Please Help! my 5 day old orphaned guinea pig refuses to eat

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:41 am


unfortunately my guinea pig was put to sleep when her five babies were 2 days old. They were all coping with life without her but today the runt of the litter has barely ate anything it is very weak and tired but can still manage to talk and move around. It has lost alot of weight and i dont know what to do as i desperately want to save this tiny baby!!! I love it so much! I have another sow who is due to give birth in the next couple to days who im sure will take the runt on as her own as she has washed it but she wont tolerate it trying to suckle and snuggle in at the moment i hoping after her own birth she will. In the mean while what can i do to keep this precious baby alive

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:47 am


If a baby has 'lost a lot of weight' then you've got very serious problems, as you know.

How much exactly has the baby lost?

Why was mom put to sleep? (In case there's any connection to the baby's problems).

Baby guinea pigs can be handfed very, very carefully: you'll need to get some special herbivore handfeeding forumla (here we use Oxbow Critical Care) and a 1cc syringe with the restrictive tip cut off:

https://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

Be sure you push the syringe gently to the back molars and try not to aspirate the baby. After feeding you have to gently massage the baby's butt with a warm washcloth, much as his mother would do, to ensure the baby poops.

Babies will sometimes eat Critical Care from a bowl or a spoon. Be sure all the babies have access to high quality pellets (preferably alfalfa), Critical Care, unlimited timothy hay, and small amounts of fresh veggies.

How did you come to have two pregnant sows?

Are you weighing all the other babies daily?

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:01 pm


after the birth of the 5 babies my emmy was the perfect mother to them but she started to drool the day after and initially thought she had toxemia which i had read was often fatal. She kept trying to eat and drink so i took her to vets which found she had some how inhaled food into her lungs and thought the kindest thing to do was put her sleep, it was so distressing knowing her 5 babies were orphans at two days old she was only 9 months herself. i know this site does not endorse feeding guinea pigs milk but it was the only thing they would take i have tried pellet slurry at every feed but none of them will eat it i have also mixed ground vegetable to it. if these babies were not offered the milk they would all die. i have been feeding them every two hours to you think i should feed the runt more often whould that help?

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:04 pm


i forgot to mention the scales i have only do grams in hundreds to its very hard to tell how much weight it has lost. i suspect they may have been born slightly premature as there nails were white is this correct? I have only had one previous litter in the past and even the runt of that litter was bigger than all of these 5 new babies

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:06 pm


The milk may be part of the problem.

You have to read the hand feeding info about pups and feed him. www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html

A vet may also be able to help.

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:10 pm


with all repect for the work vets do i do not rate my vets at all when it comes to care of guinea pigs i find her very heartless and does not know enough about guinea pigs to give the correct care. If you are a cat or a dog your ok but a guinea pig no! thats why i would rather take advice from people like yourselves. I can understand what you are saying about the milk but they will not take anything else i have tried very hard for them to take critical care i couldnt just watch them starve to death so thats why i gave them milk

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:13 pm


If you're going to post here, ellissian, please use proper capitalization and punchtuation. Your posts are not easy to read.

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:14 pm


Sorry Im just rushing things cause I need help really quickly.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:19 pm


You need to do what I suggested in my first post.

This is probably the only way you'll be able to save their lives. If you continue to feed milk they'll probably all die - guinea pigs are herbivores and can't digest milk products properly.

You didn't answer my question - how did you end up with two pregnant sows?

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sus4rabbitsnpigs

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:54 pm


She probably bred them.

It sounds like your sow had teeth problems i.e. drooling and trying to eat. Her problems may have been treatable.

Here https://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html#pups

You really need to get a scale and weigh the babies daily. The other pregnant sow doesn't have any milk and won't until after she gives birth.

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:08 pm


My sow did not have a tooth problem, I already stated the vet said she had inhaled food into her lungs. No I did not breed my guinea pigs I know what dangers and complications there can be. I am asking for advice on how to help a tiny 5 day old orphaned guinea pig live not to be interrogated or be told off for my grammar. At the end of the day there is a life at stake here so please drop the snide comments I thought you people really really cared for guinea pigs telling me to feed critical care when Ive already said I have the babies mouth is prised shut if I use anymore force I will probably kill it through the stress it under. Im also well aware that the other pregnent sow will not produce milk until it has given birth, I only wanted help not all these remarks

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:11 pm


I've give you advice and given you the handfeeding link. This is what you must do if your baby is going to have a chance at surviving.

You must learn how to handfeed your animals if they're sick. If not, then you must take the baby to a vet so that the vet can show you how to do it.

There is indeed a risk of aspiration - but ONLY with handfeeding. This is why you have to go very, very slowly once you get the 1cc syringe in. You can't use a bigger syringe than a 1cc though.

Can you get some proper herbivore handfeeding formula today?

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