House mouse orphan, ID and care.

Question
Hi,
Thanks ahead of time for your help!

My roommate found a baby mouse yesterday and was just going to throw it in the dumpster.. so I scooped it up and have been feeding him ever since. I promise I have questions post description...

A little info:
The genitals appear to be male, hence sex ID. He's a pinkie, depending on research, between 3-5 days today. A picture frame fell on him twice yesterday in my roommates trash can and he was stunned, barely breathing, but has come around majorly ever since last night, no injury seems to have been sustained.

Care:
I've been caring for him based on how my mother and I cared for orphaned squirrel babies.. a russian fur hat that I loathe has found its calling as a bed turned inside out in a tubbeware with a space heater a few feet away on low. The ear flaps tie over the top and I wrap loosely an additional light cotton fabric layer over to insulate. He likes burrowing in it and seems to stay warm and comforted as he disappears completely into the fur.

I scald whole milk and add white karo syrup and began trying to feed it to him warm with an eye dropper yesterday but he's so small that this didn't work at all. So with a shortage of baby bird feeders apparent, I've started giving it to him by the soaked tip of a q-tip every 1-2 hours, which he suckles after much wiggling and a little soft prying.

Then rubbing of his eensy little belly and I pee/poop him with a warm cotton tip. He isn't bloating. He didn't pee the whole first day, and both first poops were dark brown and hard. Today he peed twice, maybe more, and his poop is softer and mustard brownish.

I have taken pics of him with a quarter, and done extensive comparison leading me to believe he is a 3-4 day old or a runt/peanut and an older age. His back is a little dark, so he doesn't look like a total newborn. He seems a little underweight leading me to believe either he's not eating enough, is stunted, or if he was a two day old yesterday then he didn't get enough colostrum from mummy which is a big oh-fack.



QUESTIONS:
Should I switch to KRM for nutrition?

How do I gauge his intake and judge his weight?

Any suggestions about feeding/care based on my description? He's very close to this, just thinner: (http://www.fancymice.info/selfsmall.jpg)

I so so appreciate your availability, if you're still active. I haven't found any other recent support.

Thanks again!

Answer
Dear Julia,

Yes, do switch to KMR cut half with pedialyte or filtered water (no fluoride).

I  advise against a Q tip because a tiny fiber can come off, choking him. A small watercolor brush works well.

My advice is to feed him till he refuses.

Tardiness of my answer notwithstanding, I can give you a lot of help, assuming you are on Facebook. Here is the link to a document in the site I run Rats and Mice are awesome (feel free to join. The Facebook name is only Rats are Awesome).

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RatsandMiceareAwesome/doc/358084420972428/

This document has two sections of links which will help: Care of Pinkies, and Breeding.

There is a link under the pinkies section for a set of ten videos about raising mouse pinkies. Use The KMR instead of her formula, though. She has changed her mind :)

Friend me (the only Natasha Millikan on Facebook) and tell me who you are. I will add you to a message thread with people who have raised rat or mouse pinkies, as well as the woman who made the videos.


If you aren't on Facebook write back and I will send you the links from that document.

Best of luck and health to the little tyke-- and what a great bed he has!

Squeaks,

Natasha