Really!

One morning I was at the zoo and I actually caught an early bird getting a worm (and if you look closely you'll see her snatch a little insect or something as an appetizer just before digging for larger fare).

Looks like a Robin Red Breast to me, though I am not a birder. Anyone know if I'm right or wrong on that one?

Two Free Tickets to Feast for the Beast, Houston Zoo Contest

I have two new blog posts on the Houston Zoo website, and they happen to be back to back. CLICK HERE or go to http://houstonzooblogs.org/zoo/ to read them. This is part of a whole campaign with the gorilla that I helped develop, and includes pretty funny movie clips that will continue on the next few blog posts I write next week.

The first is at least somewhat in what I feel to be my style -- a little humorous/tongue in cheek -- a contest to name a Gorilla and an interview I wrote up to help promote a great annual event at the zoo called Feast with the Beasts.

If anyone lives in the Houston area or wants to come in and visit for the Feast, they are giving away 2 free tickets to the event, so feel free to enter the contest!!! It's such a beautiful zoo, especially at night, and it's a rare thing to go visit with the animals then, so many of whom are nocturnal. And it's one of the few events that is adult only there. 50 area restaurants are participating, from simple to swanky and there is beer and wine, keeper chats, animal encounters and a live band and dancing -- this year it's a fabulous swing band called BIG VOODOO DADDY.

Directly beneath that is the second in my Volunteer Extraordinaire Series on Dale Martin, a long time volunteer at the zoo. As with all blogging, comments are always encouraged! :-)

And I wish you much good luck if you enter the contest!

Rocky a.k.a Mouse the First Squirrel

The first orphaned squirrel I got to rehab at home came in about half hour before The Center was closing. A man from an animal shelter brought him, in a little cardboard carrier. I saw it coming in and wanted to know: What is in the box? I remember that now and smile. Little did I know then that destiny was unfolding...

Once the paperwork was done, I took the baby to Triage. I hovered nearby while he was checked out; I always do that as I want to learn all I can. But when squirrels come in I'm especially interested (quel suprise).

You never know when they come in what they've been through, but there are some signs. You look for bruises from falls, cuts, listen for wheezing, look for mites, etc. If you pinch the skin between their little shoulder blades and it stays pinched when you release it, that's your clue they're dehydrated. While subcutaneous fluids can be injected and will work it's way into their system, there are some circumstances where it's not the best thing to do. This little one was definitely dehydrated and had a few ant bites, but overall seemed OK and would not have to stay for a vet. I eagerly asked if I could feed him. When I was done I went to put him in with the rest but realized he needed to be fed at least twice more that night. I called out, "who is going to take him home?" and much to my shock and delight, the bosses said, "YOU ARE!"

I had filled out my own paperwork to be sub contracted as a rehabber with Texas Parks and Wildlife under The Center's boss's license, but I didn't think about when I'd take something home.

They knew I had an affinity for nursing squirrels. They set me up with all I needed and sent me packing with my precious cargo. I must have driven 10 MPH with my hand on his little carrier the entire way. I was excited and scared. I had a little baby to bring home!

I started him on a program of warm Ringers with a little esbilac for taste. Here's a picture of his scrawny little legs and his ribs still visible AFTER I'd been feeding for him for over 24 hours....

(click to enlarge any photo)

The next day I went 4 to 1 Ringers/Esbilac, then 3 to 1 then 2 to 1, the normal strength. That gave his system time to cleanse while hydrating him and getting increasing nutrition in there. For days he showed interest in the first half cc but the lay limp in my hand while I painstakingly gave him another 2-3.5 cc's, 6 times a day. It was like he was asleep, but I saw that his little throat was swallowing, so I continued, literally one drop at a time. The whole time I affirmed him -- that he was strong, and would grow and be furry and get to play in the trees and chase little girl squirrels and have babies one day. It was not by design that I did this; It was more like my inner monologue turned outward.

Soon he looked like this -- still small but much, much better. I was officially hooked.

In noticed he had a few little bumps on his back, on his right ear... and you can see one on his knuckle above. And the skin on his tail, chest and thighs was flaking. I took him in to The Center and he was given a little drop of something between his shoulders for parasites (internal and external), and a mild steroid cream for his skin, which, over the next several days, I continued to apply at home. They say if you find bugs or scabs on a squirrel get them off, and they took off the his ear, leaving a an indentation.

