Capybara pups are lactose intolerant which is why you have to be very careful in choosing a milk replacement for a capybara pup who cannot suckle his mother’s milk. Cow’s milk is not suitable.
1. Wombaroo Capybara Milk Replacer
This is the only milk formula specifically formulated for baby capybaras. It has a higher protein content and fat content than other milk formulas for most other species. It comes from Australia.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE: To make 1 litre of milk mix 190g of powder with 870ml of preboiled warm water. Add about half of the water first, mix to a paste then make up to 1 litre with remaining water and mix thoroughly. An electric whisk can be used for mixing.
Normal Growth and Development of capybara pups: Typical birth weight is 1.5 – 2.0 kg. Average daily weight gain is about 50-100g per day until weaning at 3 months (approx. 8kg body weight).
For newborn capybara pups who have not received any or sufficient colestrum: feed Impact Colostrum Supplement
Analysis
Protein 42%
Fat 24%
Carbohydrate 22%
Ash 6%
Moisture 4%
Metabolisable Energy (ME) 20MJ/kg
2 . Zoologic® Milk Matrix 42/25
Zoologic® Milk Matrix 42/25 is part of an integrated system designed to let you virtually match any mammal’s milk
Milk Matrix 42/25 is a milk replacer and nutritional supplement containing a low level of lactose. Part of an integrated system designed to let you virtually match any mammal’s milk.
Directions for Use: As a milk replacer Milk Matrix 42/25 may be used alone or blended with other products in the Matrix family to formulate a milk replacer with nutrient levels that closely match a species’ natural milk.
Directions for Feeding: As a general rule, liquid or reconstituted milk replacer should be fed at a rate of 10% or 20% of body weight daily as tolerated or required for steady growth and for proper stool condition. Divide the total daily amount into 6 to 12 feedings per day, depending on age, condition, species and staffing.
Weaning Food Supplement: Because of its highly digestible milk nutrients, the formula used during suckling is an excellent supplement during weaning as a transition from milk to solid food. Add to the diet at the rate of one teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.
Storage: Store unopened powder in a cool dry place. Reconstituted powder must be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Blended or unblended opened powder can be refrigerated for up to 3 months, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. Unopened powder may be frozen to extend shelf life for 6 months beyond best by date.
The calorie content (ME) is 4,374 kcal/kg or 4.3 kcal/g as is.
Guaranteed Analysis Crude Protein, min ………………………………………….. 42.0% Crude Fat, min ……………………………………………….. 25.0% Crude Fiber, max ……………………………………………… 0.0% Moisture, max ………………………………………………….. 5.0%
3. Some capybara pups survive with a replacement milk powder formulated for goats, sheep and horses.
Capybara pups can graze almost from the time they are born. One friend, living in a very remote area in South America, was very relieved when her capybara pup, rescued in the wild after predators killed the mother, began to graze on day two.
If your capybara, or capybara pup, experiences diarrhoea or constipation, both of which can be life-threatening, you should always consult your vet.
Benebac is a probiotic which may cure the problem.
Bene-bac
Some people with capybaras and guinea pigs believe the probiotic ‘Bene-bac’ is a lifesaver. Some friends use it whenever the capybara’s poos become softer and sausage shaped, rather than the encapsulated, olive shaped faeces which capybaras living in their natural habitat pass.
Bene-Bac Small Animal Powder is a concentrated live culture of four common digestive bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of mammals. Bene-Bac is recommended any time an animal experiences stress from changing nutritional or environmental conditions. Contains 20 million CFU per gram of viable lactic acid producing bacteria. Powder formula is easy to mix with water. It comes in 4 different types – the Bene-bac designed for rabbits is the correct one to use.
Constipation: Bene-bac can also be used to treat constipation. It is important to ensure your capybara drinks enough water and has access to fresh water to drink 24 hours a day. A healthy diet of unrestricted access to fresh grass should ensure a capybara does not become constipated. Chewing coarse grasses is essential for the health of capybara teeth.
Product Information
Bene-Bac® Plus Small Animal Powder is recommended any time an animal experiences changing nutritional or environmental conditions.
Contains seven fat-encapsulated, common microorganisms found in intestinal tract of small mammals
Provides help for changing conditions, including, but not limited to birth, breeding, post-surgery, antibiotic therapy, weaning, worming, showing, boarding and travel
Guaranteed 20 million colony-forming units (CFU) of viable bacteria per gram
Recommended as part of the management program for all animals subjected to adverse conditions
“Come eye-to-eye with our Capybara Troop during this brand-new encounter. During this encounter you will meet our five loveable brothers – Pedro, Guillermo, Sanchez, Carlos and Rodney. Learn about these incredibly curious species from our expert keepers and get the opportunity to feed the Capybaras some of their favourite snacks.”
At the time of writing the cost of the capybara encounter is $70 per person.
At time of writing the cost of the Capybara Encounter is AU$90 per person
(For the record capybaras do not eat their poo. They eat their cecotropes which are different to poo. Cecotropes are higher in protein and have a different, dryer constituency. Capybaras eat their cecotropes to augment the nutritional value of their high fibre, low nutrition diet. This is the same reason that some other animals chew their cud.)
Sydney Zoo – Eastern Creek
700 Great Western Highway, Bungarribee NSW 2767, Australia
Tel: 02 7202 2560
Open 9am-5pm every day
Sydney Zoo offers capybara encounters for $90 per person
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park used to have capybaras but no longer seems to
Lomas Lane, Nulkaba, New South Wales, Australia 2325
02 9622 1644
I wonder if the problem is that Australia has exceedingly strict laws on the import of non-native species of wild animal.
Please let me know if you learn of other zoos in Australia with capybaras.
Elderly animals need extra nutrition and protein. This is because their ability to digest food is not as efficient as that of adult animals. They may also suffer more injuries and health issues which will require extra care and vigilance.
In animals, in their senior life stage (i.e. old) PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS should be increased compared to the protein given to adult animals. Unless the animal has a condition which requires protein restriction, such as renal disease. Protein restriction is believed to cause harm to old animals, and may be even more damaging than in young animals.
In the case of elderly capybaras, it is extremely important that they are able to eat whenever they are hungry. Capybaras have evolved to be able to graze at will. Elderly capybaras kept in captivity will need to be fed frequently if they do not have access to grass.
Capybaras evolved over 30 million years to be able to graze whenever they feel hungry. In zoos in Britain and Europe capybaras are always in enclosures where “the floor” is grass. This means that an old animal can always get enough to eat because grass is always available.
Although hay is useful to prevent stasis in capybaras, i.e. to keep the contents of the gut moving, hay is not a suitable alternative to grass for an elderly capybara, as it is not very nutritious.
Grass versus Hay: Grass is rich in water-soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids, minerals, carbohydrates and protein. Once cut, dried and stored as hay, many nutrients are lost. Capybaras much prefer grass and will only eat hay if no other food is available.
Hinase was not getting enough to eat and had become very weak and thin
Some elderly animals become fussy eaters so it is important to feed them food which they will eat, i.e. food which they like. They may not want to eat the foods they have always eaten. At this stage the most important thing is to get them to eat so you may have to give them fruit. Also it is important to feed them when you think they will eat, i.e. when their behaviour indicates that they are hungry.
Elderly animals tend to eat smaller quantities of food at any one time. This is partly because their stomachs have become smaller. To counter the effects of eating smaller quantities at each feed, it is important that these elderly animals are fed more often to ensure that they get the nutrition they need.
