I will hug him and kiss him and call him George

So this is George:

Could he be any cuter? I mean really.

George was brought to me by a friend of a friend who trapped this poor little guy in his house? (The story is not quite clear)

Now, raise your hand if you think he’s a baby: (I would have raised my hand yesterday)

Raising your hand = wrong answer.

Shocking right? George is actually a teenager. At this size  opossums are ready to set out on their own. This is most likely how he got trapped in the first place.

If he were healthy, I would let him go. Unfortunately, George spent two and a half days in this trap (don’t ask why, I have no idea) without food or water. This brings up a general lesson in wildlife care (and mammal care in general):

The three BIGGEST issues:

1. Hypothermia (temperature too low)
2. Hypoglycemia (not enough food to sustain blood sugar level)
3. Dehydration

The steps to help any babies in this situation are pretty simple:

1. WARM them! Don’t do anything else until their body temperature reaches normal – you will be amazed at how fast the activity level comes back. Also, most critters are experiencing shock – the best thing you can do is provide a warm, quiet environment for an hour or so to let them de-stress.
2. Re-hydrate! If they are extremely dehydrated, these animals are best handled at the veterinary office. Veterinarians have the capability to give them IV fluids, SQ fluids (fluids under the skin), and/or place a feeding tube. These procedures should ONLY be done by a professional. The only thing you can safely do is offer water in a bowl or through an eye dropper (if they are still small) – but NEVER force it as they can aspirate easily (inhale the water).
3. Feeding: If the animal is still in need of momma’s milk, than number 2 and 3 go hand in hand. You need a good milk replacer. The type will depend on the animal you are raising. If George were younger, I would be feeding him puppy milk replacer.

It’s pretty incredible to think George was living in his momma’s pouch not too long ago. Now he will be my house guest until his weight normalizes and he can forage for himself. Until then, I have a new snuggle buddy;-)