Eating cagemates poop...a lot

[Agashe]

No bad experiences that I’m aware of,I’ve had him since he was PROBABLY about 2 months old? He and his brother were on the bigger side but he’s now about 930-940 grms so I assume he was that old at the store when I got him because his old pic from when I got him makes him HUGE compared to J Rod which J Rod was about a month old. I suspect Hazel isn’t fond of syringe feeds because I’ve literally never had to do any of this until recently. He was a VERY healthy guinea until as of late so he’s never had to receive anything via syringe

Hazel is maintaining a weight of 930. I talked to the vet and she seems just ask confused as I am since he’s been on benebac for a full week and he’s still wanting his cage mates poops and still having tear drop poops as well. Tomorrow I will be getting more benebac and also more pain/anti inflammatory meds to see if his poops even out (when he was previously on it it seemed to help his poops) and if it does help him we are going to do a blood work on Hazel soon after. I didn’t want to do a blood work on him now because I’m not sure how he would do. If the pain meds help then he is either in pain or he is inflamed somewhere somehow and then I would feel more comfortable doing blood work on him since that would be no way to live and I would have no more options. She recommended lettuce a few days back to see but he got diarrhea so I’m not sure about that.

 

[Agashe]

Edit:she didn’t specifically recommend lettuce,she recommended veggies and I had some on hand,she specifically said veggies but the ones she called by name were “cilantro (which is probably coriander to anyone in the UK) peppers and cucumbers. I’ll go pick up some of the listed items tomorrow if there’s no objections

 

[Mage of Mist]

Have you tried Hazel with a weak sugar-water solution first with the syringe feeding? He could be put off by the syringe itself and using a weak sugar-water solution can make him want to drink from it as they like sweet things.

If you have a good blender or a high quality juicer such as a Cookworks Spin Juicer, you could get fresh, preservative free carrot juice (or smoothie!) for them from it to use instead of sugar water in the syringe training. They may even start wheeking for the syringe as it'd be associated with a sweet treat rather than 'nasty' medicine.

 

[Siikibam]

I don’t know that a sugar water solution is suitable for piggies.

@Agashe when piggies have been off veg for a while, cilantro is the recommended veg to start with. It’s gentle on the tummy and is a good gauge. I would hold off the lettuce for now. Are his poops normal again?

 

[Agashe]

I don’t know that a sugar water solution is suitable for piggies.

@Agashe when piggies have been off veg for a while, cilantro is the recommended veg to start with. It’s gentle on the tummy and is a good gauge. I would hold off the lettuce for now. Are his poops normal again?

They returned to tear drops for a day or so but now he has very very soft poop again,I have to take him to the vet today and that’s in less than an hour. She’s at a loss for what’s wrong with him too,the poor guy is in pain and he’s not very active today. I’m trying to syringe feed him and he’s taking it okay for the most part. His face/cheeks have also been doing this weird twitch? I just have no idea guys...cross your fingers for my poor little dude,we have lost 2 dogs in a year to stomach cancer and my roommate put that crap into my head that it’s possibly the drinking water and I’m so so worried for him

 

[Siikibam]

Water isn’t going to be the cause of that. If his poo still isn’t right then you shouldn’t give him any veg. I’m sorry that you can’t seem to get to the bottom of it.

How did the appointment go and what was the outcome?

 

[Agashe]

Water isn’t going to be the cause of that. If his poo still isn’t right then you shouldn’t give him any veg. I’m sorry that you can’t seem to get to the bottom of it.

How did the appointment go and what was the outcome?

The tear drop poops were supposedly from dehydration,that’s what other members have told me anyways. (He is still having tear drop poops except yesterday which was extremely soft poops/boarderline diarrhea)

Well the X-rays? Normal...blood work? So far normal on the in house part for the out house part I probably have to wait till Monday for the news on that,he even peed while asleep so no UTI. The vet has no idea. I have no idea. Right now me and the vet are considering pain meds that won’t affect his kidneys and liver that he can be on for the rest of his life. I got some cilantro (coriander) and cucumber but should I not give them to him?

