helen105281
Senior Guinea Pig
As some of you are aware, up until recently I was lucky enough to volunteer at a Guinea Pig clinic run by Karen Malt in Broxbourne in conjunction with the vets there. Karen runs a forum herself and a while ago posted the following warning on the use of a large 15ml syringe that is on the market. She has agreed that I can use her wording , please note that thread contained a photo of a typical 15ml syringe:
"I have been asked to highlight the dangers of using 15 ml syringes for feeding guinea pigs. Just over an hour ago, a little 12 week old piggy choked to death, the owner aspirated the lungs, and I had to listen to this taking place on the phone and I am totally devastated, it was absolutely awful and will haunt me forever.
Please NEVER feed guinea pigs with a syringe as large as the example below, I cannot quite comprehend why anyone would think it suitable for an animal with a small mouth like a pig, to use them, they are not suitable for adults, let alone a baby pig.
These syringes come with with a well known feed replacement for guinea pigs, I have turned the name away obviously for libel reasons, the nib of the syringe will contain about 1 ml, but so big is the plunger, you have no graduated control in administering, you press and it spurts out.
If you syringe feed properly, you should never have any mess, none dribbling out the sides of mouth, or down the chest, you should feed at the pigs pace, not yours!
Only ever use 1 ml syringes, even 2 mls syringes are too big."
I just felt that I had to share this, obviously it is owner choice but this is why I will only ever use a 1ml syringe.
Karen also received advice from her local vet warning about the use of 15ml syringes (she was not aware that Karen had already put out a warning) along the lines of "never use those large syringes that come with a certain herbivore food supplement, they are bigger than we would even use on a cat, totally unsuitable".
I am aware that not everyone will agree with me but felt I needed to share Karen's experience.
"I have been asked to highlight the dangers of using 15 ml syringes for feeding guinea pigs. Just over an hour ago, a little 12 week old piggy choked to death, the owner aspirated the lungs, and I had to listen to this taking place on the phone and I am totally devastated, it was absolutely awful and will haunt me forever.
Please NEVER feed guinea pigs with a syringe as large as the example below, I cannot quite comprehend why anyone would think it suitable for an animal with a small mouth like a pig, to use them, they are not suitable for adults, let alone a baby pig.
These syringes come with with a well known feed replacement for guinea pigs, I have turned the name away obviously for libel reasons, the nib of the syringe will contain about 1 ml, but so big is the plunger, you have no graduated control in administering, you press and it spurts out.
If you syringe feed properly, you should never have any mess, none dribbling out the sides of mouth, or down the chest, you should feed at the pigs pace, not yours!
Only ever use 1 ml syringes, even 2 mls syringes are too big."
I just felt that I had to share this, obviously it is owner choice but this is why I will only ever use a 1ml syringe.
Karen also received advice from her local vet warning about the use of 15ml syringes (she was not aware that Karen had already put out a warning) along the lines of "never use those large syringes that come with a certain herbivore food supplement, they are bigger than we would even use on a cat, totally unsuitable".
I am aware that not everyone will agree with me but felt I needed to share Karen's experience.
