International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

experience gas, cramps, and other gastrointestinal discomfort during the initial stages of
learning to ingest food, fennel is the ideal medicinal herb.” (Internet Website Source).
A new milk replacer should be gradually introduced, by diluting it with water, e.g. over a
2-day period or spread throughout at least several or more (depending on cub age and
health) feedings. (See above about dilution with electrolyte solutions for general use.) At each
successive feeding the formula should be increased in strength by a small amount (i.e. by
reducing the amount of water mixed with it) until it reaches 100% of the strength that is
recommended. Milk replacer package instructions will state the dilution that is necessary for
full strength. Some cubs will require several feedings in just one 8-12 hour period and for some
animals, total diet switch-overs that occur over this amount of time may be too fast and cause
problems. When cubs are very young and/or they are fed many times per day and night, the
formula introduction should be diluted over e.g. a two-day period. Although e.g., if a cub is
very weak before the introduction of the new formula or if it becomes weak during the
introduction (because the formula is too dilute) the formula can be strengthened more quickly
according to how well the cub tolerates and thrives on the strengthened formula. The
introduced formulas should be offered in the amounts and frequencies suggested in Section 8.
Caution: formula switches must be introduced and modified or changed according to the
needs of the individual cub and how it tolerates and thrives on the new formula.
For example, when switching from mother’s milk to a replacer formula the following can be
done. Tap water should be boiled and then cooled and stored in a closed container in the
refrigerator for later use. (It is helpful to allow a fennel tea bag/bags to soak in the boiling
water.) At five feeds per day, only water or 5% glucose in water, should be given at the first
feed. For the following feed of the day, the full strength ratio recommended on the package
instructions can be altered and then the formula can be prepared accordingly so that it is diluted
the appropriate amount, for that particular feed. (In this way, formula portions for each feed
have to be individually mixed and prepared throughout the day, and this can be time
consuming.)
Another way of preparing and diluting the formula that is a little faster than the method above
can be accomplished as follows. The amount of formula needed for a 24 hour period can be premade
so that the formula is pre-mixed to the full-strength that package instructions recommend
(see under Section 6 for formula preparation techniques). At five feeds per day, only water or
5% glucose in water, should be given at the first feed. Change-overs, although, can be made
slowly, e.g. by combining the appropriate amount of water with the appropriate amount of preprepared
formula needed, so that the 2 nd feed of the day is composed of 75% water to 25%
formula. (I.e. twenty-five % of the total amount of formula that is needed for the 2 nd feed should
be determined and then drawn from the amount prepared for the full day. The remainder of the
formula to be fed should be composed of water (i.e. from the water already prepared). For the
second feeding water should constitute 75% of the formula to be fed.) For each following feed
the ratio amount of the formula (prepared for the day) can be increased by 10% until a complete
100% switch to the new formula is accomplished. By the end of day 1 of the switch, the new
formula is offered at approx. 1/2 strength (i.e. 55% new formula and 45% water). By the end of
day 2 of the switch, the new formula is offered at full strength (i.e. 100% new formula). (It is
always helpful to have available a little more formula than is needed for each individual feed in
case the otter should want more during that feed.)
To switch from one milk replacer formula to another, 10% new formula can be added to the old
formula and it can be increased by 10% at every feed until a complete 100% switch to the new
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