Syringe feeding your guinea pig

Syringe feeding (supportive feeding) your guinea pig is a very important part of recovery from gastrointestinal stasis (gut stasis), and in some cases is the most important part of recovering from surgery or illness. If you need to continue syringe feeding your guinea pig following surgery or illness your veterinarian will discuss this with you and will show you how to do this before you take your guinea pig back home. It is important to be gentle and persistent with your guinea pig as providing an adequate intake of food can be the turning point of recovery. Many guinea pigs dislike being syringe fed, but some actually enjoy it, it is important you persevere and are successful.

It is important to arrange all the necessary equipment for syringe feeding your guinea pig before handling them.

Equipment required:

• Pasteur pipette or syringe – a large bore (nozzle) syringe is ideal as it allows you to feed thicker material; these are called catheter tipped syringes and help to prevent blockages of the syringe with the feeding material in smaller nozzles. Pipettes work well too as these are generally either 1 ml or 3 ml meaning you can’t feed too much at once. The end couple of centimetres can be cut off (ensure there are no sharp ends) to allow for a larger bore to get the food in and out of.
• Towel – to wrap or secure your guinea pig.
• Food to be syringe fed.
• Cotton wool or paper towel to wipe your guinea pig’s face afterwards.

Many people find it easier to place the guinea pig on a waist high table with the guinea pig either wrapped or secured with a towel placed under them. It may be helpful having a second person to assist. Always undertake all handling calmly but firmly.

Some people find it easier to sit on the floor with the guinea pig wrapped in a towel. The technique you use depends on your guinea pig’s temperament. Nervous guinea pigs are safer on the floor so they cannot fall if they panic.

There are a few commercial preparations available for feeding guinea pigs that are not eating by themselves, eg Oxbow Critical Care for Herbivores, Burgess Dual Care, Supreme Recovery and Emeraid. Your veterinarian may be able to provide this for you.

Ideally, a commercial diet should always be used. These are balanced diets, high in fiber and designed for optimum gastrointestinal tract health, but if a commercial preparation is not available then other foods that can be used include:

• Soaked pellets blended with extra water.
• Vegetable baby food – this MUST NOT contain any dairy or meat-based products. This can also be added to commercial diets to make it slightly sweeter if the guinea pig won’t accept the commercial food.
• Pureed cooked pumpkin.
• Blended green leafy vegetables.

Some guinea pigs will readily take syringe feeding while sitting on the floor or in your lap, but this is rare, especially with anorexic guinea pigs. Others resist and you may need to wrap them in a towel.

If your guinea pig is wriggling or resisting the food, then place them in a towel. To towel wrap your guinea pig open a towel out on a table or floor. Place your guinea pig on top of the towel with their head at the edge of the long section in the middle. Fold the towel securely from shoulder to bottom on both sides (long sides of towel) making sure both front legs are enclosed. Then fold the remaining section up to cover their bottom. Your guinea pig can now be held firmly from behind with elbows at their bottom and hands holding shoulders (and front of towel), lean over your guinea pig to provide more security; a second person can now feed your guinea pig. If you are on your own, you can hold your guinea pig on your lap with one hand and syringe feed with the other.

Always remain as calm as possible and hold your guinea pig securely and firmly but not tightly. If you are only able to administer a small amount of food, stop feeding and try again in 30-60 min.

The syringe is placed into the large space in your guinea pig’s mouth behind the front teeth (incisors), this space is called the diastema, the large space between the incisors and premolars. The syringe is angled back into the mouth and the plunger of the syringe is pressed in slowly or the pipette squeezed gently, depending on what you are using.

You should only feed small amounts, 1-2 ml at a time and then allow your guinea pig to rest (remove the syringe). Your guinea pig should show signs of chewing and swallowing. This process can then be repeated until you have fed 10-12 ml (the amount you feed will depend on the size of your guinea pig and the reason for syringe feeding). 

Syringe feeding needs to be done slowly to avoid aspiration and the guinea pig must NEVER be fed lying on their back. If the syringe becomes blocked remove it from the guinea pig’s mouth and angle away from you and press the plunger firmly. 

If your guinea pig is stubborn, they may not swallow and the food will dribble out of their mouth, please keep trying. However, if your guinea pig is very sick (not responding or sitting up) they can be at risk of inhaling the food; in this case your guinea pig may require more intensive care in hospital, so please contact your veterinarian if this is the case.

This depends on the type of food and water content of the preparation being fed, but you should aim to provide some feeding every 2-6 hours while your guinea pig is not eating. Your veterinarian will guide you on how much food and how often your guinea pig needs to be fed.