feeding a pig that doesnt eat

Question
QUESTION: we are trying to nurse our pig back to health. she is on antibiotics, and she eats but not much at all, she has been losing weight and actaully much weight. could we crush the pellets and use the dropper to force feed her that way?

we took x ray but something in there was blocking the view of her heart so we can't yet tell if her heart is well. she does breathe hard and with noise. the x ray showed some type of foggy look that made the vet suspect a case of mineralization. the x ray also seemed to show a fracture in one rib bone...??

this is a young pig a bit over 1 year old. she is so sweet we don't want to lose her.

thanks so much.
i aprreciate you.

jill on behalf of PeaNut

ANSWER: The best thing to give her is a product called Critical Care. It's a powdered formula made for just this type of thing. Mix it according to the directions. Do not try to force it into her mouth. You can get a syringe made for giving human babies liquid medication. Instead of a needle on the end it has a pointed tip that goes into the mouth.

When feeding a guinea pig with a syringe you have to be very careful not to push the liquid into the mouth or they may aspirate. You want to give it drop by drop and make sure she's swallonwing it. Along with the Critical Care you should give some ProBiotics, available in most pet stores. Your vet may also carry it.

Critical Care for animals is comparable to Ensure for humans. It has all the vitamins and nutrients they need to sustain them even on a liquid diet. The pellets will not do what you need.

Losing weight is a very serious sign. It's sometimes very difficult to bring them back when they've started doing that, but persistence is the key.  Good luck. I will keep my fingers crossed that she recovers soon.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you again for your great help!

i have not yet gotten her the probiotics. what kind may i get?

my piggy has been more willing to eat on her own, she eats her comfort food that i used to give her but stopped when i learned those not necessarily best food for her, but she would eat these now, such as fresh wheat grass, grape, organic oats, raw almond, kale, and she also is willing to eat more hay now...

i also hold her more and talk to her and i know she loves that!

ANSWER: That's good news.   She may not need the probiotics now. It sounds like she's on her way to recovery. You've done a good job!

Ask your vet about the probiotics. He probably carries that in his office. Otherwise you may find it at any pet supply store.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: oh no she has diarrhea!
i am cutting back her fresh veggie for sure.
as the time of writing, she has the symptoms for a day now, she squeaks a lot, loud.

i will call the vet, too. do you have any advice for me please?
thanks.

Answer
She needs the probiotics now. But do call the vet. Antibiotics are famous for causing stomach issues because they destroy the natural flora in the stomach and intestines. That's why we use probiotics as well. It's a kind of vicious circle and a hard one to chase.

You might also try using rice water. I don't know if you've ever heard of or had reason to use the B.R.A.T. diet for diarrhea, but it's been used for many years with great success. It's the first line of defense for children with diarrhea and it's what we recommend to moms to use on the kids. The letters stand for B=bananas R=rice A=applesauce (not juice) T=toast (no butter or jelly).

For small babies we recommend boiling the rice in a lot of water (not instant rice). As the water level goes down add more water. What you need is the thickened sticky water that is white from the gluten of the rice. The gluten gives substance to the bowel and helps stop diarrhea. Of course for humans they can eat the rice, but for babies we just give the water. And for animals you can put that water in their water bottle. The same thing happens with bananas, it has a gluten in it that helps stop diarrhea.

The vet may also tell you to give a small amount of Mylanta, but talk to them first.