The below listed products used in orphan opossum care are either mentioned in our presentations, educational handouts, newsletter articles, website, or mentioned in the Orphan Opossum Care Manual we sell. Websites change, are moved or run out of product frequently. If you find a website that is no longer functioning, please notify us via our website Contact Us page at: https://opossumsocietyus.org/contact-us/ and let us know so we can keep this list updated.
Advantage II Flea & Tick repellent (CAT DOSAGE by pounds)
www.Amazon.com
PetSmart, PetCo, WalMart, Pet supply stores
Bach’s Rescue Remedy – for calming rescued opossums. Place 2-3 drops on a Kleenex and place next to opossum to inhale. Don’t administer directly, contains alcohol.
www.Walmart.com
Bioplasma cell salts (Hyland’s homeopathic) for restoring strength & energy to aged/down opossums. Dissolve one tablet in a small amount of water and mix the water into their food for at least a week. Use tweezers to remove a tablet from its container or shake one tablet into container lid, don’t touch with your fingers.
www.Amazon.com
Vitamin & Health Food Stores
Bulb Syringe for aspirated formula
Drug stores/Walmart
www.Walmart.com
Burlap bags “Burlap potato sack” 23” x 40” for storing branches before placing in runs
www.Amazon.com
www.Uline.com
Cages (need 11 gauge ½” x 1” wire)
Check with your state for cage dimension requirements
CDE animal cages (will custom make with ½” x 1” wire and ship anywhere in USA)
www.cdecages.com
www.kwcages.com in San Diego, CA
Outdoor chicken coop cages
www.amazon.com
Calcium Carbonate 600 mg (no vitamin D added) Swanson’s vitamins (adjust dose to equal 700-800 mg daily).
www.allstarhealth.com/de_p_ref/13684/bing13684/Now_Calcium_Carbonate_-_Pure_Powder.htm?msclkid=4c615f924a6e1ecdc8493eda977f85d2
Capstar use at cat dosage
www.amazon.com
www.1800PetMeds.com
Ensure®
Original Nutritional Shake (made for humans, good for wildlife) Recommend vanilla or strawberry flavored – quick, palatable way to get balanced combination of vitamins and minerals into the animal or animals with loose teeth or injured jaws.
www.Amazon.com
Pharmacies, grocery stores, WalMart, Target
Ferret hammocks – good for use as opossum den box/sleeping area (will need cover material for opossum to burrow under in the hammock).
www.ferret.com/sleepers-and-hideouts/hammocks/207/
Flea Repellent
Advantage II, Frontline Spray, Revolution, Capstar – All cat doses
Veterinary office or:
Pet Meds www.1800petmeds.com 800 738-6337
Pet supply stores
#3½ & #5 French Feeding Tubes
For tube feeding and/or providing a soft tip to your syringe feeding.
https://henryspets.com/red-rubber-feeding-tube/
Or ask your vet to place an order for you with his/her next order.
Food containers
www.amazon.com search “airtight dog food containers”
www.Wayfair.com
www.PetCo.com
Formula
Fox Valley Formula www.foxvalleynutrition.com/
847-687-3200 or nk**@*ol.com
32/40 For opossums under 45g
25/30 For opossums 45g to weaning (also indicates squirrel + cottontails on label)
Water temperature thermometer to have correct temperature at time of mixing powder/water
www.amazon.com
Plug in formula by brand name or homemade formula to view nutritional value for your species- for those adjusting their packaged formula to better match opossum formula needs.
www.ewildagain.org/calculator.html
Formula Warming Device Don’t use microwave, use human baby milk warmer
Walmart or Kmart for under $20.00 (have to use one for humans).
Gram scales weighing opossums.
www.amazon.com
Hill’s Prescription Diet – Feline a/d
Veterinary Office
Homeopathic Remedies – Plug in homeopathic remedy name and search
(local health food or vitamin stores)
www.vitaminshoppe.com
www.amazon.com
www.botanicchoice.com
Homeopathy Information
www.ewildagain.org/health.html
www.abchomeopathy.com (search by remedy name)
Illumination
Finger lights
Party finger lights for kids – keeps hands free when handling opossums at night
www.Amazon.com
Headlamps – illuminates handling area at night, keeping hands free
www.amazon.com/s?k=headlamps+for+adults&crid=3DW53A4YCJHXV&sprefix=headlamps%2Caps%2C347&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_4_9
Strobe flashlight – temporarily blinds predators; wildlife and humans, when threatening you during release. MAKE SURE HAS STROBE FUNCTION
www.Amazon.com
Irrigation flags (wire) – See video on our website on “Adding Water Bottle Support in Opossum Cage” www.opossumsocietyus.org/water-bottle-support-opossum-cage/
Lowes, Home Depot, ACE Hardware
Kaopectate Antidiarrheal Liquid (for humans)
Opossum dose = 0.25-0.5 ml/kg PO q 4-6 hrs prn
www.Amazon.com
Pharmacies, grocery stores
Manuka Honey -internally for upset stomach, externally for wounds, burns
Manuka Honey USA https://manukora.com 800 395-2196
Metamucil Fiber Supplement – Laxative. Opossum dose = 1/8 to ¼ tsp/kg q 12 hrs disguised in food.
