How Much Food Does A 25 Day Old Raccoon Need?

How Much Food Does A 25 Day Old Raccoon Need is a common question for those caring for these vulnerable creatures, and at foods.edu.vn, we offer insights to nurture them back to health. Determining the appropriate raccoon food intake is essential for their growth and survival, ensuring they receive the nourishment required during this critical stage. You’ll find reliable resources and expert advice right here, so let’s dive in to help you provide the best care.
Discover vital information on wildlife rehabilitation and animal care, plus specific feeding guidelines for young raccoons, helping you become the ultimate caretaker.

1. Is This Raccoon Truly Orphaned?

When encountering young raccoons, whether newborns with closed eyes or slightly older unweaned babies with open eyes, the situation typically arises due to one of six scenarios:

The mother is gone: The mother may have been trapped, removed, or killed. Young raccoons can be found in dens, on the ground, or in hard-to-reach places around dwellings. For instance, they may fall inside walls when the mother is removed and left behind in an attic or tree cavity.
The den site has been disturbed or destroyed: This often results from human activities such as tree cutting or renovation/building work on sheds, garages, decks, roofs, chimneys, or attics.
The mother is moving: When moving small, eyes-closed babies, one or more may fall or become separated. Older young that are big enough to follow her can also become separated, such as by being chased by a dog or other predator or falling into something they cannot escape, like a dumpster.
The den site has become too hot: Occasionally, after a prolonged heat wave later in the season, mobile eyes-open young may be compelled to leave their den during daylight hours if the den is in an enclosed space that is too warm, such as an attic or tree cavity.
Predation of the nest has occurred: One or more baby raccoons are left behind.
The family pet brings a baby home: This scenario can follow any of the first five if a pet finds a baby on the ground.

Scenario one indicates that the young are orphaned and urgently need immediate care. Eyes-closed infants will be dehydrated and starving, often having waited for their mother for a day or more before wiggling out of the nest. Slightly older eyes-open babies may be scared and wary or desperate enough to approach and follow people. Baby raccoons rely on their mother for an extended period, gradually weaning after approximately 12 weeks in the wild but remaining with her for nearly a year, including denning with her over their first winter. Therefore, a fluffy eight-week-old baby with open eyes, although mobile, is still entirely dependent on its mother.

In scenarios two, three, and four (but only occasionally five and six), reuniting the young with their mother is possible if they are not injured, unless the injury is superficial. Note that eyes-open babies missing their mother for only hours rather than days, indicating the mother is still nearby, will be more wary than those in scenario one and less likely to approach people because they are not yet desperate.

The fourth and fifth scenarios only occasionally lead to reunification with the mother because predators are often attracted to unguarded den sites where the mother has gone missing due to being trapped out, removed, or killed. Additionally, predation can cause injuries, and an injured baby should not be returned to its mother.

Caution About Creating Orphans: Raccoons typically choose warm, protected places to have their young, usually in March, April, or May, sometimes in and around our dwellings, such as attics or chimneys. Baby raccoons are often orphaned when homeowners hire pest control companies to remove the mother. The best solution for both the babies and the homeowner is to leave the mother raccoon alone for a few weeks, allowing her to move her young once they become mobile and start venturing out with her on her foraging rounds. At that point, safely exclude the entire family and make repairs to prevent the situation from recurring the following spring.

If very young babies with scant fur and closed eyes are found and their birth nest has been destroyed or the mother barred entry, she may be unable to take the babies elsewhere. She may lack another den site safe and warm enough to keep such fragile infants alive. In such cases, try to restore the birth nest if possible, hoping the mother can continue caring for the babies there. Older, mobile, and fully furred youngsters are hardier, and the mother is more likely to have an alternate den site suitable for them in an emergency, often choosing to move older babies if the birth nest is threatened.

Caution About Kidnapping Raccoon Babies: As mentioned earlier, older eyes-open young may occasionally be compelled to leave a too-hot den during daylight hours after a prolonged heat wave later in the season. Waiting and observing is best in such cases. If the young seem at risk of straying too far, gather them into a cardboard box or pet carrier for the day, placing it in a safe, comfortably cool, shaded area nearby.

