Changes in Poop / Drinking Habits

[ashleemelda]

I am beginning to worry about my two guinea pigs' poop. For the last several days, both of their droppings have been lighter in color and very dry (PICTURE ATTACHED BELOW) even immediately after they go to the bathroom. Additionally, while there has been a significant amount of poop in the cage, there is still less than normal, particularly when I first wake up in the morning when the cage is usually COVERED.

On top of this, one of my guinea pigs, while drinking, appears to me to be drinking less than is usual for her. The other is still drinking her usual amount.

The only change to their diet that has occurred in recent days is the introduction of cilantro to their daily vegetable mix (which mainly consists of sweet pepper, cucumber, and green leaf lettuce). The cilantro was last fed on Saturday (6 days ago) and Monday (4 days ago). I gave them what I thought was a small amount, but in retrospect, it was probably still too big a piece for guinea pigs' sensitive stomach and digestive systems. One of them ate the cilantro offered both times while the other was largely turned off, only eating the tiniest of pieces that first day when attempting to introduce it into their diets.

Nothing else about their behavior has changed. They are still eating their hay, pellets, and vegetables with the same amount of eagerness as always, and they are still chasing each other around the cage and chewing away and generally showing no signs of lethargy.

Could the introduction of cilantro be the culprit for this sudden change? I've gone back and forth on whether or not that seems plausible because it's been 4-6 days since the cilantro was originally fed, but I know how sensitive their stomachs can be. The only other culprit that immediately comes to mind is, with the drop in temperature, my room has become very dry. I do usually keep the overhead fan in my room running at all times.

I have also been dealing with a slight cold (mainly a stuffy nose) the past week or so, but have been taking the proper precautions of hand-washing, wearing a surgical mask and gloves, while caring for them, or simply letting others take over if I was especially not feeling well or generally worried about passing something onto them.

I would appreciate any and all advice you all could give on where I need to go from here, and what the urgency for getting them to a vet would be.

 

[Piggies&buns]

They do look very light in colour but I am not sure that it is too concerning in itself.

However, what would be concerning is a lower number of poops. A lower number would suggest that a piggy is not eating enough. Hay needs to be the biggest part of their diet but you cannot gauge true hay intake by eye. You can only judge whether a piggy is eating enough by weighing them regularly. Have you been doing this and noticed any problems with weight loss?

Coriander is usually a favourite of piggies and is very piggy safe. If you overfed it (or any veg for that matter) or it caused a tummy upset you would see dark, very soft/runny poops and that would be a cause for concern.
I would always suggest a vet check for any concern though. Only a vet is going to be able to diagnose any problem.

 

[PigglePuggle]

If you are at all worried about your piggies you should consult a vet, but those poops look well within a normal range to me (I have 8 piggies, I see a lot of poops!) and your diet sounds fine. And 4-6 days is too long to be seeing a veg effect on poops, plus cilantro is usually fine, a good thing to feed up to about 4 stems per day. As @Piggies&buns just posted hay should form the mainstay of their diet, do they get plenty unlimited quality hay?

 

[ashleemelda]

Thank you for the advice!

To answer the questions asked...
There have been no alarming fluctuations in their weight since noticing the changes to the color and texture of their poops, no. They have been very consistent in their weight since this all started.

And yes, they receive unlimited Timothy Hay that is kept in an air-tight container. They usually get me up several times throughout the night by wheeking to alert me that their supply is getting low, and whenever I go out I make sure to top the hay off. They have also shown no signs of being turned off by the hay, if you will, in recent days. They are still running up to the second level of their cage once they hear the Timothy Hay container open and eat it almost in one go.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I wouldn’t be too alarmed in that case.
Do ask a vet if you are concerned though

 

[ashleemelda]

I wouldn’t be too alarmed in that case.
Do ask a vet if you are concerned though

Thank you so much! It means a lot and has helped calm the nerves of this very worried Piggy mom.
I will continue to monitor them and call my local exotic animal vet on Monday to schedule an appt.
if things do not change and to receive an official diagnosis. Unfortunately they do not have weekend hours or offer emergency services.

 

[ashleemelda]

UPDATE:
I took both guinea pigs to the vet on Monday, December 2, and in checking all their vitals she said they were in really good shape. She went ahead and prescribed an antibiotic (Bactrim, SMZ-TMP, to give orally twice daily for 10 days) in case it was the start of an infection and Ben-Bac Plus Microbial Gel (orally once daily for 10 days) to regulate their bowel movements. Their poop has since gotten darker but they are still not going as much as before this all started, but it is also only day four of the medicine.

Rose, the one who was not drinking as much prior to the vet visit, is back to drinking her normal amount. I also bought them a higher quality hay that they have been greatly enjoying and wheeking loudly for whenever they hear me bring out the bag.

My only concern right now is Rose's weight. Prior to the vet, she was very consistent in her weight, but the night we got home it began fluctuating wildly. I have only had her and her sister Moira since May and they were pretty skinny when I got them. I know weight can take quite some time for them to put on, but I have since gotten them both up to around 840g, which was the case even the night before the vet. Rose weighed in at 830g at the vet, and 847g for me once we got home. The vet has advised me to continue weighing them daily while they are on the medication, and after I cleaned their cage one last time before bed that first night, I weighed them, in which Rose came in at 819g which dropped almost immediately to 808g, then back up to 819g, then down to 797g, then up to 826g, and now she's been consistently at around 804g for the past few days.

