HOW OLD IS IT?

A guide to aging orphaned raccoon kits.

AGE

WEIGHT

(grams)

WEIGHT

(ounces and/or pounds)

DESCRIPTION:

Progression of eye, ear, fur, tooth and sound development.

Movement, motor skills, diet, deworming, and vaccinations shedules.

Newborn

45-90

1.5-3

Naked, furless. Eyes and ears sealed. Umbilical cord drops off between the 3rd and 5th days. Aprox 4inches or 9cm long. Ideally should be housed in incubator, at 100 degree’s F.

7 days

100-200

3-7

Eyes and ears sealed, mask and tail rings present, beginnings of underfur on back and sides.

14 days

(2 wks)

150-200

5-7

Eyes and ears sealed, but eye slits apparent. Mask and tail rings present, starting to fur in. No more night feeds. Sounds: snorts, chirr’s, alarm (guinea pig) squeal. Starting to do the ‘spider’ crawl.

21 days

(3 wks)

150-250

5-8

Eyes open at 21-23 days, ears unsticking from head, will start responding to sound, furring in more obvious, tail furred.

25 days

200-300

7-10

Eyes open, ears up, fully responding to sound, more vocal, fully furred. Upper 2nd and 3rd, incisors erupt, days 25 and 26. Should be moved from incubator to cage that encourages movement.

28 days

(4 wks)

250-450

8-15

Teething, may cause diarrhea. Lower 1st incisors should erupt day 29. Can now see, starting to walk, able to ‘cling’ in vertical position.

4.5 wks

 

300-480

10-17

3/4-1 lb

Lower 3rd incisors erupt, day 33. Upper 1st incisors erupt, day 34. Still ‘blunt’ faced.

35 days

(5 wks)

500-750

17-25

1-1.5lbs

Adventuresome and playful, walking, starting to climb.

37 days

 

 

Lower 2nd incisors erupt. Becoming ‘pointy’ faced.

42 days

(6 wks)

750-1200

25-40

1.5-2.5 lbs

2nd premolars: lower day 43, upper day 46. Able to walk, run and climb. Begin to self potty. Guard hairs showing through undercoat. Whiskers start. Ready for larger, more interesting caging – indoors. Do first deworming with Strongid*T (50mg/ml) 1cc/2300gms.

49 days

(7 wks)

900-1700

30-60

2-3.5 lbs

Both upper and lower, 3rd and 4th premolars erupt, days 48-49. Very ‘pointy’ faced, still ‘pencil’ tail.

56 days

(8 wks)

 

 

Give first vaccinations. Have fully mastered sight and sound, wrestling and scrapping with each other. Start dish feeding by floating honey nut cheerios in formula. Whiskers evident.

63 days

(9 wks)

 

 

1st canine teeth: lower, day 61; upper day 65. First permanent incisors, upper and lower, day 66. Start soaked kibble, perhaps grapes. Beginning of bushy face fur (puffs out/broadens the outer sides of face).

70 days

(10wks)

 

 

2nd upper and lower permanent incisors, day 73. Juvenile molt begins, face fur fills in, eliminating narrow look, going to bushy look. Able to eat kibble soaked in formula, grapes, melon, cooked chicken cut small.

77 days

(11wks)

 

 

First permanent molars, lower day 78, upper day 81. Able to eat dry kibble, whole cooked chicken pieces, and assortment of fruit, veg, nuts, etc.

84 days

(12wks)

 

 

3rd lower incisor, day 86.

91 days

(13wks)

 

 

Able to start on ‘whole’ foods such as mice, live fish, crickets etc.

98 days

(14wks)

 

 

3rd upper incisors, day 97

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***NOTE:  Weights are broad as adult raccoon size varies greatly from region to region.  Use weight as yur initial guide, but use the development milestones (eyes opening, crawling, fur development etc.) as your true guide to correctly aging a raccoon kit.