Force Feeding Advice For An Extremely Fussy Guinea Pig?

[Parnassus]

I have an extremely fussy guinea pig.

I have tried the burrito method.
I have tried holding her against my chest and gently but firmly holding her head in place with a finger.
I have tried laying down, placing her on my stomach, facing me, and slipping the syringe into her mouth at that angle.
I have tried holding her snug against my shoulder.
I have tried sneaking it on veggie treats.
I have tried combinations of all these things.

Still, it's a 30 - 60 minute struggle to get her treatments in for me.

Any super Pro advice?

 

[helen105281]

Is it syringe food you are trying to give? Have you read our guide?

Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

There is a tip in there where you place the hand over the face with the fingers either side of the mouth and slip the syringe in as the fingers make the mouth open slightly. It was a tip shown to me by a lady who used to run a clinic at a vets.

 

[Wiebke]

I have an extremely fussy guinea pig.

I have tried the burrito method.
I have tried holding her against my chest and gently but firmly holding her head in place with a finger.
I have tried laying down, placing her on my stomach, facing me, and slipping the syringe into her mouth at that angle.
I have tried holding her snug against my shoulder.
I have tried sneaking it on veggie treats.
I have tried combinations of all these things.

Still, it's a 30 - 60 minute struggle to get her treatments in for me.

Any super Pro advice?

Are you speaking about giving medication? What kind of meds is she on? It's probably become rather an ordeal for her, so she's likely become even less minded to cooperate, and by the sound of it, she doesn't like the taste. I guess that you haven't got another person to help you?

Additionally you could also try to mix the medication with an equal measure of a strong tasting fruit cordial without too much added sugar; this will disguise the taste. Give plenty of praise and a little treat afterwards!
Here in the UK, we recommend ribena for this purpose. It is available in the US (see link). I don;t know whether you have got a comparative widely available product like it in the US.
Ribena : Buy British Food Online At Jolly Grub | British Sweets & Candy | British Groceries In The USA

 

[MintyAndGarry (TEAS)]

Personally, I have the pig on my lap facing away from me, with its back to my chest and have one hand holding the pig's front end, so it is on its hind legs. That way, I can use the thumb and middle finger of that hand either side of the face, to hold the head steady. The pig is also wedged between my legs and my torso, so it can't move or back up. If I need to, I can also use my chin (I know, it gets weirder!) on top of the pig's head, for more stability. A lot of the time, it is realising that using force is necessary. A pig's head won't come off, simply by using a tighter grip! Also, by using a routine technique, the pig will then know what to expect and will normally become more compliant, as they know the procedure will be over quickly.