If you know the fawn’s mother is deceased—for instance, because you see its body nearby—or the fawn is visibly injured or very frail-looking, then you can assume it is an orphan in need. If you’re not sure, and you’re able to observe the fawn, keep an eye on it regularly for at least 6 hours. If you never see the mother during this time, it’s increasingly likely that the fawn is an orphan.

To find a wildlife rehabilitator in your area, call your government’s department for the environment, natural resources, and/or wildlife, or use websites such as https://ahnow. org/#/ and https://www. humanesociety. org/resources/how-find-wildlife-rehabilitator. If the fawn is standing on a busy roadway, for example, take action before calling the wildlife rehabilitator.

If you’re near home, for example, you might carry it to your garage. It’s not advisable to put a fawn into a vehicle unless: you have no other way to get it to an animal rehabilitator, the rehabilitator recommends it, and your vehicle has ample space inside.

Goat/lamb bottle-feeding nipples, which usually will fit onto plastic water bottles (if not, get feeding bottles as well). Goat or wildlife milk replacer (which you add to water), or goat’s milk. Do not use cow’s milk. Pediatric electrolyte drink (e. g. , Pedialyte) for dehydration in children (you can get this at any drugstore or grocery store).

A wildlife rehabilitator–who you should contact before offering any care–will probably tell you to provide electrolytes for hydration before giving the fawn any milk. If they give you different advice, however, trust their expertise and follow their directions. Use an empty, clean water bottle, soda bottle, or similar bottle that a goat/lamb feeding nipple fits onto. Any flavor of pediatric electrolyte drink will work.

Don’t place the bottle in boiling or near-boiling water to heat it faster, as this can damage the nutrients in whatever liquid is inside—in this case, pediatric electrolyte solution, but also goat’s milk or milk replacer.

If the fawn is too weak to feed or otherwise refuses, let the wildlife rehabilitator know.

This is called a “skin turgor” test and is useful in checking for dehydration in many kinds of animals. Conduct this test only if advised to do so by the wildlife rehabilitator. If they’ll be arriving soon to evaluate the deer, they may want to conduct the test.

Once the fawn is adequately hydrated (based on the skin turgor test), the wildlife rehabilitator may ask you to start feeding the fawn goat’s milk or a milk replacer.

Warm the bottle contents to body temperature by placing the bottle in a bowl of hot tap water. Hold the bottle in your hand to estimate when it reaches body temperature (a precise measurement isn’t necessary). Use 2–4  fl oz (59–118 ml) for a knee-high fawn (based on its shoulder height when standing), and 4–6  fl oz (120–180 ml) for a waist-high fawn. Don’t start giving a fawn milk unless expressly requested to do so by a wildlife rehabilitator. In most cases, they’ll either advise not to offer anything by a bottle or to start with a pediatric electrolyte drink.

Make sure you’re keeping the bottle elevated so the fawn has to stretch its neck and head to reach it—this replicates feeding from its mother. If the fawn bleats for more milk right after a feeding or between feeding times, ignore it—fawns will drink until they make themselves ill if permitted to do so.

This maneuver replicates the bowel stimulation the mother achieves through licking. If the fawn still isn’t defecating and urinating, or if it has diarrhea, contact the wildlife rehabilitator again.

Think very carefully before deciding you want the fawn to bond with you and become your pet. Keeping a wild deer as a pet may be illegal where you live, and raising a fawn to adulthood requires a great deal of effort and about $500 USD in expenses. [15] X Research source