Additionally, baby raccoons do not venture far from their birth den until they are about eight to nine weeks old. At that point, they start following their mother on her foraging rounds after dusk, still unweaned and entirely dependent on her. At this stage, the mother sometimes chooses a safe tree and instructs the young to remain there while she continues foraging. Occasionally, impatient babies will come down and play around, crying for their mother to return. Determining whether babies are orphaned in either of these cases can be challenging, but if they appear well, waiting and watching for several hours before taking any action is best. Be very careful not to scare them away, hoping the mother will return for them soon.

Note: If the mother is still present, she will reclaim her young given the opportunity, even if they have been touched. If they are old enough to follow her, she will encourage and lead them. If they are small, she will pick them up one at a time and carry them off to safety, provided she has a safe and warm den site to take them to.

2. The First Order Of Business: Warm The Baby

Pick up the baby with a soft cloth. Wear gloves for eyes-open youngsters, as they will be scared and may struggle and growl out of fear, especially since they develop little nubs of baby teeth by about four weeks of age. Always take precautions to avoid being bitten while handling any animal, but do not be alarmed by the fuss a baby raccoon makes when first picked up. It will soon calm down once it realizes you are not going to harm it. Wrap the baby snugly in the cloth, covering its head, and allow it to warm up by holding it in your hands until it reaches your body temperature. Mother raccoons do not seem to recognize a baby as their own if its body temperature is not normal, and babies cool down quickly once they lose the insulated protection of the nest.
If there is more than one baby or if it is very cold, place them in a small box or pet carrier with several layers of soft cloths to warm up. Ensure that the bedding is non-raveling, as wiggly little animals can quickly become strangled in threads or holes. Provide external heat by setting the box/carrier half on and half off a heating pad set to low. Alternatively, place a hot water bottle well-wrapped in a soft cloth in the box beside them so they can snuggle against it. Ensure they have enough room to wiggle away from the hot water bottle or the part of the box/carrier not on the heating pad if they get too hot. Cover them entirely, including their heads, with soft cloths. If using a box, close it securely since even young babies may escape, but make sure to punch breathing holes in the top. Place the box/carrier in a warm, dark, quiet place and check them often, every 10 or 15 minutes, while their body temperature returns to normal, which is your body temperature.

3. The Second Order Of Business: Check For Injuries

In a safe, well-lit spot, such as a small washroom, unwrap the baby and check it all over for injuries. Wear latex or rubber gloves. It is helpful to have a few more clean cloths, a basin of warm water, and a washcloth, preferably white so you can easily see any blood, to clean away dirt from suspected injuries. At this stage, an adult should carefully assess the raccoon in a quiet room without children or pets present. Wring out the washcloth in warm water and gently mimic the mother licking the baby clean all over. Use a light cloth similar to those used for human babies so you can feel the orphan through the cloth. Proceed slowly and take your time, which will help calm the baby and make your examination easier.
When cleaning the baby, pay special attention to the face, checking for dried blood in the nose and mouth to ensure it can breathe easily. Also, pay attention to the genital area. Try to determine if the baby pees when gently stimulated with the soft warm cloth, a Q-tip, or a tissue, and note the color of the urine. On males, stimulate the penis, a small nub an inch or two above the anus, halfway to the navel. On females, stimulate the little nub very near the anus. Stimulate for a full minute or two using light, feathery strokes.
Remove any external parasites you see, such as fleas and ticks, as well as any fly eggs. Fly eggs are whitish specks that stick to the fur or inside/around wounds, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or genitals. Hatched eggs appear as tiny whitish larvae. A large number of such parasites indicates that the mother has been missing for days, in which case you will need to carefully bathe the baby in a basin of warm water with a little diluted dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn, to eliminate the parasites. An old toothbrush will help dislodge sticky fly eggs. Thoroughly dry and warm the baby after its bath.
In terms of injuries to look for, falls can result in broken legs and head or spinal injuries. Very young eyes-closed infants will be naturally weak, so it may be harder to tell, but check that the legs are held in the correct position, not twisted or dragging limply. Older eyes-open youngsters should use all four legs. Try lightly pinching each paw and the tail. If the baby can feel the pinch, it will pull away. Babies caught by cats may have obvious injuries or just puncture wounds that are almost invisible. Because cats’ claws and teeth carry bacteria fatal to wildlife like baby raccoons, cat-caught babies should be put on a course of antibiotics immediately. An injured baby is not a candidate to try to return to its mother; please take it to a veterinarian for an assessment.