Some elderly animals may develop tooth problems which makes it difficult for them to chew hard foods. At one Wildlife Park in France the keepers cook some of the food for these elderly animals in order to render it softer.
Capybaras lose weight very quickly if they stop eating so it may be necessary to please them a Critical Care Formula in liquid form to ensure they get some nutrition.
EmerAid: A Critical Care Formula designed for exotic animals.
For more information see my blog: “Diarrhoea in Capybaras. How to Treat a Capybara with Diarrhoea”
Case History:
In the video below you can see how thin and weak Hinase had become:
I Was So Inspired by Her Courage and Spirit. Hinase Capybara Completely Captured My Heart.
Please don’t feel depressed watching this video. Hinase would not want that. It was her strength of mind and will power which captured my imagination and this is what I want to portray in my videos of Hinase’s last months. Even though she was just skin and bones Hinase, and the essence of Hinase, shone through. Her spirit and strength of mind were an inspiration.
The importance of understanding that elderly capybaras need extra care was brought home to me vividly as I watched the behaviour and treatment of an elderly capybara called Hinase at Nagasaki Bio Park. Hinase was 12 years and five months old when I met up with her again. She was the highest ranking female capybara in the herd and had been the leader of the herd for over seven years. Her style of leadership involved constant gentle intimidation to make sure the other capybaras behaved well and were not aggressive to each other and also showed her the respect she wanted. She liked every capybara to react to her arrival. Whenever she approached the other capybaras they would become alert ready to move away if they felt she might be aggressive towards them. If the capybaras did not react in this way she would nip them to get the necessary reaction and deference. You can see this in the video below where Hinase joins Momiji, Aoba, Choco, and Donut on the bed of leaves where the capybaras like to rest.
How The Capybara Herd Leader Rules the Herd
She was mentally a very strong capybara. As I watched her behaviour in the weeks up to her death I came to realise that she was as hard on herself as she had been on the other members of her herd.
The feeding routine for the capybaras at Nagasaki Bio Park is less than desirable. They have no access to grass and are fed two meals a day which consists of vegetables, cabbage, pumpkin and carrot. They used to get pellets in addition but as the price of pellets had gone up following the pandemic the capybaras were given very few pellets. The capybaras were also given hay which staved off their hunger but is not very nutritious.
When I arrived at Nagasaki Bio Park in mid-October, 2022 I noticed that Hinase was always hungry. The feeding routine at Nagasaki Bio Park does not suit older capybaras as I had already discovered with Momiji. Hinase was not getting enough to eat at the morning and evening feed so she was constantly begging for bamboo and pellets from the visitors. The visitors were able to buy these to feed to the capybaras. Inevitably, the visitors were not able to make up the shortfall in the nutrition Hinase required. She had become quite thin. She was also one of the most active members of the herd.
I tried to explain to the chief capybara keeper that Hinase was not getting enough to eat but Japan is a very rule bound society and this keeper panicked at my suggestion that Hinase needed to be fed more often. As far as this keeper was concerned the capybaras were only allowed to be fed twice a day by the keepers. Fortunately, the vet agreed with me that Hinase needed to be fed more often and given more nutrition especially protein. In an effort to follow the rules, the chief capybara keeper decided that Hinase would also be given “lunch” in the middle of the day. This ran counter to the need for Hinase to be given food when she was hungry and looked as if she would eat it.
At the end of the evening feed Hinase would go from tray to tray trying to find some leftover food to assuage her hunger. There was rarely any leftover food as most of the capybaras were still hungry.
There was also a possibility that Hinase might be experiencing some tooth problems which made chewing hard foods, like carrot and pumpkin, painful. All the capybaras prefer the cabbage but will eat any vegetables they are offered.
About six weeks after I arrived Hinase developed diarrhoea. Two other capybaras also had diarrhoea which was diagnosed as being caused by Candida. These capybaras were a little thin and often scavenged for food by eating the lichen off the rocks, or searching for something to eat under the fallen leaves. Candida is a fungal infection which tends to affect only those capybaras who have a weakened immune system.
Hinase was given her medicine in liquid form on her vegetables to treat her diarrhoea. She quickly became very suspicious of the vegetables given to her and increasingly refused to eat them. I suggested she should be given the medicine in a syringe squirted into the back of her mouth, so the taste of the medicine would not affect her food. At first the medicine appeared to be working but her diarrhoea returned. She continued to be suspicious of the vegetables and often ate very little at the evening feed. I brought this to the attention of the keepers.
I was told that the zookeeper training in Japan does not include information on how to care for elderly animals, or specific teaching about the needs and behaviour of capybaras. None of the keepers knew what cecotropes were even after looking them up on the Internet!
Hinase captured my heart by her determination to continue to do everything she had always done despite her ill-health and growing weakness. She was still one of the most active members of the herd. Right up to the end she was determined to visit every corner of the capybara enclosure, and I have a video of her absolutely determined to climb the mossy hill at the edge of the enclosure. She sat for a very long time trying to decide how she could achieve this aim. Eventually she tried and would have succeeded jumping up the first rock but her hindlegs failed to get a grip on the surface of the rock and she slipped backwards. Even then she refused to give up.
It was sheer willpower and strength of character which enabled her to move around when she was very weak and had no energy. Two days before she passed away she was still determined to remain part of the herd and join the other capybaras who were sleeping on the bed of leaves in the centre of the capybara enclosure even though she was so weak she could barely walk. She would walk a few steps and then stop with her head hanging down and her nose resting on the ground because she found her head too heavy to hold up. Despite being so weak and having no energy she was determined not to let that control her.
The capybaras at the Biopark also develop rough, hairless pads of skin on their elbows because they are sitting on concrete, rather than soft grass or earth. With some of these capybaras the pad becomes swollen and painful. In Hinase’s case one of the pads began to bleed and became an open wound. Several of the capybaras frequently licked the wound, a sensation which unfortunately Hinase seemed to find pleasant, with the result that the wound never healed and was frequently bleeding. The antibiotic solution which was sprayed onto the wound also appeared to taste good as several of the capybaras including Hinase used to lick up any solution that fell to the ground. I suggested putting an unpleasant tasting solution on the wound and a vet in Europe who I contacted suggested a foul-smelling product be put on the wound to protect the wound from being licked and thus never healing.
This tribute came from Tim Andrews who loves capybaras and has followed my posts and videos over the years.
“My love for the noble and majestic capybara is hardly a secret.
Their emotional intelligence, their character, their innate goodness truly is an inspiration. Quite seriously, there is a lot we can learn from them (one of these day’s I’ll actually write up my post on St John of the Ladder, Theosis, and Capybaras, where I make the comparisons quite unironically…)
In any case, it is sometimes sad to see them reduced by “social media influencers” who mistreat them, dress them up in “cute” outfits, and diminish the fact that they are truly great creatures.
No one has done more than LizDonguri Capaldi Capybara to champion the cause of capybaras online though, and to fight back against the myths that cause them to be mistreated. Her writings and YouTube videos exploring their characters, their intelligence, and just how much we can learn from them are truly legendary. Liz herself though is also truly inspirational for just how much she has dedicated herself to championing their cause and their ideas.
And so for that reason, she is today’s instalment, of Awesome Person of The Day
You should all check out her YouTube channel and her blog as well (Capybara World)”.
Momiji nurses Choco, Donut and Macaroni who are six weeks old
Another capybara aficionado who lives in Uruguay wrote:
“I can’t imagine a more justified honour than this. Since a long time ago you have dedicated yourself to the study and understanding of capybaras in every possible way. Day after day. With love, method and seriousness.