Better choice for a laxative = CANNED PUMPKIN, NOT canned Pumpkin Pie Filling. 1/8 c. per lb of body weight, twice a day. WAIT 24 HOURS, then repeat, if necessary.
www.Amazon.com
Pharmacies, most grocery stores
Mirror (searching underneath and above objects to locate loose opossums, ie. cages, furniture, cars) Choose a telescoping, lighted mirror, otherwise you’ll have to use both hands to hold both mirror and flashlight.
www.amazon.com
O-ring syringes O-ring syringes glide smoother to prevent plunger sticking followed by “forceful squirts”. Last longer than regular syringes
Fox Valley Nutrition www.foxvalleynutrition.com 708-683-9802
www.chewy.com
Pedialyte Pops already frozen, easy to store in freezer, handy for a quick meltdown to administer via syringe (needs to be fed at room temperature after meltdown)
Walmart and most supermarkets in the baby food section
Pedialyte Powder packs – keeps longer than bottles of Pedialyte liquid, ready to mix into a liquid. Allow to dissolve completely before feeding.
Most supermarkets in the baby food section
Pet-Tinic – B-Complex and Iron in a meat-flavored base. For iron deficiency anemia and flea anemia or depression. Opossum dose = 1ml per 10 lbs PO BID
www.1800PetMeds.com
www.Amazon.com
www.PetSmart.com
Pool Rescue Ramps – read information on our website on protecting opossums from pools:
www.opossumsocietyus.org/keeping-opossums-safe-from-pools-and-spas/
www.skamper-ramp-store.com/regular-skamper-ramp.html
Also available at PetSmart and many other pet stores
Probiocin
Bene-bac Plus Pet Gel digestive enzymes
www.Amazon.com
Rag Lady
Clean ravel-free rags to securely wrap babies in while syringe feeding
866 724-7787 www.raglady.com
Toxiban suspension – for poisonings, except inorganic salt and heavy metal poisoning. Will turn feces black. Will stain fabrics black. Better to use Universal Antidote Gel (see below). Follow label instructions for dosing.
www.JeffersPet.com
www.WalMart.com
www.Amazon.com
Universal Animal Antidote gel – Poisonings. Comes in tube, less messy. Follow label instruction for dosing
www.ValleyVet.com
www.Amazon.com
Warmers (More insulation will be needed between the heat source and babies’ sleeping pouch as the warmers max temperatures always exceed the opossum norm of 95°)
Snuggle safe heating disk
www.Amazon.com
www.WalMart.com
Hot hands warmers (average temp. 135°, max. 156°- lasts 7+ hours
www.warmers.com/collections/hothands
Heating Pads
Make sure it’s not on a timer to shut off automatically. Never use higher than “LOW” setting
www.Amazon.com
www.Walmart.com
www.Target.com
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Waterbator construction – on OSUS website at www.opossumsocietyus.org/critter-care-waterbator/
Wheels, exercise
Contact Opossum Society of U.S. for wheel plans to build it yourself
References
ASPCA
Plants poisonous to animals
https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/17-plants-poisonous-pets
CalFire – Active fires in the state of California
www.fire.ca.gov/
National Interagency Fire Center – Current fires in USA
www.nifc.gov/fire-information/nfn
Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States (HSUS))
List of wildlife rehabilitators by state
** Note, Humane World for Animals hasn’t been updating this list. State agencies tend to move pages around on their website. OSUS checks each state link before forwarding the information to requesting parties. Check the OSUS Contact US page on our website for more information: www.opossumsocietyus.org/contact-us/
Opossum Society of the United States
www.OpossumSocietyUS.org
Rabies
Check rabies by species that tested positive for each state.
https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/php/protecting-public-health/
USGS National Wildlife Health Center (medical personnel alert wallet cards for wildlife rehabilitators-make a copy for all of your personal doctors to have in your medical records).
www.usgs.gov/media/files/medical-wallet-card-wildlife-professionals
Weather National Weather National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
www.noaa.gov/weather
Rev. 11/03/2023