Babies: Care and Feeding

Infants: Care, Hydrating, Feeding, DIY Incubator, Amoxicillin Charts

If you are located in South America, please scroll to the very end of this page for additional information.

Warm up and Hydrate First!

One thing to ALWAYS remember is to re-hydrate any babies you take in before placing them on formula. And NEVER give a cold baby fluids or food! Make sure the babies have been thoroughly warmed up before giving them anything by mouth or Sub-Q. Babies should be kept right around 93-94 degrees. Small babies cannot self- regulate their body temps. It’s perfectly safe to give nothing by clear hydration fluids for the first 24 hours, making sure to stimulate them to go potty after every feeding. When you see their urine go from dark to a nice pale yellow, it is safe to start an extra-diluted formula. Give hydration fluids on the same timetable as you would offer them formula.

Here are some of the ORAL rehydration solutions you can use on opossums. Do not use electrolyte solutions that have artificial sweeteners!

They are listed in order of preference:

1. One-part lactated Ringers to 1-part bottled water orally.

2. One-part Pedialyte to 3 parts bottled water.

3. 1 cup bottled water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt.

4. One part apple juice to 5 parts bottled water.

To stimulate a baby to urinate or defecate, gently rub a cotton ball dipped in warm water across their genital's until they "go". Really small babies cannot do this on their own, so you will need to take the place of their mama and help them.

***Depending on the condition of the babies, give hydrating fluids for the first 12-24 hours, and then commence giving formula at 1/4 or 1/5 the usual strength for the first few days, slowly working up to full strength over several days. Their delicate little systems need time to adjust.

If you get in older babies, you still need to go thru the hydration process and then start them on formula (even if they are old enough for the solid food stage recipes below). After they have been on formula for a week, babies that are 150 grams or more, can be started on Stage 1 and you can work their way up from there. It’s ok if they are lagging behind the process by just a bit.

Bloat: Some rehabbers are having issues with baby's bellies becoming bloated from being lactose intolerant, and often accompanying this issue you might also see problems with either constipation or diarrhea. Bloat can become life-threatening so it's being recommended to add a few drops of lactase to the formula to help prevent this issue. It has been shown that this product does not work well UNLESS you let the prepared formula with the drops added, sit in the fridge for at least 12 hours prior to feeding it to your babies. Follow the directions on the bottle of lactase. Be sure to buy only the Esbilac powdered puppy formula (not the pre-mixed liquid).

Formula Recipe: For small babies (under 70 grams) who are still on formula only: (Use only bottled Spring or Smart Water in formula as well as for drinking water): DO NOT USED DISTILLED WATER!!!

IMPORTANT: Cans of powdered formula need to be stored in the refrigerator after opening the can! It can spoil, even in its powdered form.

FORMULA MIX RECIPE:

The standard recipe calls for 1-part powdered formula to 3 parts bottled water. However, in new babies, you want to dilute it even more and then slowly work your way up to full strength.

Esbilac puppy formula: mix 1/3 powdered formula and 1 cup Smart Water, Bottled Spring water or Nursery water (for infants15-25 grams, you will want to make it 1 part powder to 4-5 parts water. For infants under 15 grams, dilute it to as low as 1 part powder to 8 parts bottled spring or smart water). Feeding full strength formula can cause diarrhea and bloat so ease them into full strength slowly, over a period of several days.
200 mg calcium citrate, DO NOT use a calcium supplement that has D, magnesium or anything else added, it's too much for babies!). I use Puritan's Pride 200 mg calcium citrate tablets, just crush and add. DO NOT use loose bulk calcium powder, or gel caps. Its too easy to dose it incorrectly.
½ LARGE cooked egg yolk. ***Powdered egg yolk can be used to make a smoother formula for tube feeding.
½ of a crushed 7.5 grain Brewer's Yeast tablet (Buy plain Brewer's yeast tablets without garlic). This works as a probiotic to aid digestion. DO NOT buy loose bulk Brewer's yeast powder, it's too difficult to accurately dose.
2 Tsp unsweetened apple juice (helps prevent constipation)
1 tsp of Nutrical (or Nutra-Stat, Energel etc) (appx 1 inch line)
Lactase Drops: (mix the appropriate amount based on the quantity of formula you are making, (the directions are on the bottle). To be effective, Lactase should sit in the formula for 24 hours before feeding it to your babies. (I buy it from Amazon)

Be careful not to confuse Lactase with Lactaid, they are not the same.

