Orphaned baby raccoon - help
May 21, 2018 6:46 AM Subscribe
Hi,
Found a baby raccoon at the bottom of a tree. About a week old, eyes still shut. I left him out over-night on the chance mom would come pick him up. Its been about 36 hours, he has been chattering/yelling out the entire time but no sign of mom. I fear this guy is running out of time. He is strong and stands a chance but no clue what to do now.
I am in Maryland. Everywhere I call doesn't take raccoons. I really want to give this critter this chance - any ideas?
Response by poster: Thanks - most I have called do not take orphaned baby raccoons.
posted by archivist at 6:58 AM on May 21, 2018
posted by archivist at 6:58 AM on May 21, 2018
Response by poster: Found a place that takes orphaned baby raccoons in MD.
Solved :)
posted by archivist at 7:21 AM on May 21, 2018 [24 favorites]
Solved :)
posted by archivist at 7:21 AM on May 21, 2018 [24 favorites]
(Disclaimer: I am in the UK, and have no personal knowledge of raccoons.)
The Humane Society of the United States has this to say:
If a baby raccoon has been seen alone for more than a few hours, they are probably an orphan. Mother raccoons don’t let their young out of their sight for long. Put an inverted laundry basket over the baby (with a light weight on top so they cannot push their way out) and monitor them until well into the nighttime hours (raccoons are nocturnal, so mom should come out at night to reclaim the baby). You can also put the cub in a pet carrier and close the door. Instead of latching it, prop it closed with an angled stick. When mom returns, she’ll run in front of the carrier, push over the stick, and the door will pop open.
Their link to wildlife rehabilitation centres is broken, but they might be able to advise what to do if you contacted them.
Orphaned Wildlife Care has a long and detailed page of advice on rescuing baby raccoons here.
If you have no luck with wildlife rehabilitation centres, could you call a local veterinary surgery and ask if they can advise on a suitable place to take the raccoon, and/or treat it if necessary?
Best of luck, and thank you for your concern over this animal.
EDIT - Just seen your update - fantastic! :) Wishing the wee raccoon luck.
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 7:23 AM on May 21, 2018
The Humane Society of the United States has this to say:
If a baby raccoon has been seen alone for more than a few hours, they are probably an orphan. Mother raccoons don’t let their young out of their sight for long. Put an inverted laundry basket over the baby (with a light weight on top so they cannot push their way out) and monitor them until well into the nighttime hours (raccoons are nocturnal, so mom should come out at night to reclaim the baby). You can also put the cub in a pet carrier and close the door. Instead of latching it, prop it closed with an angled stick. When mom returns, she’ll run in front of the carrier, push over the stick, and the door will pop open.
Their link to wildlife rehabilitation centres is broken, but they might be able to advise what to do if you contacted them.
Orphaned Wildlife Care has a long and detailed page of advice on rescuing baby raccoons here.
If you have no luck with wildlife rehabilitation centres, could you call a local veterinary surgery and ask if they can advise on a suitable place to take the raccoon, and/or treat it if necessary?
Best of luck, and thank you for your concern over this animal.
EDIT - Just seen your update - fantastic! :) Wishing the wee raccoon luck.
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 7:23 AM on May 21, 2018
Response by poster: Its over an hour drive away but worth it :)
Thanks u/Morfil Ffyrnig and u/os tuberoes
posted by archivist at 7:29 AM on May 21, 2018 [7 favorites]
Thanks u/Morfil Ffyrnig and u/os tuberoes
posted by archivist at 7:29 AM on May 21, 2018 [7 favorites]
Tips on how to take in the baby, if this is helpful (from OWC):
Use a soft cloth to pick the baby up. Wear gloves for eyes-open youngsters – they will be scared and may put up a bit of a struggle and growl out of fear, and they have little nubs of baby teeth by about 4 weeks of age. Always take precautions to avoid being bitten while you are handling any animal, but don’t be alarmed by the fuss a baby raccoon makes when first picked up, it will soon calm down when it realizes you are not going to harm it. Wrap the baby up in the cloth, snugly, head and all, and let it get warm by holding it in your hands. You want it completely warmed up, to your own body temperature.
