Make your own mush for force feeding
- Soaked or powdered pellets
- Brew of hay (soak hay with boiling water and take the brew)
- Vegetables (some kind of)
- Grass
- Herbs
What foods are good for guinea pigs?
What can Guinea Pigs Eat?
- Majority of a guinea pig diet should be hay.
- And in that hay, the most recommended hay is Timothy hay or any low calcium hay.
- Apart from that grass, they can also happily feed on pellets meant for guinea pigs only.
- They also like fresh green vegetables like lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
What is the best diet for guinea pigs?
Safe Fruits and Veggies for Your Guinea Pig
- Romaine Lettuce
- Spinach
- Kale
- Parsley
- Carrots (and the carrot top)
- Zucchini
- Sweet Potato
- Peas
- Cucumber
- Broccoli
What can guinea pigs eat and not eat list?
- Stone fruit (all kinds) Contains cyanide and is rich in sugar. Can cause diarrhea.
- All kinds of exotic fruits like mango, papaya, pomegranate Causes serious indigestion and colics.
- Rhubarb Rich in oxialic acid
What vegetables are good for guinea pigs?
- Lettuce
- Parsnip
- Bell peppers
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Celery leaves
- Tomatoes without stems or leaves
- Cucumber
- Zucchini
- Kale
What can you do for a sick guinea pig?
4:1512:26How to Look After a Sick Guinea Pig: Not Eating or Pooping?! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMedications. Rather than things that can be most helpful for a guinea pig who isn't eating. But ifMoreMedications. Rather than things that can be most helpful for a guinea pig who isn't eating. But if you don't have an exotics vet. Available.
How do you force feed a sick guinea pig?
1:203:23How to Syringe Feed Critical Care to Your Rabbit, Guinea Pig ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIntroduce the tip of the syringe. Gently into the side of the mouth. And deliver a very small amountMoreIntroduce the tip of the syringe. Gently into the side of the mouth. And deliver a very small amount at a time ensuring that the pet swallows.
How often should you feed a sick guinea pig?
every 2-4 hoursAs a general rule most guinea pigs that are unwell would receive critical care every 2-4 hours. If your guinea pig doesn't like the critical care mix you can try a different flavour or add a small amount of a safe vegetable or fruit flavoured baby food to the mixture.
How long can a sick guinea pig live?
A Guinea pig suffering from a significant medical issue can die within 24-72 hours, so keeping an eye on your guinea pig's habits and behaviors, as well as acting fast, is critical to keeping your guinea pig healthy. What is this? The signs of a guinea pig being sick and dying include the following: A loss of appetite.
How long can a guinea pig go without eating?
So, how long can guinea pigs go without food and water? Healthy guinea pigs shouldn't go over 8 hours without food. They won't starve in this time, but they can develop potentially fatal GI stasis or other health issues. Healthy guinea pigs may go up to 24 hours without water.
What are the signs of a guinea pig dying?
Lack of Appetite. Guinea pigs that are very ill will refuse to eat, and may show signs of weight loss if the appetite loss has persisted for some time. ... Bad Urine and Feces. ... Fever. ... Respiratory Problems. ... Eye Condition. ... Poor Coat Condition. ... Mobility Issues. ... Lethargy.More items...
What is a natural antibiotic for guinea pigs?
You can feed him live culture yogurt or lactobacilli acidophilus capsules dissolved into water. Always give your guinea pig the acidophilus supplements at least an hour before you give him an antibiotic so that the supplemental bacteria will not be eliminated.
How do you rehydrate guinea pigs?
You can hydrate your guinea pig by immediately doing the following:Offering your guinea pig his water bottle.Feeding him/her water via an eyedropper or medicine dropper (if he/she is unable to drink on his/her own).Offering veggies that have high water content, i.e. cucumber, iceberg lettuce, melon.
What noises do guinea pigs make when they are sick?
But Guinea Pig sized. Usually its nothing to worry about, however, if your piggy has signs of a cold you'll need to get it checked by a vet. Symptoms can include runny eyes and nose, heavy breathing and coughing, a crackling sound from its chest and half closed eyes. Your piggy may also have other symptoms.
How do you save a dying guinea pig?
A dying guinea pig will become very weak and unable to feed or water himself as his death approaches. You can make his passing less uncomfortable by offering him water from a spoon, syringe, or water bottle. Blend or mix a guinea pig "smoothie" that contains hay, water and ground up pellets and feed it to him.
What can you give a dehydrated guinea pig?