Make sure formula is thoroughly mixed and all the solids are completely dissolved. It helps if you place all your dry ingredients in a bowl, along with the Nutrical and very slowly add your water, mixing well and smashing any lumps you see. It's easier to make a smooth formula if you do it this way versus just dumping all the water in at once. Powdered eggs will not clog your feeding tubes like fresh eggs will, so save yourself a lot of headaches by using powdered eggs until your babies are weaned off the feeding tube.

MAKE SURE to stimulate them after every feeding with a cotton ball dipped in warm water.

DO NOT use a blender to make your formula! It adds air bubbles that will cause bloat and pain in your baby’s stomachs. A shaker cup with a blending ball in it works well.

DO NOT FEED COLD! Place the amount you need in a cup and place the cup inside a bowl of warm water to heat the formula up....do not microwave it.

HOW MUCH TO FEED?

Ok, so you have your formula mixed and ready, but how much should you feed and how often??? Here are the approximate amounts of formula to be given babies based of their weight in grams:

Tube feeding photos Courtesy Of: Kim Bellman

It's important to add lactase drops to your formula, and then let the formula sit overnight so that the lactase can break down the sugars in your formula before you feed your babies.

Make sure you buy LACTASE drops.....not LACTAID. I could not find this anywhere locally, but Amazon carries it.

Another good product to keep on hand are these simethicone drops. Babies often get gassy when they first start on formula, and it can cause them to bloat. ANY brand made for human babies is safe to use, Mylicon is just one example.

Tube Feeding Babies:

If you have babies under the weight of 60 grams or so, you will need to be prepared to tube feed them. Its possible a baby in the 60-gram weight range might be able to slowly lap formula from a pipette or a syringe, but if not, tube feeding will be necessary.

Tube feeding can be very scary at first. I know I was very nervous my first couple of times, but trust me, its much easier than you think. As long as you have the correct equipment, and accurately measure the correct distance from baby’s nose to their stomachs, you and your babies are going to do just fine. Most littermates are all about the same size so what works for one should work for all, but if you see a noticeable difference in size, you will need to adjust accordingly or use a separate tube.

I wrap babies up like a burrito when I feed them. This keeps their little arms inside the blanket so that they are not grabbing and pulling at the feeding tube.

First you want to hold the end of the tube to the baby’s nose and then measure how far it needs to go to enter the baby’s stomach. Mark your tube ahead of time so you know how far to insert it. I use blue painters’ tape to mark my sport. I don’t recommend marking the tube with a sharpie because this measurement will change as the baby grows, and multiple marks will be confusing.

Before you insert the tube into your baby’s mouth, draw up a little more formula than you are going to need, and clear out any air bubbles by holding the syringe upward and tapping the sides to make the air bubbles rise. Push the plunger just enough until the air bubble and formula squirts out the end of your tube. Always wipe off your tube after filling it and before tubing the possum so no liquid gets near the airway.

Place the tube in the front of the mouth and gently guide the tube in. When the mark you've made on the tube gets to the front of its mouth, STOP there. You are now ready to start feeding. ALWAYS make sure to get rid of any air bubbles in your syringe so you are not pushing air into the baby’s stomach along with the formula. Push the plunger SLOWLY when you are in the stomach. Remember the liquid come out under pressure. You do not want to fill him up faster than he could take it in himself.

When you are finished pushing all the formula in, wait a few seconds before pulling your tube out because formula doesn’t stop coming out the second you stop pushing the plunger. Now pinch the tube off with your fingernail to prevent any further flow, and slowly, gently pull the tube out.