I admire you and in a way I also envy your perseverance.
Congratulations and celebrations. I feel delighted that you have received such recognition. You deserve it, you have earned it, indeed.”
Another insightful person wrote: “I guess you were a capybara in your previous life, you understand almost everything about them.”
******
I only post these tributes because of the lady famous for her capybaras, ALL OF WHOM DIED PREMATURELY, who goes out of her way to persuade people that they should not follow Capybara World. She views me as a threat because I know more about capybaras than she does and I once wrote a blog about the correct diet for a capybara which she took as a criticism since she feeds her capybaras popsicles, gummy bears and even toothpaste! Contrary to what she believes, I only wrote the blog because I was asked to. Everyone who understands and knows capybaras has expressed concern to me about this lady and the diet she feeds her capybaras.
She says that because I have never owned a capybara I do not know as much as her. But I have been intimately connected to over 30 capybaras. I therefore have in-depth experience of many more capybaras than she does. I know these capybaras’ life stories, any health issues some of them may have had and the treatment they received. From my many years of observing capybaras all day, every day I have come to recognise and understand their behaviours. I have friends who are vets and zookeepers with over 17 years experience of looking after capybaras. I have 2 friends who are ethologists who have published research papers on this species.
I have studied Animal Welfare and Ethology.
I find it tragic that this lady can put her ego above the welfare of these fabulous, very emotional and sensitive animals.
Animals should be treated with love and respect. They are our friends not our servants. They are not entertainment; they are not here to entertain us.
Animals suffer when their needs and expectations and desires are not met. All mammals, humans and animals, have the same structures in a part of the brain called the limbic system, which is primarily responsible for our emotional life and the formation of memories. Mammals also share the same neurochemicals that are important for processing emotions. Animals may well experience some things more intensely than humans.
We should treat them with respect and love. They deserve no less. No human should cause suffering to an animal in the pursuit of their own interests.
Animals are not objects. Animals are not property. We do not own them. There has been a paradigm shift among scientists who study ethology, animal behaviour. With the aid of new technology like functional MRI, scientists have come to understand that animals have emotions and feelings and are intelligent.
Yasushi
We know animals suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, they suffer the same symptoms that humans do.
Animals have a point of view.
Tread lightly when stepping into their lives and their homes/habitats.
Animal manifesto: “Treat us better or leave us alone”.
Most animals have done very well without us.
This was inspired by Yasushi, a former breeding male at Nagasaki Bio Park. When his time as breeding male finished he moved to Kyoto Zoo where he lived alone, in complete isolation. He died after a few months of depression brought on by his isolation. Capybaras are an exceptionally social and gregarious species who should never be housed alone.
This is what I wrote last year, it was never to be: Magnificent Yasushi. I hope he is voted ‘Most Popular Capybara in Japan’ one day; he so deserves it with his charismatic personality, gentle nature, exceptionally expressive face and amazingly long hair.
There must be a better future for retired Boss Capybaras than solitary confinement.
Everything about him was exceptional; I wish he had had many more children.
Changes: Look out for changes in Behaviour and New Symptoms:
Some of these changes apply to other conditions not just diarrhea. You should always be very familiar with your capybara and his body language so that you quickly recognise when he is not well even when he is trying to hide this. Having spent so many years with capybaras, observing them all day every day, I can always tell when there is something wrong with a capybara. I never get bored in the company of capybaras. I spend much more time with my friends’ capybaras observing them, than my friends and other people who live with capybaras, do.
Kobuko is obviously not well as you can see by her behaviour and in her eyes.
You can tell that Donguri is not well by the look in her eye and her body language. She looks miserable.
Changes in the consistency or colour of the faeces.
A deterioration in the condition of the coat. Bald patches in the coat. Loss of hair.
Loss of appetite
The capybara becoming thin or lethargic.
Hiding may also be a sign that the capybara’s condition is growing worse.
Discomfort when trying to sit or rest in the normal positions, such that the capybara keeps shifting position.
Rolling. This can be a sign of wind but it can also be a sign of other discomfort the cause of which might be serious.
The eyes looking sunken. This can also be a sign of dehydration.
Capybaras like many wild animals will hide any signs of illness until it may be too late for treatment. Because of this you need to know your capybara very well and be observant and sensitive to any changes. This behaviour of hiding any illness or weakness is designed to protect the wild animal from attack by a predator as predators often choose the weakest animals to attack. Sick, weak or injured animals will not put up much of a fight.
Teeth grinding, which can also be a sign of tooth problems. Tooth problems can lead to drooling and frothing at the mouth.
Tooth problems may make it very painful for your capybara to chew and I know several capybaras who died as a result of tooth problems. The wrong diet may well be the cause of tooth problems. Capybaras have hypsodont, ever-growing teeth, which need to be kept in check by eating coarse, fibrous food.
A hunched appearance
A reluctance to move
A cough
Vocalisations indicating pain
Unusual, repetitive movements. These can include lifting the nose or shaking the head.
Capybaras have very expressive eyes and if they are suffering you can see this by the look in their eye, as well as by their body language.
Gastrointestinal stasis – when a decrease in the contractions in the intestine results in food not passing through the gut at the usual rate. When a capybara stops eating there is a real danger of gastrointestinal stasis. This can also be caused by the wrong diet and a lack of fibre in the diet.
There are motility drugs to increase the movement of food through the intestine but these should only be prescribed by a vet.
If you buy vegetables for your capybara make sure you clean them thoroughly to get rid of any residual contaminants and chemicals which might be harmful.
Do not feed inappropriate food.
Good sanitation and hygiene may be important.
Remove uneaten food if your capybara is not eating properly.
Do not use chlorine in your swimming pool. At least one capybara died as a result of chlorine in the pool. I have written a blog on how to treat a swimming pool to make it safe for a capybara.
Capybara Health Warning: It Will Be Potentially Dangerous To Let Your Capybara Swim in a Chlorinated Swimming Pool Designed and Intended for Human Use
If the diarrhea does not clear up quickly you should consult your vet
The importance of coarse foods like grass and hay cannot be overemphasised. Lack of fibre in the diet can change the normal bowel movements in the intestines which can cause diarrhea or predispose a capybara to other health issues.
Causes Of Diarrhea:
Diarrhea can be the result of an underlying health condition.
Metabolic disturbances or diseases which affect the liver, kidney or pancreas. Do not feed a high-fat diet, like peanuts or birdseed, to a capybara as these can cause liver damage. These high-calorie foods will also mean that your capybara is not hungry enough to eat the grass and hay which are essential to his well-being.
Diseases which affect the gastrointestinal tract.
Gastrointestinal stasis – when a decrease in the contractions in the intestine results in food not passing through the gut at the usual rate. When a capybara stops eating there is a real danger of gastrointestinal stasis, and this can lead to death.
Gastrointestinal stasis can also be caused by the wrong diet and a lack of fibre in the diet.
Eating inappropriate food or non-food items like plastic bags or household furnishings can cause irritation to the lining of the gut and can also cause blockages in the gut leading to stasis.
Changes to diet, particularly if the capybara is not receiving an adequate amount of fibre. One suggestion is to remedy this by increasing the amount of hay and reducing the amount of pellets
A diet which is low on fibre and the necessary vegetation.
A diet with too much sugar.
Infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungus or intestinal parasites
Toxins including those found in plants such as the Azalea, or berries such as the berries of the China berry tree, just 8 of which can kill a man.
Drugs, particularly antibiotics, can cause diarrhea. Any drug which causes diarrhea should be immediately discontinued.
