Advice On Helping Pig Recovery.

[scottishdean]

Hi everyone, as on my previous posts, Chester was very close to passing away due to a lung infection, loss of appetite and he was dedehydrated. What I'd like to know is, is there anything else I need for when he's discharged this afternoon? He's got fresh hay, fresh veg and pellets, vettark powder in his water which is a combo of vitaminc, good bacteria, fibre and soo on. Got it from p.a.h

 

[Wiebke]

Please weigh Chester daily at the same time in the feeding cycle to monitor his actual food intake. If necessary, top him up with hand feed and water, as much as he will take. By making sure that he gets as much food as possible, you give him more strength to fight off his illness. We have got tips for the recovery phase in our hand feeding guide.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/

You may find that it is more effective to either syringe the vetark solution in water (which gives you control over his intake) and offer plain water otherwise or to syringe the vetark powder with his hand feed. Many piggies are drinking noticeably less if the water contains additives and it has a tendency to go off very quickly. By syringing you can make sure that he gets the full dose.

All the best! Recovery from a severe illness can often be a two steps forward, one step back thing, so be patient. Contact your vet or an out-of-hours vet asap if there is any deterioration, loss of appetite/weight loss or if notice any secondary issues that are caused by the lowered immune system.