I keep 2 bins for the babies when I am feeding, and as each one is fed, it placed in a separate container, its just too difficult to keep track of who has eaten and who hasn’t otherwise. Some rehabbers find it helpful to mark the inside of each ear with a colored sharpie, that way they can keep track of who’s-who when it comes to charting their daily weights. It’s important to know they are all gaining and to address any problems if you have one that is not doing as well as the others.

Feeding tubes are not all created equal:

You DO NOT want to use those red feeding tubes often sold at veterinarian’s offices. They have 2 holes; one near the end and another slightly higher up. If you use this type of tube, you could easily get formula into your baby’s lungs! The proper feeding tube information is located below.

Size matters! These tubes come in 3 sizes: 1.8, 2.8, and 3.5. I recommend that every rehabber keep all 3 sizes on hand. The 1.8 would be used for pinkies, the 2.8 for babies in the 25-50 gram range, and the 3.5 for larger babies.

After every feeding, thoroughly wash your tubes with hot soapy water by drawing it up into your syringe several times and expelling it into the sink. Formula has fat in it, which is oily, so you need to be very careful about keeping those tubes clean!

You will need the 1.8 sized feeding tube for a baby this small! Image courtesy of Wendy MyloMarkins.

For tube fed babies, I use powdered egg yolk as it will not clog your feeding tubes like fresh egg yolk will. This brand is sold on Amazon and contains no preservatives or additives. Just pure dehydrated egg yolks. Save yourself from repetitive straining and clogged up tubes and give this a try!

Brittany Levinson has succeeded in making a 1.8fr tube that easily goes down the esophagus of a pinky under 9g! This opens up a huge door of possibilities in helping those smaller pinkie babies to survive. You will need some Leur-Lock syringes to screw the ends of your feeding tube into.

To order feeding tubes:

The Peculiar Purple Possum: https://thepeculiarpurplepossum.com/

You can also find these tubes here:

Chris's Squirrels and More: https://www.squirrelsandmore.com/

What size tube do I use? (A general guideline):

1.8 for neonates/pinkies under 25 grams

2.8 for babies over 25-70 grams

3.5 for babies 70 grams and up

Where to buy Leur-Lock syringes: You might be able to find these locally, but I buy mine on Amazon. I like to keep the following sizes on hand: 1 ml, 5ml, and 10 ml.

Bloat:

Common Causes of Bloat in Opossums:

Feeding too much or too frequently.
Feeding a baby who has not been properly warmed up.
Swallowing air.
Feeding the incorrect formula; DO NOT use cow's milk! Use goat-milk based Esbilac puppy formula only!
Feeding formula at the wrong temperature.
Intestinal parasites.
Failure to stimulate orphan to urinate and defecate before and after each feeding.
Stasis (A potentially deadly condition in which the digestive system slows down or stops completely)
Inability to urinate (bladder rupture)
Gastric Torsion (in which the stomach becomes overstretched and rotated by excessive gas content.)
Imbalance of intestinal gut flora (such as after a course of antibiotics; use probiotics). Antibiotics kill bacteria; unfortunately, both the good and the bad. We want to bad to go, but we need to preserve the good as its needed by the body to break down food and a myriad of other reasons. When the levels of good bacteria have been destroyed, the gut stops working efficiently.

Your baby might show one or more of the following symptoms:

Abdominal distention: (belly feels hard and swollen).

Baby is showing signs of discomfort.

Lethargy.

Rapid, shallow breathing.

Disinterested in eating and or drinking.

