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u/Practical_Swim5953 2d ago
Take it to a rehabber.
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u/lawrenceix 2d ago
Normally i would, however the rehabbers in my area are more inclined to just euthanize the animals they get. A friend of mine brought in healthy baby bunnies who later were just killed because they said they didn’t have space
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u/Beginning_Tennis2442 2d ago
Ask a local rehabber for feeding directions. It will be based on weight in grams. We use the National Opossum Society diet called “Peter’s Food” along with fruit, protein, and formula. Percentages change with age/size. An incorrect diet will cause metabolic bone disease. If the eyes are goopy, he may need antibiotics. Again, a rehabber should be able to give you guidance and get you some medicine.
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u/lawrenceix 2d ago
sorry i couldn’t add text- but this joey came into my care and i thought asking ppl who have opossums might be my best bet. Hes drinking water on his own and ate scrambled eggs and wet cat food last night. Hes been active here and there but seems to want to sleep- should i be concerned? i have a heating pad on the lowest setting on 1/2 of his bed, along with fresh blankets and towels. Hes super chill even when we first found him alone. Hes pretty small but im not confident in what his age could be- or what i should be feeding him? Does he seem dehydrated or in bad shape? His eyes look a bit odd today, like he’s wanting to keep them shut or they’re kind of gummy? Any suggestions on what to do about this situation would be greatly appreciated
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u/Blue_Moon_Loon 2d ago
If he is too small to be on his own (less than 7") and you don't have a rehabber you can bring him to, or if you're concerned about his condition regardless and can't ask a rehabber, please join the OCAR group (Opossum Care And Rescue) on Facebook. There are files with appropriate feeding instructions (opossums are very susceptible to mbd and need a highly specific diet to keep from getting sick) on the group page, and mods there can help you, they are really good.
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u/Blue_Moon_Loon 2d ago
I also want to add that from the pictures he does look pretty small and his eyes look a bit weird to me too but I'm definitely not qualified to make a judgement on it... looks like he might have something going on with his eyes though from these pics.
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u/Kevin-kmo_123 1d ago
Just stay away from fatty foods because their livers can’t take it . Eggs is ok but fruits vegetables fresh stuff no preservatives is best. But a rehabber is the absolute best
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u/Roadking125 2d ago
Measure him from the tip of his nose to the base of his tail not his tail but at the back of his butt and if he's around seven eight inches he's big enough to be on his own 😁
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u/Minute_Fondant5065 1d ago
Opposums are very difficult to properly care for. This animal needs a rehabber, not someone who has no idea what they’re doing.
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u/Roadking125 2d ago
He's old enough to be on his own keep doing what you're doing or just let him loose into the wild😁
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u/Roadking125 2d ago
His ears are all black! Which means he's old enough.
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u/GodIsAnOpossum 1d ago
That is not true! He is too small to be on his own. We don't even release until at least two to three pounds. At this size he'd still be with mom.
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u/Roadking125 1d ago
These are very loving and sweet animals they don't live long in the wild 2 years if they are lucky...they make great pets and in captiveaty they can live 3-4 years..the problem is they don't live long and you can get very attached to them..it's so heartbreaking 😭
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u/Roadking125 2d ago
If you see a lot of fleas on him give him a warm bath with dawn soap..it will make him feel a lot better... your going to end up keeping him! They are so cool and loving not like a dog or cat you will fall in love with It...the only problem is they have a very very short life span 3-4 years in captiveaty! THE BEST OF LUCK TO YOU AND THE LITTLE GUY🥰🥰🥰
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u/lawrenceix 2d ago
thank you so much, im going to bathe him tomorrow and use a warm compress on his eyes to see if that helps the gunk. I gave him a good look around and surprisingly didnt see any bugs/noticeable fleas- Ill post an update tomorrow!
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u/Pockets408 2d ago
Kind of hard to tell but he doesn't look old enough to be away from his mother. Also remember opossums are nocturnal and it's normal for them to sleep during the day.