Specialist Gas in Piggie

[Popcorn bby]

Hi! So my piggie is having a bit of problems with gas. She’s always had gas issues since she was two, on and off minor gas (never bloat) episodes every once and a while when I accidentally feed too many veggies. However about two weeks ago, she got a minor gas episode. It was nothing big, and she healed. She was gas free for a good two days, back on vegetables without gases and everything. Then after those two days, she got another gas episode. This one was a bit worse, and as far as I know, I do not have a potential trigger for this one. This one took a tad longer to heal, but she was really close to fully healing when I accidentally let her eat a lot of vegetables. I completely regret it, because this third gas episode was the worst one. It was close to bloat, and it was painful. That’s the one she has been recovering from now. She got almost completely gas free again, and didnt start vegetables again until two days after healing, and we were barely giving any. We were introducing the veggies really, extremely, slowly, but she was starting to get gases again yesterday, so we stopped. Today, she still has notable gases, and I can’t tell if their getting worse despite no vegetables or pellets, just hay and vitamin c tablets. The only vegetables we’ve been giving are the tiniest amounts of cucumber and red leaf lettuce that I would basically consider it absolutely nothing, only once a day. I just gave her .03cc of cisapride, but to be honest I don’t think it will be effective since she was on it a lot for the third gas episode in a row, so it almost seems like she’s immune to it now. I have absolutely no idea what to do! If I start giving vegetables, she’ll get more gas, but how are we going to get her back on to veggies? I’m so stumped, does anyone have an idea as to what I should do or what could be causing all this? It’s so sad to not be giving her vegetables.

 

[DMS260820]

Il have tag @Wiebke in for this, she can advise you hopefully tomorrow.

Here is a guide you will find useful

Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Best wishes for you and your pig

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! So my piggie is having a bit of problems with gas. She’s always had gas issues since she was two, on and off minor gas (never bloat) episodes every once and a while when I accidentally feed too many veggies. However about two weeks ago, she got a minor gas episode. It was nothing big, and she healed. She was gas free for a good two days, back on vegetables without gases and everything. Then after those two days, she got another gas episode. This one was a bit worse, and as far as I know, I do not have a potential trigger for this one. This one took a tad longer to heal, but she was really close to fully healing when I accidentally let her eat a lot of vegetables. I completely regret it, because this third gas episode was the worst one. It was close to bloat, and it was painful. That’s the one she has been recovering from now. She got almost completely gas free again, and didnt start vegetables again until two days after healing, and we were barely giving any. We were introducing the veggies really, extremely, slowly, but she was starting to get gases again yesterday, so we stopped. Today, she still has notable gases, and I can’t tell if their getting worse despite no vegetables or pellets, just hay and vitamin c tablets. The only vegetables we’ve been giving are the tiniest amounts of cucumber and red leaf lettuce that I would basically consider it absolutely nothing, only once a day. I just gave her .03cc of cisapride, but to be honest I don’t think it will be effective since she was on it a lot for the third gas episode in a row, so it almost seems like she’s immune to it now. I have absolutely no idea what to do! If I start giving vegetables, she’ll get more gas, but how are we going to get her back on to veggies? I’m so stumped, does anyone have an idea as to what I should do or what could be causing all this? It’s so sad to not be giving her vegetables.

Hi!

What is your vet saying about the increasing bloating episodes? Have they given you better and more targeted anti-bloating medication?
Please be aware that cisapride is a very strong gut drug and that it should be used with caution and not be overused. I would strongly recommend to discuss the advisability of continued use with your vet, as it is obviously not anything for her.

Please don't feed vegetables for the time being as long as the guts are unbalanced (the technical term is dysbiosis).
Veg should only make about 10% of the daily food intake. The more hay a piggy eats, the better; it is what its teeth and its digestive system are laid out for and it should make 80% of what it eats. Since grass is actually high in vitamins and other nutrients, piggies have never had the need to make their own vitamin C; as hay is made from grass, it also contains vitamin C - for far too long people have treated grass and hay as if they didn't contain any nutrients and would not contribute to a diet.
Pellets, recovery formula and some veg also contain vitamin C.
Please keep your girl off any fresh food for longer as it is obviously a trigger food. If you really want to feed something fresh in order to see whether your girl is better after her time off veg, then fresh herbs like coriander/cilantro, parsley or dill in very small amounts are more nutritious than lettuce or cucumber, which are both foods that are known to contribute to bloating/diarrhea if overfed.