In order to correct dehydration, extra water must be given to your guinea pig. Sometimes this can be done by helping the guinea pig drink using a syringe. Some guinea pigs need to have fluids given by other methods, either by subcutaneous fluids, intravenous fluids, or intraosseous fluids.
Why is my guinea pig lying on her side?
Typically, a guinea pig laying on its side is a sign of a happy, relaxed guinea pig. However, if lying on his side is accompanied by twitching, shortness of breath, or other signs of illness, your guinea pig is ill and should be taken to a vet. Guinea pigs also lie on their sides if they're shocked or scared.
Can you give a guinea pig water through a syringe?
When syringe feeding your guinea pig, ensure you provide at least 1 millimeter of water for every 5 millimeters of food to help prevent choking and dehydration.
How do you rehydrate a guinea pig?
You can hydrate your guinea pig by immediately doing the following:Offering your guinea pig his water bottle.Feeding him/her water via an eyedropper or medicine dropper (if he/she is unable to drink on his/her own).Offering veggies that have high water content, i.e. cucumber, iceberg lettuce, melon.
What happens if a guinea pig runs laps?
But many illnesses are subtle. If a guinea pig who runs laps every morning abruptly stops their daily run, it may be worth looking into. Sulking in corners, sitting puffed up more than normal, drinking a ton of water, suddenly becoming aggressive or getting picked on — any of these can be a sign of illness.
Why are guinea pigs bottomless pits?
Guinea pigs are built that way: their digestive system starts to shut down if they haven’t eaten for several hours. The lack of food also damages their liver, so it’s important to get food into them if they’re not eating on their own.
Why wait a day before going to the vet?
Waiting a day or two before going to the vet allows the infection/illness to have a stronger hold on their little body. Treatment can be hard on their systems ( antibiotics) or stressful (xrays and injections) . It’s much less of a strain on the guinea pig (and their caretaker!) to tackle an illness in its early stages.
How to give guinea pig eye drops?
Place your guinea pig on a table facing away from you to give them eye drops. If your guinea pig develops eye issues, the vet may prescribe eye drops. You can administer eye drops by placing your guinea pig on a table, facing away from you. Then, hold the bottle dropper above and behind their head.
How to give a guinea pig liquid medicine?
1. Use a syringe to give your pig liquid medication. Liquid medication may be prescribed for a respiratory bacterial disease or for a digestive disorder. If the vet prescribes liquid oral medication for your guinea pig’s illness, you will need to use a 1cc syringe with no needle to give your pig the medication.
What is the best medicine for guinea pigs?
Give your pig pills with a hemostat. Your guinea pig may need to be given vitamin C pills if they has a vitamin C deficiency. A hemostat is a scissor-handled clamp that is used for compressing bleeding blood vessels. You can find them at medical supply stores or online.
How to get guinea pigs to go downhill?
1. Let the vet examine your guinea pig as soon as they become ill. Once guinea pigs get sick, they can go downhill fast. If you notice any signs of illness in your guinea pig, bring them to the vet right away.
Why do guinea pigs get sick?
Guinea pigs often contract an illness due to improper care, an improper diet, or interaction with another guinea pig who has an infectious disease. You should talk to the vet about your pig’s symptoms and your care procedures for your pig, as it can help them to determine the cause of their illness.
How to take care of a sick guinea pig?
Once you bring your pig home, follow your vet’s treatment plan, which may include medications such as pills or antibiotics.
How much water should a guinea pig drink?
Adult guinea pigs should consume about 6 grams of dry feed/100 grams of body weight and 10 to 40 ml water per 100 grams of body weight.
How to treat bumblefoot in guinea pig?
Treatment generally includes vitamin C supplementation, bandaging, antibacterial therapy, and pain relief. Generally bumblefoot sufferers have a good prognosis if the case is mild or caught early. If not, and if your guinea pig has developed osteomyelitis, more stringent measures may be indicated.
What to feed guinea pigs to prevent infection?
Your vet may also advise a high fiber diet, including lots of timothy hay and supplementation with vitamin C, which is very important for fighting infection. After initial treatments, having regular checkups and tooth trimming (where necessary) should allow your guinea pig to recover from and avoid future dental disease.
How to help a sick guinea pig with gastric upset?
All of these are best done in a veterinary clinic. Stress is also a major factor in how quickly your sick guinea pig recovers from gastric upset. Therefore, it’s best to keep him or her in a warm, dark and quiet room to reduce stress. Your vet may also administer an anxiety reducing medication.
Why does my guinea pig have hair loss?
Hair loss in guinea pigs can have several causes. Firstly, if your female guinea pig is pregnant , she may suffer hair loss during the late stages of her pregnancy. While this may be typical, do talk with your vet about this, as nutritional supplementation may help.