4. Attempting To Reunite With The Mother

The raccoon is NOT a candidate for attempting to reunite with mom if it:

Is injured, unless the injury is superficial.
Has a lot of fleas or fly eggs/larvae, which is a good indication that the mother has been missing for days.
Is thin and debilitated, perhaps with dark-colored urine, indicating dehydration.
Is an eyes-open baby that has been following people around.

If you believe the mother is still around and attempt to return the young to her, please be patient and very vigilant. Since the mother raccoon will be most active after dark, put them out at dusk as close as possible to where you found them or where you know the den to be (mom will not know to look anywhere else). Improvise a way to illuminate the spot, such as an extension cord and trouble light or powerful flashlight that will last for hours, so you can monitor from a distance or inside a building. The young need to be kept safe and warm. Place them in a sturdy box or pet carrier in a nest of soft, non-raveling cloth. Put a hot water bottle well-wrapped in a cloth in the box for them to snuggle against. You will need to refill it every few hours, but adding a couple of pop bottles filled with hot water beside it and wrapping it all in an old wool sweater will help the heat last longer. Make sure there is room in the carrier for the babies to wiggle away from the heat if they get too hot. Remember, mother raccoons do not seem to recognize a baby as their own if its body temperature is not normal.

Prop the door of the carrier closed with something heavy enough to keep the babies in but not so heavy that the mother cannot move it to take them out. The mother may come, check, and then leave, only to return in several hours for them. She may be off preparing a new den or simply anxious, cautious, and scared. She can only pick up and move one baby at a time, so unless the babies are old enough to follow her, the process will take hours. You will need to watch very carefully and protect the remaining ones, propping the pet carrier closed again each time after she leaves, while the mother relocates each one in turn.

Please do not leave them unmonitored, as they will be vulnerable to predation, and you need to stand by to intervene if a predator discovers them. If the mother comes and takes some but leaves one or more behind, bring them inside at dawn for care and try again the next day at dusk. You can try a third night as well, but after that, it is unlikely that the mother is still around.

5. If The Baby Is An Orphan That Needs To Remain In Care, Read On

When a wild baby loses its mother, it is in desperate trouble. Its best chance for survival is for a rescuer like you to find a wildlife rehabilitator. These rehabilitators are community volunteers, often licensed by government wildlife agencies, who know how to raise your rescued baby so that it is releasable back into the wild. They will pair it with other orphans of its species and provide expert care. Your search for a wildlife rehabilitator may take several hours and many phone calls, but try not to give up. They are usually unpaid volunteers, and there are not nearly enough of them to provide this service in all areas or for all orphans. Try calling local humane societies, animal rescue groups, vet clinics, and pet stores for contact information in your area, or search the Internet by typing in “wildlife rehabilitation” or “wildlife rehabilitator” and your location.

If you need to care for the baby while searching for a wildlife rehabilitator, or if you cannot find one in your area despite your best efforts, please read this entire article now before beginning care. This will help you avoid simple mistakes that are easy to make and could result in injury or death to the baby and heartache for you. It is also a good idea to print it out so it is handy to check details as questions arise when caring for the baby.

In some jurisdictions, keeping wildlife without a license is illegal, even small babies that need care. Carefully research the situation in your area.

Please keep wild babies separate from your pets and quarantine them for at least two weeks.

Orphaned raccoons can have parasites and are susceptible to several illnesses:

As noted above, debilitated little ones may have fleas, ticks, fly eggs, or hatched larvae.
By the time their eyes open, raccoon kits can have intestinal roundworms (baylisascaris procyonis) that have matured enough to start shedding eggs in their feces. If ingested, these eggs can infect other species, including humans. Assume for your sake as well as theirs that baby raccoons have these parasites, and de-worm them once they are stable, hydrated, and eating well, if their eyes are open. If they are tiny when you find them, wait and de-worm them the day after their eyes open. Regular de-worming during the time they remain in your care is also highly recommended.
Raccoons are susceptible to Canine Distemper and three closely related parvoviruses: Feline Panleukopenia, sometimes referred to as cat distemper, Raccoon Parvoviral Enteritis, and Mink Enteritis Virus.
Raccoons are characterized as a high-risk rabies vector species. A baby raccoon that scratches or bites or sometimes even touches a neighbor’s child, or anyone for that matter, can end up confiscated by your government wildlife agency to be killed for rabies testing. Like any mammal, raccoons can contract the rabies virus, but despite the high-risk classification given this species, rabies incidence in adult raccoons is low and in babies rare. A raccoon must be sick with rabies to spread the disease; there is no carrier state. During the time it is incubating the virus, the time between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms of illness, it is not yet sick itself and is not infective to others. Once an animal is sick with rabies, it will die within a short time.

