FORCE feed versus HAND feed?

[Anna]

So, I know this is a rather odd, probably really obvious question. But, whenever I feed CC or LifeLine to one of my chins, they prettty much eat if off of the syringe. Well, one of my chins, he is a good weight, at 680 grams. He was wheezing a bit and I had some baytril and probiotic and asked the vet the amount to give him, so I have been giving him some, and his wheezing is subsiding, today I didn't hear it all actually....

Anyway, his appetite went down, as I know is common with baytril, but he won't easily eat off the syringe. How can I make him eat CC or LifeLine, if at all possible. This is assuming I am horrible at chin burritos and they always get out heh.

Also, I tried to give him it off a spoon, which he lapped up happily before the Baytril for with his "maintenance" LifeLine, but it doesn't seem to work now that he doesn't want to eat.

Does anyone have any tips to get a very syringe-resistant chin to eat?

Thanks!

 

[Anna]

And, of course, as I post this he begins happily munching on some alfalfa hay. Figures. Still though, any tips?

 

[mishellyshel]

if he is wheezing and you give him baytril and it subsides, perhaps he needs to see a vet?? if for nothing else to get more baytril. he may have an upper respitory infection.
as for "force" feeding, maybe if you dip the syringe in the dyne you will be able to get it in his mouth. otherwise burrito and firm but gentle grip is pretty much all you can do.

 

[feistychins]

I never 'force' feed a chin, but rather 'hand' feed when necessary. If a chin won't swallow, and there are some so sick and stubborn they refuse, it does no good to risk them choking on the food. I have had many chins eat the cc right from the tip of the syringe. If one is not willing to eat readily, I always put it in the side of their mouth in very small amounts. It takes longer to feed them, but I have found a chin is more willing to eat a small amount rather than trying to hurry them to eat too much.

 

[Carol~Anne]

Force feeding/hand feeding is one and the same thing to me. I haven't been successful at giving CC on a spoon like others have so I have had to wrap the chin up snuggly in a baby blanket, hold it into place on my lap and syringe the CC into the side of the mouth. I'm not saying you have to ram the stuff down their throats and choke them but you do have to gently squirt the CC into their mouths otherwise they won't take it. At least mine wouldn't.

I haven't had a tonne of experience with having to feed them by hand but the three that I did have to feed were not about to lick it off a spoon so I did have to restrain them. I also gave them plenty of breaks as well as syringes of water and I thinned out the CC a bit and added a touch of molasses. Seemed to work pretty good.

 

[Essentia]

I also haven't been successful with giving CC on a spoon. I always end up having to use a syringe. I do like Carol Anne and just put a bit in their mouth, let them chew and swallow, and then do it again. Some chins are better with it than others. Once they get the hang of it they actually open their mouth for it, so there isn't as much "forcing". I usually aim a bit at their cheek so that I'm not shooting straight down their throat. I know others use larger syringes, but I have had the best luck with 3cc syringes. I just fill up about 6 of them at a time and go to town. The nozzle at the end is the perfect size for a chinnie mouth, at least in my experience, so there isn't as much dribbling down or missing the mouth if they squirm.