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Can i use Oxbow Adult Guinea Pig Food to replace Critical Care for about a day and a half?

A

Agashe

Junior Guinea Pig
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As the title says I was wondering if this was safe to do? My vet is closed tomorrow and I hadn’t realized how much he eats a day until today when I realized that the bag will NOT be lasting through the end of the evening. I’ve read it can make them gain weight but not much else other than it’s about 5% of daily food intake and that it’s sometimes not healthy from additives like grains. Anything would be helpful!
 
You can soak the pellets they eat and use that.
 
As long as it’s not available. Are you not able to buy it online?
 
Siikibam said:
As long as it’s not available. Are you not able to buy it online?
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I can and the vet opens Monday but I was just wondering and asking for the people that may find themselves asking and wondering the same thing as myself. From hearing that pellets shouldn’t be the main source of food to hearing it can make them fat fast it made me wonder how long it could actually be given for in place of hay. My boy is on a round of antibiotics so he’s not really touching hay at the moment
 
I’m not sure on that front. But it can be used if critical care can’t be gotten in an emergency.
 
You are right in that pellets shouldn’t be the main source of food, but if a piggy is poorly and needs syringe feeding then that is the primary concern - you don’t worry about the fact they’re are getting more pellets than normal, keeping gut function with a source of fibre and stopping weight loss is vital. The recovery feeds contain more fibre than mushed pellets but mushed pellets are the emergency measure until you can get more recovery feed.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Grass is a natural diet for them. It’s what they’re designed to eat
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I see,I have some Oxbow Orchard Grass,that’s okay to give then? Actually I have another question since we’re on the subject of eating,every 2 hours from 1pm-10pm I’m giving him 30ml of food and he’s not gaining weight from what I can tell,am I doing something wrong? Should I up the amount? (He’s seeming to maintain around the same weight give or take a few grams)
 
Are you weighing him or feeling his weight? I think, from what others on here say, it can take longer for them to gain back any weight they may have lost. As long as he’s not losing I think that’s good. Is that 30ml every 2 hours or 30ml in those 9 hours?
 
Siikibam said:
Are you weighing him or feeling his weight? I think, from what others on here say, it can take longer for them to gain back any weight they may have lost. As long as he’s not losing I think that’s good. Is that 30ml every 2 hours or 30ml in those 9 hours?
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It’s 30ml every 2 hours. I am weight by scale and I can also feel his tailbone but not as bad as I used to feel it,his ribs can be felt a bit and his spine can be felt as well but it’s not as bad as it was when I was weighing him in at around 800grms
 
That’s pretty good he’s taking that much in two hours. If he’s maintaining it’s good. It may take a while for him to gain back the weight.
 
I've done oxbow mash before. I've added a fave veg or fruit as baby food to encourage eating it too.
 
Siikibam said:
That’s pretty good he’s taking that much in two hours. If he’s maintaining it’s good. It may take a while for him to gain back the weight.
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I’m gonna continue posting here because I’m not sure if I should make another but could you please tag other pros? My vet would like to test for hyper thyroid? But I have no experience in this so I would like to know some symptoms and if it can develop later in life?
 
With hyperthyroidism you can normally detect a nodule (goitre) in the neck. A blood test (T4) can be carried out, but the results in guinea pigs are often inconclusive or give false positives or negatives. I've had a couple of guinea pigs that have been treated for hyperthyroidism. Both had a very obvious goitre in the neck. We used the medication Thyronorm, which is a medication for hyperthyroidism in cats. This medication worked very well. Both guinea pigs were eating incredibly well, were very hyperactive, but were losing weight and condition, rapidly. After a few weeks of medication they stopped losing weight and very slowly started to regain weight.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
With hyperthyroidism you can normally detect a nodule (goitre) in the neck. A blood test (T4) can be carried out, but the results in guinea pigs are often inconclusive or give false positives or negatives. I've had a couple of guinea pigs that have been treated for hyperthyroidism. Both had a very obvious goitre in the neck. We used the medication Thyronorm, which is a medication for hyperthyroidism in cats. This medication worked very well. Both guinea pigs were eating incredibly well, were very hyperactive, but were losing weight and condition, rapidly. After a few weeks of medication they stopped losing weight and very slowly started to regain weight.
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Is it possible to have it without the neck thing? My vet said she didn’t feel it but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it. She also said that it could come back with nothing after blood work too so him not having it could mean he actually doesn’t have it but incase she wants to do it I believe. I think she’s concerned about it because I’ve been feeding constantly but no real weight is being gained and if it is we’re talking MAYBE 10grms a day and I think that’s being generous
 
Agashe said:
Is it possible to have it without the neck thing? My vet said she didn’t feel it but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it. She also said that it could come back with nothing after blood work too. I think she’s concerned about it because I’ve been feeding constantly but no real weight is being gained and if it is we’re talking MAYBE 10grms a day and I think that’s being generous
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Does he eat lots for himself and are you only giving supportive feeding to try and put some weight onto him? There is normally a goitre but it can be very deep and not easy to detect. Would your vet consider just trialling some medication for hyperthyroidism, to see if makes a difference?
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Does he eat lots for himself and are you only giving supportive feeding to try and put some weight onto him? There is normally a goitre but it can be very deep and not easy to detect. Would your vet consider just trialling some medication for hyperthyroidism, to see if makes a difference?
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He doesn’t eat a whole lot on his own no he’s on an antibiotic though so that may effect how much he wants to eat on his own even though I give probiotics. Yesterday when I got home he weighed 910grams and today he’s at 904grams. Is it possible he’s just gaining weight REALLY SLOWLY? I am not sure my vet will give meds without a blood test as I’m in America and they want to test for everything before meds even if it’s an obvious condition
 
Agashe said:
He doesn’t eat a whole lot on his own no he’s on an antibiotic though so that may effect how much he wants to eat on his own even though I give probiotics. Yesterday when I got home he weighed 910grams and today he’s at 904grams. Is it possible he’s just gaining weight REALLY SLOWLY? I am not sure my vet will give meds without a blood test as I’m in America and they want to test for everything before meds even if it’s an obvious condition
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Weight gain takes such a long time. Guinea pigs lose weight so quickly, but gain it so slowly. I wish it was the same for us humans! ha ha!
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Weight gain takes such a long time. Guinea pigs lose weight so quickly, but gain it so slowly. I wish it was the same for us humans! ha ha!
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Oh wow! I didn’t realize they couldn’t pack it on as fast as it was lost! Are we talking 10grms gain a week slow? Is there any estimate on how slow it can be? I only ask because I want to make sure I’m not wrong to ask my vet to wait to see if it is or isn’t his thyroid. She agreed to wait since I seem to be able to keep him steady around 900grms but I worry I am making a bad choice
 
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