Does the heat affect piggies?

[Perkypanda]

Both my girls seem to have had a bit of softer, wetter poops over the last week. They are eating fine and drinking normally. No pain that I can see. When it was really hot they were a bit less active but I think we all were. Both seem to also have wet backsides - I think from sitting in it rather than anything else but it's a new problem. Sounds odd but Mabel's smell is different too - like her fur I mean. She had antibiotics for a skin infection a few weeks back, but stopped them on the 7th. Any ideas? I don't really want a trip to the vets as they seem fine and appointments are so hard to come by at the moment.

 

[Claire W]

Take them both off of fresh veg for 24 to 48 hours and just feed hay and pellets and see if their poos firm up. Start offering them fresh veg 24 hours after the poos firm up

 

[Wiebke]

Both my girls seem to have had a bit of softer, wetter poops over the last week. They are eating fine and drinking normally. No pain that I can see. When it was really hot they were a bit less active but I think we all were. Both seem to also have wet backsides - I think from sitting in it rather than anything else but it's a new problem. Sounds odd but Mabel's smell is different too - like her fur I mean. She had antibiotics for a skin infection a few weeks back, but stopped them on the 7th. Any ideas? I don't really want a trip to the vets as they seem fine and appointments are so hard to come by at the moment.

Hi!

Please read our hot weather management advice and see your vet if in any doubt; heat stroke and heat exhaustion can have long term side effects, like digestive problems or even partial or full gut stasis and partial or total loss of appetite. Overfeeding on fresh food can also happen.
Weigh daily at the same time as a crucial part in health monitoring to make sure that you piggies are actually eating enough hay, which makes around 80% of the daily food intake and cannot be judged by eye. Ca. 50g veg and 1 tablespoon of pellets are more in the way of an afternoon snack. Take them off any fresh food if the poos are too soft until at least 24-48 hours until they have firmed up again and then reintroduce veg only gradually in small quantities at first.

Please take the time to read the more comprehensive information and practical tips in these guides here:
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
The temptation to overfeed watery veg and fruit in hot weather!
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

If the poos are not firming up or showing clear signs of improvement within 24 hours or if the problem persists and recurs, then please see your vet. We are no longer in full lockdown; what may have to take a backseat are routine health check-ups but UK vets have actually managed to see as many ill piggies as possible even at the worst when they were operating only with a reduced team.

 

[Perkypanda]

Thanks, they are inside and it's much cooler than outside so don't think it's heat exhaustion. I know we can go to vets - been twice during lockdown. But for some reason both the exotic specialist I use and the local 'normal' vets have said they have been super busy and now are only doing on the day appointments. Of course I will take them if needed! I'll give the reduced veg and extra hay a go. Hopefully that'll fix it.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks, they are inside and it's much cooler than outside so don't think it's heat exhaustion. I know we can go to vets - been twice during lockdown. But for some reason both the exotic specialist I use and the local 'normal' vets have said they have been super busy and now are only doing on the day appointments. Of course I will take them if needed! I'll give the reduced veg and extra hay a go. Hopefully that'll fix it.

Take them off any veg for at least a day or two in order to give the dysbiotic gut microbiome a change to recover and rebalance.

 

[Perkypanda]

Thanks, the girls think they are starving and are screaming for veg ha ha. But eating the hay well and the poop is slightly firmer. Will keep off tomorrow and maybe next day slowly introduce. Concerned about both being wet on their backsides though. Not their actual bottom but their 'cheek' I don't know why it would suddenly be a problem. The cage is cleaned regularly and I use Auboise which is very absorbent. It was just Grace but now it's both of them. Makes me less inclined for cuddles as they are both soggy. Any ideas?