Why do guinea pigs vomit?
The most common symptom of gastric distress in guinea pigs is diarrhea, as they are unable to vomit.
How to tell if a guinea pig is sick?
Look for signs your guinea pig is sick. Check for changes in the following: 1 Activity level 2 Temperature 3 Weight 4 Hair loss 5 Diarrhea and changes in waste production 6 Skin irritation (rednes, swelling) 7 Tumors and abscesses 8 Eyes, ears, nose, and mouth 9 Sick guinea pig sounds – wheezing, clicking, sneezing, coughing 10 Behavior changes
What is the best diet for guinea pigs?
A well-balanced diet, with plenty of greens, is also critical in ensuring that your guinea pigs remain disease-free. Enough vitamin C and fiber are vital to your guinea pig’s health. Check your guinea pig’s skin for any tumors or abscesses that may develop.
What to feed guinea pigs?
Your pig will be perfectly happy with high quality pellets and hay and treats of fruits and vegetables. For a special snack, try mixing some rolled oats into your guinea pig’s pellets or stuff a small cardboard tube with fresh hay. Top 10 tips.
How to keep guinea pigs fresh?
Keep it fresh. The steady amount of produce in your guinea pig's diet means that you need to be conscientious about removing uneaten fruits, veggies and other perishable foods before they spoil. Check for untouched or unfinished treats an hour or so after they’ve been offered to your guinea pig.
What sweetener is good for guinea pigs?
Loaded with artificial sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, fructose or sucrose, they provide little nutritional value and lots of empty calories.
What vegetables should I feed my pig?
It’s best to provide variety by feeding different greens each day. Vegetables like red or green pepper and broccoli have high levels of vitamin C in them and are great daily options.
Do guinea pigs need vitamin C?
Guinea pigs often kick bedding material or droppings into their food bowls and stale pellets will have little , if any, vitamin C. If there are many pellets left in the food bowl every day, you’re probably giving your pig too much. An eighth of a cup is all that's needed.
Do guinea pigs overeat?
How much to feed. Guinea pigs don't usually overeat, but it's important to provide the proper balance of pellets, hay and fresh vegetables. Like human beings, guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C, so they require vitamin C-rich foods in their daily diet.
Can guinea pigs eat salt wheels?
But if you’re feeding your guinea pig a varied and well-balanced diet, these products shouldn't be necessary.
What is wikihow like?
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 5,329 times.
How long does it take for a guinea pig to produce milk?
The mother sow generally doesn't start lactating or producing milk until 24 hours of the birth. Within this time, it's normal for the guinea pig pups not to consume anything.
What to do if guinea pig stops eating?
If your guinea pig is refusing to eat, you'll need to prepare an emergency food. This article will show you how.
How long can you keep guinea pig milk in the fridge?
Store the milk in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks , and feed to baby guinea pigs every 1-2 hours.
Can guinea pigs choke?
There is a risk of aspirating or choking your guinea pig due to the difficulty of controlling how much food goes into their mouth with a bigger syringe. You can purchase a syringe at your vet office. Otherwise, a pet shop or drugstore will likely sell something similar.
Can you grind pellets with water?
You can also grind pellets with lukewarm water in a processor. As an alternative, pellets can be soaked with Pedialyte, Odwalla juice, wheatgrass juice, or natural cranberry juice (no added sugar or preservatives) instead of water to improve palatability and nutrition. ...
Can you feed Oxbow to guinea pigs?
Oxbow Critical Care for herbivores is a great emergency food to feed to sick or critical guinea pigs. You can purchase emergency food from most leading pet stores, or your local veterinary clinic. Supreme Science Recovery is another alternative to Oxbow. Otherwise, Emeraid Herbivore can be fed to critical guinea pigs.
Why is it important to address loss of appetite in guinea pigs?
When your guinea pig is not eating, it is very easy for their condition to spiral out of control, which is why it is so important to act quickly. By syringe feeding your piggy, you are preventing:
How much should I syringe feed my guinea pig?
Aim to administer 20 - 30 ml of liquid feed each session every 3-4 hours. When a guinea pig has lost their appetite, it is strongly advised to consult your vet for further investigation.
DIY Alternatives to Commercial Emergency Formula
If you don't have a commercial liquid feed mix available, it is important to still get something into your guinea pig's system. Guinea pigs that are not eating should be syringe fed every 3-4 hours. The longer a guinea pig goes without eating, the more detrimental it is to their health.
