Organic Essentials for Life
Advanced Formula Syringe Feed Complex
for guinea pigs, chinchillas, rabbits, degus and other herbivores

Ingredients and Nutritional Analysis: Organic timothy, organic alfalfa, organic dandelion leaf and root, organic nettle leaf, organic rosehips, organic oats and oat bran, organic wheat bran, organic lemon balm, organic chamomile flowers, organic calendula flowers, organic oat straw, organic catnip, organic yellow duck root, organic licorice root, organic hibiscus flowers, organic slippery elm inner bark, organic Andean yacon root (natural source of prebiotics).

Our Syringe Feeed contains 15 billion live cell count of 13 hardy species of beneficial cultures including soil-based probiotics : Saccharomyces boulardi, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, Barley Grass, Oat Grass, Lactobacillius paracasei, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus brevis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius.

Does not contain synthetic nutrients or preservatives.

Dosage and Directions

Recommended daily dosage is 55-65 ml (1 part of dry Essentials for Life syringe feed mixed with about 2 parts of warm water) per 500g of body weight. Divide the total amount for the day into 4-6 feedings, water should be slightly warmer than room temperature. Syringe can be purchased separately to measure daily dosage.
We recommend filtered water, tap water has a variety of contaminants, and it's chlorinated. Chlorine can interfere with the absorption of some nutrients. Ideally, Essentials for Life should be prepared fresh for each feed. When premixed with water, our syringe feed can be refrigerated for 12-24 hours.

Storage

Store Essentials for Life Syringe Feed in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. The hardy probiotic strains in Essentials for Life are resistant to heat, cold, stomach acid, bile, ascorbic acid.

Organic Source of Nutrients

Advanced Formula Syringe Feed is a delicious powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, live enzymes and co-enzymes, essential fatty and amino acids (including aspartic acid, tyrosine, serine, proline, alanine, glycine, valine, methionine, phenylalanine), trace elements in a form that rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, degus and other herbivores can completely utilize without being burdened with excess.
Essentials for Life contains hundreds of whole, functional nutrient compounds, not just isolated nutrient molecules found in commercial formulas that do not even exist in nature.

The Nutritional Goal of Essentials for Life Advanced Formula Syringe Feed:

• Provide rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs, degus and other herbivores with proper critical nutrition to make sure that they recieve daily calorific requirement. Please note that adequate protein levels are crucial for post surgical, sick herbivores as they can face protein energy malnutrition, in a catabolic state animals utilize the skeletal muscle proteins.
• Prevent and correct nutritional deficiencies.
• Minimize metabolic derangements.
• Restore optimal body condition.

Source of Naturally occuring Digestive Enzymes, Preboitics + 13 Species of Beneficial Cultures including Soil-Based Probiotics

Essentials for Life Syringe Feed is a source of numerous naturally occurring active enzymes (including lipase, amylase, coagulase, protease, invertase) and co-enzymes. They help animal's body to extract more nutrients. Naturally occurring enzymes are able to remain active under various pH conditions, they resist inactivation by gastric acidity. Digestive enzymes also help maintain healthy flora in the colon. Chinchillas, rabbits, guinea pigs, degus rely on healthy gastrointestinal flora to help in the digestion of hays and herbaceous plants. Disruptions can lead to enterotoxemia, bloat.

Andean Yacon root is world’s richest natural source of prebiotics fructooligosaccharides (FOS), short chains of fructose units linked by B-glucosidic bonds. Fructants stimulate the grows of beneficial bacteria and suppress putrefactive pathogens. Other beneficial effects of FOS:

• Fecal mater is able to retain more water
• Promotes increase in peristaltic movements
• Acts like mild laxative
• Higher absorption of calcium
• Reduces the time of intestinal transit

Essentials for Life Syringe Feed also contains 15 billion live cell count of 13 species of beneficial cultures including soil-based probiotics that have the ability to implant in any colonic environment (see ingredients for a complete list). Probiotics have many health benefits:

• With help of these beneficial organisms your herbivore has the ability to get energy from food that remains in the gastrointestinal tract even after system shuts down, thus buying the animal more time. Immune system must defeat the infection before energy runs out. Probiotics metabolize food, giving your chinchilla rabbit, guinea pig, degu energy from the food, so they get more time to recuperate.
• Probiotics help decrease the amount of harmful bacteria and toxins produced by these bacteria.
• Probiotics can block the adhesion of dangerous bacteria to intestinal cells.
• Make diarrhea less severe and shorten its duration
• Boost immune system, help fight diseases, help pets recover faster

Addressing Gastrointestinal Disorders

Soothing and Healing Properties of Essentials for Life Syringe Feed

Inner Slippery Elm Bark is an excellent remedy for the entire digestive system, this soothing demulcent neutralizes excess stomach acids. It provides gentle relief for constipation: straining irritates the gut, slippery elm lubricates and protects the digestive tract, assists in the elimination of waste. Slippery elm also works for diarrhea: tannin constituents tighten digestive mucosa, help draw out toxins from the body. it's is also a nutritional digestive tonic for rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs, degus and other herbivores.

