Vital Look after guinea pigs is produced by Oxbow. It’s additionally a time period used extra broadly to seek advice from restoration meals, that are fed when guinea pigs are unwell and wish extra meals shifting via their intestine. They’re additionally used to maintain piggies from reducing weight once they’re previous or recovering from surgical procedure or sickness.
On this article, I’ll talk about the whole lot there may be to find out about Vital Care, from what it’s to how and when to feed it to your guinea pig.
What’s Vital Look after Guinea Pigs?
Critical Care is an important a part of any guinea pig emergency equipment. It’s a restoration meals that may be syringe-fed to piggies who aren’t consuming or who want extra energy of their weight-reduction plan.
Vital Care is made by Oxbow, which is a vet-trusted model for guinea pigs and different small pets. There are additionally different manufacturers that make restoration meals, and you can also make your individual by mixing guinea pig pellets and heat water.
Why Vital Care Belongs in Your Emergency Package
Guinea pigs can cease consuming at any time. It’s a typical symptom for piggies with dental points, bloat, higher respiratory infections (URIs), and extra.
The issue with that is that guinea pigs can not go lengthy with out meals–simply 6-8 hours can put them into lethal gastrointestinal (GI) stasis. Because of this Vital Care, or another restoration meals, ought to be in your guinea pig emergency equipment always.
You don’t need to be struggling to search out Vital Care in shops or ready for it to ship when you actually need it.
I additionally advocate preserving a few flavors for choosy piggies. Some will dislike a selected taste. Others might eat one taste for some time, after which cease taking it as nicely. Switching to a brand new taste can typically assist in these circumstances.
How Do I Know if My Guinea Pig Wants Vital Care?
Weighing your guinea pigs weekly is likely one of the most necessary issues you are able to do to watch their well being. In case your guinea pig loses greater than 100 grams, please make an appointment along with your veterinarian as quickly as attainable.
Within the meantime, it’s a good suggestion to feed important care to make sure that they’re getting the vitamins they want and to hopefully forestall extra weight reduction.
Listed below are some causes you may have to feed your guinea pig Vital Care:
- Sick guinea pigs who’ve stopped consuming usually profit from Vital Care to maintain their guts shifting and their weight up till you may get them to the vet. (Please search for a same-day appointment if in any respect attainable, as refusing to eat is an emergency!)
- Sick guinea pigs who’re consuming lower than normal may also profit as Vital Care may also help maintain their weight up as they recuperate.
- Guinea pigs recovering from surgical procedure can typically be much less motivated to eat, and Vital Care may also help them get the energy they want. In case your piggy is performing in another way after surgical procedure, keep in mind to speak to your vet about what you see!
- Senior guinea pigs who’ve misplaced weight might have extra energy to maintain their weight up, which Vital Care may also help with.
- Anytime it’s beneficial by your veterinarian. It’s necessary to seek the advice of along with your veterinarian about feeding Vital Care, as you don’t need to be feeding an excessive amount of of it or to a piggy who doesn’t want it. If you happen to’re unsure, it’s at all times finest to make an appointment to debate your issues.
Please keep in mind that whereas Vital Care could be lifesaving, it’s usually not the one remedy your guinea pig will want. It’s finest used whereas ready to see a vet or below their directions, not as a alternative for veterinary care.
Use Vital Care
Use Vital Care and different restoration meals as beneficial by your veterinarian or on the product label. All the time comply with your veterinarian’s directions first, as they might range from the written directions on the product.
If you happen to’ve forgotten what your vet beneficial, please name and ask for affirmation. I’ve had to do that earlier than since appointments with sick pets could be overwhelming, and in my expertise, your vet really doesn’t anticipate you to retain all the data they provide the first time round.
How A lot Vital Care to Feed a Guinea Pig
Oxbow’s Critical Care recommends feeding three tablespoons per kilogram of physique weight, which is the same as 2.2 kilos or 1000 grams. Do not forget that this measurement is for the dry product, not the slurry after it’s been blended with water.
That is additionally a each day measurement, however Oxbow recommends dividing it into 4-6 feedings a day. So, you may feed half a tablespoon of Vital Care six occasions a day to your 1000-gram guinea pig.
