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Bloat advice

Lisanjake

Lisanjake

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi
I’m currently giving Erin zithromax X2 a day for her dental abscess. I’m also giving fibreplex twice a day a few hours before anti b. Though sometimes oil comes out and not much of the fibreplex (can you over give this?)

She was eating bits of hay yesterday but noticed she’s not had any really today so I’ll start with syringing again.

I was worried she hasn’t been at her water bottle at all (she’s a huge drinker) so I gave extra cucumber today.
She had a good few mouthfuls of fresh grass too.

Then this afternoon went very quiet and she looked quite bloated.

Got her out and massaged her sides - belly is rumbling and she’s done a few big soft poops and fell asleep on me. No gas that I have heard.

Is there much else I can do? She is also on loxicom and emeprid 0.5ml twice a day x
 

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To add the poops we’re very small and dry also stringy earlier hence the extra cucumber too
 

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Is she losing weight?
I'm thinking she may need more syringe feeding if he poos are small and not properly formed. "Eating bits of hay" doesn't necessarily mean she is eating enough. Antibiotics can really mess with one's appetite (not just piggies!), so it's important to monitor for adequate intake (making sure she's not losing weight ... seeing her eat is not reliable for monitoring intake). You can syringe water, too, if she's not drinking.
Does she always get grass or is this newly introduced? Introducing veggie too quickly can cause digestive upset, as well. Honestly, I'd probably take the rich veggies (like fresh grass) out of her diet until her gut settles. Just stick with hay and syringe feed.

Do you have a piggy that isn't on antibiotics that might be able to provide some poos for poo soup?
 
No if anything she’s gained some weight this morning.
Not weighed her since.
It’s very hard to tell exactly how much hay she eats. She spends a lot of time burrowing under it or looking like she’s munching it in the house.
Definitely a lot more eager for veggies (I know that’s not good!) so I’m cutting them out for a few days I guess.
She doesn’t eat alot of grass but had a good few mouthfuls this morning which I guess hasn’t helped either.
How much water should I syringe? I’m always terrified of aspirating her.

Just had a big battle syringe feeding just now but managed 13ml.

Yes I do have a healthy piggy too, I’ll try and root about for her poops in the next feed I do.

She had just gone back in the house and started eating hay as I can hear her chewing it
 
Lisanjake said:
To add the poops we’re very small and dry also stringy earlier hence the extra cucumber too
Click to expand...

Hi

Please step up the syringe feeding and watering, as well as weighing daily at the same time. You see the second variety of poos in guinea pigs that have hardly eaten and drunk for about a day - keeping in mind that it takes about 1-2 days for any food to pass through the digestive tract and come out on the other side, so the poos can only ever reflect what has gone on before. I would recommend to stop feeding fresh veg to bloated guinea pigs or guinea pigs with an overactive digestion.

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

Please step up the syringe feeding and watering, as well as weighing daily at the same time. You see the second variety of poos in guinea pigs that have hardly eaten and drunk for about a day - keeping in mind that it takes about 1-2 days for any food to pass through the digestive tract and come out on the other side, so the poos can only ever reflect what has gone on before. I would recommend to stop feeding fresh veg to bloated guinea pigs or guinea pigs with an overactive digestion.

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Click to expand...

So tonight when I put her back home she started eating the hay for about 45 minutes!
I put their original hay back in as I’ve been using softer hay due to Erin having a sore mouth, but she’s been tucking right in.
Still bloated but I’ve given pain killers and emeprid.

One thing I’ve noticed is she’s eating every single poop that she is doing. Is this normal?
I know the odd one is normal but Every one?
I can see her on the camera still eating at them. I’m off to bed now so praying she’s a lot better in the morning. Thank you all for your advice x
 
I don't know if eating lots of her poops is normal, I'm not an expert and I don't think I've ever seen any of my pigs eating any of their poops. But it does show that she definitely has a tummy upset, maybe due to the Zithromax, and she's trying to do something about it for herself. Do you have a healthy pig whose fresh poops you could use to make "poop soup"? That might help even more than her own.
 
Very strange, I think I’ll give the vets a call in the morning and see what they suggest.
Yes I do, and I will be trying that in the morning hopefully I can collect a decent amount 👍
 
Guinea pigs are coprophagic, so eating their own poo is part of their normal behavior, whether you see they do it or not. When food passes through a guinea pig's digestive system, it sits in the caecum for close to a day undergoing fermentation. This fermentation process involves the piggy's gut microbiome breaking down the food to release the nutrients; some of these nutrients are absorbed higher in the digestive tract, though, so to get the processed food back to the beginning of the digestive system, the piggy eats it. Waste poos are the ones that are formed from the second pass through the piggy's gut.

As for eating a higher percentage of poos, it might be because she had been not eating much, so there is very little food on its second pass through the gut; recently consumed food would only be on its first pass, so a higher percentage of what is going through may need a second pass through currently, thus seemingly more coprophagy because there is less poo in general ... and you're watching more carefully, so you are seeing more of the coprophagy that you usually do.