Contaminated water.
You can tell that Donguri is not well by the look in her eye and her body language. She looks miserable.
Stress Can Cause Diarrhea
Stress can change the normal pH or the motility of the gastrointestinal tract. Keep the capybara’s environment as stressfree as possible for optimum healing.
The following circumstances can cause stress:
Changes to diet
Changes in the environment
Moving to a new home or habitat and the stress associated with this can cause diarrhea.
Heat and humidity
Becoming pregnant may also cause stress.
Pregnancy also puts extra demands on the body which only a healthy capybara may be able to cope with.
The stress caused by not having a place of refuge or a place to hide
The arrival of a new pet, or the arrival of a new animal in the capybara’s enclosure or in an adjacent enclosure, can lead to problems both emotional and physical. The ensuing stress may ultimately be lethal. One rodentologist thought the arrival of a new pet, a yappy Yorkshire terrier, may have been the reason why one capybara I know gave up the will to live.
If a Capybara Has Diarrhea Her Cecotropes Will Come Out Runny, With the Consistency of Diarrhea
in this video: Autumn’s mother, Aki, died 5 days after she and her brother, Syu, were born. Aki’s poor health during the later stages of her pregnancy had an impact on the health of her 2 pups, both of whom, very sadly, died when they were 2 years old. Zabon had had diarrhea for over a year so it was surprising she was chosen to be mated. After she gave birth she lost a lot of weight and a lot of hair. In this video you can see Zabon eating her cecotropes which have come out with the consistency of diarrhea. I have seen the other capybaras with diarrhea eating their cecotropes which came up with the consistency of diarrhea, including Kobuko. On one occasion, greedy Aoba ate Autumn’s cecotropes which had come out with the consistency of diarrhea. Aoba suffered no ill effects. Capybaras have an excellent immune system. Needless to say these capybaras never ate their diarrhea when they knew it was not their cecotropes.
Diagnostic tools:
Examination of the faeces.
Full blood count.
X-ray.
Abdominal ultrasound
Pending a diagnosis one aim of treatment is to prevent dehydration, loss of appetite or the spread of the disease to other parts of the body
Fluid Therapy: the purpose of this is to prevent dehydration by ensuring that the capybara drinks plenty of clean fresh water
Treatments:
if your vet prescribes medications it is essential that you give these to your capybara exactly as directed. If your capybara’s condition deteriorates you should contact your vet as a matter of urgency.
Antibiotics to treat an infection, including bacterial infections. The choice of antibiotic will depend on the result of the faecal diagnosis. Your vet will know which antibiotics are safe and best for a capybara. Any drug which causes diarrhea should be immediately discontinued.
Change the diet if necessary. If you introduce changes to the diet make sure you do this very gradually. It is very important to maintain consistency with your capybaras diet, i.e. give him the same foods for the most part.
Do not only feed pellets.
Maintain a stressfree environment.
Give plenty of liquids.
Your vet might prescribe a De–worming medication to treat intestinal parasites.
If your capybara stops eating it is essential that he gets nutrition by any means possible. You may have to force-feed your capybara a liquid critical care formula like EmerAid, using a feeding tube.
Force-feeding will only be necessary if your capybara stops eating. It is essential that the capybara continues to receive nutrition to maintain his strength, but also to ensure that the gastrointestinal tract continues to function normally. Use a liquid critical care formula such as EmerAid as these provide the correct nutrition in an emergency situation.
EmerAid: A Critical Care Formula designed for exotic animals
This information comes from the vet at EmerAid.
To calculate the correct dosage for a capybara use the following guidelines:
Although the volumes mentioned in the EmerAid Basic Use Guide, refer to smaller patients, the general guidelines for calculating volume still remain the same.
When initially syringe or tube feeding a patient, the first feeding is often calculated between 0.5% to 1% body weight (BW) in kilograms. Therefore, the first meeting fed would consist of a volume of ~250 to 500 ml for the first feeding. Assuming this passed through the patient appropriately, the volume fed could be increased cautiously over the next few feedings to 3% BW.
If syringe/tube feeding is continued for an extended period, then it will be necessary to calculate caloric requirements, but initially you just want to make sure you are providing a safe volume to the patient.
Conservative Treatments:
An excellent conservative treatment is to give a probiotic such as Benebac or Fibreplex. Probiotics containing the lactobacillus bacteria, which are “good” bacteria help to provide a better environment in the intestinal tract for normal, healthy bacteria to thrive
Activated Charcoal, also known as vegetable charcoal. This was recommended by a vet at a Wildlife Park in France, where it is called “Charbon actif”.
This is a natural detoxifier. It absorbs the harmful bacteria causing the diarrhoea but will protect the walls of the intestine and the good intestinal flora in the capybara’s gut. In France it comes in powder, capsules and granules. It can be sprinkled on the food or given directly into the mouth. Dosage: 1 capsule, 1 or 2 times a day, for 2 weeks. If your capybara is taking other medications with his food then give the charcoal outside of meals as the charcoal will cancel the effect of other medications if given at the same time.
Video:
If a Capybara Has Diarrhea Her Cecotropes Will Come Out Runny, With the Consistency of Diarrhea
Autumn’s mother, Aki, died 5 days after she and her brother, Syu, were born. Aki’s poor health during the later stages of her pregnancy had an impact on the health of her 2 pups, both of whom, very sadly, died when they were 2 years old. Zabon had had diarrhea for over a year so it was surprising she was chosen to be mated. After she gave birth she lost a lot of weight and a lot of hair. In this video you can see Zabon eating her cecotropes which have come out with the consistency of diarrhea. I have seen the other capybaras with diarrhea eating their cecotropes which came up with the consistency of diarrhea, including Kobuko. On one occasion, greedy Aoba ate Autumn’s cecotropes which had come out with the consistency of diarrhea. Aoba suffered no ill effects. Capybaras have an excellent immune system. Needless to say these capybaras never ate their diarrhea when they knew it was not their cecotropes.
Case Histories:
These are the case histories of capybaras I have known who have suffered.
Diet:
Introducing a new food for the first time to a capybara could result in diarrhea.
Fruit, especially watermelon, can cause diarrhoea. I know several capybaras who experienced diarrhea after eating watermelon. One tragically died as she never recovered from the diarrhea caused by eating watermelon. She was an elderly capybara.
In Memory of Kobuko, A Wonderful Capybara
Kobuko had been so strong and healthy until she got diarrhea. After about 10 days I noticed she had stopped eating so I told the management of Nagasaki Bio Park. The vet diagnosed a bacterial infection and put her on antibiotics but tragically it was probably too late and she passed away. I wished I had spoken up sooner but it was my first visit to Nagasaki Bio Park. I was the only person who had noticed that Kobuko was suffering.
I want to pick her up in my arms and make her better. This is the day Kobuko stopped eating (23rd August). She is very dehydrated and walks to the pond to drink. It is difficult for her, in her weakened state to bend down to drink from the pond because the water level one foot is one foot below the side of the pond where she is standing. She has a drink and rests for a minute. She tries to bend down again but finds it too difficult. Seeing this I ask the Keeper if I can fill one of the watermelon trays with water for her. He very kindly washes it himself and takes it to her. When the water level gets a bit low, she lifts the pan with her teeth, spilling the remaining water. I refill the tray for her. It breaks my heart to think that she would be alive today if I had realised earlier how dangerous the diarrhoea would be.
I know one capybara who had never eaten grass during the first four years of his life. When he was fed grass for the first time this resulted in him having diarrhea. Normally grass would be the best food to feed a capybara.