If it is very cold you will want to put them in a small box or pet carrier with several layers of soft cloths while they warm up. Make sure bedding is non-ravelling since wiggly little animals can quickly become strangled in threads or holes. Provide external heat by setting the box/carrier half-on, half-off a heating pad set to low, or put a hot water bottle well wrapped in a soft cloth in the box beside them so they can snuggle against it. Make sure there is enough room in the box/carrier for them to wiggle away from the hot water bottle (or to the part of the box/carrier not on the heating pad) if they get too hot. Cover them over, head and all, with soft cloths. If using a box, close it securely since even young babies may escape, but make sure to punch breathing holes in the top. Place the box/carrier in a warm, dark, quiet place and check them often, every 10 or 15 minutes, while their body temperature returns to normal (your body temperature).
In a safe spot, with good light – in a small washroom for example, unwrap the baby and check it all over for injuries. Wear latex exam gloves or rubber gloves. It is handy to have a few more clean cloths and a basin of warm water and a washcloth (white is best so you can see any blood) to clean away dirt from a suspected injury. At this stage it is important for an adult to carefully assess the raccoon in a quiet room without children or pets present. The washcloth should be wrung out in warm water and then made to mimic the mother gently licking the baby clean – all over. Try to use a light cloth like those used for human babies so that you can feel the orphan through the cloth. Go slowly and take your time, and this will help to calm the baby and make your examination easier.
When cleaning the baby, please pay special attention to the face, checking for dried blood in the nose, and mouth, to make sure it can breathe easily. Also pay attention to the genital area – try to see if the baby pees when gently stimulated with the soft warm cloth or a Q-tip or tissue, and note the colour of the urine. On males stimulate the penis – a small nub an inch or two above the anus (half way to the navel); on females stimulate the little nub very near the anus. Stimulate for a full minute or two using light feathery strokes.
Remove any external parasites you see (fleas, ticks), and any fly eggs. Fly eggs are whitish specks that will be stuck to the fur or inside/around wounds, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or genitals – hatched eggs are tiny whitish larvae. If there are many such parasites it is a good indication the mother has been missing for days – and in that case you will need to carefully bathe the baby in a basin of warm water with a little diluted dishwashing liquid (“Dawn” is good) to get rid of the parasites. An old toothbrush will help dislodge sticky fly eggs. Thoroughly dry and warm the baby after its bath.
Orphans that have been without their mother will be suffering from chill and dehydration. They must be thoroughly warmed first, and then, although they are starving, they must be given warmed rehydration solution before any milk formula is offered. Their dehydrated little body is simply unable to digest food (i.e. the milk solids in formula) and if given formula or other food before they are rehydrated it can kill them, or cause debilitating diarrhea. Pedialyte is a rehydration solution made for human babies, and is available in drug stores – it often comes fruit flavoured, but if you can find the unflavoured kind that is best for wildlife babies. It should be heated to body temperature and offered frequently: every 30 minutes to babies that will take only a small amount, or every 2 hours to those that take a larger amount. Feed only Pedialyte for the first several feedings– as much as the baby wants until it is rehydrated and producing lots of light yellow urine when you stimulate it. Stimulate it at each feeding using light feathery strokes.
In an emergency, a homemade rehydration solution can be made by mixing: ½ teaspoon salt + ½ tablespoon of sugar + 2 cups of water – warm slightly to dissolve sugar and salt. Use this homemade solution only until you can get to a drug store. Pedialyte is a balanced electrolyte solution, much better for the baby. Once Pedialyte is open refrigerate between feedings, and discard any unused portion after 72 hours. It can be frozen in an ice cube tray and the cubes stored in the freezer for use within a couple of months.
You're a very, very good and compassionate person. :)
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 7:31 AM on May 21, 2018 [12 favorites]
Use a soft cloth to pick the baby up. Wear gloves for eyes-open youngsters – they will be scared and may put up a bit of a struggle and growl out of fear, and they have little nubs of baby teeth by about 4 weeks of age. Always take precautions to avoid being bitten while you are handling any animal, but don’t be alarmed by the fuss a baby raccoon makes when first picked up, it will soon calm down when it realizes you are not going to harm it. Wrap the baby up in the cloth, snugly, head and all, and let it get warm by holding it in your hands. You want it completely warmed up, to your own body temperature.
