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What do you feed an orphaned baby possum


Orphaned or Injured Opossum | Opossum Society of the United States

Is it really an orphan? Many opossums become orphaned after the mother is killed. Others become “orphaned” when they fall from her back or are somehow separated. These opossums must be raised by wildlife rehabilitators. However, many juvenile opossums brought to wildlife rehabilitators are not “true” orphans in need of care. They may be young juveniles on their own for the first time. While they may appear small and helpless, they are best left alone. Only opossums that are sick, injured, or too young to be on their own (less than 7 inches long from nose to rump, not including tail) are in need of immediate asssistance.

If a young opossum is found then check the surrounding area. There may be more. Be very quiet and listen for “sneezing” sounds the young make to call the mother.

Do not attempt to care for the opossum yourself. In general, it is illegal to do so unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. More importantly, you may cause the opossum harm or death if you do not know what you are doing.

Contact your local Opossum Society of the United States (OSUS) member, wildlife rehabilitator, veterinarian, state department of wildlife or animal control for assistance. Always check first to make sure they do not euthanize all opossums.

LOCATING A WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR NEAR YOU:

The below informational links are not identical to each other. Please search each one for a small mammal rehabilitator nearest you.

Two of these websites were apparently created and posted by volunteers and are not updated regularly. Some people listed are deceased or are no longer rehabilitating wildlife, their name horribly misspelled, email and telephone numbers incorrect. Please be patient in your search and not give up if the person or organization is not reachable on one site, the correct information may be on another site.

Humane Society of the United States
Wildlife Rescue Shelter

ORPHANS:

Hand feeding an orphaned opossum. Click on the image to view an enlarged version.

If you are interested in wildlife rehabilitation and raising orphaned opossums then volunteer with OSUS or a local wildlife rehabilitator. Check with your state regarding training and licensing. OSUS sells an informative Opossum Orphan Care Training Video and Manual.

These training tools are a MUST for any rehabilitator regardless of level of experience. Please see our gift catalog for ordering information.

Temporary orphan care until help can be found:

Less than 4″ from nose to rump:
Seek immediate assistance. Warm by wrapping in a soft ravel-free towel and place near but not directly against a heat source that has been covered with towels (heating pad set on low, hot water bottle, etc.). Do not offer cow’s milk. You may offer Pedialyte diluted 1:2 with lukewarm water for the first two feedings 3-4 hours apart. Then you gradually introduce Esbilac (puppy milk substitute) over the next 24 hours. Feed with a dropper or syringe. Opossums do not suckle. They must lap at the formula being dispensed. warm the infants before attempting to feed. Infants must be stimulated to eliminate either before or after feeding by gently rubbing genital area with a warm moistened cotton ball.

Long term hand feeding can result in dietary deficiencies. Contact OSUS for more info.

4″-7″:
Offer water in a shallow bowl or jar lid and kitten chow moistened with water. Some orphans may still require hand feeding as described above. Opossums defecate in water bowls. Replace with fresh water as needed.

7.5″-9″:
These are young juveniles. Unless sick or injured they do not require assistance.

Note about parasites: Opossums can become heavily infested with parasites, especially ectoparasites such as fleas. It is important to remove fleas from the opossum or life-threatening flea anemia and death may occur. This is particularly critical in young opossums. Fleas can be removed safely by wrapping the opossum in warm towel and allowing fleas to jump from the opossum to the towel. Replace with warm towels as needed until fleas are gone. An immediate flea bath is not recommended because it can cause an already compromised opossum to go into shock and die.

CAUTION: Orphan care can not be learned over the Internet. The above diets are for temporary feeding only until help can be found. Long-term use will result in dietary deficiencies. Contact OSUS for more information.

INJURED:

Seek immediate assistance. Contact your local Opossum Society of the United States member, state department of wildlife, veterinarian, wildlife rehabilitator or animal control. Make sure animal control will not euthanize all opossums.

