Gooey / mucus poop (pics for ref)

[PheiChi]

Hello!
So I’ve noticed a weird looking poop in my girls’ cage, However, it’s a rather big poop, the size my boys would drop (they live upstairs; completely inaccessible), so I’m trying to figure out whose poop it actually is.

It kinda looks like it was slit in the middle and had this goo on the outside and apparently on the inside as well (pics for ref )
The goo os quite sticky

My largest boar has just been to the vet and he had some antibiotics and probiotics; also he was on Spirulina and Hepvet (supposedly supplements + to help him lose weight)

I’m currently trying to locate more weird-looking poops and to identify which piggie dropped it. It’s been a couple of days

I’ve cut off the supplements and cut down on the veggies (I was giving them more than usual after the vet recommended to do so. Regret)
They’re all normally excited, begging for food, eating... they have their usual hay and water...

Haven’t seen any other weird poops till now (girls continue dropping smaller ones)

I’ve read around and it seems some mucusy poop can mean an upset stomach or irritated intestines, tho nothing major to worry about.

Anyone got any idea as to what it can be? Tips for identifying whose poop it is?

Ps pigs have been pooping and eating and drinking normally

 

[Siikibam]

I’m not sure what that could be caused by. Though you’re right, it does look like the size of boar poops. Did you not find any similar in their cage?

I picked up on your boar needing to lose weight. Why did the vet think that? How old is he and what does he weigh? And when you feel the heft, what is it like? I wouldn’t feed more veg than the recommended amount - 1 cup or 50g a day. They need hay, hay and more hay. Veg is more of a snack.
Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[Wiebke]

Hello!
So I’ve noticed a weird looking poop in my girls’ cage, However, it’s a rather big poop, the size my boys would drop (they live upstairs; completely inaccessible), so I’m trying to figure out whose poop it actually is.

It kinda looks like it was slit in the middle and had this goo on the outside and apparently on the inside as well (pics for ref )
The goo os quite sticky

My largest boar has just been to the vet and he had some antibiotics and probiotics; also he was on Spirulina and Hepvet (supposedly supplements + to help him lose weight)

I’m currently trying to locate more weird-looking poops and to identify which piggie dropped it. It’s been a couple of days

I’ve cut off the supplements and cut down on the veggies (I was giving them more than usual after the vet recommended to do so. Regret)
They’re all normally excited, begging for food, eating... they have their usual hay and water...

Haven’t seen any other weird poops till now (girls continue dropping smaller ones)

I’ve read around and it seems some mucusy poop can mean an upset stomach or irritated intestines, tho nothing major to worry about.

Anyone got any idea as to what it can be? Tips for identifying whose poop it is?

Ps pigs have been pooping and eating and drinking normally

View attachment 173402
View attachment 173403

Hi

If it is just a one-off poop, it is unlikely that you will ever get to the bottom of it. To be honest, it doesn't look like a proper tummy upset anyway, so whatever it was, was extremely borderline. I would not worry; it can just be from a bit too much veg.

Many vets not all that familiar with guinea pigs go by their literature. The cited weights are on the low side for well kept pet piggies and do not take account of the fact that the body size can vary enormously and neither of the fact that the weight does also change over the course of the life naturally.
In order to check whether your piggy is a good weight/size ratio at any time of their life (i.e. not overweight or underweight), please follow the information in our weight guide when you feel around the ribs for the 'heft' or BMI. If you have been overfeeding on veg and pellets (no more than 1 tablespoon or 1/8 cup, which is exactly the same amount); then your boy could be a little too chunky but reducing veg and pellets to the recommended amount in favour of unlimited hay, not feeding treats but turning veg time into enrichment time (including getting to move lazy older piggies) and providing daily run time, any extra should come off without any further extra measures. Guinea pigs have a fast metabolism, which in this case is to their favour.
Please read the information in this guide here; you will not only find it interesting but since you need to know which ball park your piggy's normal weight is in in order to judge any illness related weight loss or gain - and when to see a vet - it can be potentially life-saving.
A life-long weekly weigh-in and body check helps you to spot any gradually developing problems early on when they are more easily treatable. Being able to tell your vet the range of any weight loss or how long you have noticed any changes can help them with their own assessment, diagnosis and medical treatment choices.

Here are the health monitoring links again (you may want to bookmark them):
Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

Early Signs Of Illness
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

 

[PheiChi]

I’m not sure what that could be caused by. Though you’re right, it does look like the size of boar poops. Did you not find any similar in their cage?

I picked up on your boar needing to lose weight. Why did the vet think that? How old is he and what does he weigh? And when you feel the heft, what is it like? I wouldn’t feed more veg than the recommended amount - 1 cup or 50g a day. They need hay, hay and more hay. Veg is more of a snack.
Weight - Monitoring and Management

hello! Thank you for your reply

I haven’t identified any similar looking poops yet; still on the lookout.

My boar is pretty big, he’s about 30cm (11.8in) and is currently weighing 1,350g (3lb) so I’ve been advised to cut down on pellets (used to have 2 per day, now 1)

i really should give them less vegs (have been doing that!)

Thank you so much for the guide too

 

[PheiChi]

Th

hello! Thank you for your reply

I haven’t identified any similar looking poops yet; still on the lookout.

