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3 out of 5 of my boys have BLOAT!?!

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So I’ve just picked up Ziggy and he’s got a balloon tummy!

So did Newt and Nibbler.

My other two don’t (so far.)

The last thing I fed them were Tim hay, oxbow pellets and some celery! With clean water!

What the heck is going on here? Does anyone have any idea?
 
I’m also wondering about gas? Maybe it’s gas or something? I’m trying to get them to the vet ASAP. But just wanted an opinion.
 
So I’ve just picked up Ziggy and he’s got a balloon tummy!

So did Newt and Nibbler.

My other two don’t (so far.)

The last thing I fed them were Tim hay, oxbow pellets and some celery! With clean water!

What the heck is going on here? Does anyone have any idea?

Hi!

Please follow our detailed tips for bloating care; this can be a life-threatening condition. All guides also contain advice for emergency situations before you can get to a vet to help you make the best with what you have got at hand or easily available to help keep your piggies going until you can step in with proper medical care:
Bloat, GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

It sounds like there is something with their food intake that has triggered this. I would switch to a different bag of hay and pellets in case it is something in there that has been causing the problem. Please keep a close eye on the other two, too. See a vet as soon as you can.

All the best!
 
Hi!

Please follow our detailed tips for bloating care; this can be a life-threatening condition. All guides also contain advice for emergency situations before you can get to a vet to help you make the best with what you have got at hand or easily available to help keep your piggies going until you can step in with proper medical care:
Bloat, GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

It sounds like there is something with their food intake that has triggered this. I would switch to a different bag of hay and pellets in case it is something in there that has been causing the problem. Please keep a close eye on the other two, too. See a vet as soon as you can.

All the best!
I’m thinking the same. I’ve just found out that Little Bowie has it too. So it’s gotta be the food. Maybe it’s Oxbow! Will change veggies.
 
Cause I just fed them some of a new bag today that I bought and they didn’t have it then!
 
I’m thinking the same. I’ve just found out that Little Bowie has it too. So it’s gotta be the food. Maybe it’s Oxbow! Will change veggies.

As long as you do not know where it is from, please throw away ANY food you have fed today and also any loose bedding.

Please read the guides and step in with massaging etc. to reduce the bloating.
 
Sounds like it’s something you’re feeding them is causing this. What veggies do you give, and how often?
 
Sounds like it’s something you’re feeding them is causing this. What veggies do you give, and how often?
I give them celery as of recent. I’m out of all others. I don’t give them it every day for the very reason that’s happening right now. Between pellets and hay I give them veggies maybe once a week since my money is tight atm. I know that’s bad but I’m getting better. Their majority food is hay. They always have hay.
 
I give them celery as of recent. I’m out of all others. I don’t give them it every day for the very reason that’s happening right now. Between pellets and hay I give them veggies maybe once a week since my money is tight atm. I know that’s bad but I’m getting better. Their majority food is hay. They always have hay.
Just make sure the vit c intake is enough to prevent scurvy. If you can only get one veg a week then I would get green bell peppers 🙂
 
Just make sure the vit c intake is enough to prevent scurvy. If you can only get one veg a week then I would get green bell peppers 🙂
Oh thank you for the advice! I thought about buying some vit c drops (the one in the brown bottle, it’s on amazon and is used by LA guinea pig rescue) but unsure how to dose it. Either way, I’m hoping for the best.
 
Oh crumbs more than one piggy with bloat will be hard work!
Is it gas bloat (sounds hollow when tapping the stomach area) or liquid bloat (all squishy/sloshy like a hot water bottle)?

As it will need slightly different treatments.

Liquid bloat - will need diuretics quickly to reduce the amount of liquid in the body.

Gas bloat - will need the excess air to be dispersed, please get them to a vet ASAP.

Bloat of both types can be a life threatening condition.

Take the boys off of all veg for the time being, just stick to water, hay and pellets.
Check the hay and pellets for any contamination in both (mould, plants other than hay in the hay, foreign objects, etc.).

The vet should give you gut mobility drugs, I think zantac & ranidine? )are popular in the UK. They'll need one for the lower & one for the upper parts of the digestive system to keep the food moving through. Helping to prevent gut stasis & further bloating. Try to feed them some mushed up pellets in hot water (cooled slightly before feeding). Just to help the digestive system have something going through it, to keep it going :).

It may be the celery that's causing it if they haven't had much veg lately.
Its a bit like humans having cabbage/sprouts occasionally, we'd be blowing the house down with the sudden excess of gas!

If you can massage their tummies with an electric toothbrush, your hands, vibrating pad if you have one, or pile the boys into their pairs into boxes & put on top of the washing machine on a spin cycle to vibrate the air out, until the vets appt can be helpful as u have so many affected.

Gripe water from the supermarket baby aisle/pharmacy can help disperse the gas too, but speak to your vet first.

The boys will be fine with no veg for a bit, but make sure when they've stabilised you only add 1 veg in very small quantities at a time. Eg, 1 small slice of bell pepper each per meal, gradually building up over the week, then test a 2nd veg item, say slices of cucumber in the second week.
But very slowly & take them off of all veg again if bloating reoccurs.

Treat it the same as the first grasstime in the summer, build up slowly.

They should get sufficient vit c from good quality pellets that are in date. Adding the drops to the water can change the taste of the water & make them not want to drink at all.