What to do for bloat:

Stop all feeding.
Attempt to get the baby to urinate and defecate by using a soft warm wet cloth or cotton ball by gently rubbing it across the genitalia from front to back.
Place baby on a heating pad set to low, massage the abdomen in a clockwise motion.
If it doesn't cause too much stress to the baby, being immersed in a warm bath will often cause them to potty.
Administer sub-q fluids; lactated ringers and 5% dextrose). Dose is: 10ml/lb of body weight (refer to hydration chart on medication page). Continue this treatment for the next 8 hours minimum (you can go as long as 24 hours if the bloat is severe), withholding all food.
Baby gas drops (simethicone) given orally sometimes helps alleviate excess gas, as can Tagamet every 8-12 hours. Dose Tagamet at 5-10 mg/kg. You can continue either of these for several days.
When you resume feedings, start out with formula that has 3 times the amount of water as is called for, using the Esbilac goats milk puppy formula only. I would make sure to add lactase to the prepared formula. As long as the baby is doing well and has no more evidence of bloat, you can GRADUALLY decrease the amount of water in the formula until he is back on full strength.

Humidity and Heating Pads for Babies:

Its SO important to keep babies warm AND humid, and most heating pads have an automatic shut off, which is safer for human use, but it is not what you want if you have small babies in your care.

I use a low wattage heating pad made for outdoor dog kennels. It is very low watt and is just warm enough to keep babies nice and warm….and it does not shut off unless you unplug it. Here are some links to a few examples:

This heating pad is very similar to what I use and it comes in different sizes:

https://www.chewy.com/kh-pet-products-lectro-soft-outdoor/dp/54439?utm_source=partnerize&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_campaign=1011l93523&utm_content=0&clickref=1101lj6FoxBn&utm_term=1101lj6FoxBn

Here is another:

https://www.amazon.com/Heating-Voltage-Electric-Resistant-Waterproof/dp/B07H274XPG?th=1

Make sure you get one large enough…..I have seen some that are very small. You want good coverage as the babies grow and need to be in a larger space but still need heat to help keep them warm.

Humidity:

Unless you are lucky enough to have an incubator, you can improvise. Small babies need to be kept both warm and moist and its relatively easy to set something up for them that should work just fine:

Set your heating pad up wherever your babies will be kept.
Place a Rubbermaid bin on top of the heating pad.
Line the bin with a blanket (not too thick, you want the heat to be able to come thru!)
Now lay a dish towel that’s been saturated with warm water over the blanket.
Place your babies in a pouch-like sack on top of the wet towel.
Cover the pouch with a fleece blanket (it will hold in the heat and moisture).
Change all of this daily to prevent mildew from forming.

Skin Care:

Coconut oil is used by many rehabbers, it has anti-bacterial properties, which is a plus. However, it is also listed as a highly comedogenic oil, which means it easily clogs pores and can produce acne on human skin. There are no reports of it being a problem using it on pinkies however.

Another helpful tip to keep their skin from drying out is rubbing jojoba oil on them. Jojoba oil is non-comedogenic, which means that it should not clog the pores like so many other oils can

The opossum society states humidity levels should be kept right around 75-80% for very young babies. You can purchase humidity gauges online to keep track of what your levels are and adjust their environment accordingly. These gauges are very inexpensive. This particular model measures both humidity and temperature:

ThermoPro TP50 Digital Hygrometer:

https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-TP50-Digital-Thermometer-Temperature/dp/B01H1R0K68/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=humidity+gauge&qid=1649962484&sr=8-3

Making a homemade incubator:

https://opossumsocietyus.org/critter-care-waterbator/

DIY homemade incubator

Making a pouch:

Babies are used to being confined to relatively small places, all bunched up together in their mama’s pouch. It’s easy to make a pouch out of soft materials like fleece, or even an old flannel shirt or t-shirt, even if you’re not a seamstress. Just don’t use towel material, as they can get their little nails tangled up in the loops of the fabric. You can also purchase them online as they are sold for other animals like hedgehogs. I have smaller pouches and a few really large pouches for when the babies get much larger. Some folks on Etsy and other sites might offer to make custom sizes for you.