My boar is pretty big, he’s about 30cm (11.8in) and is currently weighing 1,350g (3lb) so I’ve been advised to cut down on pellets (used to have 2 per day, now 1)

i really should give them less vegs (have been doing that!)

Thank you so much for the guide too

Hi

If it is just a one-off poop, it is unlikely that you will ever get to the bottom of it. To be honest, it doesn't look like a proper tummy upset anyway, so whatever it was, was extremely borderline. I would not worry; it can just be from a bit too much veg.

Many vets not all that familiar with guinea pigs go by their literature. The cited weights are on the low side for well kept pet piggies and do not take account of the fact that the body size can vary enormously and neither of the fact that the weight does also change over the course of the life naturally.
In order to check whether your piggy is a good weight/size ratio at any time of their life (i.e. not overweight or underweight), please follow the information in our weight guide when you feel around the ribs for the 'heft' or BMI. If you have been overfeeding on veg and pellets (no more than 1 tablespoon or 1/8 cup, which is exactly the same amount); then your boy could be a little too chunky but reducing veg and pellets to the recommended amount in favour of unlimited hay, not feeding treats but turning veg time into enrichment time (including getting to move lazy older piggies) and providing daily run time, any extra should come off without any further extra measures. Guinea pigs have a fast metabolism, which in this case is to their favour.
Please read the information in this guide here; you will not only find it interesting but since you need to know which ball park your piggy's normal weight is in in order to judge any illness related weight loss or gain - and when to see a vet - it can be potentially life-saving.
A life-long weekly weigh-in and body check helps you to spot any gradually developing problems early on when they are more easily treatable. Being able to tell your vet the range of any weight loss or how long you have noticed any changes can help them with their own assessment, diagnosis and medical treatment choices.

Here are the health monitoring links again (you may want to bookmark them):
Weight - Monitoring and Management
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

Early Signs Of Illness
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

Thank you soso much for the guides!

Yes, I’m being a bit cautious around this specific veterinarian not bc he’s ill intentioned but bc he just doesn’t seem to familiar with cavies;; still, i believe vet advice should always be taken into account.

aah I really do hope it’s “just” excess veg ha ha I’ve been reducing the amount!
I will see how to get them to run a bit more (have been giving them daily floor time, but they sometimes want to just hide and sleep) seeing that I – sadly – don’t have much space.

also I remembered my pigs might have ingested some seeds (was feeding the birds, but have stopped due to being afraid piggies were eating seeds),
Would it maybe be related?

 

[Siikibam]

1350g isn’t big. There are some piggies in here who top the scales at 1400g+. You also can’t just judge by weight hence feeling their heft as described above and in the guide linked to.

Pellets should be kept to a tablespoon a day for each pig. Partly because they contain a lot of calcium, along with unfiltered (hard) water. They’re also the junk food of the piggy world and only make up 5% of their diet. Seeds should not be fed to piggies at all, they’re not suitable for them. But I don’t know whether they would cause a large weight gain.

Have you been weighing them weekly? How much weight has he been putting on each week, or has he been hovering around the same? And how old is he?

 

[Wiebke]

1350g is a pretty common weight for a good-sized boar at the height of his life.

Just a bit of one-off seed would not cause a massive weight gain. They are not recommended as a regular part of a diet because they are pretty fatty and would be fattening if eaten on a regular basis but it is not a catastrophy if they eat some as a one off or if there is a little in a treat or a nugget as long as treats and pellets are fed in moderation - that is the key word.
Sadly, far too many piggies are still fed on hamster or bird food with very unhappy and severely life-shortening consequences, hence the strong message.

Please be aware that there is also fat in pellets and that some especially high sugar veg, like carrots, are very calorific . Most overweight comes from overfeeding pellets veg and lots of treats.

 

[PheiChi]

1350g is a pretty common weight for a good-sized boar at the height of his life.

Just a bit of one-off seed would not cause a massive weight gain. They are not recommended as a regular part of a diet because they are pretty fatty and would be fattening if eaten on a regular basis but it is not a catastrophy if they eat some as a one off or if there is a little in a treat or a nugget as long as treats and pellets are fed in moderation - that is the key word.
Sadly, far too many piggies are still fed on hamster or bird food with very unhappy and severely life-shortening consequences, hence the strong message.

Please be aware that there is also fat in pellets and that some especially high sugar veg, like carrots, are very calorific . Most overweight comes from overfeeding pellets veg and lots of treats.

1350g isn’t big. There are some piggies in here who top the scales at 1400g+. You also can’t just judge by weight hence feeling their heft as described above and in the guide linked to.

Pellets should be kept to a tablespoon a day for each pig. Partly because they contain a lot of calcium, along with unfiltered (hard) water. They’re also the junk food of the piggy world and only make up 5% of their diet. Seeds should not be fed to piggies at all, they’re not suitable for them. But I don’t know whether they would cause a large weight gain.

Have you been weighing them weekly? How much weight has he been putting on each week, or has he been hovering around the same? And how old is he?

Omg I am so sorry for the delay and so thankful for your reply

I have been weighing the pigs with more frequency and noticed that their weights are indeed quite stable!
I am also checking their heft and so far so good, I believe~

Thankfully I haven’t seen any more of those weird poops! Am keeping in mind about vegs and treats and legumes and fruit!

Thank you so much once again