Critical Care Formulas for Capybaras. Capybara Health Care. These Formulas Could Save the Life of Your Capybara.

See below for the milk formula for baby capybaras. It is of course very important that any baby capybara who is not suckling (i.e. drinking his mother’s milk) is given the right formula of milk in order for the baby to thrive.

Please also see my blog about capybara diet. Many pet capybaras die prematurely because they are not given the right diet:

What Should I Feed My Pet Capybara?:  https://capybaraworld.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/what-should-i-feed-my-pet-capybara/

EmerAid Intensive Care For Critically Ill Exotic Animals

EmerAid Intensive Care Formula is a formula for critically ill exotic animals.

See this link for detailed information on health conditions and treatments: EmerAid Basic Use Guide

To calculate the dosage for a capybara use the following information:

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.

EmerAid Intensive Care Basic Use Guide

Tel: 1-815-466-8040

Email contact: customerservice@EmerAid.com

If you have a capybara who is not eating properly, or becoming very thin, this nutritional formula made by Oxbow, Critical Care for Herbivores, is recommended by a vet who specialises in treating capybaras. Your capybara may have tooth problems (which will need to be attended to) which makes chewing painful, or he might have an illness, or be recovering from surgery. This product has everything a capybara needs for optimum nutrition and health and recovery.

Remember that if your capybara has not been eating very much, his stomach will have shrunk. This means he will only be able to eat small quantities of food at any one time. You will need to keep offering him this formula, in small quantities, throughout the day to ensure he gets adequate nutrition.

As capybaras age, like humans, they may lose their appetites, or start to eat less. This will result in their stomach shrinking and they may only be able to eat a smaller amount of food at any one time; but they should be encouraged to eat more frequently to offset this. (This will not be necessary if the capybara has access to unlimited grazing or pellets 24/7 and continues to eat sufficient grass and pellets). This Critical Care formula is a good way to boost a capybara’s nutritional requirement.

Critical Care for Herbivores is a high protein, high energy, high fibre, easily digested powdered formula, with all the essential vitamins and minerals.

It is designed to be palatable so that your capybara enjoys it and wants to eat. It contains high-fibre Timothy hay to support proper gut physiology and digestion. It comes as a powder.

One friend found that his capybara did not like this formula when it was mixed with water, but he loved it when it was mixed with unsweetened almond milk. His capybara had already established a love of drinking unsweetened almond milk.

If your capybara is bonded with the human that human MUST give a capybara lots and lots of love and petting. You will need to spend much more time with him than you normally would otherwise we might lose the will to live, give up and die. Petting releases the hormone, oxytocin, and induces relaxation and plays a significant role in the bonding process. Your capybara will be very anxious during this time when he is suffering, and petting will help him relax. I cannot stress too strongly the importance of “being there” for your capybara at this critical time. Your love and time spent with the capybara could be the difference between life and death.

A Critical Care Formula in the form of a crunchy “biscuit”, is also available, and chewing it will be good for your capybara’s teeth.

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR VET AS SOON AS YOU BECOME CONCERNED.

“Developed with the assistance of top exotics veterinarians and nutritionists, Critical Care is the industry standard in recovery nutrition for herbivores with poor nutritional status resulting from illness or surgery.  Critical Care contains all the essential nutrients of a complete diet, as well as high-fiber timothy hay to support proper gut physiology and digestion.”

Critical Care for Herbivores, contains the following:

Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Soybean Meal, Wheat Germ, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C), Soybean Oil, Flaxseed, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Papaya, Pineapple, Cane Molasses, Natural Apple Flavor, Natural Banana Flavor, DL-Methionine, L-Glutamine, Oat Groats, Wheat Middlings, Sodium Bentonite, Yeast Culture (dehydrated), Fat Product, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Inulin, Mixed Tocopherols (preservative), Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Zine Proteinate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Rosemary Extract

Guaranteed Analysis

• Crude Protein (min) 17.00%
• Crude Fat (min) 5.00%
• Crude Fiber (min) 21.00%
• Crude Fiber (max) 26.00%
• Moisture (max) 10.00%
• Ash (max) 10.00%
• Calcium (min) 0.60%
• Calcium (max) 0.80%
• Phosphorus (min) 0.40%
• Vitamin A (min) 10,000 IU/kg
• Vitamin D3 (min) 900 IU/kg
• Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) (min) 1,500 mg/kg

Calorie Content

• Metabolizable Energy (calculated) 2,660 kcal/kg or 24 kcal/Tbsp

“Product Highlights:

• Powdered formula mixes easily to desired consistency
• Highly versatile – can be tube fed, assist-fed by syringe or spoon, or self-fed by bowl or as top dressing
• High in fiber; low in carbohydrates
• Contains readily-absorbable chelated minerals and beneficial prebiotics
• No refined sugars, artificial preservatives or simple carbohydrates
• High digestibility and palatability
• Contains stabilized form of Vitamin C

Available in Anise and Apple-Banana flavors.