 

[Siikibam]

There seems to be an issue with his gut. If he’s having soft poops then I wouldn’t. Any pig that has diarrhoea/soft poops or tear drop poops we usually suggest you take of veg completely.

There must be something more to this though.

 

[Agashe]

There seems to be an issue with his gut. If he’s having soft poops then I wouldn’t. Any pig that has diarrhoea/soft poops or tear drop poops we usually suggest you take of veg completely.

There must be something more to this though.

I honestly have no idea,we’ve done X-rays and we’ve done blood work,at this point I’m at a complete loss and don’t know what to do. I’ve dropped over $500. USD on him as it is. If I need to I will surrender him if I can’t afford it anymore but as it stands we don’t know what’s wrong with him and I’m scared another vet won’t know either because the closest one is an hour away and then that’s even more money

Is there even anymore tests I can even run? They say his X-ray is fine but I have no idea what he has or how to help him

 

[Free Ranger]

Sorry to butt in - is this the pig that ate some puppy pad? Does your vet know that this happened? Could this be the cause of this problem?

My boar nibbles rubber things occasionally but this did not cause problems. However, as I understand it, the puppy pads include a substance which turns pee into gel (a bit like in disposable nappies?) so ingesting this might well cause some digestive issues if it absorbs a lot of liquid. The gel in a nappy can swell to 50x the volume (10 cubic cm gel can take up 500 cubic cm water). I've no experience with puppy pads so I am just guessing here!

I don't want to trivialise as this is a big, expensive problem for you but my brother once came in after a few drinks and instead of grabbing a box of cereal he mistakenly took the dry cat biscuits, gobbled them down with milk and had a awful stomach ache, in part because they can actually absorb a terrific amount of fluid and swell up a lot. If cat biscuits can cause a transient problem for a big guy then a small amount of gel that might be slowly moving through a piggie's gut may well be triggering discomfort which makes him instinctively chase the other for poops. Has he actually been on antibiotics though? Perhaps his gut flora's actually OK but it's just how he instinctively responds to gut cramps? I wouldn't know how to approach this if it was the issue - but as long as he keeps drinking I'd hope it would eventually pass through. Back to the original point... if this is that pad-chewing piggie does the vet know. Good luck - I really feel for you and your boys

 

[Agashe]

Sorry to butt in - is this the pig that ate some puppy pad? Does your vet know that this happened? Could this be the cause of this problem?

My boar nibbles rubber things occasionally but this did not cause problems. However, as I understand it, the puppy pads include a substance which turns pee into gel (a bit like in disposable nappies?) so ingesting this might well cause some digestive issues if it absorbs a lot of liquid. The gel in a nappy can swell to 50x the volume (10 cubic cm gel can take up 500 cubic cm water). I've no experience with puppy pads so I am just guessing here!

I don't want to trivialise as this is a big, expensive problem for you but my brother once came in after a few drinks and instead of grabbing a box of cereal he mistakenly took the dry cat biscuits, gobbled them down with milk and had a awful stomach ache, in part because they can actually absorb a terrific amount of fluid and swell up a lot. If cat biscuits can cause a transient problem for a big guy then a small amount of gel that might be slowly moving through a piggie's gut may well be triggering discomfort which makes him instinctively chase the other for poops. Has he actually been on antibiotics though? Perhaps his gut flora's actually OK but it's just how he instinctively responds to gut cramps? I wouldn't know how to approach this if it was the issue - but as long as he keeps drinking I'd hope it would eventually pass through. Back to the original point... if this is that pad-chewing piggie does the vet know. Good luck - I really feel for you and your boys

They know about the puppy pad,X-ray showed nothing inside the stomach though,only thing that showed odd was bladder was a little swollen but they suspected it was because he was holding his pee but the pee looked normal when he peed while asleep. The vet says she doesn’t think that the puppy pad is the issue any longer as it’s been over 2 weeks and he was eating and drinking fine,he’s lost a bit more weight now though and is on critical feed. I have considered maybe there’s an infection but the vet also thinks that’s not it

 

[Free Ranger]

If we've had bladder infections we definitely know about it - pain when peeing, wet tummy from incontinence, blood in pee, tender abdomen etc. It is baffling for you, I'm so sorry.