Like a puppy or kitten, your rescued baby raccoons may become sick if they are not vaccinated and treated for parasites, so it is important to try to find a veterinarian willing to cooperate with you while you care for them until they are big enough to release back into the wild. Veterinarians will have de-worming medications and vaccinations formulated to protect pets against distemper, parvovirus, and rabies, and these vaccines can be administered off-label to raccoon kits to protect them as well. At the end of this article, you will find a list of vaccines and de-worming medications that wildlife rehabilitators have used for raccoons, as well as links to online sources.

6. Baby Raccoons Need To Be Raised With Other Baby Raccoons

If you determine that the raccoon is orphaned, it will likely have littermates that also need help, so please continue to check the area frequently for a week or more. If no siblings are found, contact local humane societies, animal rescue groups, vet clinics, and pet stores to try to find a baby raccoon buddy. Please make every effort to search out a buddy, but when introducing a new baby raccoon to ones you have, quarantine it for two weeks first in case it is incubating an illness. Young raccoons are very social, hate to be alone, and readily accept other baby raccoons, even if their ages are not precisely matched.

Baby raccoons raised with other baby raccoons bond to each other, learn from each other, and rely on each other for warmth, play, and companionship not only during rehabilitation but also after release. Young raccoons in nature will stay together and den with their siblings and mother until they are about one year old. Please understand that it is vitally important to the raccoon’s proper socialization and eventual release into the wild that it be raised with other raccoons. It must learn the social etiquette and the language of being a raccoon. A baby raccoon raised alone without other baby raccoons has a greatly reduced chance of successful release and will be very difficult for you to keep happy. It will feel insecure and cry when left alone.

7. Raccoons Do Not Make Pets

Please think ahead and focus on the fact that by the end of the summer or early fall, the small baby you have rescued will need to be set free into the wide world. Raccoons belong in the wild and do not make pets. Once they are no longer babies, they are active and independent, and if their natural independence is thwarted, they will become very destructive and bite the hand that feeds them. Spend a few minutes thinking about the deprivation of a life in a cage or a house for such a wild animal.

8. Raising A Single Raccoon

If it seems impossible to find a buddy, try not to give up but continue looking, because even older youngsters will still accept other young raccoons without much fuss. It is very important to release hand-raised raccoons in late summer or early fall in small groups of 3-6 animals to mimic a family-size unit so they can den together for warmth over their first winter. While continuing to search for buddies, make every effort to raise a single orphan as you would a group of orphans so that it retains a healthy fear of pets, particularly dogs, and other humans. When it is released, its very life will depend on such natural wariness.

On the other hand, a single orphan will bond to you as its mother substitute because, like other species of mammals, a baby raccoon’s psychological well-being depends on the feeling of security it will get from loving, attentive care. Thus, you will need to handle, cuddle, and play with it to provide comfort and some of the tactile stimulation it will miss from not having a mother or siblings to sleep and play with every day. Interaction with other people should be minimal, the ideal being that only one person ever handles it.

A single baby raccoon is nothing if not demanding and needs lots of care. Raccoon kits hate being alone, and a single one will cry a lot if left on its own. For them, it is a deprived situation because, as noted above, they would spend their first year of life constantly in the company of their mother and siblings. However, please remember that if the baby scratches or nips someone, it could end up paying with its life. Therefore, except for the times when you interact with it, keep it safely confined in a room away from high-traffic human activity. Do not treat it like a pet, getting it used to free run inside the house or habituating it to other people or species it should fear, such as dogs, since this will increase the likelihood it will get into trouble with people or pets once it is released.

9. Initial Feedings Need To Be Rehydration Solution

Orphans that have been without their mother will be suffering from chill and dehydration.

