# Syringe Feeding Question- How Much Water?



## MissMoose (Feb 23, 2014)

Hi all, 
I was wondering how much water should I syringe feed. Emma was started on baytril two weeks ago and she went on a hunger strike and made herself very weak. She would barely get up to move around her igloo- let alone eat. So we went in for another vet visit and got a new antibiotic, lactulose, some probiotic and some hills a/d since she has lost a TON of weight.
I have been trying desperately to get her to take to the syringe feeding and we are getting there (we are only on day 2 of syringe feedings, so I am remaining optimistic). I've only gotten about 1-2 cc in every 3-4 hours during the day. I have also been leaving a smorgasbord in her cage in case she decides she wants to eat on her own again. She REALLY hates the hills so it has been a struggle. I tried baby food today and she didn't like that either. I feel so bad that she feels yucky and I have to force feed her. :'(
I know I should be shooting for 12 mLs minimum of food, 24 ml at best. So far I have been trying to give her proportionate amounts of water to her food/ antibiotic intake, more if she will let me. Is this good? Or should I up the water intake? I just don't want to make her feel worse.


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## liam1 (Feb 15, 2015)

Now IMO all you have to focus on is getting her to eat something. Experiment with different types of foods (make sure it's safe for hedgies). Any food would help, even if it's not the healthiest. Try unseasoned chicken, when Liam was on a food strike I would give him some every night mixed with his regular kibble and that would most often entice him to eat. If she's eating it, start to decrease the amount of chicken, and increase her kibble by little bits each day. You can also try boost to make sure she is getting a good calorie intake. It's lactose intolerant so it's safe for her to drink, and most hedgies seem to like the taste. As for water, make sure she's drinking at least 18 ml a day, 24ml is obviously preferable. Good luck, and I hope she starts feeling better!


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## MissMoose (Feb 23, 2014)

Thank you so much! I had asked the vet tech when I picked her up and she really didn't give me a straight answer. But, I'll definitely have to try the boost! She has been eating small frozen crickets, only a few a day to avoid impaction, so maybe I'll try some chicken and eggs too. She ate a soggy kibble tonight which suprised me. She's always been a bit picky when it comes to food so this has been tricky trying to get her to eat and regain her strength, but I'm not giving up on her no matter what!


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## octopushedge (Apr 26, 2015)

My vet last night told me to mix the food with some water until you sort of get a soupy consistency. If they're eating that, they should be getting enough water. That being said, our hedgehogs could be going through completely different issues, so take it with a grain of salt.


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## MissMoose (Feb 23, 2014)

Thanks everyone for your advice! Emma has come along quite a bit in the last week. She is trying to use her front legs to get up and walk and is extra feisty and wiggly when I take her out to feed. Which is amazing considering she was lethargic and could barely move a week ago. 
It took me quite a while to get used to syringe feeding her/find something she likes. Right now she is getting a/d and chicken baby food. I am switching every time so she is getting a variety. I have also been monitoring her totals and she is letting me feed her more and more per sitting, which is good, because mommy needs some sleep! haha 
She has tried to eat crickets and a softened kibble here or there but I think her jaw may still be a little weak from not eating much for so long, she kind of eats part of it, and spits out the rest, but she is trying.
I finally got some boost today so I am going to try giving some. I was very surprised that with the amount of sugar in it that it was safe for hedgies!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm glad to hear Emma is doing better!  I hope she continues to eat well for you and get stronger.

I just had a couple of questions after glancing back at your previous threads. You mentioned her having bad breath a couple months ago - did the vet ever end up checking her mouth then or with her current problems? I'm a bit concerned about her having a hard time eating even softened food...I think it'd be a good idea to rule out any teeth or mouth issues if you haven't already, just in case.

You also mentioned a week ago that she had green tinted urine... I missed your thread when you posted it, but in my experience with Lily, her vet told me that green urine is a sign of liver issues, not a UTI. I wonder if it might be possible or a good idea to get blood work done on her and see if her liver has any issues going on? It might not be necessary at this point, but something to think about, or maybe ask your vet about. Has her urine gone back to normal?


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## MissMoose (Feb 23, 2014)

Hi lilysmommy. I did have the vet check her mouth a couple of moths ago when I had first posted and they said it looked great. No build up or missing teeth. Even when I first brought her in for the UTI two weeks ago they said her mouth still looked good. She had been munching crickets while she was sick until last weekend when she had hit her lowest point. She ate a bit of baby meat stick today and didn't spit it out so I am hoping that she just didn't like what I fed the crickets this time around or they were too cold? I did get the new batch last weekend when she wasn't feeling great and fed them carrots and apples. Im going to get some more and see if maybe that is the case. 
As far as the green urine, Its really hard for me to tell right now.Due to her lack of movement/ being slightly dehydrated ( I am trying to pump her full of fluids, now that she is letting me) it has been ending up on her tummy mostly and it seems more yellow when I clean her up everyday. She was also pooping green due to the antibiotics so I couldn't tell for a while if it was getting any better.  The probiotics seem to be helping with that though. In the last couple days alone her poop has turned from mossy green to a dark brown, but its still a little gooey and sticky like stress poop. 
I had read that green urine could mean liver problems but my vet didn't say anything about that to me, she just said that it was slightly green and that she had bacteria in her urine. She did prescribe me lactulose last week to help with her eating and to protect her liver though. Right now Im focusing on her regaining strength and eating on her own. Im going to schedule a follow up visit once she is a bit better and has finished her new antibiotics and Ill have them test her liver then. Right now I am just so relieved that she's perking up. Yesterday she tried to catch a house fly that kept landing near her in her cage. Even though she has been weak she tried to lunge at it and catch it! No luck though. I scooped up the fly and let it go free. :lol:


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## MissMoose (Feb 23, 2014)

I tried my best but unfortunately Emma crossed the rainbow bridge today. I am relieved that she is no longer suffering and I hope that there are plenty of crickets and mealies where she is.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

I'm so sorry.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm so sorry you lost her.


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## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## Lussy (Feb 3, 2012)

So sorry for your loss...You did a great job with het and she was loved !!!


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## MissMoose (Feb 23, 2014)

Thank you, everyone, for your advice (and now condolences )over the year that I had her in my life. She was the sweetest and most wonderful part of my life. The last few days have been very empty without our nightly cuddles.


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