Calling the vet is always a good idea when you have questions in regards to your piggy's health and treatment.

Remember, the fresher to poo the better for poo soup.
 
Thank you for your reply. I knew they usually eat their poops but this happened one after the other for quite some time.
but i understand now shes probably trying to get some goodness back into her.
I got a phone call from my vet and he said to stop the antibiotics until she is better (which is a shame as she has an abscess forming in her jaw so would have been good to try and clear it up)
And also to up the Emeprid to 1ml 3x a day..
Ive given her some of Rubys poops mixed with some critical care and also put an electric toothbrush under a blanket shes on to vibrate her belly which she seems to enjoy (along with the heated blanket! haha)
fingers crossed all of this will help her :)
 
Just an update.
It’s been a few days now and her weight has stabilised.
She has been eating hay and I’ve syringe fed her very little yesterday plus given no veg that she screams for!

However her belly is still very hard / tight. It doesn’t feel as big I don’t think but is this normal?
She won’t let me touch underneath without wincing so I can’t massage her.
I’ve put her on a heated vibrating blanket about 3/4 times a day since as well as upped the emeprid.
Does it warrant a vet visit do you reckon? I’ve never dealt with bloat so would be interested to see how long it’s likely to last etc.
 
Lisanjake said:
Just an update.
It’s been a few days now and her weight has stabilised.
She has been eating hay and I’ve syringe fed her very little yesterday plus given no veg that she screams for!

However her belly is still very hard / tight. It doesn’t feel as big I don’t think but is this normal?
She won’t let me touch underneath without wincing so I can’t massage her.
I’ve put her on a heated vibrating blanket about 3/4 times a day since as well as upped the emeprid.
Does it warrant a vet visit do you reckon? I’ve never dealt with bloat so would be interested to see how long it’s likely to last etc.
Click to expand...
Bloat by itself does not include wincing in pain. Generally speaking it is just like us, eat too much and get a bit bloated, in this case it would be discomfort not pain. (in pigs it is not generally caused by eating too much, but can be.)

Unfortunately it sounds like your girl needs a vet visit, if not a fast one. Her bloat will likely be a side affect of an ailment somewhere else in the body.
 
pigmotherof6 said:
Bloat by itself does not include wincing in pain. Generally speaking it is just like us, eat too much and get a bit bloated, in this case it would be discomfort not pain. (in pigs it is not generally caused by eating too much, but can be.)

Unfortunately it sounds like your girl needs a vet visit, if not a fast one. Her bloat will likely be a side affect of an ailment somewhere else in the body.
Click to expand...
Sorry I mean when I touch her bloated belly.
To be honest it seems mainly on the right hand side more than the left :/
She seems fine in herself, comes out for hay now and walks about shouting for veg.

Does sound a bit strange, I’ll have a good feel around this morning again :(
 
Lisanjake said:
Sorry I mean when I touch her bloated belly.
To be honest it seems mainly on the right hand side more than the left :/
She seems fine in herself, comes out for hay now and walks about shouting for veg.

Does sound a bit strange, I’ll have a good feel around this morning again :(
Click to expand...
I understand, I would still stick by that a bloated stomach should not cause your girl to be in pain when touched.
There is a chance it can, but personally I have dealt with bloat many times over the past decade and they only wince when there is something wrong.

Bloat can come by itself, if a piece of food hasn’t been digested properly or they’ve had too much of one thing, but it also can be a sign of pain and other illness in the body.
I would likely get her checked out asap, others may have a different experience but as she is not on pain meds there is a high chance she could be in a bit of pain.

You may find this guide helpful if you have not seen it already, I understand you are going through the steps of relieving bloat but it also includes a deeper look into different types of bloat such as blockages and twisted gut - Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)
 
Sounds like I have been quite lucky with my cases of bloat, they have either been un severe and gone away by themselves or have came with an already sick pig who has on all sorts of medication anyway, including pain meds.

I would definitely still say to ask the vet for pain relief, but will take back my statement that bloat itself can’t cause wincing pain.
Wishing you and Erin all the best x
 
pigmotherof6 said:
I understand, I would still stick by that a bloated stomach should not cause your girl to be in pain when touched.
There is a chance it can, but personally I have dealt with bloat many times over the past decade and they only wince when there is something wrong.

Bloat can come by itself, if a piece of food hasn’t been digested properly or they’ve had too much of one thing, but it also can be a sign of pain and other illness in the body.
I would likely get her checked out asap, others may have a different experience but as she is not on pain meds there is a high chance she could be in a bit of pain.

You may find this guide helpful if you have not seen it already, I understand you are going through the steps of relieving bloat but it also includes a deeper look into different types of bloat such as blockages and twisted gut - Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)
Click to expand...
Thank you I will take a read through this.
She’s is on 0.4ml dog loxicom twice a day for her pain.
I also have some tramadol as a backup.
If no improvement today I’ll definitely take her to the vets tomorrow for a check over. Poor girl never seems to catch a break :(
 
Lisanjake said:
Thank you I will take a read through this.
She’s is on 0.4ml dog loxicom twice a day for her pain.
I also have some tramadol as a backup.
If no improvement today I’ll definitely take her to the vets tomorrow for a check over. Poor girl never seems to catch a break :(
Click to expand...

