Critical Care Shortage Toronto (Canada). Tips on how to make your own?

[GameTurtle]

Hello Everyone,

So there is a critical care shortage in Toronto (as well as all other critical care equivalents) and unfortunately I have a guineapig that needs food supplementation (He had dental issues he is recovering from but still needs critical care to keep his weight up. He is eating by himself now but not enough).

Our vet has told us its unfortunate but for the time being we will need to grind up pellets and use that as a critical care replacement as we can not purchase it. Has anyone done this before and should I add anything to the grinded pellets? (I have seen some videos online of owners also giving there guineapigs Ben Cam with their homemade critical care but I think thats only needed if the pig has digestive issues?)

Thank you!

 

[Siikibam]

Yes you can feed mushed pellets. Soak them in warm water and feed once cooled. You could even leave a bowl in the cage. You need to be getting 60-90ml in him to help maintain his weight. Are you weighing daily?

 

[al34ex]

I have heard of folks mixing in some of their favorite veg/fruit with the mashed up pellets in case they aren’t super into it. Could help them take it easier if that’s an issue?

 

[GameTurtle]

Yes you can feed mushed pellets. Soak them in warm water and feed once cooled. You could even leave a bowl in the cage. You need to be getting 60-90ml in him to help maintain his weight. Are you weighing daily?

Weighing him every day to make sure he doesn't decline. Also will leave some wet kibble in the cage for him

 

[Eriathwen]

Some juicing websites or wholefoods sites sell 100% wheatgrass powder, as long as there has been nothing added, I will sometimes use this to bulk out critical care or make it more palatable. Id imagine it would also be suitable to mix with soaked pellets made into a gruel.

 

[KathT]

I know you might not be syringe feeding but just a tip - when I didn’t have any critical care, I found the if I blitzed the soaked pellets in a blender (smoothie maker, though I’ve never made a smoothie) it came out really smooth and really easy to suck up in a syringe.

 

[Betsy]

You could try adding a bit of mashed banana in with the soaked pellets. Some finely grated apple and/or carrot make it taste nice too. Add in a few oats too if your piggy still needs a bit of weight gain.

 

[GameTurtle]

I know you might not be syringe feeding but just a tip - when I didn’t have any critical care, I found the if I blitzed the soaked pellets in a blender (smoothie maker, though I’ve never made a smoothie) it came out really smooth and really easy to suck up in a syringe.

Yes I found the same thing I have a little bullet blender and it is making the mix allot smoother!

 

[Sgboyd]

I soaked pellets in warm water and mashed them, adding water as needed to get the consistency right. My one gal who refused to eat them, I added safe baby foods to flavor it a little.

You don't need a syringe always. I've had them eat from a spoon before too. It's use whatever method gets them to eat.

 

[Betsy]

Meg likes to lick it straight from the bowl.

 

[Little Ones]

Definitely do mashed up pellets. You do have to get the right consistency for it to get into the syringe. The only difference I’ve found is that critical care is better for the poos. But you can use mashed pellets exactly the same. We have critical care but stopped using it as every time we’ve syringe fed, they’ve put up a fight when it’s the CC but have been begging for more when it’s the mashed pellets. Works just the same.

 

[GameTurtle]

Definitely do mashed up pellets. You do have to get the right consistency for it to get into the syringe. The only difference I’ve found is that critical care is better for the poos. But you can use mashed pellets exactly the same. We have critical care but stopped using it as every time we’ve syringe fed, they’ve put up a fight when it’s the CC but have been begging for more when it’s the mashed pellets. Works just the same.

I found the same thing as soon as I switched to wet kibble my guineapig (Fish) went from resisting the feeding to hunting down the syringe. Hes nearly maintaining his weight now without help he went from 20 ml every 4 hours to now 10 ml 3 times a day.

The other thing I found is that I had to also give water as he wasn't drinking on his own. Now he seems to heavily prefer being syringe fed water? He will get very excited when I feed him water and seems to be ignoring his water bottle now -_-.

 

[Little Ones]

I found the same thing as soon as I switched to wet kibble my guineapig (Fish) went from resisting the feeding to hunting down the syringe. Hes nearly maintaining his weight now without help he went from 20 ml every 4 hours to now 10 ml 3 times a day.

The other thing I found is that I had to also give water as he wasn't drinking on his own. Now he seems to heavily prefer being syringe fed water? He will get very excited when I feed him water and seems to be ignoring his water bottle now -_-.

My Little was the same with the water. He couldn’t drink for himself due to the illness he had, it took a while for him to stop asking me for water and actually drink for himself. He just preferred the syringe to having to do the work himself. I had to ignore him when he asked for the water as well as stop using the syringe for water entirely (so no water syringes here and there, just completely stop). After a while he got the memo and stopped asking and started drinking for himself entirely which is really what any piggy needs to do!