Diarrhea

[MyDandelion]

Hi there,

I’m Michelle and I’m new here. I hope I can find some advice for my sweet Didi.
She is about 5 years old female piggy.
Over these 5 years I’ve had to deal with about 5/6 gas tummy’s how I call them. She doesn’t respond very well to different kind of veggies so I always stuck to cucumbers pellets hay and water. Sometimes she was allowed to eat some fresh grass.
About 3 days ago it was lovely weather and I let her eat some grass.
This sadly resulted in a gas tummy (last year it didn’t. I always only let her eat small bits because she doesn’t eat it often)
So as usual I got rid of the gas tummy by a hot water bath and lots of belly rubs. She got a tiny bit of organic oil and Infacol to help smoothen the poops and gas out. (Normally not a problem, helps really well)
For the first time she now still does not feel well. She is mostly tucked away in her corner. Sometimes nibbling on hay. She refuses her vitamin c tablet and food.
Her poops are very very soft and wet. She needs to sort of cramp together to push it out.
Yesterday I started giving her soaked pebbles through a syringe. For a moment I didn’t have to force feed her she just took it right out. Later yesterday night she refused. This morning as well.
Her eyes are most of the time still how they always are. Her hair does stick out sometimes.
I don’t know what to do anymore and I can’t afford a weekend vet trip.
Do I keep force feeding her soaked pebbles?
She seems to sometimes like fresh fresh hay so I’ll keep giving her that (she doesn’t currently eat out of the hay ball)
I’m currently soaking a vitamin c tablet in some water so I can give her that to.
Does anyone have any other advice for what I can do for her. I’m scared she will pass away when this continues and I don’t want to loose her yet. I’ll be home for her in 3 hours again because sadly I had appointments I couldn’t cancel.
Is it also good for her to keep letting her move around? I know when I take her up to the bathroom where there is warmed flooring she likes to walk around with me. (Also always helped with the gas) but I don’t know if I should force her to do that now if she just wants to lay in a corner.

Thank you in advance for anyone who responds

 

[MyDandelion]

My dad gave her a piece of some sort of cabbage I don’t know the name of in English. She does eat this one to. There should be a video attached

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there,

I’m Michelle and I’m new here. I hope I can find some advice for my sweet Didi.
She is about 5 years old female piggy.
Over these 5 years I’ve had to deal with about 5/6 gas tummy’s how I call them. She doesn’t respond very well to different kind of veggies so I always stuck to cucumbers pellets hay and water. Sometimes she was allowed to eat some fresh grass.
About 3 days ago it was lovely weather and I let her eat some grass.
This sadly resulted in a gas tummy (last year it didn’t. I always only let her eat small bits because she doesn’t eat it often)
So as usual I got rid of the gas tummy by a hot water bath and lots of belly rubs. She got a tiny bit of organic oil and Infacol to help smoothen the poops and gas out. (Normally not a problem, helps really well)
For the first time she now still does not feel well. She is mostly tucked away in her corner. Sometimes nibbling on hay. She refuses her vitamin c tablet and food.
Her poops are very very soft and wet. She needs to sort of cramp together to push it out.
Yesterday I started giving her soaked pebbles through a syringe. For a moment I didn’t have to force feed her she just took it right out. Later yesterday night she refused. This morning as well.
Her eyes are most of the time still how they always are. Her hair does stick out sometimes.
I don’t know what to do anymore and I can’t afford a weekend vet trip.
Do I keep force feeding her soaked pebbles?
She seems to sometimes like fresh fresh hay so I’ll keep giving her that (she doesn’t currently eat out of the hay ball)
I’m currently soaking a vitamin c tablet in some water so I can give her that to.
Does anyone have any other advice for what I can do for her. I’m scared she will pass away when this continues and I don’t want to loose her yet. I’ll be home for her in 3 hours again because sadly I had appointments I couldn’t cancel.
Is it also good for her to keep letting her move around? I know when I take her up to the bathroom where there is warmed flooring she likes to walk around with me. (Also always helped with the gas) but I don’t know if I should force her to do that now if she just wants to lay in a corner.

Thank you in advance for anyone who responds

Hi and welcome

Please take her off any fresh food and step in feeding support. See a vet as soon as possible.

Keep in mind that over three quarters of what a guinea pig needs to eat in a day is hay (and in a piggy without digestive issues fresh growing, dog pee free grass); veg and pellet food are together only replacing the supplementary role of while forage in the diet that guinea pigs have evolved on. You need to replace the missing hay/grass fibre asap to keep your piggy alive!

Please read these very practical guide links here that tell you all about how to look after guinea pigs with digestive problems and how to syringe feed (and how to improvise in an emergency):
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

 

[MyDandelion]

Hi and welcome

Please take her off any fresh food and step in feeding support. See a vet as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that over three quarters of what a guinea pig needs to eat in a day is hay (and in a piggy without digestive issues fresh growing, dog pee free grass); veg and pellet food are together only replacing the supplementary role of while forage in the diet that guinea pigs have evolved on. You need to replace the missing hay/grass fibre asap to keep your piggy alive!

Please read these very practical guide links here that tell you all about how to look after guinea pigs with digestive problems and how to syringe feed (and how to improvise in an emergency):
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Thank you for your reply! I’ll go and read through those so I can help her again as soon as I get home.
I have a picture of her poo. This is how it looks before it gets smooshed.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your reply! I’ll go and read through those so I can help her again as soon as I get home.
I have a picture of her poo. This is how it looks before it gets smooshed.View attachment 197930

It points to a mild disturbance, either because the gut microbiome is a bit out of kilter (dysbiosis) or because your piggy is not eating enough hay for some reason - pain/a developing illness or overgrowth of the back teeth.