Here are some links to purchase:

This seller makes various sized bags: 8X10 -14X16

https://www.etsy.com/listing/974147617/snuggle-sack-custom-order-multiple-sizes?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-pet_supplies-pet_furniture-pet_hammocks&utm_custom1=_k_EAIaIQobChMIibTdn-CT9wIVUCGtBh3qsgCwEAQYBSABEgINsfD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_12573081064_123264679567_507799212222_pla-352685630536_c__974147617_129024834&utm_custom2=12573081064&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIibTdn-CT9wIVUCGtBh3qsgCwEAQYBSABEgINsfD_BwE

This bag is 11X14:

https://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-HOMEYA-Hedgehog-Squirrel-Accessory/dp/B093BB4PKL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3IQSVLU43FWQ2&keywords=pouches+for+animals&qid=1649951513&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=pouches+animals%2Cpets%2C115&sr=1-3.

4_33fd37a9843549a98437c7152591d2cbMint-snuggle-sack (2).jpg

Digital Scales:

You cannot properly raise babies unless you have a digital scale that weighs in grams/ounces and pounds. Everything goes by grams when it deals with babies. What you feed, how much your feed, and how often you feed is entirely dependent on what your baby weighs. Make sure to keep accurate daily records on your babies weights! If they are not gaining, increase the number of feedings, or bump up to the water to formula ratio to increase their caloric intake. I paid less than $30.00 for my scale several years ago and its still serving me well. Check out Amazon for some good deals.

Adding Solid Foods:

Once your babies reach about 100 grams, you can begin weaning them onto solid foods. Not all babies will miraculously take to new foods quickly and its perfectly ok to keep them on just formula for awhile longer. Be patient and keep offering the appropriate stage food listed below to them. I puree everything to make it soupy at first, and allow them to lap it up. If they aren't quite ready for lapping, I continue feeding them with a pipette or syringe. I use vegetables that have a good calcium/phosphorous ratio such as turnip greens, collard greens, kale, bok choy, endive, broccoli stems (not the tops). You can also add in Brussel sprouts, bell peppers, green and yellow wax beans, mushrooms, squash, turnips, etc.

Keep vegetables that are orange, red and yellow to only about 20% of your mixture as they have relatively high amounts of Vit A. Lightly steam your vegetables. DO NOT use canned vegetables, frozen is ok in a pinch, just make sure there is no added salt, sugar or other additives in them.

This diet can be confusing to some folks, but persevere and you will get it down in no time! First you want to make the basic kibble mixture, to which you will embellish with other ingredients as your babies get larger.

Kibble: It’s important to use a brand that stays within the perimeters below:

27-31% protein (no higher!)
Fat: no more than 11%
Calcium: no more than 1.1 %
Phosphorous: No higher than 0.9%

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of brands to choose from that keep you within or very close to the above guidelines. Most cat foods are way too high in protein and fat for possums to safely eat. Meow Mix and Iams ProActive Healthy Indoor Cat food are two examples that you can use.

The Kibble/Vegetable recipe is a multi-step recipe; you will have to make 3 separate mixes and adding fruit which will be combined together in specific amounts that will change at each stage of growth.

You will be making the following:

Formula Recipe (added into stages 1-3)
Kibble/Vegetable Recipe (used in all 4 stages)
Protein Mix Recipe (not added until stage 3)
Fruit

FORMULA RECIPE: Use a standard kitchen measuring cup (not the scoop that comes in the can of formula).

· Esbilac powdered puppy formula: mix 1/3 cup powdered formula and 1 cup Smart Water, Bottled Spring water or Nursery water.

· 200 mg calcium citrate, DO NOT use a calcium supplement that has D, magnesium or anything else added, it’s too much for babies!). I use Puritan's Pride 200 mg calcium citrate tablets, just crush and add.

· ½ large hard boiled chicken egg yolk, (or) 2 cooked quail egg yolks.

· ½ of a crushed 7.5 gram tab of Brewer’s Yeast (Buy plain Brewer’s yeast without garlic). This works as a probiotic to aid digestion.

· 2 Tsp unsweetened apple juice (helps prevent constipation)

· 1 tsp of Nutrical (or Nutra-Stat, Energel etc) (appx 1 inch line)

· Lactase Drops: (mix the appropriate amount based on the quantity of formula you are making; the directions are on the bottle.