This opossumis not dead. It is playing “possum”. Click on the image to see an enlarged version.
This opossum is not dead. It is “playing possum”

Give a “dead” opossum the benefit of the doubt before disposing of the body. It may be “playing possum” as an involuntary response to a threat, in which the opossum becomes comatose in the face of danger and appears dead. This may last from 40 minutes to 4 hours. During this time, the opossum lies on its side, becomes stiff, the eyes glaze over, the opossum drools, the tongue lolls out the side of the mouth, and green anal fluid may be seen. This fascinating defense mechanism helps the opossum survive an attack from a predator because many predators give up the attack if they believe the opossum is already dead.

Leave the area and give the opossum a chance to recover and move on. The opossum will not respond to prodding or poking. When the opossum is about to recover, the ears move very slightly.

Rehabilitation is possible, please do your part to help.

If you see an obviously dead female opossum and detect movement in the pouch area, have the body and infants transported to the nearest wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian.

WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS:

Please speak with your veterinarian about medical issues. Contact the Opossum Society of the United States for other information. OSUS has a list of veterinarians willing to assist or advise wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians.

You can contact your local veterinarian, animal control or your state’s department of wildlife for a referral to a rehabilitator near you. Please ask and make sure they do not have a policy of euthanizing all opossums! We will be happy to assist you in locating a wildlife rehabilitator by email if you provide your city and a list of cities near you. Please be advised that we are volunteer based and so there may be delays in answering email. If immediate assistance is needed then do not wait for a response from O.S.U.S. To find a local wildlife rehabilitator please click the link to search the contact list by state, under small mammal rehabilitators.

HSUS
Wildlife Rescue Shelter

Caring for Baby Opossums - Exotic Nutrition

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Keep Them Warm & Hydrated

The first thing you need to do is make sure babies are warmed up before trying to feed them anything. You can do this by wrapping them in t-shirt material or fleece (don’t use towels because they may get caught on the loops) and putting a heating pad on low underneath one side of their enclosure. You can also use a plastic water bottle filled with hot water and wrapped in a cloth, or a sock filled with rice and microwaved. Then, before feeding formula, you need to make sure they’re hydrated. Start by giving them diluted, unflavored Pedialyte for 12-24 hours before attempting to feed them anything else.

Formula

After they’ve been properly hydrated, you can begin giving them diluted formula and then slowly move up to regular strength over the next few days so they can adjust to the food. For infants under 40 grams, make the formula with 1 part formula to 5 parts water and slowly work them up to 1 part formula to 2 parts water. For very small babies, use 1 part formula to 10 parts water. 

To make the formula, you will need:

  • Bottled Spring Water
  • Goat’s Milk Esbilac Puppy Formula
  • Calcium Glubionate Syrup
  • Boiled egg yolk or powdered egg yolk
  • Brewer’s Yeast
  • Unsweetened apple juice
  • Nutrical
  • Lactaid

Mix 1/3 Esbilac formula and 1 cup spring water for regular strength formula. Add 200 mg of Calcium Glubionate Syrup, ½ medium boiled egg yolk (or powdered egg yolk for a smoother formula), 1/2 tsp powdered brewer’s yeast, 2 tsp unsweetened apple juice, 1 tsp of Nutrical, and Lactaid (use the directions on the bottle to mix the right amount for the amount of formula you’re making). Make sure to refrigerate the prepared formula for 12 hours before feeding it so the Lactaid works properly. 

