missdoofus
Junior Guinea Pig
Hello ,
I need to ask for advice again as we are still not further with Cookie actually gaining weight. It has been just over a month that he was neutered and he is a little bit better, he will eat some vegetables again, has had to somewhat re-learn to drink water from the bottle in his cage. He has been drinking a lot more though, since he figured out he doesn't need to wait for the syringe to drink water. We have seen him eat pellets at regular intervals and since we put him back with his cagemate (with whom he is miraculously getting on again!) he has also started eating hay again as well.
His behaviour has improved, he still has periods where he sits hunched up, but he is wheeking again for food and seems just a little more cheerful and active.
During the week we are unable to feed him during the day, as the director of my company is no longer impressed with me having him at work .
So the routine is like this:
6am get up and feed - he eats a good lot of food, he doesn't like critical care, so we give him mashed up pellets, which he eats without forcing. Then we get ready and feed him again at 7.30am - I do try and give him the critical care at this point. Then obviously he only has the food in his cage during the day, this includes veggies. I get home around 5.30pm - handfeed as much as I can. Then I continue the handfeeding every hour until 11pm. We have also been giving them additional vegetables. I try and mix in the critical care with his mashed up pellets.
At the weekend we feed him every couple of hours, morning and night time. He does not seem to be loosing weight on a daily basis but he is still at 550/570g it varies slightly. He was at 750g before the operation.
We have tried handfeeding him baby food, mixed with critical care etc. but he hates all of it and as he started eating independently again, he now puts up a serious fight for feeding as he seems to think he no longer needs the special treatment. Well, we disagree!
So, how are we going to get him to eat more of his food independently and actually get enough to reduce the amount we handfeed him? It seems like we are in this cycle and there is no way out. (All the vet visits haven't come out with him actually having anything wrong that would need treatment so there is no real reason for him to be like this...)
Any suggestions appreciated!
I need to ask for advice again as we are still not further with Cookie actually gaining weight. It has been just over a month that he was neutered and he is a little bit better, he will eat some vegetables again, has had to somewhat re-learn to drink water from the bottle in his cage. He has been drinking a lot more though, since he figured out he doesn't need to wait for the syringe to drink water. We have seen him eat pellets at regular intervals and since we put him back with his cagemate (with whom he is miraculously getting on again!) he has also started eating hay again as well.
His behaviour has improved, he still has periods where he sits hunched up, but he is wheeking again for food and seems just a little more cheerful and active.
During the week we are unable to feed him during the day, as the director of my company is no longer impressed with me having him at work .
So the routine is like this:
6am get up and feed - he eats a good lot of food, he doesn't like critical care, so we give him mashed up pellets, which he eats without forcing. Then we get ready and feed him again at 7.30am - I do try and give him the critical care at this point. Then obviously he only has the food in his cage during the day, this includes veggies. I get home around 5.30pm - handfeed as much as I can. Then I continue the handfeeding every hour until 11pm. We have also been giving them additional vegetables. I try and mix in the critical care with his mashed up pellets.
At the weekend we feed him every couple of hours, morning and night time. He does not seem to be loosing weight on a daily basis but he is still at 550/570g it varies slightly. He was at 750g before the operation.
We have tried handfeeding him baby food, mixed with critical care etc. but he hates all of it and as he started eating independently again, he now puts up a serious fight for feeding as he seems to think he no longer needs the special treatment. Well, we disagree!
So, how are we going to get him to eat more of his food independently and actually get enough to reduce the amount we handfeed him? It seems like we are in this cycle and there is no way out. (All the vet visits haven't come out with him actually having anything wrong that would need treatment so there is no real reason for him to be like this...)
Any suggestions appreciated!