Should I Syringe Feed Pellets? Pig With Digestive Problems

[Pets Palace TV]

Hello!

So I follow a mostly all natural diet for my guinea pigs. Recently I have replaced most of the vegetables with a variety of grasses, plants, branches, herbs etc. They have access to hay 24/7 & receive supplements such as pea flakes daily. On Sunday evening, the forage was too wet to feed them so I fed vegetables. They have been fed some vegetables whilst getting forage, but not as much as they previously got. So on that day I fed quite a large amount of vegetables without thinking it would cause problems.

The following day, I noticed that one of my guinea pigs has had really bad faeces - they are very soft, smelly and not the right shape either. We have treated her for diarrhoea because her symptoms match (crying when passing faces, hunched up, pain etc). We have given her rehydration fluids and probiotic. We are also getting her some buscopan too. My question is simply can I syringe feed her pellets? I do not feed pellets for various reasons, but seen as I have eliminated veg, grass, forage until she gets better, she needs more dry food. Now I am just feeding hay. She has had a few nibbles but she is not fussed. So I was wondering is it safe for me to syringe feed pellets, as I don't want to cause more problems by feeding her something else she isn't used to.

Thanks!

 

[helen105281]

Can you get hold of any Oxbow critical care or recovery food instead? they are more likely to tolerate that than a pellet they aren't used to. Most poorly pigs have not had critical care prior to being poorly. The priority here though is keeping her guts going while she is not eating so if you can't get hold of critical care I would try pellet mush instead, I have been told recently that Harringtons have better ingredients than a lot of the usual brands or you could try grainless ones though I have found they don't mash as easily.

 

[Pets Palace TV]

Thanks for your reply. We do have some supreme science recovery food in the cupboard, but it is past the best before date (April 2016). Luckily I do have some Harrington's pellets in the shed in case any get poorly so I could use those

 

[helen105281]

I would try the Harringtons then and see, start with a small amount.

 

[Pets Palace TV]

Okay, will do! Also for the buscopan, I think those come in tablets? Should they be dissolved in water first?

 

[helen105281]

I usually crush it in 1ml of water.

 

[helen105281]

I usually crush it in 1ml of water.

 

[helen105281]

I would make sure your vet is happy for you to use Buscopan though.