If it is very cold you will want to put them in a small box or pet carrier with several layers of soft cloths while they warm up. Make sure bedding is non-ravelling since wiggly little animals can quickly become strangled in threads or holes. Provide external heat by setting the box/carrier half-on, half-off a heating pad set to low, or put a hot water bottle well wrapped in a soft cloth in the box beside them so they can snuggle against it. Make sure there is enough room in the box/carrier for them to wiggle away from the hot water bottle (or to the part of the box/carrier not on the heating pad) if they get too hot. Cover them over, head and all, with soft cloths. If using a box, close it securely since even young babies may escape, but make sure to punch breathing holes in the top. Place the box/carrier in a warm, dark, quiet place and check them often, every 10 or 15 minutes, while their body temperature returns to normal (your body temperature).
In a safe spot, with good light – in a small washroom for example, unwrap the baby and check it all over for injuries. Wear latex exam gloves or rubber gloves. It is handy to have a few more clean cloths and a basin of warm water and a washcloth (white is best so you can see any blood) to clean away dirt from a suspected injury. At this stage it is important for an adult to carefully assess the raccoon in a quiet room without children or pets present. The washcloth should be wrung out in warm water and then made to mimic the mother gently licking the baby clean – all over. Try to use a light cloth like those used for human babies so that you can feel the orphan through the cloth. Go slowly and take your time, and this will help to calm the baby and make your examination easier.
When cleaning the baby, please pay special attention to the face, checking for dried blood in the nose, and mouth, to make sure it can breathe easily. Also pay attention to the genital area – try to see if the baby pees when gently stimulated with the soft warm cloth or a Q-tip or tissue, and note the colour of the urine. On males stimulate the penis – a small nub an inch or two above the anus (half way to the navel); on females stimulate the little nub very near the anus. Stimulate for a full minute or two using light feathery strokes.
Remove any external parasites you see (fleas, ticks), and any fly eggs. Fly eggs are whitish specks that will be stuck to the fur or inside/around wounds, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or genitals – hatched eggs are tiny whitish larvae. If there are many such parasites it is a good indication the mother has been missing for days – and in that case you will need to carefully bathe the baby in a basin of warm water with a little diluted dishwashing liquid (“Dawn” is good) to get rid of the parasites. An old toothbrush will help dislodge sticky fly eggs. Thoroughly dry and warm the baby after its bath.
Orphans that have been without their mother will be suffering from chill and dehydration. They must be thoroughly warmed first, and then, although they are starving, they must be given warmed rehydration solution before any milk formula is offered. Their dehydrated little body is simply unable to digest food (i.e. the milk solids in formula) and if given formula or other food before they are rehydrated it can kill them, or cause debilitating diarrhea. Pedialyte is a rehydration solution made for human babies, and is available in drug stores – it often comes fruit flavoured, but if you can find the unflavoured kind that is best for wildlife babies. It should be heated to body temperature and offered frequently: every 30 minutes to babies that will take only a small amount, or every 2 hours to those that take a larger amount. Feed only Pedialyte for the first several feedings– as much as the baby wants until it is rehydrated and producing lots of light yellow urine when you stimulate it. Stimulate it at each feeding using light feathery strokes.
In an emergency, a homemade rehydration solution can be made by mixing: ½ teaspoon salt + ½ tablespoon of sugar + 2 cups of water – warm slightly to dissolve sugar and salt. Use this homemade solution only until you can get to a drug store. Pedialyte is a balanced electrolyte solution, much better for the baby. Once Pedialyte is open refrigerate between feedings, and discard any unused portion after 72 hours. It can be frozen in an ice cube tray and the cubes stored in the freezer for use within a couple of months.
You're a very, very good and compassionate person. :)
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 7:31 AM on May 21, 2018 [12 favorites]
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posted by os tuberoes at 6:55 AM on May 21, 2018