Use the following chart to determine how much and how often to feed your opossum based on their weight:

Weight

Amount

Frequency

10 g

.5 ml

Every 2-3 hrs

15 g

. 75 ml

Every 2-3 hrs

20 g

1 ml

Every 2-3 hrs

25 g

1.25 ml

Every 2-3 hrs

30 g

1.5 ml

Every 2-3 hrs

35 g

1.75 ml

Every 2-3 hrs

40 g

2 ml

Every 4 hrs

45 g

2.25 ml

Every 4 hrs

50 g

2. 5 ml

Every 4 hrs

55 g

2.75 ml

Every 4 hrs

60 g

3 ml

Every 6 hrs

65 g

3.25 ml

Every 6 hrs

70 g

3.5 ml

Every 6 hrs

75 g

4 ml

Every 6 hrs

80 - 85 g

4.25 ml

Every 6 hrs

90 g

4. 5 ml

Every 6 hrs

95 g

4.75 ml

Every 6 hrs

100 g

5 ml

Every 6 hrs

​Feeding & Elimination

Young babies will not be able to feed themselves, so it’s best to feed them by using a dropper or syringe. Once they are able to lap up food themselves (usually once they’re 40-50 g), you can give them a shallow bowl of formula to encourage self-feeding. They will be messy at this stage, so make sure to do this in an area that can be easily cleaned.  

You will also need to stimulate them to eliminate waste, as they are unable to do this on their own as babies. You can do this either before or after feeding, by using a warm wet cotton ball to gently stroke the genital area towards the tail until urine or feces is produced. Keep doing so until they are completely done. This action simulates the mother’s tongue, and is very important for preventing a ruptured bladder. 

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Please Note: Exotic Nutrition is not in a position to provide specific health and care guidelines on an individual basis. Please visit our animal info tabs or consider purchasing a care guide book for additional information. If you have a health or pet emergency issue, please notify your veterinarian or a specialized technician.

Miraculously rescued baby animals (photo and video)

Created on 08/16/2011 04:15 PM
Author: Eugene

Whether they have legs or fins, fur or feathers, all the adorable baby animals on this list have one thing in common: they have been rescued and nurtured by zoos and wildlife organizations. Some of them were abandoned by their parents, others were injured, but all of them were given a lot of love and care, including these two leopard kittens, rescued from an abandoned house in India. So, read our amazing stories, watch photos and videos and get ready to be surprised and touched.

Kannik

Kannik, which means "snowflake" in the Inupiat language, was found in April in Alaska's North Slope oil region. A five-month-old white bear cub was abandoned and, weighing about 7 kg, was terribly malnourished. She was taken to the Alaska Zoo and given 24/7 care, and today she weighs over 27 kg. When Kannik got stronger, she was moved to the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, where she lives in a newly discovered glacial home for polar bears.

Zoo director John Valjak is confident that the bear cub will help spread the word about how climate change is reducing the polar bear population. Its task is very important for animals of this species, and for one of the most difficult environmental problems that the planet is currently facing.

Gouda

This female seal was found washed ashore in Alaska in May, and when her mother didn't return within 24 hours, workers at the marine life center water park intervened. They named the cub Gouda - every year the rescued animals are named according to a theme, and in 2011 it's "wine and cheese" - and began to feed her five times a day. After a few days, Gouda regained her strength and started splashing around in salt water twice a day to learn how to swim. The seal cub will remain in the wildlife protection center until it is strong enough to return to its native element.

Baby anteater

This cute, hairless animal was abandoned by her mother immediately after her birth on April 10 in Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida, USA, and therefore zookeepers stepped in and began to feed and take care of the cute small. Juvenile anteaters usually live underground with their mothers for several weeks after birth, and after 16 weeks they stop feeding on their mother's milk. This baby is one of only 35 anteaters living in zoos in North America.

Little Smoky

In 2008, forest ranger Adam Deem was driving through the scorched bush weeks after the wildfire and saw a black bear cub walking along the road. When the animal with difficulty, overcoming pain, began to climb a tree, the forester noticed that its fur and paws were burned. Dim patiently waited for the cub's mother to return, and when that didn't happen, he pulled the bear down from the tree and took it to the Forestry Department, where he was prescribed treatment for second- and third-degree paw burns, as well as treatment for his burned eye.

