I have an orphaned baby squirrel about 6 weeks old.. when i started to feed him, he started breathing weird...?

He took two slow breaths and wouldn't eat any more and he only drank a few drops of his formula.. do they do this when they are not warm enough?I have an orphaned baby squirrel about 6 weeks old.. when i started to feed him, he started breathing weird...?
Mine did that when it was later in the day.. they get very very sleepy around dark. Also have to ever raised one before? I have and they almost always become very aggressive, and it hurts like hell when they bite. It feels like a knife going into your hand. Not saying this to freak you out, just want to give you the facts. I loved my little guy and I was sooo upset when he turned on me :'( If you want pics of when we had him send me a message.I have an orphaned baby squirrel about 6 weeks old.. when i started to feed him, he started breathing weird...?
Could have gotten it in his lungs.Care for Less Than Five Weeks Old





A baby squirrel less than five weeks of age will require more intensive care than an older orphan. During rehabilitation, keep the animal confined to a small cage containing branches and a fresh water. Even young babies can climb, so do not rely on a box. Keep the young animal warm, but keep him out of direct sunlight.








Feed the baby puppy milk replacement (not human or kitten milk replacement). It can be purchased at most pet stores. Use an eyedropper or a small syringe for feeding. Feed every four hours from dusk to dawn and feed as much as the baby will take, at least 3 ccs. Be sure the formula is warmed to 98 degrees F. Cradle the infant in the palm of one hand and administer the formula slowly. Let the squirrel set the pace.








After feeding, use a moistened warm cotton ball, tissue or towel and gently rub on the genital area. This will stimulate urination and defecation. You may not get results every time, but it will establish a pattern early. This feeding and stimulation schedule should continue until the baby opens his eyes.








Keep household pets away from your baby. You don't want him to become accustomed to pets; this would be dangerous when released to the wild.





Care for Over Five Weeks of Age








Once the eyes are open, continue the milk replacement feeding every six hours instead of four. You can also add various fruits, raisins and dried cereal (Cheerios) to the cage. The squirrel will begin playing with the fruit and cereal, but won't be able to eat much of it. Gradually, your baby will begin to wean himself by taking less and less milk per feeding. You will need to supply clean fresh water for drinking and grooming.








Your squirrel should now be able to urinate and defecate alone so stimulation should not be necessary.





Care at Seven Weeks of Age








Decrease the milk feeding to twice a day, morning and night. Begin offering nuts in addition to the fruit and cereal; offer peanuts and acorns in the shell so the young squirrel can start playing with them and slowly learn how to open the shells. Your squirrel will be teething, so you should provide a hardwood branch to chew on. You should also provide an eight by eight by twelve inch nesting box with a three-inch entry hole. Give him small twigs, straw or bits of cloth so it can try to build a nest. You squirrel needs to have a place to hide as well as sleep. At this time move the cage to the outdoors.








When you see that the young squirrel can open nutshells on his own, the most important part of rehabilitation should begin. In order to survive in the wild and not become a pest or a nuisance, the squirrel must develop a fear of humans and independence. From this point on, keep the squirrel in the cage but DO NOT TOUCH HIM. The next two weeks must be completely hands-off.








After about two to three weeks, keep the cage door open to allow the animal to explore a little. He should be able to develop some independent skills so he won't have to rely on people for food. Continue to offer fruits and nuts in the shells and fresh water.








It may take several days for the squirrel to spend significant time outside the cage. However, at some point, your young charge will not return to the cage. This means your job is done.





You can feed them puppy milk, see site below about aspirating milk.
Baby Squirrels need warmth. I don't know where you are from but where I am it is pretty cold and squirrels don't have young yet. It sounds to me that the little squirrel got the formula into his lung and was having trouble breathing. If the squirrel is 6 weeks old, he really doesn't need to be fed formula. You can start him on nuts (like walnuts, peanuts, pecans, etc. ) and have a shallow dish of water or a water bottle for him. I gave my guys crackers with peanut butter along with a mixture of nuts.


Wild bird seed is also taken. If he doesn't improve with a warming pad, he could be injured internally and there isn't to much you can do except make him comfortable.


Good luck with the little guy but remember if he does survive, he is a wild animal and should be released back into the wild. Some Fisheries and Wildlife people frown on raising wild animals and will confiscate them.
Baby squirrels up to 3 mo. old love any kind of 80 proof brandy mixed with a touch of Rum and white wine and a drop of honey. First mix up a batch of about 1 1/2 qts. of the above mixture, and then drink all but a third of a oz. After getting plowed then try and feed the rest to the baby squirrel and see if that doesn't help.
maybe he took too much on and had to let a lump pass..I am bottle feeding lambs right now and if they go too fast that is what they do,,make sure the milk is warm as your skin, if it is too warm they tend to over eat so do it like skin temp..make sure you offer him some grain or something too..they like toast.lol