 

[Agashe]

It’s very baffling

If we've had bladder infections we definitely know about it - pain when peeing, wet tummy from incontinence, blood in pee, tender abdomen etc. It is baffling for you, I'm so sorry.

If we've had bladder infections we definitely know about it - pain when peeing, wet tummy from incontinence, blood in pee, tender abdomen etc. It is baffling for you, I'm so sorry.

It is very baffling to me and the vet who is experienced in guinea pigs,if nothing comes back on Monday we’re gonna talk about putting the poor guy on pain killers for the rest of his hopefully long and pain free life but I would very very very much like to know what is wrong with him that way it could actually be addressed and not “masked” so to speak

 

[Agashe]

Can you add poop to critical care? Is that a thing that people do? I don’t want to stress Hazel any more than I have to and am wondering if I could turn 2 feeds into 1

 

[Agashe]

The actual effectiveness of probiotics is still under discussion... At least I can guarantee you that properly made poo soup DOES work.
All the best for poor little J Rod and his big friend's underlying health issue.

He’s been having soft poops for 2 days now? He’s being fed critical care and his meds. I don’t know what to do. He doesn’t have any veggies in his diet

 

[Wiebke]

He’s been having soft poops for 2 days now? He’s being fed critical care and his meds. I don’t know what to do. He doesn’t have any veggies in his diet

It's difficult to comment when nobody knows what it causing the problem in the first place.

I have told you about every trick in the book that I know of by now, I am sorry to say.

 

[Agashe]

It's difficult to comment when nobody knows what it causing the problem in the first place.

I have told you about every trick in the book that I know of by now, I am sorry to say.

WE HAVE BAD BACTERIA! We’ve finally found something! He’s going on antibiotics!

 

[Wiebke]

WE HAVE BAD BACTERIA! We’ve finally found something! He’s going on antibiotics!

There are some times when bad news are good news...

I am very relieved for you that you are getting to the bottom of it. If antibiotics don't clear the problem, then panacur (worming) may - it is not just effective against worms but can sometimes help with a persistent gut problem. However only do this in conjunction with your vet and never on spec.

Please brace yourself for loss of appetite and worse poos/diarrhea as the antibiotic is not just going to work on the bad bacteria but also the good gut microbiome.

 

[Agashe]

There are some times when bad news are good news...

I am very relieved for you that you are getting to the bottom of it. If antibiotics don't clear the problem, then panacur (worming) may - it is not just effective against worms but can sometimes help with a persistent gut problem. However only do this in conjunction with your vet and never on spec.

Please brace yourself for loss of appetite and worse poos/diarrhea as the antibiotic is not just going to work on the bad bacteria but also the good gut microbiome.

I’m ready for all the diarrhea and loss of appetite,Friday I’m going to get benebac and critical care (the amount I have can hold till then) the only other confusion I have is the pain noises he makes? I’m considering asking for more pain/inflammation meds with the other stuff because I’m just not sure how/why this would be painful? But then again maybe if I had a lot of bad bacteria in my system I would understand more lol

Is there any possibility that a good gut flora can be gone forever? Is that a thing where they can no longer produce their own? I only ask because I need things to throw at the vets in case they can’t think of anything else. I know you mentioned the wormer and I will mention it if this doesn’t help

It’s funny,he had his fecal ran last week,came back clear. I took fecal in today and someone that I used to work with works at the vet,handed it to her and left,she calls me and asks “hey did you want to do a fecal float?” And I said a what? The previous girl didn’t even offer this,so my guinea was potentially saved by a very nice girl I used to work with because this girl believed my concerns and read my chart where I was complaining about possible good/bad bacteria being out of wack. She may not have just helped cure everything but she atleast figured out one issue he has. Even though she’ll likely NEVER see this,thank you again Kyra

 

[Agashe]

The actual effectiveness of probiotics is still under discussion... At least I can guarantee you that properly made poo soup DOES work.
All the best for poor little J Rod and his big friend's underlying health issue.

