Drooling, not eating

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Rufi

Post   » Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:01 pm


I will post a short status. Rufi sometimes eat, though not with ease, certain foods like cucumber or apple, but not in appropriate quantities. I hand feed him. Unfortunately, he doesn't eat hay or grass(which I know how important is for a Guinea pig).

SardonicSmile

Post   » Sat Apr 11, 2015 5:00 pm


Any chance you can feed him a pellet mash/slurry?
(Or get your hands on some Critical Care?)

Just crush some pellets and add some water. He needs to eat!

Rufi

Post   » Sun Apr 12, 2015 3:21 am


Actually I hand feed him now with a mix made from pellets, apple, parsley, banana and baby food. I make this mix every day, using different quantities of the components. He doesn't lose weight now (I weight him daily), but I know that it is important that they eat on their own, for multiple reasons. And the accident was over 5 weeks ago. As for Critical Care, the vets in my town don't have it and I couldn't find any site who would have it and deliver it in my country (though I ordered the pellets from the internet).

SardonicSmile

Post   » Sun Apr 12, 2015 4:19 am


Does Amazon deliver to you? (I always shop around on different Amazon sites (for instance .com. .co.uk .fr .de ) They can have different products, prices, delivery costs etc.


I would give a pellet only mash a chance too. What you are feeding now sounds like it is very high in sugar.

It is good he isn't losing weight though!

Talishan
You can quote me

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
You can quote me

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
You can quote me

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?

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