If you have a healthy companion, then please try a round of twice daily very freshly made 'poo soup' for a week to help transfer live healthy gut microbiome to your bloated piggy. Otherwise I would strongly recommend a round of fibreplex. It has helped piggies with iffy digestions. See what your vet says and whether they think that there is an underlaying problem, and please let us know.
As the bloating episodes are becoming stronger, I would recommend to make an appointment promptly so you don't end up there as an emergency.

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

 

[Popcorn bby]

Hi!

What is your vet saying about the increasing bloating episodes? Have they given you better and more targeted anti-bloating medication?
Please be aware that cisapride is a very strong gut drug and that it should be used with caution and not be overused. I would strongly recommend to discuss the advisability of continued use with your vet, as it is obviously not anything for her.

Please don't feed vegetables for the time being as long as the guts are unbalanced (the technical term is dysbiosis).
Veg should only make about 10% of the daily food intake. The more hay a piggy eats, the better; it is what its teeth and its digestive system are laid out for and it should make 80% of what it eats. Since grass is actually high in vitamins and other nutrients, piggies have never had the need to make their own vitamin C; as hay is made from grass, it also contains vitamin C - for far too long people have treated grass and hay as if they didn't contain any nutrients and would not contribute to a diet.
Pellets, recovery formula and some veg also contain vitamin C.
Please keep your girl off any fresh food for longer as it is obviously a trigger food. If you really want to feed something fresh in order to see whether your girl is better after her time off veg, then fresh herbs like coriander/cilantro, parsley or dill in very small amounts are more nutritious than lettuce or cucumber, which are both foods that are known to contribute to bloating/diarrhea if overfed.

If you have a healthy companion, then please try a round of twice daily very freshly made 'poo soup' for a week to help transfer live healthy gut microbiome to your bloated piggy. Otherwise I would strongly recommend a round of fibreplex. It has helped piggies with iffy digestions. See what your vet says and whether they think that there is an underlaying problem, and please let us know.
As the bloating episodes are becoming stronger, I would recommend to make an appointment promptly so you don't end up there as an emergency.

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

We haven't contacted the vet, since they are very much aware of her gas issues, and every single time we brought her there all they give us is cisapride, they seem to not have any other gas medications. As for the vegetable situation, I separate them whenever I give the other piggie vegetables (i take the piggie up on my bed to eat and the gassy piggie is let out for floor time where I feed her critical care). However, I accidentally left the vegetable bowl on the floor for a few seconds while I turned my back, and I turned back to see the gassy piggie eating a huge piece of lettuce. She managed to eat it all and now she has more gases than yesterday. There has been no diarrhea, however I am quite overjoyed but also nervous about the fact that cucumber and lettuce can contribute to bloat if overfed, since I thought those were the less harsh vegetables, which is why that is the only thing I have been feeding her (in minimal amounts ofc) this whole gas epidemic. I hope that that i the reason these gases have been so stubborn. I will immediately stop those, and will choose cilantro and dill to be the vegetables I first give her when putting her back onto vegetables. Also, instead of the poo soup, could I use benebac? Would the benebac also work instead of fibreplex as well? Thank you.

 

[Popcorn bby]

Hi!

What is your vet saying about the increasing bloating episodes? Have they given you better and more targeted anti-bloating medication?
Please be aware that cisapride is a very strong gut drug and that it should be used with caution and not be overused. I would strongly recommend to discuss the advisability of continued use with your vet, as it is obviously not anything for her.

Please don't feed vegetables for the time being as long as the guts are unbalanced (the technical term is dysbiosis).
Veg should only make about 10% of the daily food intake. The more hay a piggy eats, the better; it is what its teeth and its digestive system are laid out for and it should make 80% of what it eats. Since grass is actually high in vitamins and other nutrients, piggies have never had the need to make their own vitamin C; as hay is made from grass, it also contains vitamin C - for far too long people have treated grass and hay as if they didn't contain any nutrients and would not contribute to a diet.
Pellets, recovery formula and some veg also contain vitamin C.
Please keep your girl off any fresh food for longer as it is obviously a trigger food. If you really want to feed something fresh in order to see whether your girl is better after her time off veg, then fresh herbs like coriander/cilantro, parsley or dill in very small amounts are more nutritious than lettuce or cucumber, which are both foods that are known to contribute to bloating/diarrhea if overfed.

If you have a healthy companion, then please try a round of twice daily very freshly made 'poo soup' for a week to help transfer live healthy gut microbiome to your bloated piggy. Otherwise I would strongly recommend a round of fibreplex. It has helped piggies with iffy digestions. See what your vet says and whether they think that there is an underlaying problem, and please let us know.
As the bloating episodes are becoming stronger, I would recommend to make an appointment promptly so you don't end up there as an emergency.