I didn't yet have a tank with a heated top yet, and he was too small for that anyway, so I had him in a long shoebox with holes on the top over a heating pad that never turned off. I heated a rice sock in the microwave and put it in with him among fresh fleece and soft cotton cloths, which I changed every day for my boy.

After feedings, I put him back in his box and watched him use all his might to push his little nose under the rice sock. I didn't know then then that most squirrels like to have their nose under something to sleep. When he was still weak, I'd help him out by denting the underside of the thing with my index finger and lifting it up so he could get his nose under. He'd completely relax into sweet dreams. Here he's got his sniffer nestled under his bedding.

Unsure if he'd make it, and keenly aware that I was responsible for this little life, I kept vigil night and day. I must have looked in on him with trepidation 100 times every 24 hours, but each peek filled my heart to the brim with gratitude and joy. Not only was he breathing, I literally saw significant growth each time I lifted that lid. I kid you not. It was like high speed photography or something. And his poses grew to be so amusing I started taking pictures. I kept the camera next to his box because squirrels leap a lot when dead asleep, and hence never hold a position for long. It's amazing they don't wake up but I figure it's a byproduct of their wired up systems.

I did a whole post HERE on his positions. It's hilarious so please check it out. Guaranteed to make you smile.

To be continued!

Getting Your Omega-3's

There we were on Martha's Vineyard, sauntering around the docks in Edgartown. It was near dusk. Private boats were coming in from the day out, and we saw a guy gutting the daily catch off the back end. I'd never seen such a thing, but then I don't fish much. And in New England, I'm quite sure it's quite common.

I'm not sure if it's official, but certainly the mascot dog of the island is the black lab, made famous by the Black Dog cafes and shops that dot the tiny map. So it was no surprise to see this one standing dutifully beside these guys, having a good dog day. To me, any day in the Vineyard is a good one, dog or otherwise.

What caught my imagination was how, little by little, the dog grew more intent on the guy cutting the fish. He edged closer -- and closer still -- while all the people were distracted by the knife and this guy's technique.

The process was mesmerizing. One after another, said guy pulled out what I could only guess were cod, catfish and bass and deftly sliced each's belly. Within a few strokes, and no apparent show of blood, he'd have filleted the entire thing, tossing some goo into the water in between. Scales were gone, bones were lifted clean from the flesh and voila! someone had their succulent dinner ready to dress and grill. I could barely see it happen --the entire process took less than a minute. But SOMEBODY certainly saw it all .... Click on this pic (to enlarge it) and take a good look at that dog's face!

I guess that black dog knew somethin' I didn't because he got tossed some nice juicy chunks, wolfed it down and was lazer-fixated on "more" the way only a dog can. My camera never quite captured the exact moment of the snatch. But I got something here... think he's mid-gulp.

Here's a closer crop, but it might not be close enough to see on Blogger, unless you click the picture to enlarge it.

Dogs. Love 'em!

How Big Al Got His Name

As promised, the story of Big Al. He was the littlest that came to me, a title held until him by the precious Lawnmower Girl.

When you first get them you're not sure what really happened to them -- were they hurt by a fall from the nest or a scramble with a predator? Were they a runt of the litter, or born with some defect and the mother left them behind? Were they fed something by well meaning people who found them before they got them to us that unwittingly caused problems? It's hard to know, but you learn to look for signs, and often there are signs you can't read. You take the baby on and in my case, observe, call for advice, wake up 10 times a night to check on them, use available medicines if needed, and celebrate the victory of each gram gained and each day of healing until you have a rambunctious, bright eyed little critter, ready to go enjoy their life in the wild. This process has brought me such joy, even though I have paid a personal price -- which I'll write about at some point. For this post, I intend to share the joy... as that is what I had in abundance in rehabbing baby squirrels.

Besides being tiny when I first got him, he moved in s-l-o-w motion. I certainly expected this to mean he was weak. But I was quite AMAZED at the strength with which he held on to my thumb with both his little hairless paws. And that will to live is worth any lost sleep, and all that it took to get him well. Oh please click on any picture to see it bigger. I"m sorry it's a bit out of focus but I am not a great one handed picture taker.

His skin was kind of yellow, like my dad's (who was Mediterranean), and he was strong as a bull, even with his eyes closed and in a vulnerable state, which was exactly how I'd describe my dad in his last three years of his life (he had some neurological problems that did not allow him to open his eyes). And for some reason he had a thick lower lip, which became more pronounced when he was sucking down his milk. You guessed it, Dad did a little of that too.

