orphaned mouse too skinny

Question
Please help me, I'm frantic.  I rescued an orphaned mouse 9 days ago.  I'm guessing it was only one day old then.  I've been feeding it baby formula and it's just now showing signs of weight loss.  It's poor little body is skin and bones.  I've been feeding it every two ours around the clock for nine days.  It still has no fur and it's eyes are still closed.  I don't know what to do to help it gain weight.  I'm worried the poor little thing is starving to death slowly.
I'm following all the instructions I have found on the internet, but feel I'm slowly losing the battle.
Please help asap...thanks so much

Answer
Dear Kim,

Thank you for the amazing task of nursing a baby mouse every two hours for nine days. The mouse goddess is surely smiling down on you.

I sure wish I were a vet and could help better in these cases.  I'm not medically trained and I am still learning (this is definitely not my area of expertise, as you can see by my profile). However it's the middle of the night and you don't have anywhere else to turn.  I'll give you the best advice I can.

The best thing to feed a mouse pup is kitten milk replacement (KMR). I know websites all say different things, but they pretty much all agree that cow's milk is bad for them. If the formula you have is soy, that's better, but still I recommend the KMR. Plain soy milk is fine until you get the KMR; but no cow's milk or milk baby formula. KMR should be diluted half strength, and the pup should eat all that it can, even giving it a five minute break after it refuses, and trying again.

There is a possibility that the skin clinging to the bones is a sign of dehydration. You need to also pick up some Pedialyte, or another electrolyte solution meant for babies. When you next feed the baby, give it a solution of only 10%  undiluted KMR and 90% Pedialyte. The next feeding should be 20-80, then 30-70, then 40-60, then 50-50, and after that, slowly replace the pedialyte with water so you have your diluted solution.

I hope this does it. Your little tyke is in a very precarious situation. It's pretty incredible that it has survived this long, found so young. I really wish it the very best. Please don't blame yourself in any way if it doesn't make it. A one day old orphan pup has only a small chance of survival in the best of conditions. Thank you so much for caring. Let me know what happens.

squeaks,

Natasha
<:3  )--~