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

Oh, forgot to ask! Other than the vegetables you named, what are the best, least gassy, vegetables to feed her when she is all better? Also, I have been giving the cucumber every day since the gas epidemic started, but in the tiniest slivers. Despite this, do you still think that there is a good chance the cucumber could still be causing the gases to come back?

 

[Wiebke]

We haven't contacted the vet, since they are very much aware of her gas issues, and every single time we brought her there all they give us is cisapride, they seem to not have any other gas medications. As for the vegetable situation, I separate them whenever I give the other piggie vegetables (i take the piggie up on my bed to eat and the gassy piggie is let out for floor time where I feed her critical care). However, I accidentally left the vegetable bowl on the floor for a few seconds while I turned my back, and I turned back to see the gassy piggie eating a huge piece of lettuce. She managed to eat it all and now she has more gases than yesterday. There has been no diarrhea, however I am quite overjoyed but also nervous about the fact that cucumber and lettuce can contribute to bloat if overfed, since I thought those were the less harsh vegetables, which is why that is the only thing I have been feeding her (in minimal amounts ofc) this whole gas epidemic. I hope that that i the reason these gases have been so stubborn. I will immediately stop those, and will choose cilantro and dill to be the vegetables I first give her when putting her back onto vegetables. Also, instead of the poo soup, could I use benebac? Would the benebac also work instead of fibreplex as well? Thank you.

You can try benebac but it is less strong and effective than fibreplex or poo soup (the second of which is transferring healthy live guinea pig microbiome if done properly). However, you are unfortunately in a position where you want to try anything in the hope that something works.

I am linking in @Abi_nurse for you. She may be able to give you more advice.

 

[Popcorn bby]

You can try benebac but it is less strong and effective than fibreplex or poo soup (the second of which is transferring healthy live guinea pig microbiome if done properly). However, you are unfortunately in a position where you want to try anything in the hope that something works.

I am linking in @Abi_nurse for you. She may be able to give you more advice.

Hmm, here is the thing. My pig (not the one with gases right now) has never really had a perfect poop. She is completely healthy, no digestive issues at all. And despite eating lots, her poops have always been a bit smaller than usual, and a decent amount of times they can be mushy, but it goes back to normal on its own in like a few hours. So I am not exactly sure if the poo soup would be good to use.

 

[DMS260820]

Hmm, here is the thing. My pig (not the one with gases right now) has never really had a perfect poop. She is completely healthy, no digestive issues at all. And despite eating lots, her poops have always been a bit smaller than usual, and a decent amount of times they can be mushy, but it goes back to normal on its own in like a few hours. So I am not exactly sure if the poo soup would be good to use.

Try it, it can't hurt

 

[Popcorn bby]

Try it, it can't hurt

I've been following @Wiebke 's advice and giving her tiny bits of cilantro instead of cucumber and lettuce, I've also added a tiny sliver of bell pepper. We are starting to increase the amount of vegetables we give her day by day, and giving massages to her every day as well. She's doing great, but something happened today that's got me quite stressed. I won't go into detail about how she escaped or anything, but while I was in my peaceful slumber, she managed to push out the c&c locks on her cage and squeeze out. So she was having her own little floor time while I was sleeping. I awoke to her running around, but she had ended up eating some things that were on the ground. My room was quite a mess, so I'm not exactly sure if she ate anything else, but here's what I found: she had eaten a huge chunk of this compostabl straw packaging, where it says "packaging is made from 85% recycled materials." It feels like cardboard but in real life you can see specks of other things in there. She also ate a CVS bag, a smaller piece though. I'll put pictures. I'm quite stressed. Am I overreacting? Should I countinue with the vegetables and treatment or stop treatment until I'm sure there are no issues? Is what she ate dangerous?

 

[DMS260820]

Just keep a close eye, make sure she's pooping properly and as often as she was. My sow has ate a sequin off clothing before, part of my crocks slipper shoes, bit of bin bag, and was fine. Today my rat apparently took a sequin from my nieces jumper and he is also fine at the moment. I wouldn't worry too much but be on alert

 

[Bill & Ted]

It looks quite paper based to me, keep an eye on her, don’t worry too much if she is eating and pooping x

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

If its compostable it is presumably plant based. Your piggie is probably wanting the rough fibre as she's had some gut problems lately. As the others have said, just keep an eye on her in case - but you're doing that already, obviously

 

[Popcorn bby]

Just keep a close eye, make sure she's pooping properly and as often as she was. My sow has ate a sequin off clothing before, part of my crocks slipper shoes, bit of bin bag, and was fine. Today my rat apparently took a sequin from my nieces jumper and he is also fine at the moment. I wouldn't worry too much but be on alert

Thank you a lot for the fast reply, I'm quite relieved, beyond relieved actually that it's not too alarming.