Potential Causes of Diarrhea:
The capybara might have an Impaired immune system. The immune system of a capybara may be compromised as a result of the poor health of the mother during pregnancy, or a failure to receive colostrum by drinking the mother’s milk in the first 12 – 24 hours of birth. A severe injury or an infection can also compromise the immune system. I know two capybaras who were rescued from their mother’s womb after hunters killed her mother. These capybaras suffered as a result of two separate incidents, so the two pups were not related and there was no connection between their horrific introduction to life. As a result of their unnatural birth, including the fact that they were never able to drink their mother’s milk and receive her colostrum, both capybaras died prematurely at two and three years of age following many bouts of diarrhea. They both never recovered from the final bout of diarrhea.
An infection or injury early in life may also result in a compromised immune system. I know one capybara one of whose incisions became infected after he was neutered. The infection took a long time to clear with constant antibiotic treatment from the vet. In subsequent years this capybara often experienced diarrhea, especially after eating watermelon.
Another female capybara I know suffered bouts of diarrhea. These grew worse when her health suffered as a result of the stresses of pregnancy and giving birth. Very misguidedly, she was chosen to mate with the breeding male capybara for a second time the following year and tragically she died two months after giving birth.
The mother of two capybaras I know died 5 days after they were born. Both her pups only lived for 2 years because of their mothers’ poor health during her pregnancy.
Stress
The two capybaras I mentioned above who were rescued from their mother’s womb after hunters murdered the mother suffered a lot of stress in infancy. An autopsy on one of the capybaras discovered she had hepatitis which the vet thought was as a result of the circumstances of her birth.
It might be advisable to stop feeding vegetables for a short while to give the diarrhea time to clear up. For a short time you could try feeding your capybara pellets, which contain vitamin C, and hay.
How to Recognise If Your Capybara Is Unwell:
Changes: Look out for changes in Behaviour and New Symptoms:
Some of these changes apply to other conditions not just diarrhea. You should always be very familiar with your capybara and his body language so that you quickly recognise when he is not well even when he is trying to hide this.
Changes in the consistency or colour of the faeces.
A deterioration in the condition of the coat. Bald patches in the coat. Loss of hair.
Loss of appetite
The capybara becoming thin or lethargic.
Hiding may also be a sign that the capybara’s condition is growing worse.
Discomfort when trying to sit or rest in the normal positions, such that the capybara keeps shifting position.
Rolling. This can be a sign of wind but it can also be a sign of other discomfort the cause of which might be serious.
The eyes looking sunken. This can also be a sign of dehydration.
Capybaras like many wild animals will hide any signs of illness until it may be too late for treatment. Because of this you need to know your capybara very well and be observant and sensitive to any changes. This behaviour of hiding any illness or weakness is designed to protect the wild animal from attack by a predator as predators often choose the weakest animals to attack. Sick, weak or injured animals will not put up much of a fight.
Teeth grinding, which can also be a sign of tooth problems. Tooth problems can lead to drooling and frothing at the mouth.
Tooth problems may make it very painful for your capybara to chew and I know several capybaras who died as a result of tooth problems. The wrong diet may well be the cause of tooth problems. Capybaras have hypsodont, ever-growing teeth, which need to be kept in check by eating coarse, fibrous food.
A hunched appearance
A reluctance to move
A cough
Vocalisations indicating pain
Unusual, repetitive movements. These can include lifting the nose or shaking the head.
Capybaras have very expressive eyes and if they are suffering you can see this by the look in their eye, as well as by their body language.
Gastrointestinal stasis – when a decrease in the contractions in the intestine results in food not passing through the gut at the usual rate. When a capybara stops eating there is a real danger of gastrointestinal stasis. This can also be caused by the wrong diet and a lack of fibre in the diet.
There are motility drugs to increase the movement of food through the intestine but these should only be prescribed by a vet.
If you buy vegetables for your capybara make sure you clean them thoroughly to get rid of any residual contaminants and chemicals which might be harmful.
Do not feed inappropriate food.
Good sanitation and hygiene may be important.
Remove uneaten food if your capybara is not eating properly.
Do not use chlorine in your swimming pool. At least one capybara died as a result of chlorine in the pool. I have written a blog on how to treat a swimming pool to make it safe for a capybara.
Capybara Health Warning: It Will Be Potentially Dangerous To Let Your Capybara Swim in a Chlorinated Swimming Pool Designed and Intended for Human Use
Never Underestimate The Intelligence Of A Capybara
カピバラの知性を過小評価しないでください
永遠不要低估水豚的智慧
Donguri Asks for Medicine.
Most animals are very difficult to give medicine to and they reject all your attempts to give them a pill. Not Donguri, quite the opposite:
Donguri walks to the room where sick capybaras are housed to attract the attention of the keeper to show she needs medicine. A few days later she walks round and round in circles in the centre of the capybara enclosure, right in front of the stall where the keeper stands to attract his attention and indicate that she needs more medication. Donguri was so clever I would not be surprised if she exaggerated her limp and the pain she was suffering to make sure the human understood what she wanted.
Exceptional Donguri, . A wonderful, compassionate and intelligent leader. どんぐりチャン。すばらしいリーダー。思いやり、賢い、インテリジェント。そして美しいです！
I wish the Biopark would engage with me for the benefit of their capybaras. I have studied Animal Welfare and Ethology and have been studying capybaras for the past 12 years. I have friends in Europe who have been capybara keepers for many years and I always consult with them. I have spent more time observing capybaras and their behaviour and relationships than anyone in the world. Several scientists think I know more about capybaras than anyone.
Donguri: born 30 September, 2004. Died early morning 17 June, 2016. Father Yasuji. Mother Katame.
Aki, born 2005 died 2012, Donguri’s very aggressive sister who was number 1 in the hierarchy the first year we visited Nagasaki Bio Park, in 2012.
After Aki’s premature death Donguri would go over to the edge of the capybara enclosure and call plaintively for her at the boundary fence. She also gave an unusual bark. Even though Donguri suffered so much because of Aki’s aggression and intimidation to her, she still felt the loss of her sister.
Donguri’s pups:
Fujiko and Yamato, born 2007. Father Be–be. Yamato was sent to Omiya Zoo in 2012. He died prematurely in about 2013.
Fujiko died in April 2013 6 months after giving birth to Kin and Gin. She also nursed Aki’s pups, Syu and Autumn, after Aki died. When she went back into the herd she was intimidated by some of the other capybaras and as a result of the stress, and perhaps not getting enough to eat, she died. Fujiko had been removed from the herd in early August 2012 and placed in an enclosure out of sight of the rest of the herd which was extremely stressful both for her and for the rest of the herd, particularly her daughters Hinase and Ayu, and her mother Donguri. They frequently called plaintively to Fujiko. She did not give birth for over 6 weeks after the separation so you can imagine how extremely stressful it would be for Fujiko not only to be separated from the herd but not even to be able to see them. Fortunately, this undesirable practice has been abandoned at the Bio Park after I posted research from South America showing that the dangers to a mother capybara of being separated from the herd prior to giving birth far outweigh any likelihood of the pups being attacked by other herd members when they are born. If the mother capybara is separated from the herd to give birth she will suffer great stress and may well be attacked when she is reintroduced into the herd. In my experience capybara fathers are excellent parents and even look after the pups to give their mother a chance to rest. Donut looked after Zabon’s pups even though he was not the father. The other herd members take great interest in the new arrivals and never threaten them.
