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Our neighbors dog killed a mother opossum and there are babies that still have closed eyes…can anyone suggest how to help these babies or who can help???
Have you contacted Gloria Dempsey our zoologist friend?
She’s written many articles we have here on my site …
Sorry! But I can’t seem to find here telephone number but her email is gdemzool@racsa.co.cr
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com[quote=”tazman”]Our neighbors dog killed a mother opossum and there are babies that still have closed eyes…can anyone suggest how to help these babies or who can help???[/quote]
Do you have a local vet you can call on for help or advice. There is an excellent vet here in Ciudad Colon who provides all kinds of assistance for us. There should be one near you.
While you wait for someone to help, you can put them in a little box with a towel. You mix one cup of milk with the yellow part of an egg and a tablespoon of corn syrup, or honey if you have, and give it to them with a syringe or o toy baby bottle every 2-3 hours.
After a couple of weeks, they will start eating by themselves
Good luck !!![quote=”minuit”]While you wait for someone to help, you can put them in a little box with a towel. You mix one cup of milk with the yellow part of an egg and a tablespoon of corn syrup, or honey if you have, and give it to them with a syringe or o toy baby bottle every 2-3 hours.
After a couple of weeks, they will start eating by themselves
Good luck !!![/quote]minuit, Scott probably has an application open for welovecostarica.com emergency vet advice.
I didn’t even stop to think that it might take some time to get help. Good thinking.
Could we get an update from you please tazman? After people had offered their helpful suggestions?
Scott
[quote=”Scott”]Could we get an update from you please tazman? After people had offered their helpful suggestions?
Scott[/quote]We phoned Hacienda Baru after emailing you and they advised that baby opossums outside the pouch with their eyes closed have no chance of survival. We took this as expert advice and left them outside in a box with a blanket to let nature take its course. We checked them every day and after 3 days, with 3 of the 4 still alive, couldn’t stand it any more and took them back in. We are now feeding them cow’s milk through an eyedropper every few hours, their eyes are open and they are as lively as I would expect any young opossum to be. Thanks to those who replied in a compassionate manner.
Tazman, you must have a magic touch! It is so unusual to successfully raise baby opossums by hand. I have known people who have tried and failed. Opossums are marsupials which means that they are born premature and that they attach to the mother where they receive a constant supply of mother’s milk in order to finish maturing. These babies must have been close to maturation especially if they spent 3 days outside with no food and still survived. It will be interesting if they will know how to be wild when they grow up. Will they be house opossums or watch oppossums? Or will they simply run away into the woods when they are old enough to fend for themselves? As a person interested in biology and wildlife, I would be very interested in how this plays out. Adult opossums aren’t so cute but these little guys are just adorable. Could we expect a future update?
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