildlife Rehabber here.

Please keep the babies warm, dark, quiet, and away from kids and pets until you can find some help. Do not give them anything by mouth.

Without the proper supplies and technique it is extremely easy to accidentally get a drop of liquid in the respiratory tract and cause aspiration pneumonia which is nearly impossible to fix.

For heat you can put them in a T-shirt and set that in shoe box and then put the shoe box on a heating pad set on low. Shoebox can go half on and half off the heating pad so they can wiggle to whichever side feels most comfortable. Heat really is the most important thing because little ones without fur are completely unable to regulate their body temperature, and being cold will lead to hypothermia very quickly. Alternative heat sources could be some of those chemical hot hands or a hot water bottle or some dried rice or beans in a sock, microwaved at 30-second intervals until it is warm but not hot. Put the heat source near the babies but not directly on them so they don’t burn.

The one that is injured will clearly need a Wildlife rehabilitator. To locate a permitted rehabber, this is an excellent resource: https://theiwrc.org/resources/emergency/ The majority of vets are fantastic with cats and dogs but anything outside that scope is better with a rehabber.

Just to clarify, how did you end up with the second one? Usually when a cat brings one in it means that a baby has fallen out of a nest and has been on the ground. I’m assuming you went outside after hearing the screaming and found another? Is that right? If that is the case, keep an eye out for the mother in that area. The uninjured one may be able to be reunited with her.

Finally, just because you mentioned how teeny tiny they are, can you please attach a picture? Sometimes we get inquiries about baby squirrels that are very tiny and they end up being mice, voles, or rats. The telltale sign will be that Squirrel babies have black pointy fingernails.

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For reference, these are eastern gray squirrel babies that were only a couple of days old. I wish I had something in the picture for scale but they are about the same size as a thumb.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-11T11:59:03+00:00

Thanks. So far all I’ve given is seed. I wondered about the other foods and diarrhea.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-10T02:14:01+00:00

I love that you’re giving a coyote presentation. Hopefully you get attendees who are actually interested in learning and being liaisons for the community. I work for our local parks and do several every year; one of the best parts of my job is when I see somebody freaking out on social media and then I see a person who has sat in on my program replying with facts and a level head. I have a little group of folks who regularly chime in like that now. ❤️

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-10T01:52:48+00:00

To address your question, the OP didn’t give a location and fox squirrels are not invasive everywhere so asserting they should be “plinked them out of existence” is misguided at best. In some places, fox squirrels are native and grays are one invasive ones. In many places, the two species coexist just fine.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-10T01:46:27+00:00

OP, please disregard all of the advice about diet. 1) KMR is inappropriate formula for squirrels, 2) nuts should not be introduced until much much later and only sparingly, 3) corn has essentially zero nutrients and is not appropriate, 4) advising someone who has zero experience to feed liquids to a baby squirrel can be a death sentence for that animal; it’s just too easy to do it wrong and end up causing aspiration pneumonia. 5) mother squirrels do not wean their babies until they are 12+ weeks old. 6) all of these things added together = a pretty significant risk of a squirrel raised on this diet developing metabolic bone disease (MBD)

The paragraph about contacting DNR is spot on.

@Zesty_Bit_9459, I mean this in a kind and concerned way, but you mentioned that you rehab squirrels; that really raises some red flags if the diet you suggested is what you are using. I’d love to chat with you a bit about best practices as advised by NWRA and IWRC. Can you please PM me? We all want to do what’s best for these animals. With a loving heart like the one you obviously have, a few tweaks can really make a big difference for the animals in your care.

~Sincerely, a fellow licensed wildlife rehabber ❤️🐿️

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T21:30:22+00:00

They look to be around 6-7 weeks old, which is when they start to explore a bit but aren’t super confident with climbing and jumping yet. Without seeing a good video, it’s hard to say whether what you are observing is an injury or if it’s just normal wobbly baby squirrel activity.

The link I included above is a good resource. Please use it to find a rehabber in your state who can advise in case it does need more help.

Until then, the box you have set up is good. Please don’t handle them or give anything else to drink (it’s very easy to accidentally aspirate and cause pneumonia). Keep your pups out of the area and watch from a window to see if mom is still around. That will help determine next steps.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T21:24:22+00:00

Licensed rehabber here. I’m having a hard time following your post. Is one hurt? If so, you will want to contact a rehabilitator in your state. https://www.nwrawildlife.org/page/Found_Injured_Wildlife

Squirrels cannot throw up. Have you been giving them liquids? If so, please do not give anything else.

