Dirty face from CC

[JessiKate]

So my chin is eating critical care and it gets ALL over his face. Now my vet warned me of this and told me to clean it off whenever he eats but try as I might I just can't seem to get it.
He eats it on his own and he eats it fairly constantly which is why he has the freedom to get it all over as opposed to if I was using a feeding syringe. I just don't see the need in the syringe if he is eating willingly.

Basically, my question is, is there a really effective way to wash his face/chest area to get the stuck CC off? I use a damp cloth and a comb and work at it a few times a day, but it's like one step forward and 2 steps back because he eats so frequently! Not to mention he gets annoyed part way through!
He goes back to the vet tomorrow and I'm going to ask them if they can clean it up but I REALLY need to figure out an effective way to do it at home!

 

[Cuddlebug]

The best you can do is use the wet wash cloth and get off what you can. At least it will keep it from building up on him. I would not switch to a syringe. That really would be taking a step back and would stress him unnecessarily.

 

[JessiKate]

*sigh* the downside to the fluffyness lol.
I'm sure once he can go back to normal food it will be easier to clean him, right now its just clean, eat, clean, eat, etc. The only time I would consider the syringe would be if he wasn't eating on his own but he DEFINITELY has no problem with that.

 

[ticklechin]

Be careful with this one, chins can become addicted to CC and will refuse to eat their regular food even when they can. He likes CC alot so when its time to wean him off it you have to be the mean old Mom!

 

[JessiKate]

Be careful with this one, chins can become addicted to CC and will refuse to eat their regular food even when they can. He likes CC alot so when its time to wean him off it you have to be the mean old Mom!

oh my goodness, they get addicted to it?! Hmm, maybe eventually I'll have to casually start mixing some in with pellets and hay to get him used to it again

He has to eat it pretty intensely for the next weekish because I took him into the vet today and they couldn't perform his surgery because he's too thin poor guy, he's eating so much, I dont know where it's all going! it stresses me out, I'm trying so hard to help him out

 

[ticklechin]

CC does not pack on pounds, when I have one that is losing even when eating 120ml a day I will do a 50% critical care and 50% lifeline-lifeline is alfalfa based as opposed to the timothy based CC and I find it works well and most chins REALLY did the flavor.

http://www.chocolatechinchillas.com/id4.html

 

[JessiKate]

Thanks for the advice! He did seem to thoroughly enjoy alfalfa hay at one point a couple of years ago so I can imagine he'd be happy with a pasty version!
I wish I had the time before his surgery to get lifeline, I also wish I knew about it before the CC so I could have avoided spending the money on something that isn't going to necessarily help all that much. This does really explain why he's losing weight even though his face is pretty much constantly shoved in his food!

Would it be weird to mash up pellets and and finely cut up some brome hay and mix it in with the CC?

 

[ticklechin]

We call that ghetto critical care-mashed pellets! You can try it and see if he will still eat it. Soak the pellets well, it takes alot of fluid to make them mushy!