They must be thoroughly warmed first, and then, although they are starving, they must be given warmed rehydration solution before any milk formula is offered. Their dehydrated little body is simply unable to digest food, the milk solids in formula, and giving formula or other food before they are rehydrated can kill them or cause debilitating diarrhea. Pedialyte is a rehydration solution made for human babies and is available in drug stores. It often comes fruit-flavored, but if you can find the unflavored kind, that is best for wildlife babies. It should be heated to body temperature and offered frequently: every 30 minutes to babies that will take only a small amount, or every 2 hours to those that take a larger amount. Feed only Pedialyte for the first several feedings as much as the baby wants until it is rehydrated and producing lots of light yellow urine when you stimulate it. Stimulate it at each feeding using light, feathery strokes.

In an emergency, a homemade rehydration solution can be made by mixing ½ teaspoon salt + ½ tablespoon of sugar + 2 cups of water. Warm slightly to dissolve the sugar and salt. Use this homemade solution only until you can get to a drug store. Pedialyte is a balanced electrolyte solution and much better for the baby. Once Pedialyte is open, refrigerate it between feedings and discard any unused portion after 72 hours. It can be frozen in an ice cube tray, and the cubes can be stored in the freezer for use within a couple of months.

10. Feeding Tools For Baby Raccoons

At first, use a human baby nipple pushed onto the end of a 10cc syringe. Once feeding is well established, graduate to a human baby bottle and nipple. Please do not use the small pet nursing bottles available at pet stores. It is critical for YOU to control the flow of fluids, and you cannot do that with the little pet nursing bottles. Nor will the baby raccoon be able to nurse from them anyway. The short, stubby nipples on these little bottles seem to look right to our eyes, but they are next to useless for feeding baby raccoons. For the first few feedings, it is best to use a 10cc oral feeding syringe, graduating later to a human baby bottle. You can find syringes at a vet clinic or drug store. Ask for o-ring syringes rather than the single-use ones, which will stick after only a few uses. A human baby bottle nipple, try to find the ones made for premature babies since they are a little softer, works well for baby raccoons and can be pushed onto the end of the 10cc syringe. If the fit is not tight enough, you can use a wire twist tie to hold it on more securely.

If you find that a human baby nipple is too big for a very tiny newborn raccoon, PetAg makes a replacement nipple about the size of a woman’s baby finger. Although it fits their little pet nursing bottles, please use it instead pushed on the end of a 3cc oral feeding syringe. To make a perfect hole, pierce the nipple with a darning needle, then boil it and cool it with the needle still inserted. If the resulting hole is too small, do this again with a larger needle or toothpick. If the hole is a little too large, it will shrink slightly if you soak the nipple in boiling water again briefly.

Practice with the syringe and nipple by expressing liquid into a cup before trying to feed the baby. For the first few feedings, when the baby is debilitated or desperately hungry, establishing a smooth, gentle feeding regime may be difficult. The baby may fight against accepting the nipple or be frantic and want to suck the fluids too quickly, risking inhaling fluid into its lungs, which must be avoided. Or it may be weak and need you to slowly drip small amounts of rehydration fluid into its mouth. The first feedings may feel a little like a raccoon wrestling match. You will likely have to clamp your hand gently but firmly around the baby’s muzzle, holding its mouth over the nipple at first while you drip formula into its mouth, until it understands what this new feeding regime is all about. Some baby raccoons are very opinionated and need a lot of encouragement to start nursing from the nipple, while others catch on easily. Try massaging its back from its neck down to the base of the tail to stimulate its purr and sucking reaction.

11. KMR Or Esbilac Are Milk Replacement Formulas For Baby Raccoons

KMR is a kitten milk replacement formula, and Esbilac is a puppy milk replacement formula, that you should be able to purchase at a vet clinic or pet store both products are made by PetAg. KMR is closer in terms of fat-protein ratio to the mother raccoon’s milk. Even if staff at a clinic or store claim they have a product that is just as good for example, those little boxes of cat milk for adult cats to substitute, please do not accept it but call around until you find either KMR or Esbilac. Get the powdered product rather than the liquid, and keep it refrigerated after opening.

