Very small 3 week old boar! Please help!

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beverleeangel

beverleeangel

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So my 4 year old rescue sow gave birth just over 3 weeks ago, thankfully all went well with labour and she had 3 lovely pups, 2 males and a female. However as one of the males and the female gained weight as expected, the other male was steadily losing weight for almost a week despite syringe feeding mushed pellets and feeding off his mam, then after a while he started to put on weight very slowly. At 3 weeks (tuesday just gone) I weighed them again as it was time for seperating the baby boys and while the two of them were just under 250g, poor little boy was only 118g! :(
I have kept him with his mum and sister and have seperated the bigger boy, I'm a little worried though as he is so tiny, he puts on the odd gram here and there but never seems to have a significate weight gain. Ive seen him eating veg, hay and pellets and his teeth are completely fine so I just don't understand it.

I'm wondering if this is normal for a runt and how long is it okay for me to keep him with his mum. Cause from how his weight is fluctuating it looks as if he may not reach 250g for maybe another 2/3 weeks which will make him 5-6 weeks before he is seperated from the girls. Is this safe?
If anyone has any advice I'd be extremely grateful, I've had several pregnant rescues now and never had so much of a problem with their weight. :(
 
It sounds like there is something major wrong with the absorption and processing of nutrients with your little boy; have you considered having him checked over by a specialist vet?

He is totally safe to stay on with mummy until he reaches 250g. Make sure that he has regular one-to-one sessions with her for as long as she still produces milk. Sows generally start the weaning process between 3-4 weeks after giving birth.
 
I'm definitely considering it. His weight seems to be improving, it's just taking alot longer than it should, in the last week he hasn't lost any weight what-so-ever, so maybe it's just taking longer than normal?
Would it be worth maybe moving his sister into a cage with my other females and leaving mam and baby boy alone together?
 
If you have a motherly sow who will take on your girl, you could consider it; otherwise, she will be better off with mummy until mummy stops treating her as a baby. Somebody else with an orphaned runt, who has been posting recently, has reported some success with adding a bit of evaporated milk to the critical care she is feeding it.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...-Hand-rearing-3-day-old-orphans-advice-please
 
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Well ive got two other herds of girls, both have a lovely soft natured girl but also a very dominant girl, will she still be alright?
 
You will have to see - it is very hard to predict! Generally, weaned youngsters are quite firmly put at the bottom of the hierarchy.

PS: Please have a look at the link in my last post; perhaps it can help you with the weight problem?
 
Well I've had them all out together at run time and theyve been really good. I have a 6x4 cage with 3 girla in so I think she would be beat placed there as she will have lots of space if she needes it and then the domiinant girl won't be getting angry about space :)

I've just read it :) would it be worth maybe mushing up some pellets and adding evaporated milk maybe?
 
Just a quick update, I weighed tiny tim just now and he's gone from 118g (yesterday) to 134g today. Thats the biggest weight gain he has had so far.
Maybe he was just struggling to gain weight as his brother and sister were hogging all of mummy's milk?
Ive left his sister in for now as he seems to be gaining weight alot more.
 
Porridge oats are good for putting on weight and my girl really enjoyed it when I was syringe feeding her.Good luck and keep us posted
 
Thanks, last night I just poured aome evaporated milk onto the pellets and gave it a mix, came out looking like coco pops haha but he was straight into it ans he was loving it.:)
 
Oh no! I really am so sorry. You did all you could for him so please do not feel bad.
 
I'm so sorry to hear this - he was such a tiny little thing, maybe it just wasn't meant to be, although it is still heartbreakingly sad. As piggyfan says, you did everything you could for him; it's good that he had such love and care in the short time he was here. Rest in peace little one.
 
Thanks everyone :( I got him out to weigh him and noticed he didn't look himself and he had lost 20g :( so I sat him on my knee in a fleece blanket and it was like he just fell asleep :(
Broke my heart.
 
Sorry to hear this. Sometimes things are just not meant to be. It sounds like your little one had some significant difficulties that he just wasn't able to overcome. Sometimes despite us doing everything right, it's just their time to go. Special memories of your little boy though. x
 
So very sorry to hear about Fudge.
RIP precious baby. Run free x
 
Yeah, he was a lovely little boy, really long haired compared to his brother and sister and mum.
Loved hia Carrot and hay. Always gave me a little nip as well.
 
Oh no, so sorry he has gone over the bridge. You did everything you could to help him and he would have known he was loved to the end
 
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