Stage 4 — Formula, Feeding & Complications

AT A GLANCEDo these things before moving on

POSITIONFeed belly-down/upright in a natural nursing posture, never on the back

Feed belly-down/upright in a natural nursing posture, never on the back.

CONTROLUse a small syringe and control the plunger; never flood the mouth

Use a small syringe and control the plunger; never flood the mouth.

WEIGHTWeigh in grams and use the feeding calculator below; do not guess volume from age or appearance alone

Weigh in grams and use the feeding calculator below; do not guess volume from age or appearance alone.

FEEDING GUIDE CALCULATOR

Flying Squirrel Feeding Calculator

Enter the baby’s current weight in grams. Because a strong public flying-squirrel-specific volume formula is not available in the sources used here, this calculator intentionally uses the conservative 5% squirrel stomach-capacity reference.

BEFORE USING THE NUMBER

The animal should already be warm, rehydrated or clearly improving, alert enough to swallow, and breathing normally. This calculator is for formula volume per feeding — not hydration fluid and not a daily total.

CALCULATION BASIS

Merck Veterinary Manual — Orphaned Native Birds and Mammals ↗Squirrel Refuge — Feeding Amounts ↗

VISUAL GUIDE

See the important points for this stage

*POSITION***Southern Flying Squirrel**Feed belly-down/upright in a natural nursing posture, never on the back.Ken Thomas · Public domain · VIEW SOURCE ↗

*CONTROL***Northern Flying Squirrel**Use a small syringe and control the plunger; never flood the mouth.Bob Cherry / National Park Service · Public domain · VIEW SOURCE ↗

*WEIGHT***Gliding membrane / patagium**Use an accurate gram weight and the species-specific page rather than guessing volume.Public-domain reference · VIEW SOURCE ↗

Formula choices

From birth: Henry’s current baby-squirrel guide recommends Wombaroo Squirrel Milk Replacer for newborn/pink babies through weaning.

From about 4 weeks: Henry’s lists Fox Valley 20/50 or Wombaroo through weaning.

Emergency temporary formula: Henry’s current Homemade Goat Milk Formula is 3 tbsp goat milk + 2 tbsp heavy cream + 3 tbsp plain yogurt + 1/2 egg yolk, used only until the intended milk replacer is available.

Use a current squirrel milk replacer rather than an outdated puppy-formula recipe. Flying squirrels are especially small, so formula choice, concentration and feeding volume should be checked against current squirrel-rehabilitation guidance and the animal’s measured weight.

Conservative starting volume for tiny flyers

For a warm, hydrated, medically stable baby, Squirrel Refuge uses a conservative starting volume of about 5% of current body weight per feeding. Use daily gram weight, abdomen, stool, appetite and hydration to decide whether the amount is being tolerated; do not force a chart maximum.

Current weight	5% starting volume
5 g	0.25 mL
10 g	0.50 mL
20 g	1.00 mL
30 g	1.50 mL
40 g	2.00 mL
50 g	2.50 mL

Formula: body weight in grams × 0.05 = mL per feed. Example: 18 g × 0.05 = 0.9 mL.

Starting feeding intervals — then follow the baby

Development	Practical starting interval	Notes
Tiny pink / newborn	about every 2–3 hours, including overnight	Warmth and hydration status are critical; volumes are tiny.
Early fur, eyes closed	about every 3 hours	Use weight trend and digestion to adjust.
Fully furred, approaching eye opening	about every 3–4 hours	Do not lengthen simply because a chart says so if growth is poor.
Eyes open and eating solids	gradually lengthen	Continue formula while solid intake and weight show a safe transition.

These are starting intervals, not a substitute for an individualized rehabilitation protocol.

Syringe technique — aspiration prevention

Warm formula to appropriate feeding temperature and mix exactly as the manufacturer/source directs.
Keep the squirrel upright or semi-upright with the head in a natural position.
Use a 1 mL syringe and let the baby draw/sip tiny controlled amounts.
Never press the plunger faster than the baby can swallow.
Stop immediately if formula appears at the nostrils, the baby coughs, clicks or breathing changes.
For eyes-closed infants, gently stimulate urination/defecation after feeds until they eliminate reliably on their own.

Common problems — what to do first

Problem	Immediate response
Formula from nose / clicking breathing	Stop the feed; keep the airway clear and seek wildlife/veterinary help urgently for possible aspiration.
Bloated abdomen / diarrhea	Recheck temperature, hydration, formula concentration, total volume, interval and hygiene; do not keep adding food to a poorly emptying stomach.
No weight gain	Audit measured intake, formula preparation, stool/urine, temperature, parasites and illness; involve an experienced rehabilitator.
Fly eggs/maggots	Remove visible surface eggs gently where possible and obtain professional treatment; do not improvise pesticide dosing on a neonate.
Won’t swallow	Do not force oral fluid or formula. Warm/reassess and seek urgent professional care.

Sources

PRACTICAL BABY CAREHenry’s Pets — Baby Squirrel Care Guide↗ FLYING-SQUIRREL DIETHenry’s Pets — Special Notes for Flying Squirrels↗ REUNIFICATIONTiny Wonders Wildlife Rescue — Flying Squirrels↗ REHABILITATOR RESOURCEOrphaned Wildlife Care — Squirrel Care↗ SPECIES / CONSERVATIONU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel↗ NATURAL HISTORYSUNY ESF — Southern Flying Squirrel↗ DEVELOPMENT / NATURAL HISTORYNHPBS NatureWorks — Southern Flying Squirrel↗ FIND A REHABBERAnimal Help Now↗ WILDLIFE HOSPITALWildlife Center of Virginia — Baby Squirrel Assessment & Reunification↗REHABILITATION / NATURAL HISTORYWildAgain Wildlife Rehabilitation — Squirrel Natural History in Rehabilitation↗VETERINARY MANUALMerck Veterinary Manual — Care of Orphaned Native Birds and Mammals↗LICENSED REHABILITATORSquirrel Refuge — Squirrel Feeding Amounts↗LICENSED REHABILITATORSquirrel Refuge — Squirrel Feeding Techniques↗