Here are our general diet recommendations: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[MyDandelion]

It points to a mild disturbance, either because the gut microbiome is a bit out of kilter (dysbiosis) or because your piggy is not eating enough hay for some reason - pain/a developing illness or overgrowth of the back teeth.

Here are our general diet recommendations: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

I’ve been feeding her pebbles with a syringe since yesterday 16:00 about 7 times now. She doesn’t eat hay much but sometimes she does a little bit. (While writing this after her feed she is eating hay)
This is the poop from this night. She laid in the same spot Wich made the poop become this pile.
Would it be good for her if I have her soaked healthy Guinea pig poop?
I’ve read that that helps but the same about yoghurt Wich I doubt it will help.

 

[MyDandelion]

I’ve been feeding her pebbles with a syringe since yesterday 16:00 about 7 times now. She doesn’t eat hay much but sometimes she does a little bit. (While writing this after her feed she is eating hay) View attachment 197994
This is the poop from this night. She laid in the same spot Wich made the poop become this pile.
Would it be good for her if I have her soaked healthy Guinea pig poop?
I’ve read that that helps but the same about yoghurt Wich I doubt it will help.

This is the article I red it on.
If it really does help, should I give it to her and any idea how much?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do weigh her daily so you can be sure she is getting enough syringe feed.
Please also see a vet

You can make her poop soup from the very fresh poops from a healthy companion. Put the companion in a box and wait for a poop to come. It must be soaked in water immediately as it is produced (the necessary bacteria start to die immediately it leaves the body so to be effective the poops need to be very fresh). Then syringe some of the water the poop was soaked in to the poorly piggy.
You can also give a commercial probiotic such as Fibreplex to your poorly piggy.
Don’t give yogurt

Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

 

[MyDandelion]

Please do weigh her daily so you can be sure she is getting enough syringe feed.
Please also see a vet

You can make her poop soup from the very fresh poops from a healthy companion. Put the companion in a box and wait for a poop to come. It must be soaked in water immediately as it is produced (the necessary bacteria start to die immediately it leaves the body so to be effective the poops need to be very fresh). Then syringe some of the water the poop was soaked in to the poorly piggy.
You can also give a commercial probiotic such as Fibreplex to your poorly piggy.
Don’t give yogurt

Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

I weighed her today, she hasn’t lost much from a weight I remember a bit ago. I’ll weigh her again tomorrow morning. (1188grams)
I’ll go and get some poo from a healthy piggy. Would you advice that 1 poo is enough? Or maybe 2-3?
Then I’ll soak it for 15 minutes and give it to my piggy in hopes it helps. (Is it bad if it’s longer then 15 minutes?)
Just so I can do it correctly: I’ll smush the poo as well and give that to like the pebbles or only the water?

This was her poo just a minute ago after I fed her and cleaned her.
Very watery and soft, but with a little bit of shape.
She barely eats hay. Is there a way I can give the hay to her? Or is pebbles the most important at the moment.
She is very immobile, stays in 1 spot. She does sometimes wash herself and or try to eat a poopy from herself.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I weighed her today, she hasn’t lost much from a weight I remember a bit ago. I’ll weigh her again tomorrow morning. (1188grams)
I’ll go and get some poo from a healthy piggy. Would you advice that 1 poo is enough? Or maybe 2-3?
Then I’ll soak it for 15 minutes and give it to my piggy in hopes it helps. (Is it bad if it’s longer then 15 minutes?)
Just so I can do it correctly: I’ll smush the poo as well and give that to like the pebbles or only the water?
View attachment 197997
This was her poo just a minute ago after I fed her and cleaned her.
Very watery and soft, but with a little bit of shape.
She barely eats hay. Is there a way I can give the hay to her? Or is pebbles the most important at the moment.
She is very immobile, stays in 1 spot. She does sometimes wash herself and or try to eat a poopy from herself.

The poop needs to be collected and used quickly. If you leave it too long, then the beneficial bacteria will have died off.

You Only syringe the water, not the poops themselves.

She will only eat hay when whatever is causing her to not eat hay is resolved. She will need to see a vet for diagnosis of any underlying health issue if this is anything more than a mild gut disturbance.
You need to give a recovery feed or mush her normal nuggets with water - this is the only thing which is replacing her hay intake at the moment.

 

[Wiebke]

I’ve been feeding her pebbles with a syringe since yesterday 16:00 about 7 times now. She doesn’t eat hay much but sometimes she does a little bit. (While writing this after her feed she is eating hay) View attachment 197994
This is the poop from this night. She laid in the same spot Wich made the poop become this pile.
Would it be good for her if I have her soaked healthy Guinea pig poop?
I’ve read that that helps but the same about yoghurt Wich I doubt it will help.

Hi!

You can find our tips on making 'poo soup' (i.e live guinea pig microbiome transfer from a healthy companion) correctly in this link here. This mimics natural behaviour in recovering guinea pigs and can in fact be more effective than general probiotics if you do it correctly: Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

Guinea pigs are lactose intolerant once weaned; so yoghurt is very much not recommended. Probiotic powders for herbivores are easily available in any pet shop. If you want to supplement with one that contains other helpful substances, then we recommend Bene Bac. You can find information on that in the link above.

PS: You can give both poo soup and probiotic products but please stay off anything that contains lactose! Sadly, there is still soo much bad information around online.

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