To Handfeed or not to Handfeed.

[AZChins]

Yesterday I took in a rescue girl to have her teeth fixed by the vet. She had some really bad spurs and slanting to her teeth, very bad alignment. She came through her surgery just fine and was very alert and had a good night. I fed her some Critical Care twice yesterday and only got maybe 20 to 30 mls down her - I just wanted her to eat something. My intention was to feed her four or five times today.

This morning she was parked over her food dish eating pellets. I gave her a small pinch of oats, which she promptly ate, and I gave her some Life Line. She ate for much of the day on her own...she ate a lot of pellets, probably more than I would expect a chin with normal teeth to eat. Tonight I put in some Critical Care dry in a small dish and she ate a little of it.

She's eating, and that's a little bizarre for a chin having just had oral surgery. Do you think I should supplement her eating with a CC mix? Honestly, they usually need to be handfed after this for at least a week before they are eating on their own. I was thinking that if the dry CC is gone by morning, I won't feed her tomorrow either unless someone thinks there's a good reason to continue hand feeding.

There's no drooling and no pawing at her mouth, just some exaggerated looking movement of her jaw as she chews.

 

[Laurie]

Not much experience with this Susan but usually handfeeding stresses them out. So I say if she's eating don't handfeed and add the extra stress.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I agree if she is eating - don't handfeed her. Put some LL on her food and weight her. If she starts losing weight then try some handfeeding

 

[Claire D]

I would put a small bowl of OCC in her cage so that she can munch on it if she wants to & her mouth is a bit sore. If she doesn't touch it & is maintaining her weight then I would leave her on the pellets.

 

[ticklechin]

I have had then come home and eat within the hour, those I do not hand feed-I weigh daily and if the weight maintains and gains then I leave them alone.

 

[mishellyshel]

i agree. i like claires idea though. keep a bowl of the soft stuff in there as an option.

what a resiliant girl!!

 

[AZChins]

I put out a little dish of Life Line and Critical Care with a few oat flakes. She ate every bit of that last night and about half her pellets. She didn't touch the hay, but I am guessing that it may hurt too much to grind that up.

Hopefully this will continue. Thanks for the input! I'll keep a weight chart on her this week to be sure.