How to prepare your homemade emergency formula
Here is a great demonstration by Scotty's Animals on Youtube on how to prepare a homemade emergency formula:
Appetite Stimulants for Guinea Pigs
In addition to the above recipes, there are also natural herbal remedies to help stimulate your guinea pig's appetite. These remedies can be safely used in addition to your piggy's recovery feeds.
A word of advice on syringe feeds
When syringe feeding your guinea pig, ensure you provide at least 1 millimeter of water for every 5 millimeters of food to help prevent choking and dehydration. Don't rush the feeds as you want to go at the pace of your piggy.
Conclusion
When your guinea pig has lost their appetite, it is important that you act quickly to keep them well nourished. When you do not have critical care or recovery mixtures on hand, it is important to opt for an alternative until you can source the appropriate materials.
What is the term for when the normal movement of the gut stops?
Ileus, or gut stasis, is when the normal movement or ‘peristalsis’ of the guts stops, it can be life-threatening and requires urgent veterinary attention. There are many different causes such as:
Why do guinea pigs get respiratory infections?
Respiratory infections are fairly common in guinea pigs. Most are caused by bacteria which are commonly found in normal, healthy guinea pigs. These bacteria are ‘opportunistic’ and take advantage if your guinea is sick for any other reason, such as due to scurvy or because overcrowding, pregnancy, or poor environment are causing stress. Young guinea pigs and old guinea pigs are also more at risk. Making sure housing is dry, clean, and not too dusty can reduce the risk of pneumonia in guinea pigs.
What are the kidney stones in guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs are also prone to urinary stones or ‘calculi’ – a serious condition. Most frequently these are found in the bladder but can also form in the kidneys. These stones can become lodged and cause blockages, which can be life-threatening.
Why do guinea pigs have low vitamin C?
Vitamin C deficiency is caused when levels of this important vitamin are not adequate in the diet; this is because – unlike most animals – guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C, which is important for growth and repair of tissues within the body.
What causes guinea pigs to scratch?
If your guinea pig has hair loss and is itching or scratching a lot, it may have lice or mites. 1 The thought of having these things in your house—much less on the guinea pig—may make you itch all over. Lice or mites can be easy to avoid and treat. Lice, sarcoptic mange mites (scabies), and Demodex mange mites (Demodex) are conditions that can all cause itching and hair loss. Lice and their eggs are usually seen in the bald patches behind your guinea pig's ears and the mites can be seen microscopically all over the body. Speak with your veterinarian if you suspect any of these parasites to determine the best course of action.
How to care for a female guinea pig?
Spaying your female guinea pig is definitely recommended. 2 If she is living with a male, this will ensure population control and prevent multiple litters of guinea pigs. Besides preventing babies, females often develop uterine and ovarian issues, including various cancers, and having your female spayed can prevent these issues. Sometimes the uterus and ovaries can be removed even after the problem has been discovered but other times cancer has already spread to other parts of the body, rendering it untreatable. A complete ovariohysterectomy can be performed by your exotics vet on your guinea pig to prevent uterine and ovarian diseases, just as it would in a dog or cat. This can be done after the guinea pig is 6 months old. While some guinea pig owners are not able to justify the cost of the procedure, others see the great benefit to having their guinea pigs longer and not having to pay for emergency treatment when they notice their pig is sick.
How to keep guinea pigs from getting pneumonia?
1 They can even get Bordetella bronchiseptica from your dog, cat, or pet rabbit. Take notice of your guinea pig's cage location and be sure to keep them away from drafts, open doors, and open windows. This simple act will help decrease the likelihood of them getting a respiratory infection. Wash your hands after handling other animals, including guinea pigs at pet stores, your dog or cat if they are coughing or sneezing, and even your rabbit. If you or your family are feeling ill, it's best to keep your germs to yourself.
Why does my guinea pig stop eating?
Ileus can be caused secondarily by an underlying illness or stressor which, in turn, causes your guinea pig to stop eating.
How old is a guinea pig to have surgery?
This can be done after the guinea pig is 6 months old. While some guinea pig owners are not able to justify the cost of the procedure, others see the great benefit to having their guinea pigs longer and not having to pay for emergency treatment when they notice their pig is sick.
How to keep guinea pigs healthy?
The best way to keep your guinea pig healthy is to keep a close watch on your pet. Make sure it is eating and defecating, wash your hands before and after handling, freeze your pet's bedding and food before use, and keep it away from drafts. These actions will help you prevent the bulk of the most commonly seen diseases, ...
What are the symptoms of guinea pigs?
It is important to note any change in behavior, appetite, elimination (urination and defecation), or other daily habits. Be aware of physical changes such as hair loss, skin ...