I called the vet the next morning to express my concerns and if she thought I needed to come back in, but she said she felt it wasn't anything to worry about just yet and that she would be more concerned if she wasn't eating her hay, pellets, and veggies. She told me it could very well be the combination of traveling, being handled and poked and prodded by strangers, and her body getting used to the medication, and just to monitor her for the next 10 days while the medications take effect.

I am very relieved to have gotten an official diagnosis and learned that nothing serious or cause for immediate concern is going on. To see them becoming more active again and taking to their water and hay more than before the vet visit has made me cry tears of joy several times. Now it is just a waiting game for the frequency of their poops to return, the color of which is back to a dark brown that is semi-moist rather than dry immediately upon being dropped.

What are your alls thoughts on Rose's weight? Do you think it was the stress of everything and her body adapting to the medication? I just find it odd that she did not start fluctuating until after our vet visit and receiving her first doses of each medicine. She has not fluctuated like that since that first night.

 

[ashleemelda]

She also suggested I look into buying some Critical Care. I have ordered some which should be here by tomorrow, but I’m pretty unfamiliar with it. Do you feed it via syringe or mix it in with their pellet food? Also, do you all think it is necessary at this time to add into their diet?

I also have a question regarding dry porridge oats. I’ve seen several people on here talk about how they give their guinea pigs some and that it can help with weight gain/maintenance. Is that true and something you all would suggest I look into? If so, how often and alongside what food (pellets vs. veggies)?

 

[PigglePuggle]

Try not too worry too much, these weight fluctuations sound fairly minor- 30g can be the difference between a full and empty bladder, or a full and empty tummy! Weigh just once a day at the same time and same point in the feeding cycle, only over 7 or 10 days will you know if there is a general upward or downward trend overall. Your piggy sounds a little on the petite side but not drastically so.
If she has lost over 50g in a week and your vet recommends it you could start supplementing her usual regular meals and hay by feeding her some critical care or other recovery food, this is made up to a paste with water and usually fed from a 1ml syringe with the end cut off to make it wide enough for the food to be sucked up then come out smoothly. In this case as its only a supplement to normal eating you can put some in a dish or smear it on a cucumber slice if she won't take the syringe. Dry porridge oats are another good weight gain supplement food, just sprinkle a few in her dinner. We've also found and had recommended by the vet a bit of grated sweet potato as a weight gain food supplement. But to be honest at this stage I don't see that there is much to be worried about, as we said initially those poops look fine, and her weight fluctuations sound mostly within a normal range too.
Please don't stress too much over your piggy's health, piggies do pick up on hooman anxiety and as your vet has said they will not react well to too much excessive weighing and fussing and handling- of course you should be prepared to step in if your piggy is genuinely unwell and needs your help, but in this case I think piggy may do ok with just a once daily weight check and a few portidge oats or a teaspoonful of grated sweet potato added to her regular diet if the vet thinks she is a bit thin, rather than stressing her with syringe feeding if you are stressed yourself and she is still eating and pooping ok x

 

[ashleemelda]

Try not too worry too much, these weight fluctuations sound fairly minor- 30g can be the difference between a full and empty bladder, or a full and empty tummy! Weigh just once a day at the same time and same point in the feeding cycle, only over 7 or 10 days will you know if there is a general upward or downward trend overall. Your piggy sounds a little on the petite side but not drastically so.
If she has lost over 50g in a week and your vet recommends it you could start supplementing her usual regular meals and hay by feeding her some critical care or other recovery food, this is made up to a paste with water and usually fed from a 1ml syringe with the end cut off to make it wide enough for the food to be sucked up then come out smoothly. In this case as its only a supplement to normal eating you can put some in a dish or smear it on a cucumber slice if she won't take the syringe. Dry porridge oats are another good weight gain supplement food, just sprinkle a few in her dinner. We've also found and had recommended by the vet a bit of grated sweet potato as a weight gain food supplement. But to be honest at this stage I don't see that there is much to be worried about, as we said initially those poops look fine, and her weight fluctuations sound mostly within a normal range too.
Please don't stress too much over your piggy's health, piggies do pick up on hooman anxiety and as your vet has said they will not react well to too much excessive weighing and fussing and handling- of course you should be prepared to step in if your piggy is genuinely unwell and needs your help, but in this case I think piggy may do ok with just a once daily weight check and a few portidge oats or a teaspoonful of grated sweet potato added to her regular diet if the vet thinks she is a bit thin, rather than stressing her with syringe feeding if you are stressed yourself and she is still eating and pooping ok x

Thank you for talking about my anxiety from the perspective of the guinea pigs. I am ashamed to admit that in all my panic and worry, I never stopped to consider the added stress it was putting on them. It was a much-needed reflection. I'm sure my family appreciates it just as much after listening to my endless rants these past couple weeks.