How can i help with ny guinea pig bloating

[emmarob87]

Hi my 2 1/2 year old girl suffers with bloating, I've read you can give gripe water is this true? Or infacol?
We have had visitis to the vets but ses to be an ongoing issue, I try to watch what I feed her but she loves with 3 other girls.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi my 2 1/2 year old girl suffers with bloating, I've read you can give gripe water is this true? Or infacol?
We have had visitis to the vets but ses to be an ongoing issue, I try to watch what I feed her but she loves with 3 other girls.

Hi

How long has this been going on and what meds is your girl on? Are you providing feeding support? Has your girl had an x-ray? Can you please give us more information on what has been done and what has been prescribed in terms of medication and dosage.

Gripe water can help a little with dispersing gas in mild bloating cases but won't help one bit with severe bloating. Infacol does collect the gas in one large bubble (easier to push out in the much shorter and thicker gut of a carnivore or omnivore) but a problem in the thin spaghetti gut that guinea pigs have.

Unfortunately, medication for any rodents digestive tract (to which guinea pigs belong) is very limited and not ideal, so severe or persistent bloating is a major issue. It is also important to work out whether the problem is dysbiosis (an overgrowth of the wrong bacteria in the gut that causes the gassing) or whether the problem is secondary, i.e. caused by problem outside the gut that is impacting on it, either through radiating major pain into the gut or by pressing on it.

Here is more information on bloating care: Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)