How much Critical Care should I give my 1.6lbs guinea pig?
He hasn’t been eating so his vet suggested I give him Critical Care, I’m at a loss at how much to give him. I don’t want to give him too little, and I don’t want to give him too much. The package only says mix 1 part Critical Care with 2 parts water..But that doesn’t help me very much.
Any other suggestions of foods to help feed him? He’s having trouble eating. Would it be alright to give him applesauce, or yogurt?
2 Responses
Justified
09 Mar 2010
Manda
09 Mar 2010
Take a measuring cup, measure 3/4 of water then add 1/4 of Critical Care. Applesauce is a good idea. You should also try vegetable baby food. They love it AND it’s great for nutrients!
I’m sorry your piggie is feeling poorly. It is particularly distressing when you have a sick piggie & are not sure how to do the feedings. I’m feeling like your vet should have given you better instructions.
I hope your vet was able to determine the cause of the inappetance? Is your piggie sick or does he have teeth problems?
The Critical Care should have the consistency of baby food. Start with 1 tablespoon of CC and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix them in a small cup. If its too runny add a pinch more CC. If its too stiff, add water a little at a time.
You can also mix in some baby food like apple sauce, but a better alternative would be unsweetened canned pumpkin. Piggies really like this & it will help the CC be more palatable. Never feed yogurt or any dairy products. Your piggie’s digestive tract is not designed to handle milk based products.
Use a 1cc syringe with the tip (the part for the needle) cut off or you can use a child’s medicine dropper (found in any drugstore) to feed your piggie. Alternate the food with sips of water from the medicine dropper. When feeding the CC, put the dropper as far back into his mouth as possible and then very gently expel the food. Do not force the food out too quickly or your piggie might inhale it. Just put a pea-sized drop of CC at the back of his mouth & then wait for him to stop chewing. This is your signal to give him a sip of water. Then give him more food. Keep going until the CC is gone.
You may also want to consider supplementing him with some additional Vitamin C right now. If ill, he needs to be getting around 50mg per day.
If your piggie is not eating ANY pellets, hay, or veggies, you will need to do this every few hours. Yes, I know. Its quite an interruption of sleep, but it is necessary to keep your piggie from going further downhill or getting dehydrated.
The following link may provide some better assistance with handfeeding. I hope it helps.
http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html
I hope your piggie gets better. Best of luck.