In case you find a small orphaned mammal one day...

[conuly]

1. Call a vet. Do NOT ask your equally ignorant friends how to help this poor animal, call a vet. If it's a wild animal, tell the vet you need a wildlife center.
2. Search google. You can find useful information there, and it's generally more reliable than your friends, who probably know as much about baby animals as you do.
3. Did I tell you to call a vet? What are you waiting for?
4. Baby animals need to be kept constantly warm. However, overheating is as dangerous as hypothermia. The problem lies in their inability to regulate their own body heat.
5. The bigger threat is not hunger, but dehydration. Do NOT give this baby animal anything to eat until you have no only determined that it isn't dehydrated, but you have checked with a vet to see what's safe for them to eat.
6. Oh, yeah. Call a vet. You can't deal with this yourself unless you know what you're doing, which you probably do not.
7. No, seriously, what part of call a vet don't you understand? Because if you don't, well-meaning people like me are going to have to guilt-trip you by pointing out the myriad ways a baby animal could die in your care. The sad fact is you do NOT know what you're doing.

Seriously, I don't get that. In what world are your friends preferable to a licensed veterinarian? *screams incoherantly*

This isn't an attack at any one person, by the way, it's a subject that comes up far more often than one would hope.

Comments

[rachelkachel]

All true... I think part of the problem is there are tons of stories about kids saving baby animals, and a vet is rarely if ever involved. Either the kids somehow know what to do, or their parents do. And I would guess that usually it's wrong anyway, but since I'm not an expert of course I wouldn't know.

In the same way, I just don't understand people asking for real-life advice on the neoboards. I mean, really - you're going to follow the advice of complete strangers over your own common sense? It makes me wonder about them, it really does.

[ladytalon.livejournal.com]

In this situation, people often hope they can miraculously sort things out without having to see a vet, because vets cost money. People want to save the lives of cute things, but preferably for free.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

Advice is free, and any vet with five minutes and a good heart will do you the favor of giving their opinion.

[conuly]

The vet near me has given us more charity than we deserve, in the form of free food, free shots, reduced bills, forgotten bills... and they have a no-kill policy, so if you bring in an animal and just leave, they won't put it down unless it's the kindest thing. That's NOT a good thing to do to your friendly neighborhood vet, but I was under the general impression that many vets will help out for free or low cost if need be.

[ladytalon.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to affirm that I agree with you wholeheartedly, and I don't want you to think I'd try to fix an animal myself instead of taking it to a vet. I'm not a bad person, really! At least when it comes to cute things. ;) But a lot of people think "vet" and associate it with "horrid bills" and choose not to go. Because people suck.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

That's the great thing about calling a vet. You can do so even if you've got no money! I've called the emergency vet before, for advice. I have no money to bring the ratties in (and it'd be very unnecessary stress), but it doesn't stop me from getting professional advice!

btw, are you a member of the stupidpetowners?

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

I agree with calling the vet.. the only reason I posted food suggestions was because she asked. I'd rather give her ideas about what wild squirrels eat than have her give it cows milk, or sugary cereal, and I wasn't even aware about the checking squirrels for dehydration. my grandfather used to have a "pet" squirrel, and we had many, many squirrels when I lived in the country, so I've seen what kind of things wild squirrels eat. She never actually said how old it appeared, so..

Anyway, enough rambling. I think it was a good thing she did post, because you pointed her to that website which could help a lot. I think maybe she panicking because her mom wasn't home, and the best thing she could think to do was ask other people what they would do in a situation. Although calling a vet would have helped a lot more.

[conuly]

I don't mind helping, honestly, but I get irked when I have to say "call a vet" twice.

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I understand, calling the vet would have been the first thing I would do..

I don't understand why it would have to be "saved" in the first place.. am I missing something? Was there anything wrong with it?

[rachelkachel]

All true... I think part of the problem is there are tons of stories about kids saving baby animals, and a vet is rarely if ever involved. Either the kids somehow know what to do, or their parents do. And I would guess that usually it's wrong anyway, but since I'm not an expert of course I wouldn't know.

In the same way, I just don't understand people asking for real-life advice on the neoboards. I mean, really - you're going to follow the advice of complete strangers over your own common sense? It makes me wonder about them, it really does.

[ladytalon.livejournal.com]

In this situation, people often hope they can miraculously sort things out without having to see a vet, because vets cost money. People want to save the lives of cute things, but preferably for free.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

Advice is free, and any vet with five minutes and a good heart will do you the favor of giving their opinion.

[conuly]

The vet near me has given us more charity than we deserve, in the form of free food, free shots, reduced bills, forgotten bills... and they have a no-kill policy, so if you bring in an animal and just leave, they won't put it down unless it's the kindest thing. That's NOT a good thing to do to your friendly neighborhood vet, but I was under the general impression that many vets will help out for free or low cost if need be.

[ladytalon.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to affirm that I agree with you wholeheartedly, and I don't want you to think I'd try to fix an animal myself instead of taking it to a vet. I'm not a bad person, really! At least when it comes to cute things. ;) But a lot of people think "vet" and associate it with "horrid bills" and choose not to go. Because people suck.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

That's the great thing about calling a vet. You can do so even if you've got no money! I've called the emergency vet before, for advice. I have no money to bring the ratties in (and it'd be very unnecessary stress), but it doesn't stop me from getting professional advice!

btw, are you a member of the stupidpetowners?

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

I agree with calling the vet.. the only reason I posted food suggestions was because she asked. I'd rather give her ideas about what wild squirrels eat than have her give it cows milk, or sugary cereal, and I wasn't even aware about the checking squirrels for dehydration. my grandfather used to have a "pet" squirrel, and we had many, many squirrels when I lived in the country, so I've seen what kind of things wild squirrels eat. She never actually said how old it appeared, so..

Anyway, enough rambling. I think it was a good thing she did post, because you pointed her to that website which could help a lot. I think maybe she panicking because her mom wasn't home, and the best thing she could think to do was ask other people what they would do in a situation. Although calling a vet would have helped a lot more.

[conuly]

I don't mind helping, honestly, but I get irked when I have to say "call a vet" twice.

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I understand, calling the vet would have been the first thing I would do..

I don't understand why it would have to be "saved" in the first place.. am I missing something? Was there anything wrong with it?