Momiji, Kaede, Akkun were born 2008. Their father was Takeshi who was the breeding male at Nagasaki Bio Park prior to Yasushi. Akkun went to Nasu Animal Kingdom, and then moved to a zoo in Kumamoto. Tragically, he and other capybaras who lived in the same field died when their field was covered in volcanic ash when a nearby volcano erupted. These capybaras ingested the ash because, surprisingly, nobody realised how dangerous the ash would better their health and therefore how important it was to move the capybaras out of the field and to safety.
Ami – 2009. Father Takeshi. Died.
Donguri had 2 more pups, Yasuo and Yasuha, born 2011. Their father was Yasushi. Yasuha inherited Donguri’s wise, peaceloving personality. She was a very large capybara and was expected to become leader of the herd after Donguri. However, in 2015 Yasuha died prematurely, at only 4 years of age, as a result of an ektotropic pregnancy (where the babies form outside the womb). I was told Yasuha could have been saved if the vet had acted sooner. That year all the capybara keepers were new and had no experience of looking after capybaras. The chief capybara made a great effort for the visitors but did not seem to have much interest in the capybaras and they did not trust him.
Yasuha was not the only tragedy resulting from the inexperience of the keepers. Ayu gave birth to a pup that year. When a film crew came to film the capybaras the pup was put into the enclosure with Goemon, a male capybara who was Aki’s son. Goemon had not been neutered. Goemon attacked and killed the little pup. I felt so sorry for Ayu. As she had not produced any milk when she gave birth to her first pup, Macaroni, Macaroni was put in a separate enclosure with Momiji and Momiji’s pups, Choco and Donut. Ayu came to visit little Macaroni many times a day and they would rub noses through the bars of the fence. So Ayu never had the opportunity to bring up any of her pups.
Yasuo is the breeding male at Nagasaki Bio Park’s sister zoo Aso Farmland. He has inherited Donguri’s wonderful personality and wise, peaceloving nature, so unusually for a male capybara, his male offspring can live with him and he does not attack them. I find it very interesting that both pups from this litter inherited Donguri’s wonderful personality.
Io, a male who was not neutered, born 2012. His father was Yasushi. Io moved to a zoo in Kita Kyushu where he was put in a tiny enclosure with just a small plastic tub filled with water, with Gin (who was also born at Nagasaki Bio Park) despite the 2 of them being too closely related to be allowed to mate. Yasushi was the father of both Io and Gin, and Donguri was Gin’s grandmother and of course Io’s mother..Gin gave birth to 3 pups in 2018 – 1 was born deformed and died, one died after about a year and the third pup also died prematurely. Io moved to a zoo in Fukuoka but died in the summer of 2019 because he overheated. He had been unwell for some time and was not eating, then the keeper’s thought he was improving just before he died. Capybaras have few sweat glands so overheat easily if not cared for. This is why they need a large body of water which they can go into to submerge and thermoregulate.
Momiji gave birth to 4 pups: the males, Nina, Choco and Donut, and one female pup, Aoba. Momiji was a fantastic mother and never denied her pups milk, unlike Maple. Aoba suckled for 8 months rather than the usual 4 months grew into a magnificent, large capybara who would have been the first choice to breed in every zoo in Europe, along with Ryoko. Unfortunately, the chief capybara keeper was a very vengeful person with little understanding of animals. She tried to control the capybaras incessantly with the result that none of the capybaras trusted her. When I gave her information about Animal Welfare and tried to explain to her how European zookeepers engage with the animals in their care she decided to punish me by not letting Aoba breed. This is heartbreaking as Momiji’s offspring are the most interesting capybaras at the Bio Park. Momiji invested so much in Aoba it was tragic she did not live to be a grandmother. It is also heartbreaking that Donguri’s bloodline will not continue past Momiji and Aoba, unless Aoba is allowed to breed.
Kaede, Momiji’s sister, was a troublemaker and very aggressive and was sent to Ikeda zoo when she was 5 years old. She was Maple’s mother.
Kaede’s daughter, Maple, gave birth to 7 pups: Butter and Cookie in 2014. Cookie was sent to China, tragically. Butter is a strange capybara who does not understand the rules of the herd which is why Hinase hates her. One keeper thought Butter was the “most stupid” capybara in the herd. The Biopark has been trying to breed Butter for the last 2 years without success, thankfully. This may be due to “reproductive suppression” wherein only the most suitable capybaras become pregnant as these are the most fit to pass on their genes. The reason they have chosen Butter is because she will allow them to handle her newborn pups. As with horses, capybaras who are not popular with their herd members gravitate to humans. This is the case with Butter. When choosing a female capybara to be mated it is essential that you understand the dynamics of the herd in question in order to choose the appropriate female.
As one enlightened keeper at a zoo in Fukuoka is on record as saying: “Animal Welfare is little understood in Japan. Most Japanese people do not understand animals.” Unfortunately he is absolutely correct.
In 2016 Maple gave birth to 5 pups: Whip, Prune, Syrup, Milk and Cream. The first 3 were male pups who were neutered.
Zabon born 2011. Her mother was Donguri’s very aggressive sister, Aki, who was number 1 in the hierarchy when I first visited the Bio Park in 2012. Her father was Yasushi.
Zabon had 2 litters. In 2018 she gave birth to Ko (male) Madoka (female). Their father was Kona.
The vengeful chief capybara keeper chose to breed Zabon for a second year despite the fact that she almost died after giving birth in 2018. Zabon became very thin and lost a lot of hair. She also had a very painful, swollen foot during her pregnancy on both occasions but because she was pregnant she could not be given antibiotics to treat it. It was heartbreaking watching Zabon trying to move on 3 legs. It was especially difficult for her to jump in and out of the pond in the heat of August when she was heavily pregnant in 2019. No European zoo would have bred Zabon for a second year after her experience the previous year, and put her through so much pain.
In 2019 Zabon gave birth to Nadishiko and Kikyo , both girls and Sasuke a boy. Sasuke died that first winter, but I do not know why. Nadeshiko was the smallest of the 3 pups and the cutest looking, she loved being petted. She grew up to be one of the most assertive capybaras in the herd, perhaps taking after her grandmother, Aki. As soon as Zabon’s pups were born the chief capybara keeper started playing with them, and doing some of the things a mother capybara would normally do to her pups. This interfered with the bond between Zabon and her pups. In European zoos the keepers do not interact with pups for at least several days. Even if there is a problem with the newborn pup suckling, a European keeper will avoid getting involved, unless it is absolutely essential, in the hope that the problem will resolve itself naturally. It was heartbreaking watching Zabon gradually lose interest because of the behaviour of the chief capybara keeper. You could see Zabon’s negative reaction to the endless, loud admonishments “Zabon! Zabon!” which the chief capybara keeper kept shouting. Tragically Zabon died 2 months after giving birth in 2019.
I find it extremely frustrating that despite my efforts the directors of Nagasaki Bio Park have no interest in understanding Animal Welfare. As far as they are concerned the capybaras are entertainment an approach which would be unconscionable at a good Western zoo. Because Nagasaki Bio Park is so famous throughout Japan for its capybaras the Biopark is under the illusion that they are doing everything right. Nagasaki Bio Park opened in 1985, and was founded by a man, the agricultural minister at the time, who truly understood the needs of animals and created a very good capybara enclosure, much larger than the current enclosure. The current management of the Bio Park make no effort to educate the visitors about the species so Japanese visitors are not knowledgeable enough to understand the needs of the capybaras.
Aoba born 2014. Mother Momiji, father Toku.