Well he was on the antibiotics for about 3 days but I had to stop as the first 1-2 days after antibiotics he had harder poops but on the 3rd day he started having diarrhea and it took his weight to a staggering 800grms,he was on probiotics when this happened,he’s been on probiotics awhile now actually. He’s very skinny and I would say he’s close to being deadly underweight regardless of the fact that he’s getting 20ml per 8 hours like the vet recommended,he’s grooming but not well enough to keep his scent gland clean and his nose clean but he’s trying bless his heart. One of his eyes had crusts on it yesterday and hasn’t seemed to come back or at least not yet anyways. He’s still trying to eat and drink on his own but it’s not enough to keep up weight. After taking him off the antibiotics his poops were “normal” the first day or so like they were on the first 1-2 days while taking it but the poops were VERY small,almost the size of the baby’s poop to the point where I sometimes I couldn’t figure out who made what when I saw it. When he does poop now he makes noise and lifts himself so I know he’s in pain from it and it’s also soft again. I’m at a complete loss honestly...I’m gonna go to the vet tomorrow and ask for different antibiotics...and I will ask for a good pain killer incase things go south again,I don’t want him to feel anything if you understand what I mean,he’s too small to not do anything but syringe feeding him isn’t keeping up his weight very good to begin with. I’ve tried everything and I hope this isn’t the last go around as he seems to want to stay here and I know I want him to but there’s not much else in my power and I’m very sad for that. I know I’ve done what I can and I’m hoping for the best.

 

[SavyCavyGirl]

So sad. I’m so sorry. Just keep trying your best.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Well he was on the antibiotics for about 3 days but I had to stop as the first 1-2 days after antibiotics he had harder poops but on the 3rd day he started having diarrhea and it took his weight to a staggering 800grms,he was on probiotics when this happened,he’s been on probiotics awhile now actually. He’s very skinny and I would say he’s close to being deadly underweight regardless of the fact that he’s getting 20ml per 8 hours like the vet recommended,he’s grooming but not well enough to keep his scent gland clean and his nose clean but he’s trying bless his heart. One of his eyes had crusts on it yesterday and hasn’t seemed to come back or at least not yet anyways. He’s still trying to eat and drink on his own but it’s not enough to keep up weight. After taking him off the antibiotics his poops were “normal” the first day or so like they were on the first 1-2 days while taking it but the poops were VERY small,almost the size of the baby’s poop to the point where I sometimes I couldn’t figure out who made what when I saw it. When he does poop now he makes noise and lifts himself so I know he’s in pain from it and it’s also soft again. I’m at a complete loss honestly...I’m gonna go to the vet tomorrow and ask for different antibiotics...and I will ask for a good pain killer incase things go south again,I don’t want him to feel anything if you understand what I mean,he’s too small to not do anything but syringe feeding him isn’t keeping up his weight very good to begin with. I’ve tried everything and I hope this isn’t the last go around as he seems to want to stay here and I know I want him to but there’s not much else in my power and I’m very sad for that. I know I’ve done what I can and I’m hoping for the best.

20ml in 8 hours equates to 60ml in 24 hours. We would recommend feeding him 90ml in 24 hours, particularly if he is still losing weight at the quantities you are feeding him. Can you increase the amount you feed him?

 

[Agashe]

20ml in 8 hours equates to 60ml in 24 hours. We would recommend feeding him 90ml in 24 hours, particularly if he is still losing weight at the quantities you are feeding him. Can you increase the amount you feed him?

I can try to? The vet recommended 17 actually so I thought 20ml at a time was pushing it? I work and have to take the gf to work as well and of course I have to sleep.

 

[Swissgreys]

I can try to? The vet recommended 17 actually so I thought 20ml at a time was pushing it? I work and have to take the gf to work as well and of course I have to sleep.

