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

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sus4rabbitsnpigs

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:14 pm


It makes it much harder for us to read posts if they are not written legibly, so we may miss something. It's in the rules when you signed up.

Put some critical care or pellet mash in a shallow bowl in the cage if you don't want to hand feed and see if he will eat that on his own.

How were you feeding them the milk?

You asked for advice and that's all we can tell you - weigh the baby in a kitchen scale to see if he is losing weight and try to get food into them.

Do you have alfalfa hay? He may nibble on that.

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:20 pm


Sorry mum Im not getting at you it was other comments. I already know how to hand feed guinea pigs Ive done it lots of times when my other guinea pigs have been ill. Ive even hand reared a runt before its just that this runt is so tiny and weak (well it certainly finds some strength when I try to feed it), I didnt know whether anyone knew of anything else I could do to help. I have managed to get a small amount of critical care into it. How often should I be feeding the critical care. I think its best chance of survival is being fostered by the other sow after it gives birth

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sus4rabbitsnpigs

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:22 pm


Are you weighing him? You need to weigh him and handfeed accordingly. Orphans usually need to be fed every hour though.

Some runts thrive with special care, but some just don't make it.

Put a shallow bowl of CC in the cage and see if he will eat it or offer it with a spoon. Do you have pedialyte or anything like that?

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:24 pm


I would try and get perhaps a couple of ccs into the baby every hour or two. And do leave some in a dish in case he gets the idea.

Don't forget to massage his butt afterwards.

Are you using a 1cc syringe?

I agree that fostering by another sow is the best shot, but unfortunately this baby may not make it that far.

You really need a digital kitchen scale to start weighing all the babies daily. I'm surprised the others are doing ok if there mom died when they were only two days old.

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:24 pm


all the baby wants to do is sleep, thats all its done really since it was born its siblings sleep virually all day as well. It doesnt show interest in hay or any feed it may take a little nibble when I hand feed it but nothing more. Poor baby!

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:25 pm


ll the baby wants to do is sleep, thats all its done really since it was born its siblings sleep virually all day as well.
I'm sorry to say it but you're going to lose them all if you don't start being aggressive about the handfeeding. Even then, you may not be successful - but please do NOT continue to give them milk or any other food apart from critical care and hay.

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sus4rabbitsnpigs

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:29 pm


How did the vet conclude the sow had food in her lungs?

I have to agree with Mum. You need to start weighing the babies too. Are you feeding alfalfa hay?

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:31 pm


Im feeding him from a medicine spoon as he is so small I dont want anything getting into his lungs. I dont think he will make it either. The pregnant sow pelvic bones parted yesterday so Im hoping the birth is very soon. Im suprised the other 4 babies are doing so well they have all put weight on and grown slightly, they are very alert when they do wake up, two of them were running and popcorning this afternoon. Ive got the baby under my top to keep him warm and at least I can see if he takes a turn for the worse

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:37 pm


after looking into her mouth she said she would have to admit her for further investigation in case there was a blockage further down. I received a phone call a couple of hours later telling me she had inhaltion pneumonia and that she had food in her lungs so she decided to put her to sleep

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Catie Cavy
Supporter 2011-2020

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:22 pm


I have a couple of suggestions but let the more experienced GLers comment on them before you follow them.

Since you said you were having trouble feeding her the critical care, I had good luck feeding a guinea pig baby food before I knew it wasn’t good for them since it doesn’t have fiber. The reason I’m suggesting it here is that it worked as an appetite stimulant for my GP. After a syringe or 2 of the baby food, she would start to eat her greens and pellets. I bought a baby food mix of three types of vegetables which included peas and carrots, I think. Don’t feed only baby food for more than 24 hours. I’m only suggesting it as an appetite stimulant. Non-cavy savvy vets will recommend it. GLers do not. A cavy savvy vet told me it was okay but for no more than 24 hours due to the lack of essential fiber (he was talking about an adult GP though).

Another suggestion I was given by a cavy savvy vet after one of my GPs had surgery was to feed her Ensure with fiber (unfortunately she passed away before I could try to feed her anything). I thought Ensure was milk-based but since a knowledgeable vet suggested it, I’m noting it here.

As I said, wait for other comments on this. It does sound like critical care is the best thing if there is any way you can get the baby to eat it.

Good luck and keep us posted!

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:46 pm


No Ensure - it is milk based and is not recommended for guinea pigs at all. I've also heard (non cavy-savvy vets recommend it!).

I would also avoid baby food for extremely young babies - but others may disagree (remember, this baby is only a few days old).

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ellissian

Post   » Mon Jan 22, 2007 4:11 pm


thanks for your comments. It cant harm trying anything as an appetite stimulent in the short term can it? Any way since I last spoke I have managed to get a small amount of critical care into all of the babies including the runt and since they will probably be malnourised I am hoping to feed them every hour and see how they all are tomorrow. The other babies look perfectly healthy but the runt is still the same, and Im still waiting for labour to start in the sow!

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