BASIC KIBBLE / VEGETABLE MIX RECIPE: (Puree or mash to remove any chunks):

Take appx 2/3 cup kibble and soak it in spring water until its soft. It will expand as it softens and should give you the desired amount: (1 cup) pre-soaked kibble needed for this recipe).
1 cup chopped up vegetables, lightly steamed
1/4 cup plain yogurt (not Greek, and no sugar or artificial sweeteners!)

PROTEIN MIX RECIPE:

Once your babies reach a minimum of 200 grams or so, you will want to add a “protein mix” to their overall food. You can make this as follows:

2 MEDIUM egg yolks, hard boiled
1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
¼ cup chopped sardines (salt-free packed in water) Salmon’s good to.
¼ cup chopped chicken liver or hearts (unseasoned-cooked)

Puree all of the above together, and freeze separately from the rest of the food mixes because the amount you use with each growth stage above will change accordingly to the size of your babies.

How To Feed Your Babies:

The following recipes will make an entire "batch" of food that will feed your babies for several days (depending on how many are in your care). I suggest freezing whatever will not be fed out in 3 days maximum or else it will spoil. Ice cube trays work nicely for this, as you can then just pop out however many cubes you will need each day and thaw before serving. Wrap your ice cube trays well so the food doesn't get freezer burned. I use Glad wrap and then a layer of foil around that.

Stage 1 Recipe: (for babies 100-150 grams): Place the following into a blender to make a puree:

2 tbsp kibble/vegetable mix (recipe above)
1 cup + 2 tbsp formula recipe
2 tbsp chopped fruit (papaya and blueberries are a perfect choice!) Papaya is a good source of calcium.
No protein mix is added yet

Puree the recipe above so that it is nice and smooth. Offer warm food 6 times a day, (do not microwave, place food bowl in a larger bowl filled with warm water to heat the food up and then serve it to them). Remove any uneaten food that has not been consumed within 15-20 minutes. If you have over 3 babies, offer at least 2-3 additional dishes of food so they are not having to compete.

Stage 2 Recipe: (for babies 150-250 grams): Place the following into a blender to make a puree:

1 1/2 cups kibble/vegetable mix (recipe above)
2 cups prepared formula
2/3 cup chopped/mashed fruit (papaya and blueberries are a perfect choice!) Papaya is a good source of calcium.
2 tsp extra plain yogurt
No protein mix is added yet

At this stage I am still serving their food warm and pureed, and offering food 4 times per day. Remove any uneaten food that has not been consumed within 15-20 minutes. If you have over 3 babies, offer at least 2-3 additional dishes of food so they are not having to compete.

Stage 3 Recipe: (for babies 250 grams to 1 pound): MASH together the following:

1¾ cup kibble/vegetable mix (recipe above)
¼ cup prepared formula
½ cup chopped/mashed fruit (papaya and blueberries are a perfect choice!) Papaya is a good source of calcium.
2 1/2 tsp of **protein mix

Feed babies’ warm food 3 times a day now. Remove any uneaten food that has not been consumed within 15-20 minutes. If you have over 3 babies, offer at least 2-3 additional dishes of food so they are not having to compete.

By now, they should be accepting food at least in a semi-chunky form, but I still tend to mash it up a little. Some babies prefer it this way, while others will wholeheartedly eat it chunky.

Stage 4 Recipe: (for possums over 1 lb until release): STIR together the following:

2 1/3 cups kibble/vegetable mix (recipe above)
2/3 cup chopped/mashed fruit (papaya and blueberries are a perfect choice!) Papaya is a good source of calcium.
1/3 cup **protein mix

*** No formula is needed at this stage of growth UNLESS the animal is compromised in some way. It’s perfectly fine though to pour a little over their food if you’re having any problems getting them to eat.

Offer warmed up food 3 times per day. Remove any uneaten food that has not been consumed within 15-20 minutes.

At this point, they need to be eating chunky food. No one is going to be mashing it up for them once they are out on their own! If you have not done so already, start hiding small bits of vegetables all over their habitat for them so that they begin learning how to forage.

