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Bad bloat episode again

Jesse's pigs

Jesse's pigs

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what can be the causes of bloat becuase Steve keeps getting episodes of it and I feel like a crappy pig mum right now. As you know today I bonded him with his new bro and he’s still moving around etc up there pooping (albeit smaller poos),but sounds like a water balloon when I pick him up again😢 given a dose of emeprid and massaged.

I am really struggling to work out now why Steve has so many episodes.He has one at least every month sometimes several times during a month. When he had the first massive instance where I thought I was gonna lose him, the vet said he’d likely have more but I didn’t expect it to be this many times and this often. I’m not euthanising him or even thinking about it because he does still lead a happy life but is there something I’m doing wrong?

I give veg but cut out those that can cause bloat like broccoli cabbage etc. He is active, he has floortime and big cage. He gets plenty of hay and fibre (as someone said a lack of fibre can cause bloating too).

So far (and thank god) me catching it when I first hear the watery sounds or notice the poops change and dosing him with emeprid seems to work but I also realise he can’t stay on emeprid as obviously it works by speeding the gut production up so we don’t get gut stasis.
 
I’m afraid it’s true that once you’ve had a piggy with bloat they are always prone to it again. It can be a nightmare. One of my RB piggies Connie was proof of that.
When you reintroduced veg did you give him one item at a time for a couple of days (eg a strip of pepper only for a couple of days then adding in a sprig of coriander for a day or so) to see if you could identify whether he has a trigger food that might cause him to bloat. His trigger food could be something perfectly innocuous or it could be that a particular quantity sets him off. It can just be trial and error.
 
No advice here but hope that your boy starts feeling better soon.
 
VickiA said:
I’m afraid it’s true that once you’ve had a piggy with bloat they are always prone to it again. It can be a nightmare. One of my RB piggies Connie was proof of that.
When you reintroduced veg did you give him one item at a time for a couple of days (eg a strip of pepper only for a couple of days then adding in a sprig of coriander for a day or so) to see if you could identify whether he has a trigger food that might cause him to bloat. His trigger food could be something perfectly innocuous or it could be that a particular quantity sets him off. It can just be trial and error.
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I did and since he only has a limited menu. Yesterday he only had some basil and parsley when bonding which again he’s been fine with normally😢. But he’s still eating the smorning and rumbling at the baby albeit looking a bit puffed up.
Guinea pigs certainly keep us on our toes
 
My Connie was likes this. I’m afraid all you can do is remain vigilant as you are already doing. Glad that he’s doing better today.
 
I realise I sound like a broken record right now, but Steve is currently having another bloating episode and I’m very worried.

He had a small one start up last week ish time and after a few doses of emeprid it stopped and cleared up. Skip a few days later and it happened again although this time despite the emeprid and massages (and the new tea) it just doesn’t seem to be shifting as quickly as it usually does and I’m sorta freaking out. I got excited cos he seemed to perk up as of the smorning and was having floortime etc but since I’ve got home from work he seems...weird.

He is still pooing, and they are normal shape (were soft yesterday and had small little tendrils off the end) but today are normal shape just smaller sometimes other normal. He is still eating tho not as much gusto when I offered him a treat (he’s been eating his pellets as when I have emeprid he had brown mush where he’s been chewing them).

I'm just freaking out as I cannot lose him. I’m taking him back into work with me tomorrow to monitor and continue belly rubs etc but is there anything else I can try?

I’m also so upset cos it’s putting a strain on the bond I’ve just set up with him and stitch. I’m now debating whether to separate and out stitch with Bellamy as at the moment the bond is a bit stressed.
 
I’m sorry your boy is so up and down. I have no advice to offer but wanted to give support. I may merge your threads as they’re about the same thing.

What does the vet say? Is he only on pellets and hay? Have you ever discovered anything that may trigger it? Sorry, not much help at all.
 
Siikibam said:
I’m sorry your boy is so up and down. I have no advice to offer but wanted to give support. I may merge your threads as they’re about the same thing.

