Spice not eating

[mum]

Poor old Spice doesn"t seem to be doing very well again.He has practically stopped eating.He has a mouthful of grass,a strawberry and a bite of dandelion and thats it.He"s now just over 600g.The vet wanted to pts this afternoon and obviously I said no......I need to find a different vet!I am syringe feeding him critical care.How often do I need to do this?I"ve looked in his mouth and can"t see anything wrong that could be stopping him eating.Can I keep syringe feeding him or can you only do it for a certain time?I really want him to be ok.

 

[BlueRose120]

you might want to check his teeth. Guinea pigs need to constantly gnaw on wood chews and the like to keep their teeth "trimmed' otherwise they could become too long and therefore unable to eat much or at all. I don't really know much about the syringe feeding but maybe (this is only a suggestion) try doing it often as you can if he's not eating. Do you vary his diet? what do you feed him on a daily basis? guinea pigs also need vitamin C as they cannot produce this on their own. I give mine drops of Vitamin C in his water bottle 2 drops per ounce. Don't know what else to suggest. Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[wind1]

In the past when one of my guineas has lost weight and not eating so well I have given wholemeal bread soaked in warm milk. They have always loved this. I do also sprinkle a little bit of sugar on which I know is not good for them but this has only been when it's for old guineas so I don't believe it's done them any harm, in thier twilight days. Perhaps try the bread and warm milk. Mine really go mad for it.

 

[Glynis]

Please get a second opinion love
Spice can have as many feeds a day of CC that you can get into him O0 no side effect, but i also recommend you keep offering all the fav fruits, veggies and pellets. Even give mushed up pellets a couple of times a day too.
Love our Duke was under 600g and i've fought tooth and nail to get him to over 1000g, i thought it would never ever happen, but it did. With persistence and him also being a willing eater, thank goodness, i did not give up.
Keep trying, yes it's very frustrating and exhausting, but worth every moment for them :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
I wish you all the luck under the sun, cause it's not going to be easy, but just keep trying. You will know when and if you have to make the decision :-\
Come on Spice, Duke sends you heaps of manly brrrrrrrrrrrrrr's and hugs, and i'm sending you vibes to eat alllll your food and CC up :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
Hugs for you love, i know what you're going thru :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

 

[maryh]

Mum,

Have you had his teeth checked by a gp expert vet?.

When I syringe feed I do not use Critical Care by itself.I grind up some dry mix in a coffee grinder,mix with water to a thick soup,and add 2 teaspoonfuls of Critical Care.I give the piggy 1 ml of water after ev ery 3 mouthfuls of feed.I alternate the dry mix feed with liquiized veggies.,also give them mushed banana.This gives a near normal diet.If the piggy is not eating at all you need to try and get around 30 mls per day into him.

I know someone who had a piggy with severe dental problems,and she kept him going with syringe feed for 18 months!.The piggy was happy and active,just had problems eating.

It is very time consuming I know,but5 worth it to keep the piggy going.You just need to get into a routine and maybe do some of the feeds when you are watching tv, or you could have the piggy on your lap and a book propped up in front of you.If pushed for time,I put the piggy into a secure container that it cannot climb/fall out of,and work around him.As long as you do at least one feed cuddling and giving the pig full attention,he should be fine.

 

[karenrgpr]

Do you know Cheryl at Sprowston Guinea Pig Rescue? She's a member on here and could probably recommend a good vet in your area- or nearer than Reading/London
There is a link to an excellent syringe feeding document in the Supplies List at the top of the Health and Illness Board. Has he had painkillers and at the right strength? If he had some Rimadyl (10mg) and perked up after about 20mins then the reason he's not eating is because he's in pain.
Is this the one with the post castrate abscess? Try and get that flushed x2 daily.

[email protected] is Cheryl's address, would be worth contacting her. Her other details are on her site I think Sprowston Guinea Pig Rescue