The foresters gave him the name Little Smokey, and when the bear recovered, he began to curl up comfortably on Dim's neck and lick him. The bear was sent to the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Conservation Center, where cubs are cared for and trained in survival skills to later return to the habitat. In February 2009, the bear was sent to live in a cozy den in the pristine forests of California. And Dim was so touched by the bear that he later wrote a children's book called Saving Little Smokey.

Kid

This river dolphin calf was found in November 2010 by three boys on a beach in Uruguay. The boys rescued the dolphin and named it Dulphi, which means "Baby". The animal, only a couple of days old, was sent to a marine animal rescue center for urgent medical attention. On the body of the Kid there were traces of nets, he still had an umbilical cord, and upon admission to the veterinary center, he had acute respiratory failure. Every three hours, the Baby was fed a special food - a mixture of fish, cream, cereals, water, vitamins and oral rehydration salts, which replaced mother's milk, and volunteers took care of the little creature 24 hours a day.

Unfortunately, the baby dolphin died 12 days later due to hypothermia and respiratory complications, but his memory lives on. Rescuers are confident that the story of the Kid rallied the world, and he served as a little messenger on behalf of all the dolphins affected by fishing.

Mirri

This female kangaroo was rescued on a motorway in Australia, where her mother was hit by a car. Luckily, a veterinary assistant named Amy from the Taronga Wildlife Center happily became Mirri's new mother.

Taco

In June 2010, a passer-by found an abandoned and thirsty baby otter on the coast of Alaska and called the marine life center. The center's specialists fed the animal from a bottle every 2 hours. A few days later, Taco regained his strength and began to play and splash, and in August he was transferred to a New York water park. A wonderful baby could not be released into the wild, as he became too dependent on a person.

Kuma and Kayla

In October 2008, five California hunters came across a female cougar and her three cubs and started shooting at them. The mother was killed, one cub was not found, and the two survivors were taken to the Sonoma Animal Rescue Center. One of the kittens had a broken paw, because of which it had to be amputated, the other had a minor fracture, but today both are alive and well. In 2010, the hunters were charged with 22 crimes, including animal cruelty, and they said they were unwilling to contest the charges. Kayla and Kuma will remain at the Sonoma Animal Rescue Center for the rest of their lives, as California laws prohibit animals from being released into the habitat after a life in captivity.

Sea lion cub

In 2009, an emaciated sea lion cub was found off the coast of Southern California. He was taken to a marine mammal center where he was treated for pneumonia and later released into the wild. However, the playful baby continued to return to the shore and “communicate” with beach visitors, and after three cases of beaching, it was decided that it was better to leave him in captivity. The animal was sent to a water park in Connecticut, where he now feels great in the company of other orphaned cubs.

Baby opossum

In May, a passer-by in Virginia discovered a opossum that had been hit by a car. Due to the time of year, this man knew that there could be babies in the animal's pocket, and he did find a tiny baby. The animal was taken to the Virginia Living World Museum, where it was taken out by veterinarian Linda Addison. Soon, the furry creature will join other animals in the establishment to teach children how to protect wildlife.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/photos/adorable-rescued-zoo-babies/purrrfectly-precious

Source: MNN

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Compassionate Brazilian dog adopted orphaned opossum babies

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At first, Stephanie was going to give the cubs to the local wildlife rescue center, but it was overcrowded and could not accept newcomers at that time. So she decided to take care of them herself.

These animals needed to be fed every two hours, but even then there was no guarantee that they would survive without the maternal attention that Stephanie could not give them.

And then her dog named Pretina came to the rescue.

The kind animal took pity on the poor newborn possums and began to treat them as if they were her own puppies.

"It's very touching to see how tenderly she licks them all the time and takes care of them."

Pretina clearly liked the role of mother. She lets the little ones climb on her back and happily rolls them around the yard.

The baby opossums have been living in Stephanie's house for a month now and are growing up healthy and strong thanks to Pretina's care.

Stephanie hopes that when the babies grow up, she can return them to their natural habitat.

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