Good luck & let us know how you get on :nod:

Healing vibes & fingers/paws all crossed for a full & speedy recovery
x
 
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Oh thank you for the advice! I thought about buying some vit c drops (the one in the brown bottle, it’s on amazon and is used by LA guinea pig rescue) but unsure how to dose it. Either way, I’m hoping for the best.
It'd be cheaper to buy a week worth of Bell peppers to be honest.🙂
 
There's a big debate between red and green. I hear green are less in sugar. But different websites say dif things

You’re right that green is less in sugar but red has the highest vitamin C. At one point I was scared to feed my diabetic pig (Thankfully is in remission) red pepper because of the sugar content but my vet insisted it was the best for vitamin C and that she would be fine eating it in small doses although I think all peppers are good for vitamin C
 
You’re right that green is less in sugar but red has the highest vitamin C. At one point I was scared to feed my diabetic pig (Thankfully is in remission) red pepper because of the sugar content but my vet insisted it was the best for vitamin C and that she would be fine eating it in small doses although I think all peppers are good for vitamin C
I feed red and green daily
 
Can we please concentrate on the bloat - pepper of whatever colour is not what I would recommend to feed to any bloated piggies in the first place.
 
Can we please concentrate on the bloat - and pepper of whatever is not what I would recommend to feed to any bloated piggies in the first place.
They’re completely off veggies. I gave Bowie some gripe water and he took a fat crap so it could very well be gas from veggies. Though am not dismissing this at all. I just called today and got insurance on my boys. Whoohoo!
 
They’re completely off veggies. I gave Bowie some gripe water and he took a fat crap so it could very well be gas from veggies. Though am not dismissing this at all. I just called today and got insurance on my boys. Whoohoo!

Have they been seen by a vet yet? Be aware that severe bloat comes in waves, which can be spaced days apart; it is often not necessarily the first wave that is the killing one. Bloat is not a matter of home treatment with DIY medication unless it is as bridging care until you can see a vet at the soonest. Just gripe water is NOT effective with a serious bloat.
 
Can we please concentrate on the bloat - and pepper of whatever is not what I would recommend to feed to any bloated piggies in the first place.
Yea it's just that I wanted to point out a good vit c source rather than syringing supplements when the pig is better of course. That's all for vit c now 👍
 
I give them celery as of recent. I’m out of all others. I don’t give them it every day for the very reason that’s happening right now. Between pellets and hay I give them veggies maybe once a week since my money is tight atm. I know that’s bad but I’m getting better. Their majority food is hay. They always have hay.

The op if you look above in the paragraph said she gives veg once a week, I was only pointing out that if you are going to only give veg once a week. I would give bell pepper, I know the pigs are bloated, but I had spotted another problem. Whilst other members were giving advice about bloat. Next we don't want to be having an emergency with scurvy. 🙂 this is not rude or anything. I'm just pointing out why I mentioned it, for when the pigs are back to normal. Thankyou
 
Hopefully you managed to get a vets appt? Gripe water is good as an emergency solution, but a vet really does need to diagnose & prescribe the proper treatment, gut stimulants & probably painkillers/anti inflammatories to help with pain&appetite too.

I hope the boys insurance doesn't have a 2 week window of no problems like my dogs had? Have a check of the small print to be on the safe side? But don't delay veterinary care just to get it covered :no:

How are they now-any improvement? Xx
 
Can only repeat the excellent advice that @Wiebke has given you already, severe bloat can kill and we would definitely have lost one of our piggies to bloat last year if we hadnt followed this advice and got little Puggle straight to the vet for some ranitidine!
Gripe water can in cases of severe bloat make things worse, we asked our vet about it and as gripe water collects small bubbles of gas into big bubbles, if the gas collects somewhere it cant escape from this could rupture the gut :(
 
Hopefully you managed to get a vets appt? Gripe water is good as an emergency solution, but a vet really does need to diagnose & prescribe the proper treatment, gut stimulants & probably painkillers/anti inflammatories to help with pain&appetite too.

I hope the boys insurance doesn't have a 2 week window of no problems like my dogs had? Have a check of the small print to be on the safe side? But don't delay veterinary care just to get it covered :no:

How are they now-any improvement? Xx
Of course I am not waiting for the insurance.

The vet is more expensive than I thought after speaking to them. I’m afraid I have to wait! Until then the only one that’s really sick I’m making him as comfortable as possible.

The other boys are fine, eating and after I have some gripe water to my youngest, he took a huge crap. So...improvement.
 
Can only repeat the excellent advice that @Wiebke has given you already, severe bloat can kill and we would definitely have lost one of our piggies to bloat last year if we hadnt followed this advice and got little Puggle straight to the vet for some ranitidine!
Gripe water can in cases of severe bloat make things worse, we asked our vet about it and as gripe water collects small bubbles of gas into big bubbles, if the gas collects somewhere it cant escape from this could rupture the gut :(

Hmm...I’ll keep that in mind of course!
 
I give them celery as of recent. I’m out of all others. I don’t give them it every day for the very reason that’s happening right now. Between pellets and hay I give them veggies maybe once a week since my money is tight atm. I know that’s bad but I’m getting better. Their majority food is hay. They always have hay.

The op if you look above in the paragraph said she gives veg once a week, I was only pointing out that if you are going to only give veg once a week. I would give bell pepper, I know the pigs are bloated, but I had spotted another problem. Whilst other members were giving advice about bloat. Next we don't want to be having an emergency with scurvy. 🙂 this is not rude or anything. I'm just pointing out why I mentioned it, for when the pigs are back to normal. Thankyou
Thanks for your advice! It’s very much appreciated and I’m glad you told me!
 
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