Butter and Cookie born 2014. Mother Maple, father Toku.
Fujiko had 4 pups: Hinase, Ayu and Kin and Gin who were born on 2012.
Hinase was born in April 2010. Her mother was Donguri’s daughter, Fujiko, her father was Takeshi.
Hinase had 4 pups on 2 March 2014. Their father was Toku. One male, Ricki who died in mysterious circumstances. And 3 females: Ryoko, Sumere and Keiko. Sumere was sent to China which was heartbreaking as zoos in China have a very bad reputation. Sumere had been taken away for the day as part of the travelling zoo and when she returned that evening she was attacked by other capybaras who assumed she had been given some privilege. Of course, being taken away from your herd as part of a travelling zoo is extremely stressful for any capybara. Keiko recently had to be separated because she was being attacked. Ryoko had to be separated after suffering a partial miscarriage which led to a cesarean (C-section) after which she did not eat for two weeks and became very weak. When she was put back in the herd she was attacked because she had become so weak and had to be separated.
Choco and Donut, born 2013. Mother Momiji, father Toku.
Macaroni born 2013. Mother Ayu, father Toku. Macaroni and Ayu now live at Nagasaki Bio Park’s sister zoo in Fukuoka, Torius Zoo.
Maple’s babies, Whip, Cream, Syrup, Milk, Prune born 2016. Toku was the father.
Ayu born 2011. Her mother was Fujiko and her father was Yasushi.
Ryoko’s male pup, Ryosuke, born 2018. Ryosuke was the only survivor of Ryoko’s 3 pups born by cesarean. Kona was his father.
Yasushi was the breeding male for 3 years up until the end of 2012 which was the first year we visited. Yasushi was the last breeding male who was able to live with the herd. Born 2007 – died 2013. As you might imagine, he was the centre of attention. At that time there were only female capybaras in the herd, together with the breeding male.
Toku was the next breeding male for 4 years. He was kept in a separate enclosure. Toku was a highly intelligent capybara and passed this intelligence on to some of his pups including Ryoko, Choco and Aoba. Toku had a prolapsed penis, probably due to the stress of separation and being surrounded by females who he could not be with. Probably his penis was “out” for too much of the time due to his very frustrating situation. This often leads to a prolapsed penis. Apparently another Biopark male capybara also had a prolapsed penis; I believe this was Kenta, who may have been blind due to inbreeding and who lived in the backyard area of Nagasaki Bio Park until he went to a sister zoo, Mongol Village, and lived in an enclosure with Kin.
Kona is the current breeding male since 2017. Kona is exceptionally friendly and loves to be petted. He was born at Nasu Animal Kingdom, mother and father Salt and Pepper. Kona then went to a petting zoo in Osaka before coming to Nagasaki Bio Park. Tragically Marc and I are the only people who pet Kona because he is in a separate enclosure. I asked the Bio Park to ask the capybara keepers to pet him but for some reason this did not happen. Perhaps they are trying to break Kona’s spirit. I asked if a rope could be placed with instructions so that the visitors could pet Kona. The rope was created but without any instructions so the visitors did not know what it was for. As soon as we left Japan this rope construction was removed!
Capybaras Are Much More Intelligent Than People Realise; Watch How Tuff’n Solves His Problemカピバラは非常にインテリジェントに問題を解決します水豚非常聰明地解決了問題
Colostrum is the thick, yellowish coloured milk the mother animal produces immediately after she gives birth (parturition) and which is produced by all mammals. It provides the antibodies the newborn animal needs to protect him from infection until his immune system is sufficiently developed to be able to create its own antibodies. Without these antibodies from colostrum, babies may become sick or even die.
Momiji nurses Choco, Donut and Macaroni who are six weeks old
The immune system of newborn animals has not yet developed meaning they have no antibodies (immunoglobulin) of their own to protect them against disease, bacteria and viral infections. The colostrum in the mother’s milk provides these antibodies and contains the antibodies from every infection the mother has been exposed to over the course of her lifetime. In this way the mother’s immunity is transferred to the newborn via the colostrum. The mother’s milk is richest in colostrum when she gives birth so it is very important that the newborn animal should drink this as soon as possible, and within 3 – 6 hours of birth. The concentration of antibodies declines significantly over the first 12 – 24 hours. After three to five days the mother’s milk no longer contains any colostrum. It may also be important that the mother stays in the same place where she will give birth for 14 days prior to giving birth, in order that she can develop antibodies against any pathogens in the birth environment.
There is another reason why It is vitally important that the newborn animal suckles as soon as possible after birth. Mammals are born with a special ability to absorb the antibodies in the colostrum directly into the bloodstream. Known as passive immunity transfer, this is the most efficient way of ensuring that the antibodies are spread throughout the body of the newborn animal. The antibodies pass through the lining of the stomach, the intestinal wall, directly into the bloodstream. However, this ability only lasts for a very short time, the first 24 – 36 hours of his life. This passive immunity transfer is at its most efficient during the first few hours after birth. Passive immunity transfer ensures that the antibodies , which are large protein molecules, are able to be absorbed intact and enter directly into the bloodstream without destroying the structure of the molecules, which is important as the structure of an antibody is integral to its function. Research suggests that after 6 hours the intestinal wall is already beginning to close and by 12 hours the ability to absorb the antibodies directly into the bloodstream has already declined by about 50%. After 24 hours, some say 36 hours, antibodies can no longer be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. After this period the antibody proteins are digested in the normal way in the intestine, and turned into amino acids before being absorbed. These antibodies can still offer protection, but only locally in the intestine.
Macaroni did not get much colostrum because his mother, Ayu, did not produce any milk
Antibodies identify and bind to specific pathogens. They then signal to the animal’s immune system to destroy the invading pathogen. Because baby mammals are born without antibodies they are very susceptible to disease. The young animal may be exposed to pathogens in their environment including from the mother’s nipple or unclean feeding bottles. These pathogens, bacteria and viruses, travel to the intestine where they attach to the intestinal wall and reproduce. They may destroy intestinal cells, causing upset to the metabolism, malnourishment, leakage of cell contents into the intestinal lumen, maldigestion, osmotic upset and ultimately diarrhoea. Many pathogens are found in the intestine so for the antibodies to be effective against these they must move from the blood back into the intestine and attach to the pathogen.
Colostrum also provides the energy needed for a newborn to maintain body temperature and survive especially in cold environments. Newborn animals have low reserves of vitamins and minerals and colostrum is rich in these. Selenium, copper and zinc are minerals which are essential for good immune function. Newborn pups are very dependent on copper acquired through the mother’s umbilical cord as copper levels in milk are low. The iron content may be as much at seventeen times higher in colostrum than normal milk. Colostrum also has laxative properties which help to stimulate the passage of faecal matter through the newborn animals digestive tract.
The quality of the colostrum which the mother produces will depend on her age, older mothers produce better quality colostrum than mothers giving birth for the first time. It is also essential that the mother gets the necessary nutrition, especially during the later stages of her pregnancy, in order to mount the immune response needed to create antibodies in her colostrum and for her own health. Without adequate nutrition the mother may produce less colostrum and colostrum which is of poorer quality.
The amount of colostrum the newborns receive depends on a number of factors including the position of the teat on which the baby is suckling. With capybara pups and piglets the teats closest to the animals front legs, the anterior, provide a greater amount of colostrum compared to the teats at the rear of the animal, the posterior. The strongest, largest pups tend to drink at these anterior teats. However, all teats provide sufficient antibodies to protect the newborn. Animals who are born later in the birthing process, and animals who have a lower weight at birth, also receive less colostrum, perhaps because they were suckling at the posterior teats, but will still receive enough to get the antibodies they need.