I rarely managed to get 20ml into guinea pig in one sitting and found it worked better to feed every 3-4 hours and just give smaller amounts. As long as they are getting 90 - 100mls every 24 hours and their weight is stable then this is ok.
Every 3 hours is hard, but when you are feeding less it is also quicker, so maybe that will help?

 

[Agashe]

I rarely managed to get 20ml into guinea pig in one sitting and found it worked better to feed every 3-4 hours and just give smaller amounts. As long as they are getting 90 - 100mls every 24 hours and their weight is stable then this is ok.
Every 3 hours is hard, but when you are feeding less it is also quicker, so maybe that will help?

20ml in 8 hours equates to 60ml in 24 hours. We would recommend feeding him 90ml in 24 hours, particularly if he is still losing weight at the quantities you are feeding him. Can you increase the amount you feed him?

Well we’ve switched to Gabapentin for pain which will be dosed at 0.3ml every 12 hours but I think I will skip that for today and give him the other weaker pain med since Gabapentin MIGHT make him tired and I work today so I’m hesitant to give it,if he’s sleepy he won’t eat while I’m away and I need him to do that for himself until I get back

And the new antibiotic is Ciprofloxacin at 0.16 ml every 12 hours

I with this pain med it’s apparently going to work on the nervous system? Or something like that so he will feel little to nothing which is what I want and I’m hoping this antibiotic will be the one to work but only time will tell.

 

[Agashe]

The actual effectiveness of probiotics is still under discussion... At least I can guarantee you that properly made poo soup DOES work.
All the best for poor little J Rod and his big friend's underlying health issue.

Well we’ve switched to Gabapentin for pain which will be dosed at 0.3ml every 12 hours but I think I will skip that for today and give him the other weaker pain med since Gabapentin MIGHT make him tired and I work today so I’m hesitant to give it,if he’s sleepy he won’t eat while I’m away and I need him to do that for himself until I get back

And the new antibiotic is Ciprofloxacin at 0.16 ml every 12 hours

I with this pain med it’s apparently going to work on the nervous system? Or something like that so he will feel little to nothing which is what I want and I’m hoping this antibiotic will be the one to work but only time will tell.

Does anyone else’s guinea clean their paw after almost every single mouthful of food? He’s started doing it and it’s...odd to see him do it. He’s genuinely cleaning and not barbering it but this is new. He DOES clean his face after like 10ml or so but it seems every 1-2 mouthfuls he’s cleaning his paw

 

[Wiebke]

Does anyone else’s guinea clean their paw after almost every single mouthful of food? He’s started doing it and it’s...odd to see him do it. He’s genuinely cleaning and not barbering it but this is new. He DOES clean his face after like 10ml or so but it seems every 1-2 mouthfuls he’s cleaning his paw

That is unusual. Why is anybody's guess.

 

[Agashe]

That is unusual. Why is anybody's guess.

I looked closer and it looks like he’s got either hardened critical care or poop on his nails (NOT paws) I suppose he’s trying to get it off,maybe it’s also a nervous tick like “well I have nothing else to do while being forced to eat” lol he did barber his front left paw but this one he’s just licking on

 

[Agashe]

That is unusual. Why is anybody's guess.

Since yesterday he seems to have gained about 30grms. I fed him every 2 hours 10ml for 12 hours, this is an okay weight gain right? I’m not over doing it? Can you over do it?

 

[Wiebke]

Since yesterday he seems to have gained about 30grms. I fed him every 2 hours 10ml for 12 hours, this is an okay weight gain right? I’m not over doing it? Can you over do it?

Hi

That is great news - please keep in mind that a full piggy bladder weighs about 10g and full tummy about 30g. The weight swings around 30-40g over the course of 24 hours depending on when you are weighing. I hope that that puts the weight gain into perspective.

As long as he is willing to take the syringe, you cannot overfeed him. Keep in mind that guinea pigs have a very fast metabolism.