Put together Vital Care
Solely put together one portion of important care at a time, not the complete each day quantity. It’s because you’ll have to throw away leftovers after every serving.
When you’ve measured out the dry combination right into a small bowl, add two elements water to 1 half Vital Care and blend. As an example, when feeding one tablespoon of Vital Care, add two tablespoons of water. You may modify the water if wanted to get the proper consistency.
Then, fill your 1 ml syringe with the combination and feed it to your guinea pig. Repeat as wanted till the serving is gone. (Keep in mind to interrupt their each day quantity into a number of servings!)
Syringe Feed a Guinea Pig
After studying the above, you could be pondering: sure, however how do I syringe feed my guinea pig? Some piggies will latch onto the syringe with ease, however others want extra coaxing. This may particularly be true in the event that they’re feeling unwell and don’t need to eat.
You may strive dipping the tip of the syringe in one thing your piggy loves, like a little bit of piggy-safe child meals or their vitamin C complement.
If this doesn’t work, you might want to softly maintain your guinea pig and wrap them in a towel in your lap. This stops them from backing away as you convey the syringe to their mouth.
Don’t carry your guinea pig’s entrance legs or flip them onto their backs. As a substitute, feed them upright with their toes touching the “flooring” (or, on this case, your legs and the towel).
Angle the syringe behind your piggy’s incisors (their entrance enamel) and slowly launch a tiny little bit of Vital Care at a time. Look forward to them to swallow earlier than persevering with to dispense extra of the combination.
Begin by releasing simply 0.05 ml. In case your guinea pig takes this quantity nicely, you possibly can feed as much as 0.2 ml at a time earlier than pausing to allow them to chew and swallow. If the leftover combination turns into too thick at any time, add water earlier than persevering with with the feeding.
Take care to not feed them too shortly, as this may trigger issues similar to your piggy inhaling, somewhat than swallowing, the Vital Care.
Additionally, keep in mind that this isn’t force-feeding–your guinea pig has to voluntarily swallow the meals to ensure that it to work. In case your piggy isn’t chewing or swallowing, cease feeding Vital Care. Additionally cease in the event that they cough, squeak, or in any other case appear distressed by the method.
In case your guinea pig isn’t consuming, and in addition refuses Vital Care, name your veterinarian instantly. This means an emergent well being drawback, and they need to be introduced in immediately.
Weighing Your Guinea Pig After Feedings
When feeding Vital Care, you’ll possible need to weigh your guinea pig extra typically than normal. In the event that they’re very sick and have a low urge for food, I’d go for each day weigh-ins.
This ensures that they’re gaining weight (or not dropping it, relying in your targets). If they’re reducing weight, or not gaining as you and your vet would really like, you might have to feed them extra typically or speak along with your vet about different remedy choices.
Don’t feed greater than your vet or the product packaging recommends except you seek the advice of along with your vet first, as feeding an excessive amount of Vital Care could be harmful. You don’t need your piggy to develop bloat or different well being issues.
Vital Care Alternate options
Vital Care is a model by Oxbow, which is a vet-trusted model for guinea pigs and different small pets. Many individuals name any sort of piggy restoration meals Vital Care in the identical means we name bandages Band-Aids or cotton swabs Q-tips.
There are additionally different manufacturers that make restoration meals similar to EmerAid, Sherwood, or Science Selective RecoveryPlus. Although I haven’t used any of those manufacturers myself, I’ve heard from different piggy guardians that some guinea pigs who refuse Vital Care desire the style of EmerAid’s merchandise.
You may even make your individual restoration meals by mixing small quantities of heat water into your guinea pigs’ on a regular basis pellets and mixing till they turn into a pureed texture. That is usually beneficial in emergencies whenever you don’t have restoration meals available.
Regardless of which kind of restoration meals you select to feed, it’s necessary to maintain some prepared for emergencies. There’s no approach to management or plan for when your guinea pigs get sick–it might occur in the course of the night time, or on Sunday when your native vets aren’t open.
Studying the way to use Vital Care or its alternate options earlier than a disaster hits may even serve you nicely in an emergency so that you simply aren’t scrambling to study final minute.