What does the vet say? Is he only on pellets and hay? Have you ever discovered anything that may trigger it? Sorry, not much help at all.
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He is at the moment (and whenever he has an episode) strictly on his hay, pellets and a small handful of bran every other day to help increase fibre intake along with the hay. When he isn’t bloating he does get the odd vege but his choice list is very small due to the ones I know that trigger it. Mostly cucumber or carrot is my go to little snack for him.

my vet is just as stumped as I am to be honest. I’ve tried introducing veg slowly and have narrowed down his list but sometimes episodes start and he hasn’t even had any🤦‍♀️ In terms of fibre in take, I can’t see how I can give any more (as I know sometimes bloat can be caused by lack of fibre) as he has plentiful hay replenished AM and PM every single day and his hay is a mixture of about 3 varieties so he doesn’t get bored and can forage. He is on science select grain free pellets and burgess (tho small small ratio of burgess due to his cystitis).
 
I’m also upset because I have just introduced him (back in December) to Stitch and they have been getting along brilliantly! Like almost as relaxed as he and Bellamy were at first. But since this episode the two have been squabbling. It’s not full on aggressive mode like it was with Bellamy in the end but I’m having to separate them at night as I can’t sleep with the constant little break outs between them and Steve seems to perk up a little more when stitch isn’t rumbling at him. Yet when I do, Stitch looks for Steve (I’ve done it so stitch and Steve can still see each other and interact through bars at night just won’t be able to nip nip when they bicker.

thing is I’ve been ready to introduce a final boar to the family to pair with Bellamy, but now I wonder if I might have to try and bond Stitch with Bellamy which would be a real shame as Steve and Stitch were so good before.
 
I’m sorry their bond is another stress on top of Steve’s bloat. I would say go with how Steve behaves when you’ve separated them. I know it’s not what you want to hear but if he’s happier away from Stitch then that’s telling you something. It may be Stitch saw his opportunity and is now trying to cease the day, so to speak. You could try bonding him with Bellamy. You can’t really tell until you try.

Are Stitch and Steve together during the day or they’re now permanently separated?

And could you syringe feed him as extra fibre? Maybe you could place the mush in a bowl for him to eat when he wants? I don’t know really... so sorry.
 
Siikibam said:
I’m sorry their bond is another stress on top of Steve’s bloat. I would say go with how Steve behaves when you’ve separated them. I know it’s not what you want to hear but if he’s happier away from Stitch then that’s telling you something. It may be Stitch saw his opportunity and is now trying to cease the day, so to speak. You could try bonding him with Bellamy. You can’t really tell until you try.

Are Stitch and Steve together during the day or they’re now permanently separated?

And could you syringe feed him as extra fibre? Maybe you could place the mush in a bowl for him to eat when he wants? I don’t know really... so sorry.
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In the day I left them together cos I had my family monitor while I was at work🤣 and they said they were mostly fine par the squabbles they have every now and again and it is Steve whom starts them.The day before they were together also as I took both into work with me so I could give Steve his meds and massaged and they were absolutely fine! No bicker at all until they were back home on familiar ground.

I think I will bond Stitch with Bellamy now and let Steve be his own man😂😂 he is too old to neuter now (and I don’t like the idea anyway it terrifies me) and it seems the fallouts happen when he has these episodes which he is going to have more of and they’re quite frequent.

No, thank you for your responses. I think bloat is a very delicate area that no one really knows on so I appreciate all the help I can get! 😊
 
Oh I see! Interesting that it’s Steve who starts it! The main issue is putting together and separating isn’t how piggy relationships work.

Good luck with bonding Stitch and Bellamy. Will Steve be living alongside them?

How is Steve this morning?
 
Siikibam said:
Oh I see! Interesting that it’s Steve who starts it! The main issue is putting together and separating isn’t how piggy relationships work.

Good luck with bonding Stitch and Bellamy. Will Steve be living alongside them?

How is Steve this morning?
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He has had an X-ray today and my vets are happy with it. It definitely isn’t as bad as the time where I thought he might die. In fact o think they think I’m worrying a little too much which I’m happy about lol
 

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Siikibam said:
Glad it’s not too bad. How’s he been today?
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Well they’ve said I can stop giving emeprid now as he has been on it a few days and to just let him be and recover a bit now with the odd belly massage. He has seemed brighter today and has come into work with me so just been in his carrier munching hay
 
Bill & Ted said:
So glad Steve is feeling better x
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Thank you. Honestly it was such a relief when they said they think that I can calm down now and I’m probably worrying more about nothing. They were happy with the xray and he does seem a bit perkier. Poos are still a bit weird but that’s to be expected with changes his gut has had these few days

I think I stress more because before my current three boys I’ve only had Vinnie and Mo, both of whom passed around the 3 year mark (due to sudden illness not my care) and Steve is now approaching 4🥳 so every little blip is terrifying for me
 
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