Paws 'N Claws

Shower the Babies with Love

Click HERE to learn more.

It’s Springtime, and the orphaned wild baby animals are arriving at All Things Wild where they will be raised by humans and surrogates from their own species and returned to the wild as strong, capable juveniles.  Without All Things Wild and other wildlife rehabilitators, these helpless babies wouldn’t have a chance.  
 
To celebrate Spring and to make sure the orphans have the best of care, All Things Wild is holding a BABY SHOWER for the tiny birds and animals.  The idea is to shower the orphans with donations and supplies to give them a chance to fulfill their destinies in the wild.  
 
To help the orphans, the ambassador animals have prepared a series of paintings that will be raffled off beginning Thursday, April 15, with the drawing held at 2 pm on Sunday, April 25.  There are other prizes too, like  3 nights in a Port Aransas beach condo, jello shots, tea and coffee, Kendra Scott jewelry, fishing supplies, and baskets featuring cottontails, raccoons, skunks, and more.  In addition, we’ve prepared a special Springtime Baby Shower Gift Registry at Amazon with supplies for the little ones.  
 
Our staff and volunteers work very hard feeding and caring for the orphaned babies.  Please help them care for the little orphans by participating in our RAFFLE, sending a DONATION, and ordering an item from the BABY GIFT REGISTRY.   Thank you!  

Found a Baby Animal? 
Here’s What to Do


A newborn squirrel needs to be kept warm.

Pick up the baby and put her on a soft clean towel in a box or plastic container.  Don’t leave the baby on the ground.  Remember, the “touching” prohibition is a myth.  Consider reuniting the baby with her wild parents.  Call All Things Wild for information on reuniting (512-897-0806). 

Keep the baby warm.  Young animals, especially those with closed eyes or without a full coat of feathers or fur, cannot generate their own body heat so putting the baby under a blanket or towel won’t keep the baby warm.  You need to add an external heat source.  Some ideas are a heating pad on low, bottle of hot water wrapped in a towel, heated rice sock, your warm hands and body, a heat lamp, or a warm area like a garage.  Be careful that the baby doesn’t overheat or burn.  Keeping the baby warm is crucial.  If the baby is cold to the touch, he is COLD.  Treat the wild baby like you would a human baby.  

Call All Things Wild 512-897-0806 for information on bringing the baby to us or another rehabilitator.  (See below for a link to a list of wildlife rehabilitators by county.)
 
It is always best not to feed the baby but to take it to a wildlife rehabilitator immediately.
 
If necessary, hydrate with Pedialyte or a generic equivalent of electrolyte fluid.  In a pinch, warm tap water is better than no fluids at all.  Use an eye dropper or syringe and give drop by drop making sure the baby swallows each time.  All baby animals arrive in rehabilitation dehydrated.
 
Never give cow’s milk to a wild baby animal.  Cow’s milk contains enzymes that the baby cannot digest, which will cause diarrhea and ultimately death.  In a pinch, warm goat’s milk is generally digestible by most wild babies but for a limited time only.  In the long-run, wild babies need milk replacer formulated with the correct balance of protein and fat for their species.  All Things Wild and most rehabilitators have species-specific milk replacer for the wild babies.
 
Keep the wild babies wild.  Remember, it is against the law in Texas to keep a wild animal in captivity without a permit from Texas Parks and Wildlife.  If the baby cannot be reunited with her parents, take the baby to All Things Wild or a wildlife rehabilitator.  For a list of local rehabilitators by county, google TPWD Wildlife Rehabilitators by county or click HERE. 

For more information on a specific species of animal, like birds, squirrels, opossums, fawns, etc., click HERE.
 

Burn Baby Burn
 

In our area, there are numerous piles of dead limbs and trees left from the winter freeze.  Most of the piles have been there for a long time.  If you plan to burn the pile, PLEASE don’t start the fire until you have checked underneath for a nest of baby wildlife.  The piles are prime habitat for baby bunny nests and other wildlife.  Take a long stick and poke around underneath.  You can also start the fire in a nearby location and throw on the wood from the original pile.  From our prospective at ATW, we can’t begin to tell you how awful it is to be brought scorched and burned babies in horrible pain who usually can’t be saved.