International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
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To encourage a feeding response when cubs are not interested in eating, new to nursing<br />
from artificial apparatuses, or are sick or weak, the following techniques, as well as those<br />
in the paragraph above, can be used. The area around the cub’s lips, face, throat, or anus can<br />
be stimulated by gently rubbing fingertips or a warm damp cloth on these regions. Light<br />
energetic, but gentle rubs / massage should be used. The cub’s tongue can also be lightly<br />
stimulated with the caretaker’s fingertip. Toileting <strong>and</strong> encouraging the animal to move about<br />
also stimulates feeding. Cubs should be gently <strong>and</strong> slowly introduced to artificial nipples or/<strong>and</strong><br />
encouraged to nurse by the carrying out the following. The cub should be allowed to suck on<br />
the feeders finger/fingers first, then the caretaker’s fingers should be associated with the bottle<br />
nipple. Moistening nipples <strong>and</strong> fingers with warmed formula will entice cubs to suck on them.<br />
After putting the nipple in the cub’s mouth, its mouth should be very gently closed around the<br />
nipple. The bottle should be lightly squeezed so that a drop or two of formula (i.e. only drops to<br />
prevent aspiration) comes out. Gently moving the nipple in the mouth or in <strong>and</strong> out may also<br />
help. The caretaker should observe, listen, then feel with his/her fingers (i.e. under the cub’s<br />
throat, chin, etc.) to determine when the cub has swallowed. Young or weak cubs will often fall<br />
asleep when nursing, these cubs should be gently woken up so that they can continue nursing.<br />
(Cubs normally fall asleep on the mother’s teat.)<br />
Even when cubs are healthy <strong>and</strong> proper h<strong>and</strong>rearing techniques/formulas are used; cubs<br />
may still refuse to eat. In cases where cubs absolutely refuse to open their mouths, h<strong>and</strong>rearers<br />
can gently pry cubs’ mouths open by the following technique. A thumb <strong>and</strong> forefinger can be<br />
placed on either side of the cub’s mouth/lips, <strong>and</strong> these fingers should be positioned behind the<br />
cub’s canine teeth where there is a gap between its teeth. The caretakers fingers should be<br />
gently squeezed inwards towards the mouth, until the mouth opens. Once the mouth is opened,<br />
bottle nipples can be inserted. Nipples must be positioned at the front of the mouth <strong>and</strong> a milk<br />
drop/or a few drops should be expressed to the nipple hole to encourage suckling. Sometimes<br />
the h<strong>and</strong>rearer must continue to lightly hold the cub’s mouth closed around the nipple when it<br />
feeds, until it learns to suckle. In worst cases, the caretaker can even use his/her fingers or<br />
spoons to feed cubs (i.e. drop by drop) if necessary, until the cub learns to nurse. If older cubs<br />
refuse to nurse from a bottle, milk formula can be tried in a small dish instead. See techniques<br />
under Section 12 to encourage cubs to eat from a dish.<br />
H<strong>and</strong>rearers must hold cubs in the proper position when feeding them. Cubs should be<br />
held on the caretaker’s lap or other solid surface in a ventral recumbent position (on the stomach<br />
lying down) with its head held up. Cubs should not be fed when they are on their back.<br />
Cubs like to push their front feet/paws on a surface while feeding, so the caretaker’s h<strong>and</strong> /<br />
bottle should be positioned so that the cub can push off these surfaces when feeding. The<br />
caretaker’s forearm should be positioned along the cub’s side to prevent it from rolling off the<br />
feeding surface <strong>and</strong> that h<strong>and</strong> can be used to hold the cub’s head up (Green, unpublished report).<br />
The caretaker’s elbow can also be pressed against his/her hip to prevent the cub from falling off<br />
the surface/lap backwards. (E.g. to support the head, the thumb can be placed on top of the head<br />
<strong>and</strong> three fingers can be placed on the chest <strong>and</strong> the forefinger can be placed under the throat<br />
The cub can be felt swallowing this way as well.) The other h<strong>and</strong> should be used to control the<br />
feeding apparatus. Experienced healthy cubs can usually suck ample amounts without the<br />
h<strong>and</strong>rearer squeezing a bottle. But with sick, weak, inexperienced, or very young cubs the<br />
feeder may have to apply a very light little pressure to the plastic bottle, so a drop of formula is<br />
at the tip of the nipple, to help entice nursing. If plastic syringes or plastic eyedroppers are used,<br />
the formula should not be squeezed directly into the cub’s mouth. Instead, a small milk drop<br />
should be squeezed to the end of the dropper/syringe <strong>and</strong> placed on the cub’s lips. The cub<br />
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