 

[Popcorn bby]

It looks quite paper based to me, keep an eye on her, don’t worry too much if she is eating and pooping x

Quite happy! Thank you thank you and thanks again!

 

[Popcorn bby]

If its compostable it is presumably plant based. Your piggie is probably wanting the rough fibre as she's had some gut problems lately. As the others have said, just keep an eye on her in case - but you're doing that already, obviously

Yes, I'm assuming since the straws are plant based as well. In that's case, hopefully she got some good fibre out of it ha! This Piggie is really something, but she's everything. Yes, pet anxiety always keeps me checking up on them! Thank you!

 

[Popcorn bby]

Just keep a close eye, make sure she's pooping properly and as often as she was. My sow has ate a sequin off clothing before, part of my crocks slipper shoes, bit of bin bag, and was fine. Today my rat apparently took a sequin from my nieces jumper and he is also fine at the moment. I wouldn't worry too much but be on alert

Update: I finished giving her a massage and put her on the bed to see that she is pooping a bit smaller. Some poos were tiny balls, others were about half the size of her regular poops. I was going to take a picture of the poop she just did but she came back and ate it. She was pooping completely fine yesterday. Could this be the thing she ate?

 

[Popcorn bby]

Update: I finished giving her a massage and put her on the bed to see that she is pooping a bit smaller. Some poos were tiny balls, others were about half the size of her regular poops. I was going to take a picture of the poop she just did but she came back and ate it. She was pooping completely fine yesterday. Could this be the thing she ate?

This is her most recent poop

 

[DMS260820]

Is she eating plenty of hay? If not I would syringe feeds some critical care everybfew hours or mushed up pellets in warm water. This could be the bloat causing this. Need to keep that gut moving

 

[Piggies&buns]

Poops are 1-2 days behind their eating, so the box she ate in your 8.47pm post won’t show for another day or so etc.

Poops that small though are not normal, is she and has she been eating ok?

 

[Popcorn bby]

Is she eating plenty of hay? If not I would syringe feeds some critical care everybfew hours or mushed up pellets in warm water. This could be the bloat causing this. Need to keep that gut moving

Yes! She is still eating lots of hay ans her poops went back to normal the day after. At this point, we have been able to stop the treatment and we are increasing her vegetable intake daily, making sure she is taking them well. We shall continue to do so until she gets back to eating the full amount of vegetables. Let's hope she stablaizes smoothly!

 

[Popcorn bby]

Poops are 1-2 days behind their eating, so the box she ate in your 8.47pm post won’t show for another day or so etc.

Poops that small though are not normal, is she and has she been eating ok?

She must've pooped it all out, no blockage! She's still pooping fine today. Like I said above. We are now getting her back onto vegetables

 

[Popcorn bby]

She must've pooped it all out, no blockage! She's still pooping fine today. Like I said above. We are now getting her back onto vegetables

Yikes, can someone please see this? Today I was syringe feeding some critical care to her, since because of the gases she still not back to eating tons of veggies, and I got some new syringes today. This syringe I was feeding her with was really stubborn, and while I was feeding some critical care to her, it all exploded in her mouth! A bit of it exploded out but I guess it was too fast for her to move away and she coughed really loudly, she had choked a bit. A few minutes later, she did the cough thing again. I managed to get her to a drink a tiny bit of water from her water bowl, but she hasn't done it again so far, is she in the clear now? This isn't dangerous right?

 

[Lady Kelly]

Yikes, can someone please see this? Today I was syringe feeding some critical care to her, since because of the gases she still not back to eating tons of veggies, and I got some new syringes today. This syringe I was feeding her with was really stubborn, and while I was feeding some critical care to her, it all exploded in her mouth! A bit of it exploded out but I guess it was too fast for her to move away and she coughed really loudly, she had choked a bit. A few minutes later, she did the cough thing again. I managed to get her to a drink a tiny bit of water from her water bowl, but she hasn't done it again so far, is she in the clear now? This isn't dangerous right?

Please do not panic, there is nothing you can do now to reverse what has happened. Keep an eye on behaviour and breathing. There is a possibility of aspiration leading to respiratory infection and we know you are familiar and fine to spot these symptoms. The coughing is good because it shows she was eating too fast, my greedy piggy does it pretty much daily with her veggies. This is why we recommend using the 1ml syringes with the end cut off as the chance of getting more than a mouthful in at one go is very rare. If the mix is too hard to push through slowly please add more water to help the syringe move slowly and perhaps fill it less each time