Inflammation Reduction

Licorice root reduces inflammation, soothers irritated membranes, it's a fast-acting antimicrobial agent and also adaptogen. Licorice increase the concentration of prostaglandins, this promotes new cell grows and reduces ulcers. Yellow duck root also comforts inflammation of the intestinal lining, lessens the surplus activity of the intestines.

Elimination of Excess Gas

Advanced Formula Syringe Feed contains carminative herbs: chamomile, lemon balm, catnip. They reduce gas and bloating, relieve painful spasms. These herbs also stimulate peristalsis (the wave-like action) that moves food through the system.

Transit Time Normalization

High fiber, carminative herbs, yacon root normalize the transit time. High fiber stimulates fast movement of ingesta through the gut, so the food passage is relatively fast and harmful bacteria is not able to proliferate.

Constipation Relief

Essentials for Life Syringe Feed does not contain strong laxative herbs as they serve only as a quick fix and if taken for some time can cause digestive dependancy when guinea pigs, chinchillas, rabbits, degus can not pass stool without laxative. Our Advanced Formula addresses deeper problems and it's gentle. High fiber palys an importanit role here as well.

• Dandelion helps relive constipation; it stimulates the production of bile – the result is increased transport of potentially noxious compounds.
• Probiotics and prebiotics heal constipation by nourishing the beneficial intestinal flora
• Yellow dock is another immensely beneficial gentle laxative

Sometimes constipation is a cumulative effect of liver/gallbladder congestion. For example, if gallbladder is blocked by waste, digestive tract can not effectively break down food materials. Dandelion root and leaf are great for this problem, licorice root helps regenerate liver cells.

Tip: Exercise is beneficial, it stimulates the peristaltic action of the colon.

Avoid sugary treats.

Pumpkin Puree

Small amount of unsweetened, preferably organic, canned pumpkin (not pumpkin filling) can be mixed with Advanced formula syringe feed. Canned pumpkin is also used for treating chinchillas' , rabbits', guinea pigs' diarrhea and constipation. It usually helps them recover quickly. Pumpkin is a wonderful source of fiber, it can absorb excess water, soften the stool and promote it's passage.
Please note that some vegetable baby foods contain onion powders that can cause haemolytic anaemia (body attacks its own red blood cells).

Tips on Hand Feeding

Most chinchillas, guinea pigs, rabbits, degus will eat Advanced Formula Syringe Feed voluntarily. It's the preferred way as it does not stress the animal. You can even use a small spoon. If herbivores refuse to eat, then they should be wrapped in a towel quite snugly (burrito style), so that only the head is out (small kitchen towel works well) and syringe the feed into the side of the mouth (aiming at the cheek). Only squeeze a small amount at a time and not too quickly to avoid choking, give your pet time to chew and swallow. Initially try offering a very small amount so your pet can get used to the taste.

Patience is the Key

Try to be patient and calm, take a break if feeding becomes too stressful. Most furry patients tolerate hand feeding well, as long as stress is limited during the process. Keep in mind that chinchillas, rabbits, guinea pigs and other herbivores have no chance to survive without food. Even if you are emotionally exhausted, do not give up. It gets easier once your pet gets used to being hand fed. And you'll probably notice that you herbivore will eat more once he/she feels better.

Other crucial aspects

• Gentle abdominal massage (circular downwards motion towards the anus) is invaluable at reducing colic, it also helps stimulate peristalsis. Administer several times a day.
• Do not forget to monitor weight.
• In case of diarrhea and excess gas, you can also give your rabbit, chinchilla, guinea pig activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is safe, but it's usually recommended for 2-3 days, as it may absorb some nutrients as well. Wild animals have been observed to consme charcoal after lightning strikes or fires. It makes as think that animals are aware of charcoal's toxin-binding properties.
• Avoid sugary treats. They can interfere with a restoration of normal GI motility. Carbohydrates inhibit the release of protein that stimulates contractions of the small intestine.
• Create a healing environment.

Water Intake During Hand Feeding

When you hand feed chinchillas, guinea pigs, rabbits they get enough water from syringe feed. Do not worry if your pet do not drink much water or any at all.

Activate encouragement to get your guinea pig, chinchilla, rabbit and other herbivore to eat on their own.

Provision of alfalfa hay is actually recommended for sick, recuperating herbivores as they have higher protein needs. Alfalfa promotes weight gain, stimulates the appetite and it tends to be very appealing to the rabbit's, chinchilla's, guinea pig's, degu's taste buds.
You can also offer Organic Nature's Broad Spectrum Supplement or some healthy herbal treats. Variety and herbs rich in nutrients encourage animals to eat. Sometimes getting herbivores to eat several bites on their own initiate self-feeding.

Safety: We only use herbs that have an excellent safety record over thousands of years of use by pets and people, and are widely used today. We do not add herbs that just look cute or sound fancy, much thought and knowledge is invested is each formula that we offer. We won't risk the well being of your pet offering sugary treats or a herbal compound that is not recommended for internal use by AHPA.