🥣 Nutrition & Feeding · 7 min
Formula feeding baby mammals
Why this matters
Formula errors are the most common way baby mammals die in rehabilitation, and nearly all of them are arithmetic or pacing errors.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- Calculate a daily formula volume and divide it into feedings
- Ramp formula strength safely
- Select an appropriate milk replacer
The rule of thumb
Feed about 25% of body weight per day, divided over the day's feedings. A 100 g baby squirrel gets about 25 mL of formula per day, split over roughly 4 to 6 feedings. Rabbits get fewer feedings (2 to 3 a day) to mimic their natural cycle, since a doe nurses only a few times a day. The animal should not be allowed to overeat.
Ramping strength
For the first day or so, start at about 25% strength, then work up. If you calculate a 4 mL feeding volume:
The volume stays the same throughout. Only the concentration climbs.
Weigh animals daily and assess hydration at every feeding.
Milk replacers
Cow's milk is not appropriate for nursing baby mammals. The composition of milk varies greatly between species. Pet stores carry substitutes for dog and cat milk; calf and goat milk replacers come from feed stores; specialized formulas for most native species come from dealers such as Fox Valley. NWRA and IWRC publications cover the preparation of appropriate milk substitutes for most native species, and rehabilitation handbooks condense proper diets and weaning ages for common species.
Aspiration
Formula delivered too fast, or in a badly positioned animal, goes into the lungs and causes fatal pneumonia. Slow down. If it comes out of the nose, stop.
This lesson is part of the NY Wildlife Rehabilitator Exam course. Open it in the course to answer the retrieval checks that go with it, track what you have read, and quiz the whole unit. Lessons, quizzes and the glossary are free.