All 4 stages of this recipe can be frozen in foil covered ice cube trays and thawed out as needed. Depending on how many babies you have, you just take out the number of cubes you need, warm them up and serve.

***For non-releasable possums, please switch them over to the adult diet (see the Adult Diet page of this website). Do not continue them on Stage 4 for the rest of their lives or they could become overweight!

Large Batch Recipes: To simplify things once your babies get big (Stage 4 and over) and are eating a lot, you will want to make extra-large batches of food:

Large batch Kibble Vegetable Recipe: (can be frozen to use later)

7 cups vegetable/kibble recipe
2 cups chopped fruit
1 cup protein mix recipe

Large batch Protein Mix: (can be frozen to use later)

8 large eggs, cooked
1 cup chicken livers and hearts, cooked
1 cup canned sardines or salmon (packed in water)
4 cups plain yogurt (not Greek)

Babies generally start lapping food on their own at around 70 grams (give or take). Some take a little longer than others to get the hang of it. You can encourage them to eat on their own by dipping their paws into the formula. Because they are fastidious groomers, they will lick it off themselves in no time. Pay close attention as to who is eating and who is not as you will need to hand feed those who are lagging behind. Another good reason to keep a record of daily weights!

Hiccups:

Hiccups are not uncommon. Here are some of the causes thought to cause hiccups:

Irritated diaphragm, causing it to contract then relax in involuntary spasms.
Eating or drinking too quickly because it forces them to swallow air along with the food or water.
Food intolerance is another possible cause of hiccups. The stomach is close to the diaphragm, which can potentially cause spasms if their tummy is uncomfortable.
Other causes include stress, excitement, stomach upset stomach or gas.

Take your animal to a veterinarian as soon as possible if:

Hiccups last more than a few hours.
Hiccups change to a wheezing sound, causes irregular or difficult breathing.
Your animal seems to be in pain.
Your animal is not eating or drinking.

(Intractable hiccups could be a symptom of a more serious problem).

Elimination:

Until your babies are around 65 grams or so (this can vary), they will need you to assist them in eliminating their urine and feces. I have always just used a cotton ball soaked in warm water that I gently rub against the genitalia to help facilitate this process. This is something that MUST be done until they are able to go on their own.

Failure to Thrive: L-Glutamine and Taurine

Rehabbers are seeing a lot of "failure to thrive" babies recently. You might have a baby who has been doing great and then suddenly it becomes lethargic and may present with some diarrhea but no other obvious signs of illness. I am talking about a baby who is older, usually fully furred but developmentally behind the rest of his or her siblings. This is a baby who might respond well to the addition of L-glutamine. If you are using Lactaid drops in your formula and still seeing problems, try giving the baby L-Glutamine: 500 ml. mixed with 100 ml of water and giving him .05 given twice a day. This has been helping a lot more than we expected.

Marsupial Milk Replacers:

Sounds perfect, right? After all, its formulated for “Marsupials”. Opossums are marsupials. WRONG. Do not, DO NOT raise Virginia Opossum babies on these products. I have seen too many babies with severe MBD who’s caretakers raised the babies they found on these products. They do not meet the nutritional needs for the Virginia Opossum species. If you want to raise healthy baby opossums, stick to what has been proven for decades to raise healthy, strong babies. You can find the information at the top of this page.

JUST SAY NO TO THESE BRANDS!!!

Amoxicillin Dosing Charts:

Credit goes to: The Opossum Pouch (posted with permission)

It is absolutely imperative that you give all incoming babies a course of amoxicillin, even if they look healthy. They can be carrying an infection that will cause them to go south very quickly, and by the time you notice it, it might be too late to save them. These infections can be caused by a myriad of things, but one common factor is many babies have been nursing off a dead mama whose milk has gone bad and this can cause sepsis in her babies. Nystatin should be given with any antibiotic treatment to help prevent yeast infections. If you have no access to this, offer probiotics daily. *** For extremely tiny babies (under 115 grams or so, consult with a Vet before giving Nystatin).