My dad's name was Albert, and sometimes guys who dated his daughters would refer to him as Big AL, as he was quite intimidating back in the day. Perhaps because this one was so teeny, I thought Big AL was totally fitting.

When I picked him up from his little bed to bring him to the chair in which I fed him he would hunt around jerkily with his little nose, looking all over "mom" for the source of the milk. It just endeared me to the baby even more. Here is a little video of it. 



I just love seeing that again.

He had a sensitive digestive system that I worked hard to balance. He was not an easy eater. Though he clearly had an appetite, he often would not open his mouth when the syringe nipple was right at his lips. It was a real trick to get him to open up. Once he finally latched on, he'd try to swallow the whole thing, always straining toward it instead of just relaxing and settling in to nurse. And just as I did get him drinking -- by which time I was often contorted into some really painful position but was not going to move till he was done -- he'd inexplicably pull away from the nipple after only half a cc, then hunt wildly for it again!

I aimed for 3-4 cc's every 4 hours but he would only drink 2cc's -- at best. So I began feeding Al every two hours to compensate experimenting with different strengths of formula and temperatures to see if it would help. Nothing really did. *Sigh*

It was always tough, but eventually he'd have his fill and snuggle up in my hand, content. And I would feel relief and satisfaction -- for at least a few hours before starting all over again. This went on day after day but indeed, he put on weight. and the hair on his back began to grow, which looked different (as did the color on his nose) from the squirrels I'd been raising. His fur looked silky (see above pic) but was more coarse than soft like the others.  And I still couldn't explain the yellow skin.

After three days it dawned on me that he was yellow instead of pink because I had a Red or Fox Squirrel here. Sure enough his little forearms began to sprout reddish hair, followed by a little tuft of red on his chin. I had never had a Fox who was so young before ... and this is how you learn, lol.

Big Al made me better understand parents who love their good kids and the ones who cause trouble/heartache/incredible sacrifice. The good ones are, well--good. Easy to love. The ones who are tough you have to work harder with,. They may tax and vex you but you don't give up on them. And that makes you realize how much you love them too. Hopefully that love is felt and taken in. Every time I looked down at Big Al finally asleep in my hand, I hoped somehow, in his little squirrel way, he indeed felt loved.

Meet Big Al

A little Fox squirrel who, in his own way, crept into my heart.

He was so little.

Made me smile...

A LOT!




I will post much more about him, but for today, a picture... one that needs no words.

Good Product

Commenter Teri and the Cats of Furrydance recommended a product in the comment area of THIS POST and it is such a good thing I thought I'd post it here.

It's called Snuggle Safe and it's a microwaveable heating pad for pets that won't burn them but will stay warm for about 12 hours. She endorses it, and that's enough for me. I have put rice into an athletic sock and heated it up to travel with baby squirrels that can't regulate their body temp when young... It also feels like an adult squirrel so I have put those in with solo baby squirrels so they don't feel all alone in a big, dark world. But that only lasts about 45 minutes. This looks ideal for elderly as well as newborn pets of all kinds, and everything inbetween.

Thank you to commenter Laurie for her expert research. One common Pet store has them for $39 but she found them for only $24 at THIS SITE... or see the link below.

http://www.entirelypets.com/snugglesafe.html

Thank you to both of you! Keep those tips comin' please.

Microwave pic is from entirelypets.com Pic of disc alone is from Amazon.com

Tres Amigos

I got to The Park, finally. For the first time in a long time I went for a walk by myself and reveled in all the things that have always nourished me there. I used to go several times a week and enjoy the water, the trees, and all the critters. I've been so busy -- and adding rehabbing baby squirrels at home has barely left me energy to brush my teeth let alone get "me time" like a meandering hour in nature. But it is just the thing to revive a tired gal, and I will try to go again very soon.

To spare you seeing only squirrel pictures for the next few thousand posts, I took a picture of three new ducks I'd never seen before. They made a handsome trio and if I were a duck I think I might want to join their little gang.

Too bad you know who wasn't standing in the middle and we could come up with all kinds of nicknames for them like The Reverse Oreos or Piano Keys or something like that. I guess the latter could still apply....

I love the little poof of feathers on the top of the black one's head. Such a Dandy that one.