The Opossum (Part One)

Warning: This article contains a graphic description that may be disturbing to some readers.

I noticed the dead animal, either a cat or an opossum, laying in the alley behind my yard just as I was heading for a walk. I was planning on clearing the alley abutment that day and was certainly not expecting what other plans were in store.

As I approached the animal, the fur was a golden brown, more suitable to a cat. However, the hairless curved tail was unmistakably an opossum. Although I don’t like removing roadkill, I’ve done it by my house. This cleanup was the worst I’ve done. Not only was there an adult opossum, but a few babies also dead within a few inches from mom. Worse yet, the opossum was disemboweled with intestines still attached but laying outside of the body.

It was getting hot and there is no shade on the outside in the alley, so I cut the foliage from the inside. I got on the ground clearing a bunch of weeds. And then …. I found it. There was a small animal moving around on the ground right outside my fence. I grabbed it and realized it was an opossum that obviously survived whatever happened to its family. It was a little over a few feet from mom but hidden.

I brought it near the garage and put it in the shade while looking for a proper box. It was making a chirping sound like a bird. Then I went back into the alley on hands and knees searching for any other survivors. I looked over and over but didn’t see anymore. This turned everything upside down. The rest of the yardwork was cancelled. The next several hours were spent doing research on how to care for it. As a rehabber, I’ve only dealt with raccoons.

I got a small cardboard box with cedar chip bedding and placed it on a heating pad in the bathtub. I added a nice baby blanket and two heated water bottles wrapped in blankets. (These were removed for the pictures.)  As a general rule, the first 12 – 24 hours should focus on keeping the animal warm and hydrated. No food. Pedialyte is recommended, which I didn’t have. Wildlife-Education.com recommends three teaspoons of sugar, and one teaspoon of salt dissolved in one quart of very warm water.

The poor opossum was cold when I found it and I have no idea how long it was out there, so it wasn’t good. His heated box was good. There is an issue with opossums needing to be tube-fed because they don’t naturally suckle. That’s a big problem. I’ve never done it and am not comfortable with putting a tube down an animals’ throat. How far do you go? What if it goes in the wrong place?

I searched for a long time online. Instructions were not clear enough. Like, measure from the tip of the nose to the end of the stomach. Well, I can see the tip of the nose but how do you know where the stomach ends? Finally, I found someone (don’t recall the site) who said you go by the last rib.

I had a catheter/feeding tube from a vet, which some rehabbers use. Others warned against these because they have two holes at the end and fluid can get into the lungs. Finally, I found a video by Floyd Murray who had a baby opossum about the same size and used a syringe. I decided to try that.

Another crucial factor was how much to feed. It’s based on their weight, measured in grams, and I only had an old oz/pound scale. It was 1 1/2 oz. I could barely get the opossum’s mouth open but managed to get a few drops of the makeshift Pedialyte every few hours. I slept in intervals. Everything fed had to be heated up. It was inconvenient but well worth the effort. The H&I network was playing the medical drama House from 1 – 3 a.m., which was a big help.

The next day I called the Morgan Park Animal Hospital, Bevlab Clinic, Beverly Hills Clinic, and PetSmart, in that order based on closest location, for Esbilac puppy milk replacement. There were disputes online about puppy milk versus goat milk. Well, only PetSmart had puppy milk. No one had goat milk.

The first stop was to Walgreens for the Pedialyte. Unfortunately, neither Walgreens nor PetSmart had gram scales. The opossum clung to the syringe with the Pedialyte and seemed to enjoy it. It was the best feeding, as he seemed to be getting the hang of it. I searched online for a gram scale and placed an order. Sometime between midnight and 3 a.m., the opossum passed away.  

One of the first facts that wildlife rehabilitators learn is that half of the animals that go to rehab centers die or have to be euthanized. Furthermore, the Wildlife Rescue League states that an opossum’s life span ranges from 2 to 3 years with mortality particularly high during the first year of life. There is some sense of solace with this knowledge. However, it does not prevent the caregiver considerable sadness and tears when an animal dies.  

I don’t believe in coincidences. There is always a message being sent that we can learn from. I’ve told others that when they have an animal encounter that alters their plans, gets their attention, causes them to do research, etc., they’ve been tapped. There is a need to help them. We really don’t know what could be going on in our own backyards. Had I not found it, he would have naturally decomposed and I never would have known. This was the first time I’ve ever touched an opossum but he touched me in more ways than one. The opossum, in general, deserves a follow-up article.