NATIVE AUSTRALIAN ANIMAL RESCUE

Raising orphaned joeys is often difficult and time consuming, problems associated with hand rearing orphans cannot be overemphasised and it is not a task for the faint hearted. To do it successfully requires dedication, knowledge, time and a strong sense of responsibility, plus a certain amount of spare cash. If you are in any doubt as to your suitability as a foster parent contact your local rescue organisation as soon as possible, your local vet should be able to provide you with details. With the help of experienced carers you will most likely have a good success rate and thoroughly enjoy the most rewarding experience of hand rearing your own little orphaned joey.

The newly orphaned joey is likely to be suffering from shock and stress as a result of the incidents leading up to its rescue. Stress will be suffered as a result of separation from the mother due to loss of warmth and nourishment, and possibly dehydration. Joey should be made secure in a warm substitute pouch, made from a non-fibrous material. do not use wool or furry material as joey may suck on it and get the fibres down his throat or gut, then you have more problems. After placing your joey in a suitable pouch, leave the joey alone until it has settled, and restrict initial handling to one person. Keep children, curious adults and pets away, a quiet room with no disturbances helps the joey settle in. Over handling particularly by small children can be so stressful it can lead to death of the joey. Your joey needs: QUIET, SECURITY, WARMTH and NOURISHMENT.

Many orphaned joeys are found stressed, dehydrated and often injured and should always be taken to a vet for immediate assessment, even just correcting dehydration gets orphans off to a good start. If your joey has any open wounds he should have a tetanus shot as soon as possible as kangaroos and wallabies are all susceptible to tetanus.

Marsupial milk changes in composition during lactation to provide the nourishment required for different stages of joeys development. Joeys have to be trained to drink artificial milk formulas from artificial teats, specially designed teats are available, made from soft rubber, so as not to damage joeys sensitive mouth. The first few days can be quite trying as joey gets used to the unnatural teat and milk. There are companies which produce milk replacers specially designed for marsupials, these milk formulas are designed and graded according to the age of the joey to mirror the changes which occur in nature. there are four grades for kangaroos. Growth charts are available from your local vet, these charts use hindfoot, tail and weight measurements of individual species to help you determine the age of your joey. These growth charts also give the recommended amounts of milk to be fed. If it isn't possible to get the proper formula immediately, it is possible to keep joey alive on half strength, full cream powdered milk (do not exceed 150ml/kg of body weight/day) and do not keep joey on this formula any longer than necessary. Water should be offered to joeys from a young age, as the milk formulas only cater to the joeys nutritional needs, your joey will also get thirsty.

Maintaining strict hygiene is essential at all times to minimise bacterial contamination of joeys environment. Feeding implements should be sterilised between feeds by boiling or a soaking in a sterilising solution. Joeys are normally stimulated to urinate and defaecate by their mothers licking them. After each feed you will need to stimulate these procedures by gently rubbing the cloaca with a tissue. The aim is to keep the joeys living quarters clean and dry, and also failure to toilet your joey may lead to urinary tract , kidney, or bowel disease. Joeys pouch should be changed immediately it becomes soiled, and joey washed with a gentle soap, as joeys will quickly succumb to disease if they are left in dirty, wet and cold pouches.

Joeys do not show signs of being sick as plainly as dogs or cats, and when they do it usually means they are very sick, you must contact you local vet as soon as possible. They may show signs of loss of appetite, drinking less or not interested in the bottle, weakness, diarrhoea, coughing or anything you notice which is different from normal behaviour. Due to their reliance on intestinal micro-organisms to digest their food, joeys should never be given antibiotics by mouth, only by injection.

Diarrhoea is quite common in hand-reared joeys and can result from a combination of factors such as poor diet, irregular feeding patterns, bacterial infections from poor hygiene and stress, it is important to rectify the cause and replace fluid loss. Weaning is a time when most mistakes are made. Kangaroos and Wallabies are on milk for as long when they are out of the pouch, as they were in the pouch. They should be weaned off their bottles very slowly. Their pouch should be available for joey to return to in case it feels threatened or is cold. Solid food such as kangaroo pellets, grass with roots attached, fruit and a bowl of fresh water should be freely available to joey at this time.

Most Kangaroos and Wallabies are protected by law, if you do decide to become a foster parent to an orphaned joey you must contact your local National Parks and Wildlife department to obtain the appropriate wildlife rescue permit. Please think long and hard before deciding to keep Kangaroos or Wallabies, when they grow up they need space, a suburban back yard is not suitable, they must have an area in which to " hop".

Joeys need lots of cuddles, this is best done with the joey in the pouch where it feels safe and secure, they have a close association with their mothers for quite some time after they leave the pouch permanently and become independent. Hand-rearing an orphaned joey is so rewarding in so many ways it must be treated in the same way as caring for a human premature baby, which creates a very strong bond, and they all have their own personalities, everyone being different, it is wonderful to see one of your little charges grow into adulthood, and devastating to the one which does not make it. If you have the time, patience, money and emotional resilience I would recommend the experience to you.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE FURTHER READING ON THIS SUBJECT , WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING BOOK. KANGAROO PRESS, ISBN 08641788972,Rec PRICE AU$24.95.(an inprint of Simon & Schuster)

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