You Found an Opossum
Most baby opossum are found when someone stops to check an adult opossum lying on the street or highway. They may see a baby crawling on the female opossum’s belly or see something moving in her pouch. Any young opossum found with a dead mother or in a dead mother’s pouch needs you to contact PWRR as soon as possible. If you see a baby opossum alone in the yard and it is less than nine inches long from nose to the end of its butt (not including the tail), it is probably an orphan or has been left behind.
Signs of Illness:
If you notice any of these, call PWRR immediately
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Cold and lethargic
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Covered in fleas, ants, ticks, or flies/flystrike (looks like small clusters of rice anywhere on the animal)
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Dehydrated
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Has been in a cat's or dog's mouth
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Broken limbs, cuts, or bruises
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Has been fed any kind of formula or food
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Head tilt
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Bleeding
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Unable to stand or move without falling over
What You Can Do
If you need to get an animal to PWRR, the most important thing is to keep them warm and quiet.
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Container:
Put in a shoebox or other small container with several air holes in the lid and a towel, fleece cloth, or tee shirt in the bottom. Tape the lid to secure. Adult animals need to be contained in a dog or cat carrier.
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Heating:
If you have a heating pad, set to low and place the box half on/off the pad so the animal can move away from the heat if needed.
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Rice Bag- Fill a sock or knee-high pantyhose with uncooked dry rice. Microwave the rice-filled sock for 30 to 60 seconds. This heat source will last around 20 to 30 minutes. Place the rice sock in the container under the towel, and place the animal on or near it, but not in direct contact with the rice sock.
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Ziploc Bag- Fill a bag with warm (not hot) water, put it inside another bag, and place under the towel next to the animal. The double bag guards against leaks and prevents the animal from getting wet and chilled.
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Food/Water:
DO NOT attempt to feed or give anything to drink. The wrong foods can quickly cause enteritis (diarrhea) and death. Keeping the animal warm is more important than feeding.
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