Instructions
Give plenty of sterile fluids to wild baby raccoons. It's very common for baby raccoons to experience five percent dehydration. The most obvious sign of dehydration is doughy textured skin. Give them a product like Pedialyte (clear) administered with an oral tube.
Keep the raccoons warm. Baby raccoons have unstable body temperatures. They don't have much hair or body weight which causes them to lose heat quickly. A hot water bottle wrapped in a towel provides the necessary warmth without harming the young raccoons.
Treat them for parasites. Parasites are common on wild raccoons. Give the raccoons a bath with a mild shampoo. Use a flea spray made for puppies or kittens to treat flea infestation. Remove ticks by hand. Using a pair of sterilized tweezers, grab the part of the tick on the part that is attached to the skin. Avoid grabbing the body because if you mash it accidentally, you and the raccoon will be exposed to all of its infection and toxins.
Feed them regularly. During the first days of life until the raccoons reach about 31 days old, feed them warmed, reconstituted kitten milk replacer using a plastic tube attached to a syringe. As they become more adept at feeding, replace the syringe with a kitten nursing bottle. The babies should be massaged and burped after each feeding.
Provide housing. Once the raccoons reach eight to 10 months old, separate them into groups (according to their size) and keep them in steel primate cages. Keep the cages a few feet off the ground to keep other raccoons and animals away.
Release them back into the wild. Raccoons are wild animals. Once they reach four to five months of age, they are old enough to fend for themselves. Raccoons, like many animals, are creatures of habit and enjoy a free meal. Leave the cage door open with food and water until they stop coming back.
How To Raise Wild Raccoons
If you've ever wondered how to raise wild raccoons, you should know that these animals have special dietary and other needs. Young raccoons usually remain with their mother for an entire year learning to hunt and other survival skills. If you rescue a young raccoon with the intention of reintroducing it into the wild, you'll need to understand care basics.