Excel DualCare Recovery – a specialist feed for recuperating rabbits and guinea pigs

Having an unwell rabbit or guinea pig can be difficult to navigate. Caring for them and building them back up to full health is a priority. Always speak to your vet about the best path for you and your small animal. They will be able to advise you on the correct care and recovery plan, and the best food for your unwell rabbit or guinea pig.

Here at Burgess Excel, we have created a product specially for recovering rabbits and guinea pigs - Excel DualCare. With carefully calculated ingredients to support your small animal after illness or surgery and at times of stress, you can either syringe feed or feed DualCare in its nugget form. Each box contains 10, 60g sachets.

Discover more about Excel DualCare:

• What is Excel DualCare?
• When can Excel DualCare be fed?
• How do you feed Excel DualCare?
• What does Excel DualCare contain?

What is Excel DualCare?

DualCare is designed for feeding rabbit or guinea pigs after illness or surgery. It can either be fed in its dry form as a nugget or mixed with warm water to create a paste that can be syringe fed using a wide tipped syringe. 

Each sachet contains all of the necessary vitamins and minerals required to meet your rabbit or guinea pig’s nutritional needs, including high levels of protected vitamin C.

Buy Excel DualCare today >>

When can Excel DualCare be fed?

After illness or surgery: DualCare is ideal for feeding your rabbit or guinea pig after surgery, or when they are unwell or debilitated. It contains digestible and indigestible fibre which helps with recovery.

For gastro-intestinal support: The high levels of beneficial fibre and added prebiotics help support your small animal’s digestion and gut health.

At times of stress: Illness and surgery can be very stressful situations for your rabbit or guinea pig. The carefully calculated blend of ingredients support your small animal at times of stress.

How do you feed Excel DualCare?

Syringe Feeding

With recovering rabbits or guinea pigs, it might be necessary to help them feed by syringe feeding. To effectively syringe feed your rabbit or guinea pig you will need:

• Excel DualCare
• A towel
• A hard, flat surface, such as a table
• Wide tipped syringe (you can get this from your vet)

How to syringe feed DualCare: Step by step

1. Start by mixing the DualCare into a paste. Add 2 parts warm water, to 1 part DualCare and allow that to soak for 3-4 minutes. Then mix it into a paste. You will need to make a fresh batch every time you syringe feed.
2. Place the towel on the flat surface, and then place your rabbit or guinea pig in a towel. Wrap their body in the towel, and leave their head exposed out the top.
3. Gently tuck your small animal under your forearm.
4. Gently hold their head. Place your index under their chin, and your thumb on the base of their skull at the back of their head. Place your remaining fingers on their chest, this helps keep them nice and secure, and prevents them from moving forward.
5. Slowly and gently insert the syringe into the gap between the incisors and cheek teeth.

   

6. The first mouthful should be no more than 0.2-0.5ml of paste. You should always make sure your small animal is actively chewing.

Ideally your small animal should be fed 10ml of DualCare per kg of bodyweight three times a day. So, for a 3kg rabbit, you should feed them 30ml of Excel DualCare paste three times a day.

7. Continue to feed the rest of their DualCare in small mouthfuls. Go slowly, making sure they are swallowing the paste and never feed more than 1-2ml of paste at a time.
8. Once you have finished syringe feeding, place your rabbit or guinea pig in a familiar environment, with good quality feeding hay. This is so they can go back to normal feeding as soon as they feel well enough.
9. Clean the syringe fully after each feeding session.

Things to remember:

• If you are ever in doubt about any stage of the syringe feeding process speak to your vet.
• Be careful when mixing their paste. Making the paste too watery may increase the risk of aspiration, breathing the paste into the airways, rather than going down into their digestive system.
• Never give your small animal their paste while they’re vocalizing. Wait until they are quiet before resuming feeding.
• Take it slowly! Give your rabbit or guinea pig no more than 1-2ml at a time and make sure they have fully swallowed the paste before giving them more.

Always make sure your rabbit or guinea pig has access to plenty of good quality feeding hay, as well as access to fresh, clean water.

Feeding Excel DualCare Nuggets

As your small animal starts to recover, you can start to gradually progress them onto the nugget form of DualCare with no added water.

Once your rabbit or guinea pig is fully recovered and back on their feet, you can move them back onto the most suitable Burgess Excel nuggets.

Shop Excel Rabbit Nuggets >>

Shop Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets >>

What does Excel DualCare contain?

• High levels of beneficial fibre: This is a mix of digestible and indigestible fibre. Rabbits and guinea pigs need the correct mix of both types to make sure their digestive systems continue to move and work well and can extract the essential nutrients from their diet.
• Prebiotic: Promotes healthy gut flora (or bacteria).
• High levels of protected vitamin C: To meet your small animal’s increased requirements during times of stress and recovery.
• Methionine and Tryptophan: Essential amino acids to support some of your small animal’s bodily functions.

If you ever have any doubts about whether Excel DualCare is right for your rabbit or guinea pig, or are unsure about the feeding process, seek the advice of your vet.

You can also get in touch with our consumer care team, who are on hand 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, to answer any queries. Get in touch using our contact form.