Feeding Small Mammals

Preparing Food For Small Mammals

Most baby animals can not take cow's milk. Use "Esbilac" puppy formula. It is great for taking care of baby possums, raccoons, skunks and other small mammals.  Esbilac can be bought at a pet store. If you can't get it then try the following:

Goat's milk with mashed bananas and liquid lactate drops (lactate can be bought at a pharmacy and is used for animals or people who have lactose intolerance, see directions on the package).

Use a plastic syringe and put a baby nipple on the tip (photo, left), or use a baby bottle. Make sure that the nipple is clean and doesn't clog up with banana seeds.

Remember that heat has a calming effect and reduces pain. In addition, touch is an important component: Orphaned mammal babies like to be touched, especially on the neck area.

It is important that baby animals eliminate properly. Their mothers would lick their hind area, but you should take a warm cloth or paper towel and wipe their hind area in order to stimulate elimination.

When they try to bite you, that’s the time to get food into them, you might want to use a spoon.

Ricotta cheese is a favorite of possums. That mixed with baby squash or carrots and "Nutrical" (pet vitamins and minerals) provide good nutrition. Moistened Puppy Chow will do just fine also.