I saw the emeprid mentioned but missed the loxicom in the sentence.
I'm glad she is on pain meds. you do need to speak to the vet again if you aren’t seeing improvement
 
If your piggy is wincing in pain, I would strongly encourage you to take her to the vet. The vet can check whether it is bloat or something else going on. At the very least, I would call and see if the pain meds need to be increased.
Bloat can cause severe pain, so if it is not resolving with home treatment, then it needs veterinary treatment. I've only dealt with bloat once, thankfully, but it was severe. My girl was on her side in pain; the vet was able to relieve the gas and pain, but we were very close to losing her. - Not meant to scare you, and I hope your piggy isn't experiencing anything so bad, but it's my experience with bloat, so I wanted to include it in case it might be of help.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
You can up the Emeprid to 1 ml every 8 hours, if need be, but she doesn’t sound that bad, from what you’re saying x
Click to expand...
I contacted Simon on Friday and he told me to do this. Think it’s really helped + taking her off veg as her poops are back to normal thankfully.
Just a tender belly now. (And abscess) not sure wether to start the Zithromax again just yet?
But yeah seems fine in herself, she’s fallen asleep on my lap after her other meds
 
Since she is wincing while on a decent amount of painkillers, I personally would still take her in for a check, as I would rather find out it is just a effect of her bloat than potentially missing something. But everyone is different and you will know what is best for your girl.

But at the end of the day I can see you have a good grasp on what's happening and your girls best interest in mind, so it is up to you on your next steps.
Have you looked into/spoke about things such as fibreplex? Just a thought.
 
Lisanjake said:
I contacted Simon on Friday and he told me to do this. Think it’s really helped + taking her off veg as her poops are back to normal thankfully.
Just a tender belly now. (And abscess) not sure wether to start the Zithromax again just yet?
But yeah seems fine in herself, she’s fallen asleep on my lap after her other meds
Click to expand...
Did Simon tell you to stop the Zithromax? Ideally get her back onto it as soon as you can x
 
pigmotherof6 said:
Since she is wincing while on a decent amount of painkillers, I personally would still take her in for a check, as I would rather find out it is just a effect of her bloat than potentially missing something. But everyone is different and you will know what is best for your girl.

But at the end of the day I can see you have a good grasp on what's happening and your girls best interest in mind, so it is up to you on your next steps.
Have you looked into/spoke about things such as fibreplex? Just a thought.
Click to expand...
Thank you, yes I do have an appointment booked but will bring it forward if I need too.
I’ve got her on fibreplex twice a day as well.
Trying to introduce a little veg and grass again as she is eager to eat.
 
Just a little update.
We were back at the vets on Tuesday, and he had a feel of her tummy and recommended adding in 0.3ml of Ranitidine twice a day to see if this helps.
No difference so far, and some good news is her jaw abscess is alot less swollen and shes eating and drinking so much better which is great.
I just need some further advice on what to do / if I'm doing anything wrong.
A friend of mind recommended me Infacol as she swears by it, but ive read different things about it so I'm a little hesitant.

Currently this is our routine-
Tiny amount of lettuce and green pepper a day.
2 lots of Fibreplex a day
0.3ml Ranitidine x 2
0.5ml Emeprid x 2
0.3ml Loxicom x 2

ive tried massaging but her tummy feels very tight still and she pulls away still when i touch it.
would a vibrating toothbrush or something underneath her make any difference? the vet didnt say wether it was gas or water bloat so I'm not really sure.
These are her current weigh fluctuations, bear in mind in her older years she has always stuck around 1000-1050g.
Is this normal with bloat?

DateWeigh in GramsDifference
20-Apr​
1057​
0​
21-Apr​
1007​
-50​
22-Apr​
1003​
-4​
23-Apr​
1009​
6​
24-Apr​
1020​
11​
25-Apr​
1020​
0​
26-Apr​
1021​
1​
27-Apr​
1043​
22​
28-Apr​
1069​
26​
29-Apr​
1069​
0​
30-Apr​
1058​
-11​
01-May​
1095​
37​
02-May​
1088​
-7​
03-May​
1098​
10​
04-May​
1114​
16​
 
I don't believe Infacol is recommended as it gathers gas into a bubble to generally be burped up, but piggies can not burp, so will likely just cause more distress. In some severe cases of bloat it has been used but I have never used it personally.
It contains Simethicone which is a anti-flatulence medication, things like gripe water are more preferred.

Her weight fluctuation is normal, you may find this guide helpful -
Weight - Monitoring and Management

A vibrating toothbrush can be good to help break up gas, aswell as bloat massages every 2 hours. Are you still support feeding, even in an eating guinea pig keeping the guts moving via support feed can be very helpful. - Massage Technique for Guinea Pig with Gas - Guinea Lynx Records
 
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