Cow’s milk, goat’s milk, soymilk, human baby formulas, and most other pet products are unsuitable and will likely cause severe diarrhea/dehydration, malnutrition, or death for the baby, and a great deal of heartache for you. Likewise, the homemade recipes for wildlife formulas posted to the Internet are often referred to as death formulas by experienced wildlife rehabilitators, so please do not use them. Again, your baby raccoon’s life depends on you getting the right formula. If you get the wrong formula, both the baby and you will undoubtedly suffer.

Gradual introduction of milk formula, following rehydration: After the baby has had several feedings of rehydration solution, introduce milk formula gradually using the following four steps:

Mix three parts rehydration solution with one part milk formula for one or two feedings.
Next, mix rehydration solution and milk formula half and half for one or two feedings.
Next, mix one part rehydration solution with three parts milk formula for one or two feedings.
Finally, go to full-strength milk formula.

One easy way to do this is to draw up one syringe of KMR or Esbilac, reconstituted according to the directions below, and express it into a coffee mug. Then, draw up three syringes of Pedialyte and express that into the mug. Mix and then feed with that solution, warmed to body temperature, for the first introduction of formula feeding and so on. Some wildlife rehabilitators advise using plain water instead of Pedialyte to dilute formula in this 4-step gradual introduction. Important mixing instructions for PetAg formula Esbilac: See www.ewildagain.org for detailed information on mixing Esbilac. PetAg changed the manufacturing process for Esbilac in 2008, resulting in a powder that does not dissolve as readily. The powder particles apparently have a hard shell. So, following these mixing directions carefully is important. The milk powder must be dissolved fully for your baby raccoon to be able to digest it.

Keep powdered formula refrigerated after it is opened.
Turn the can over several times to mix powder before measuring out what you need because some nutrients, the heavier solids, may settle to the bottom.
Mix up enough formula for 24 hours at a time and keep it refrigerated.
Mix one part powder + two parts water.
Use very hot water, about 175F, but not boiling because boiling may destroy some nutrients.
Add half of the water and stir thoroughly for at least a minute to make a smooth, thick liquid. Then add the other half of the water and again mix thoroughly.
If it is lumpy when you mix it, strain it but push the lumps through the strainer so you retain all the nutrients.
Try not to incorporate air into the formula as you mix it, and always let the reconstituted formula rest for several hours in the fridge, at least 4, preferably overnight, before using it to feed the baby. This will allow the milk powder particles to fully dissolve.
At feeding time, stir the formula again lightly and then remove only what is needed for that feeding. Warm the serving and stir again before feeding.
You may add a tiny bit of plain, unsweetened, full-fat yogurt or probiotics, such as lactobacillus acidophilus from a drug store, at feeding time to the warmed formula, once or twice a day. If using yogurt, add about one teaspoon, 5 ml, to each 1/3 cup of warmed formula.

Another Option but it must be ordered: Fox Valley Animal Nutrition makes milk replacement formulas specifically for wild orphans, including baby raccoons. If you have more than one baby raccoon and if they are very young and will require formula feeding for some time, you might want to look into this option. It is available online at http://foxvalleynutrition.com or call 800-679-4666 in the U.S. or 815-385-6404 outside the U.S.. You will save on the cost of formula by ordering it because pet store prices are usually higher. The Fox Valley formula for baby raccoons is 40/25.

If you order the Fox Valley formula, once it arrives, it is a good idea to gradually change over from the Esbilac or KMR you have been feeding: Mix three parts Esbilac or KMR with one part Fox Valley for a few feedings. Then, mix the formulas half and half for another few feedings, then one part Esbilac or KMR with three parts Fox Valley for another few feedings, and then go to full-strength Fox Valley.

12. How Much To Feed Is Based On The Baby Raccoon’s Body Weight

Make every effort to weigh baby raccoons in grams so you will know how much formula to feed them. Many people have kitchen scales that will weigh in grams, or postal scales, and certainly vet clinics would be able to weigh your baby raccoon for you. An underfed little one will be deprived of enough calories to thrive or sometimes even survive, whereas overfeeding can lead to a host of problems, including digestive upset, diarrhea, bloat, and in some cases, death. Carefully measuring the amount of formula your baby raccoon should take at each feeding will also give you insight into whether it is doing well or not. If its appetite is poor or it obviously wants much more than you calculate it should have, please take it to a veterinarian for an assessment. Keeping a record of its weight gain over the weeks of formula feeding will help you feel assured that it is gaining appropriately.