Sizes: 36g, 141g, 454g (anise); 141g, 456g (apple-banana)”

https://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/our-products/professional-line/critical-care

The Oxbow critical care formula is also available as a “Fine Grind“, with the same essential nutrition as Critical Care – Herbivore, but in a finer particle size.

Some recovery and emergency cases require added versatility when it comes to delivering critical nutrition.  Critical Care Herbivore – Fine Grind contains the same essential nutrition as Critical Care – Herbivore, but in a finer particle size made to flow easily through nasogastric feeding tubes as small as 5 Fr.  Because of its smaller particle size, Critical Care Herbivore – Fine Grind is ideal for use with small and young patients.

Sizes: 100g

Product Highlights:

• Finer particle size than Critical Care
• Powdered formula mixes easily to desired consistency
• Highly versatile – easily flows through nasogastric tube and syringe
• High in fiber; low in carbohydrates
• Contains readily-absorbable chelated minerals and beneficial prebiotics
• No refined sugars, artificial preservatives or simple carbohydrates
• High digestibility and palatability
• Contains stabilized form of Vitamin C

https://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/our-products/professional-line/critical-care-fine-grind

Bene-bac

Another product which is very helpful for capybaras with less serious digestive problems is Bene-bac. Friends of mine use this whenever their capybaras become constipated or have very soft poos.

Friends of mine who live with 2 capybaras believe a product called ‘Bene-bac’ (which is a pro-biotic) is a lifesaver, and could have saved the life of their first capybara.  They 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
• May be used for regular maintenance

https://www.petag.com/products/bene-bac-plus-small-animal-powder

 YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR VET AS SOON AS YOU BECOME CONCERNED.

Milk Formula For Baby Capybaras:

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.

https://wombaroo.com/shop/ols/products/wombaroo-capybara-milk-replacer-2kg

Wombaroo Capybara Milk Replacer

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.

Feed Impact Colostrum Supplement to new-borns who did not receive sufficient maternal colostrum.

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT: 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)3 .

Analysis

• Protein 42%
• Fat 24%
• Carbohydrate 22%
• Ash 6%
• Moisture 4%
• Metabolisable Energy (ME) 20MJ/kg

©Wombaroo Food Products, Dec 2017. 10 Oborn Rd, Mt Barker SA 5251 http://www.wombaroo.com.au

CAPYBARA MILK REPLACER 1,2,3

TYPICAL ANALYSIS (Powder)

INGREDIENTS: Whole milk solids, whey protein, casein, vegetable oils, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, stabilised vitamin C, vitamins and minerals.

TYPICAL COMPOSITION PER LITRE OF PREPARED MILK Protein	83g	Vitamin E	14mg	Folic Acid	1.0mg	Sodium	500mg
Fat	49g	Vitamin K	1.0mg	Vitamin B12	19μg	Magnesium	80mg
-Omega 3	1.4g	Vitamin C	520mg	Biotin	80μg	Zinc	5.1mg
-Omega 6	3.4g	Thiamine	7.1mg	Choline	130mg	Iron	5.5mg
Carbohydrate	42g	Riboflavin	1.9mg	Inositol	100mg	Manganese	3.1mg
Energy (ME)	3.9MJ	Niacin	29mg	Calcium	2.2g	Copper	0.8mg
Vitamin A	470μg	Pantothenic Acid	11mg	Phosphorus	1.6g	Iodine	100μg
Vitamin D3	4.6g	Pyridoxine	2.4mg	Potassium	1400mg	Selenium	25μg

TYPICAL ANALYSIS (Powder) Protein	42%
Fat	24%
Carbohydrate	22%
Ash	6%
Moisture	4%
Energy (ME)	20 MJ/kg

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https://wombaroo.com/shop/ols/products/wombaroo-capybara-milk-replacer-2kg