Drooling, not eating

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Talishan
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Post   » Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:07 am


Ditto Sardonic Smile. Try making a pellet mash, adding some baby food only, or maybe just a little apple and parsley. Most good-quality pellets are hay-based, and that will give his molars at least a little bit of a workout.

There are European handfeeding products that serve the same purpose as Critical Care. Here's one:





Also:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/custome ... BE5ED9F807



https://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/ ... 704F83068F

I am taking a real wild guess at the German, but I think they ship to Romania.

Rufi

Post   » Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:41 am


@SardonicSmile:Thank you!
@Talishan: Thank you for the umpteenth time for the infos! I had no idea that Amazon delivers to Romania. I will try to make the order.
The truth is, I wanted calories-full mix. And I tried quite a few mashes, and this one he likes. But if You say that it is not healthy, I will change the recipe of the slurry.

Talishan
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Post   » Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:49 am


There's calories and there's calories.

Yes, he needs the most calories he can get to help give him energy and keep his weight up. The problem is that a cavy's digestive system and metabolism work differently from those of a human or a dog.

Guinea pigs' systems are not set up to handle large amounts of carbohydrates and sugars, which is what would help a human gain weight. Also, their teeth, which grow continuously, need to be kept worn down, which isn't a problem humans or dogs have.

You need to strike a balance between fiber to wear his teeth, good quality calories that his body can use, and what tastes good to him.

A little banana and apple mixed in will not hurt him and it may help him eat more readily. Those should not be the majority of the food, though. You want the majority of the food to be grass (hay, in the form of pellets) with some vegetables (from baby food, or cut into small pieces and handfed directly) and a small amount of fruit for palatability mixed in.

If what you're feeding him now is mostly softened pellets, that's fine. It is important that he like it; if he doesn't like it, that only makes your job ten times harder. But he needs fiber to keep his GI tract, and his teeth, healthy.

Rufi

Post   » Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:20 pm


The major ingredient of his mix was/is Guinea pig food. Anyway, I removed the apple and banana from his mix, but he doesn't like it, and it is really hard to hand feed a cavy when he doesn't want to eat. I will not be able to maintain his weight. So I added a little bit of banana and apple.

Erinspigs

Post   » Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:53 pm


I can't give medical advice but it seems to me Rufi has great will to survive which I think matters. That he was trying so hard to eat and that you and he are maintaining his weight sounds like he can make it.

I just wanted to give you encouragement because you are so committed to him and it looks like he is responding. Best wishes and come on Rufi, get better, keep going!

Rufi

Post   » Mon Apr 13, 2015 1:47 am


@Erinspigs: In Rufi's name I thank you!:)

Talishan
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Post   » Mon Apr 13, 2015 5:51 am


Huge ditto to Erinspigs.

Rufi -- put in the mix just enough fruit to make it palatable to him. You want the minimum amount to get him to like it. That will take a little experimentation. Try experimenting with adding in a little bit of different flavors of baby food.

Can you get canned pumpkin?

Rufi

Post   » Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:14 am


Hmm, never tried to buy canned pumpkin, but I presume one can find it in the stores. I will have a look. I should put the pumpkin into the mix instead of the banana and apples?
I also try to vary his diet a little bit, adding different vegetables (like bell peppers, cucumber or radish). Since he is on this diet for more than 5 weeks and his intestinal transit seems to be Ok, it gives me hope that this diet didn't hurt him (so much). I must really have those Critical Care, then I will have not to worry because of this issue.

P.S. Like I said, Rufi can slice and eat (though a part of the food falls out of his mouth - I hope because his front teeth are too short) certain foods like cucumber, but he doesn't do anything with hay, though he is interested. What could be the reason? Maybe his teeth are too short for hay, but not for bell peppers?

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:35 am


If you look for canned pumpkin, make sure it's pure pumpkin only, and not a pie filling mix with added spices.

It has a lot of fiber, and many guinea pigs like it.

Pigs are different in how much fruit sugar they can tolerate. If his GI is doing okay on the recipe you're giving him, then don't mess with it. The Critical Care, when you get it, will help work his teeth.

Can he chew with his back teeth (molars) properly (or at least as far as you can tell)?

Rufi

Post   » Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:15 am


Thanks for the tip with the canned pumpkin!
10 days ago I took Rufi to a vet to chip down his molars. He was drooling and swallowing real slow. After the operation his face had swollen, but now, it seems to me, chews without problems (though he eats only "soft" food (e.g., mix, cucumber)).

Rufi

Post   » Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:55 am


I forgot to mention that when the vet clipped his molars he did the same for his incisors also.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:53 pm


I hope he did not clip the incisors too short.

www.guinealynx.info/_broken.html

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