One way to temporarily estimate gram weight: A human body, and presumably a baby raccoon’s body as well, has a density very similar to that of water. In an emergency, if you cannot find a gram scale right away, you can temporarily estimate the baby raccoon’s weight by comparing it to the weight of water. To do this, you will need two identical light plastic containers. Place the baby raccoon in one and fill the other one with water. Hold the container with the raccoon in one hand and the container with the water in the other, and add or delete water until you judge that both containers are the same weight. Tip: close your eyes and switch containers back and forth between your left and right hands a few times. Then measure the amount of water in ml’s by drawing it out with a syringe 1ml = 1cc. Since 1ml of water = 1 gram, the number of ml’s of water you draw out will give you an estimate of the raccoon’s weight in grams. You can do this exercise a few times and average your results if you wish.

The 5% rule: Please do not over-feed formula to baby raccoons A good rule of thumb is to feed eyes-closed baby raccoons 5% of body weight at every feeding, with eyes-open babies comfortably taking between 5% and 7% of body weight at each meal. If the baby is weighed in grams, to calculate the number of cc 1cc = 1ml of formula per feeding, simply divide the weight by 100 and multiply by 5 to get 5%, and by 7 to get 7%.

Examples of formula amounts for each feeding, calculated at 5 – 7% of body weight:

60-gram eyes-closed baby: 3cc per feeding
100-gram eyes-closed baby: 5cc per feeding
200-gram eyes-closed baby: 10cc per feeding
300-gram eyes-closed baby: 15cc per feeding
400-gram baby: 20 – 28cc per feeding
600-gram baby: 30 – 42cc per feeding
800-gram baby: 40 – 56cc per feeding
1000-gram baby: 50 – 70cc per feeding
1250-gram baby: 63 – 80cc* per feeding

*By the time baby raccoons are taking 80cc of formula, they should be eating some solids, and you should not continue to increase formula amounts past 80cc per feeding.

Be very careful not to allow baby raccoons to take too much formula! Once feeding is well established and your baby raccoon is doing well, after its eyes are open, it can usually take a bit more formula than the 5% rule dictates, and you can be a little flexible at that point, going to 7%. However, baby raccoons have a strong need to suckle, and many will continue to suck if allowed to do so, long after they are full, taking much more formula than they should. It is safer to slightly underfeed than to overfeed. After a feeding, a baby should be comfortable, with a little plump tummy, soft and round, not a tight, bloated, or distended abdomen. Overfeeding can be a very serious problem with nursing baby raccoons that can lead to death, so always measure formula at each feeding.

Baby raccoons love to suck, and what they really want, much like human babies, is more sucking rather than more formula. In nature, they would have their mother with them almost all the time and would spend long periods of time nursing, much more than the few minutes it takes them to finish a bottle. Most will not accept a human pacifier, occasionally they will however, so try if you wish by sewing one or two onto their bedding or a plush soft toy you give them in their nest. However, they will often readily suck on their surrogate mother’s thumb and fingers. If you wear latex exam gloves over the light little cotton gloves you can find in drug stores, made to keep cream on hands overnight, it will allow you to spend 10 or 15 minutes after each feeding, comfortably satisfying the baby’s need to suck. The gloves protect your hands and also protect the baby’s pallet from your hard fingernail.

Note: Because young babies love to suck, they will sometimes suck on each other’s ears or other parts of their bodies, even another baby’s penis. If this happens, watch closely for any redness or swelling and be prepared to separate the babies if need be, until they are a little older and this need to suckle lessens. Try feeding baby raccoons that are sucking on each other smaller amounts more frequently, and allow them to suck on your fingers after each feeding for as long as you can spare the time.

If your baby raccoon is not taking the amount of formula you calculate it needs:

Check to be sure it is comfortable and warm.
Wash its face and genitals with a warm cloth and stimulate it to pee.
Make sure it is not dehydrated try a feeding or two of rehydration solution.
Make sure you are feeding in a quiet room with no distractions.
Try wrapping the baby snugly in a soft cloth, covering over its eyes to reduce its stress.
Hold the baby in an upright position, not on its back,