Research on mother pigs suggest that the colostrum is not released continuously, but rather in “discrete ejections”.
Newborn animals who do not receive colostrum can survive but are more susceptible to diarrhoea and pneumonia. In the absence of colostrum from the mother’s milk a colostrum substitute can be used. You should be aware of the difference between a “colostrum supplement” and a “colostrum substitute”. A colostrum supplement does not contain the antibodies which a newborn animal requires. In America, USDA’s Centre for Veterinary Biologics regulates the immunoglobulin content of colostrum products. The product must raise the concentration of serum immunoglobulin, i.e. the amount of antibodies in the blood, above 10 mg/mL. Many of these products are based on bovine serum which contains at least 100 g of immunoglobulin per litre. These products also include fat, protein, vitamins and minerals.
If you are using a colostrum substitute this should be fed as soon as possible after birth when the antibodies will be absorbed most efficiently by passive immunity transfer. The colostrum substitute should be fed during the first 6 hours, and can be fed on demand. Some sources recommend feeding at 3 to 4 hour intervals for the first 24 hours of the animal’s life, although the efficiency with which the colestrum is absorbed will decline as the hours pass. The colostrum substitute should be fed at blood temperature at a ratio of about 10% of the animal’s body weight. A 60 mL syringe holds 2 ounces of colostrum.
The mother’s colostrum can be stored in a refrigerator for one week before quality and the concentration of antibodies declines. If you have extra colostrum that you are able to freeze, it should be frozen in small quantities, perhaps using an ice tray which ensures that small quantities can be removed as required. Frozen colostrum must be thawed slowly so as not to destroy the antibodies. Use a bowl of warm water to thaw the frozen colostrum slowly, do not thaw it in a microwave. Once defrosted it cannot be refrozen. Frozen colostrum can be stored for up to 12 months.
Thus there are two factors which influence the antibodies which a newborn will receive, and both are only available for a short time period. One is the amount of the colostrum in the mother’s milk, and the other is the ability of the newborn pup to absorb these antibodies directly into the bloodstream. Therefore it is very important that a newborn animal drinks his mother’s colostrum rich milk as soon as possible after birth and within six hours.
My interest in colostrum came about because Macaroni, who was born at Nagasaki Bio Park, did not receive any colostrum from his mother, Ayu, as she did not produce any milk. Macaroni was put in with Momiji who had given birth to Choco and Donut three days before Macaroni was born. Although Macaroni was a normal-sized pup for the first few weeks of his life, when we met up again a year later he was very small and very thin. He may have received a very small amount of colostrum from Momiji but not enough to ensure his normal development. However, I was told that Macaroni would achieve a normal lifespan which proved to be the case.
Capybara pups are born precocial which means they are able to eat normal food almost as soon as they are born. Zabon’s pups, Nadeshiko, Kikyo and Sasuke all took great interest in the vegetables that had been put on the food trough in their enclosure for their mother, Zabon, within a few hours of their birth. They took the vegetables in their mouths and chewed and appeared to be eating the vegetables.
70% of the capybara diet in the wild consists of grasses and sedges.
Capybaras in Uruguay
Pet capybaras only become fussy eaters if the people they live with feed them inappropriate and potentially dangerous food. It is surprising how many people feed their pets junk food, crackers, peanuts and human snacks all of which should not be fed to a capybara.
As one friend of mine who lived with two capybaras advises: “if you introduce food which is bad for a capybara, but which they might enjoy, you may find it difficult to get your capybara to eat the food that is essential for his health because it may not seem as tasty”.
Capybaras will happily eat grass all day, as they do in the wild.
The capybaras at Nagasaki Bio Park are fed cabbage, pumpkin and carrots. Their preference is for the cabbage but they happily eat all the vegetables. Visitors buy bamboo to feed them and the capybaras love bamboo.
These Biopark capybaras would love to be able to eat grass. They sit by the entrance to their enclosure trying to escape to eat the grass which grows just outside their enclosure. Before the handles were changed on the gates, Choco and Ryoko were able to open the gates and several of the herd regularly escaped to eat the grass.
Zoos in Europe always keep capybaras in large grass filled enclosures where capybaras can graze all day at will.
You should never feed sweet foods to a capybara. Capybaras cannot digest sugar. This causes fermentation in the digestive tract which creates wind and is very painful. As the leading breeder of capybaras has written, you should only occasionally give a capybara fruit. Some experts warn against too much sweetcorn or carrots.
Feeding a capybara the wrong food may cause bloat which can lead to death.
A capybara keeper at Nagasaki Bio Park was horrified when I told him that some people in America feed peanuts to their pet capybaras.
Capybaras have hypsodont teeth which continually grow and need to be kept in check by chewing. Many pet capybaras die prematurely as a result of tooth problems mainly caused by the wrong diet. In their natural habitat the capybara diet consists of coarse grasses, aquatic plants and the bark of trees and bushes. This is a low nutrient, high fibre diet and requires capybaras to graze for long periods of the day to get the nutrition they need. This grazing is essential for a capybara’s teeth.
In their natural habitat capybaras spend 31% of the day grazing during the wet season when there is an abundance of nutritious vegetation, and 42% of the day grazing during the dry season, when the grasses are less nutritious. So you can see why chewing for extended periods of time is a natural capybara behaviour which they must be able to exhibit. Many pet capybaras do not have the opportunity to chew on healthy food for extended periods of the day and this leads to tooth problems. Where capybaras have a choice of grass or hay they always prefer grass.
Many pet capybaras chew on furnishings to satisfy this need to keep their teeth healthy by chewing. My friends put a bale of hay in the living room so if the capybaras were hungry or wanted to chew on something healthy they had hay. The smell of the hay in the living room was fantastic! Quite apart from having the hay to eat, the capybaras loved to sit on the soft bales of hay to rest. As babies they looked so cute when they fell asleep on their bed of hay.
Capybaras seem to instinctively understand that they have a need to chew. They seem to sense if their teeth need attention, perhaps because they become painful.
At Nagasaki Bio Park the capybaras chew on stones. There were times when Donguri refused my offer of bamboo because she had a need to chew on a stone. Sometimes she would gnaw at the ground trying to pull a stone free from the earth. I kept a supply of suitably hard stones to give her whenever I saw her behaving as if she needed to chew. Nowadays, the capybaras are given branches so they can gnaw on the bark which keeps their teeth healthy and the bark is also nutritious.
A person who runs a highly respected Animal Refuge told me that one pet capybara “owner” even fed her capybara “a dollop of TOOTHPASTE daily because he loved it”! He explained to me that “toothpaste contains fluoride which is a toxin and is used in rodent killer products”!
Recent research which appeared in the Journal of Zoology on February 27 2023, found that the reason capybaras have been able to thrive and expand their populations where some other South American species are heading for extinction, is because they are not fussy eaters and are very flexible as to what they eat. This has allowed them to adapt to life in cities and other habitats modified by humans. As humans destroy ecosystems throughout South America many species are being driven to extinction, but not capybaras. They are the only species in South America who had learnt “the rules of the road” and how to avoid being hit by vehicles. As I have written elsewhere, capybaras have even learnt the purpose of zebra crossings and you can see a herd of capybaras standing by a zebra crossing waiting for the traffic to stop before crossing the road! Surely this proves how exceptionally intelligent and sensitive capybaras are.
capybaraworld 