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Gripe Water for Bloat

sofiakucera

sofiakucera

New Born Pup
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Hi!
About a night ago i noticed my male guinea pig had mild bloat and soft poops or lack there of. i ordered some gripe water online since the stores near me didn’t have it. In the mean time I massaged his stomach every couple of hours for minutes at a time which almost immediately made him poop again. Today his bloat has completely disappeared and his poops are back to normal after all of the massaging.
The gripe water came today but since he seems to have improved should I still give him some gripe water just for good measure? My main reason of concern is that if giving a guinea pig gripe water when they are not bloated anymore would backfire and just re upset his stomach again.
Any other information on gripe water/when to use it and how much to use would be helpful as well :)
Thanks!
(ps my boy has previously had on and off mild stomach upset such as soft poops but they always go back to normal after i take him off of veggies and then re introduce. So i also got this gripe water in hopes that this will be an extra support for his stomach and gas in addition to my massaging and that i can use this in the future whenever he gets soft poops and gas)
 
Hi, I've never heard of gripe water before...maybe if you have a vet you can speak to over the phone they may have more information on it...it sounds like so far you're doing everything right for him in terms of getting him back to his normal self...I hope he continues to be oki...
 
An expert should be along soon - it's 6am here in the UK where most are based.

I'm fairly certain that simeticone (the ingredient in gripe water, infacol etc) is not recommended in guinea pigs. It works by effectively gathering all the gas into one big bubble, but as guinea pigs can't burp this bubble is hard to pass and can be quite painful for them.

It sounds like everything is going in the right direction though - all the best for your piggie 😊
 
Gripe water is fine to use as a support. It is herbal and does not contain simethicone.
Simethicone is in infacol though, so infacol is not recommended for the reasons mentioned above - gathering gas into a big bubble and causing discomfort.

If he is now ok then I would not give it.

Do note that gripe water will not treat acute bloat. Seeing a vet and getting proper medication and pain relief is essential given the severity of bloat.
If he has suffered with this a few times then it would be a good idea to see a vet anyway.
If he struggles with soft poops and gas often then you may need to find out if there is something else going on - does he need a probiotic, is there a particular veg upsetting him etc

Make sure you also keep up with the weight checks and switch to daily weight checks when there are health concerns. This enables you to step in with support feeding critical care more quickly.
 
If this is a recurring issue you might be better of getting some Emeprid from your vets

My vet just needed to health check my pig and then was fine to give me some for at home use

You also might want to consider if certain foods may be the issue here? sadly my boy can only have lettuce and peppers now else he gets bad
 
sofiakucera said:
Hi!
About a night ago i noticed my male guinea pig had mild bloat and soft poops or lack there of. i ordered some gripe water online since the stores near me didn’t have it. In the mean time I massaged his stomach every couple of hours for minutes at a time which almost immediately made him poop again. Today his bloat has completely disappeared and his poops are back to normal after all of the massaging.
The gripe water came today but since he seems to have improved should I still give him some gripe water just for good measure? My main reason of concern is that if giving a guinea pig gripe water when they are not bloated anymore would backfire and just re upset his stomach again.
Any other information on gripe water/when to use it and how much to use would be helpful as well :)
Thanks!
(ps my boy has previously had on and off mild stomach upset such as soft poops but they always go back to normal after i take him off of veggies and then re introduce. So i also got this gripe water in hopes that this will be an extra support for his stomach and gas in addition to my massaging and that i can use this in the future whenever he gets soft poops and gas)
Click to expand...

Hi

Please don't give gripe water on spec unless your boy has clearly got symptoms of mild bloating (i.e. the belly is still soft).

Gripe water is a UK word for a herbal anti-wind product used in colicky babies; please keep in mind that our forum is UK based. You should find comparable herbal products in the USA when googling.
It is however not effective with serious, potentially fatal bloating where the belly is full or in places tight and hard as a drum, and sounds hollow when you gently knock against it. This is a life or death emergency and needs to be see by a vet as quickly as possible.
More information and practical advice on bloating and other digestive problems in this guide link here: Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)
 
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