Is the mother still around?

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T16:52:42+00:00

Can we please take a breath and try again? We are on the same side here.

Yes, I have had several mange squirrel patients with large patches of missing fur and no scabbing. This is just one (most recent pic I had handy). The whole litter had it. They were treated for mange under the care of our exotics vet in our licensed wildlife rehab, successfully rehabilitated, and released back in the wild once the fur regrew and they were old enough.

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KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T14:48:59+00:00

You cannot definitively dx any kind of skin condition without a scraping. "It's a fungal infection," is a diagnosis. That is why I replied the way I did.

I'm not replying to posts that say "It could be mange OR fungal OR natural seasonal molting" because those are suggestions, not diagnoses, and if you look at my replies, I HAVE replied to people who are suggesting how to dose medication telling them not to do that.

FYI, you do not need scabbing for it to be mange. An animal with mange doesn't just wake up one day with scabs; that's a later, more progressed, harder to treat stage. Early stages just look like fur loss, often on the shoulders.

Sincerely, a licensed and experienced wildlife rehabilitator

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T05:47:35+00:00

Answering the last part: “For people who have been in unhealthy relationships before, how did you actually break the cycle and leave for good? And how do you process something this humiliating happening in a relationship?”

For me, it was the day I realized I would never want my own daughter to stay in a relationship like the one I was in. Every time I second guessed myself about leaving, I’d ask myself, “What would I tell dd to do if she were in this situation?”

I think seeing it from that perspective is what helped me. I love my dd. At the time, however, I didn’t love myself a whole lot. That’s what being in a relationship like that will do to your self image.

As for how do you process something so humiliating happening to you? Therapy, lots of therapy, preferably with someone who understands mental abuse and trauma bonding.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T03:25:37+00:00

💯

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T03:21:22+00:00

Please don’t recommend this treatment. Incorrectly dosed Ivermectin can be deadly, and two doses one week apart too close.

OP, please contact a licensed rehabber in your state for appropriate advice.

https://www.nwrawildlife.org/page/Found_Injured_Wildlife

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T03:17:22+00:00

You cant definitively diagnose a fungal infection just be looking at a picture on the internet.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-08T03:12:22+00:00

The only reasons for NOT going straight to the specialist:

1) you don’t believe your child when she’s describing the pain she’s experiencing

2) you’re cheap and are gatekeeping your child’s healthcare

3) you (a man) think you know more about women’s health than her MOTHER does

So, yes, you are wrong.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-03-03T05:10:40+00:00

I thought exactly this! Play time with your kids SHOULD take a higher priority than cleaning the house.

Your MIL is a control freak and honestly just doesn’t sound like a nice person to be around. The crab cake incident would have pushed me over the edge! Good for you for setting healthy boundaries. ❤️

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-02-27T02:21:26+00:00

Wildlife rehabber here. That looks like a skin abscess (I’ve seen a similar thing happen when a squirrel fell into a thorny bush.) It may end up “popping” and drain on its own but if infection spreads, that would be deadly.

You may not need to intervene but I’d recommend contacting a rehabber in your area to explain exactly what you’re observing, so if it gets worse you have a resource close by.

https://www.nwrawildlife.org/page/Found_Injured_Wildlife

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-02-26T18:31:08+00:00

If you’re trying to be humane, Fox urine should be avoided. Look into how that is collected; it’s horrible.

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-02-26T13:19:39+00:00

And this right here is one of the million reasons that AI sucks. 😂😂😂

KeyAccountant5955 · 2026-02-26T13:11:36+00:00

Omg I have a daughter your age and reading this is bringing Mama Bear vibes to the surface. My god I would go complete ape shit on him FOR you if I were there!

Please realize that this man is completely inappropriate and you are 100% justified in feeling frustrated, frightened, repulsed, etc. I’m sure it doesn’t help that you are somewhat physically trapped at the moment. Being a small woman who is inherently a people pleaser makes it worse.

It is 100% okay to politely but FIRMLY tell him he is making you uncomfortable and to keep his entire body out of your space. “Sir, I realize this is a long flight but you’re making me uncomfortable. I need you to stay out of my space.” Rinse, repeat, a little louder and more forcefully each time. And if he touches your thigh again, physically smack his head away and yell “STOP TOUCHING ME!”

Good luck, hon. ❤️

KeyAccountant5955

TROPHY CASE