Impaction

[alixscreaturecrew]

Hey everybody! I could do with some help:
I have two rescue boars at the moment
In the past i have really struggled with impaction so i thought i would post here
Both my boars are estimated to be between 4-6+ Years old
My guinea pippin has recently started to get quite bad impaction

I use two different hay types for variety
A small amount of science select pellets
A veriety of veggies every day (cabbage, kale (small amounts), pak choy, broccoli, apple, strawberry, carrot, peppers, peas, sweetcorn etc)
Some guinea pig safe herbs sprinkled in (for a bit more variety and fibre)
In spring through autumn they get forage and grass daily

I am pretty happy with their diet and they are free roamed piggies so I do not think its a lack of exercise or anything related to that.
I am assuming its age relating though if you think otherwise that would be great to hear!
I'd just like to help them be more comfortable, only one of my guineas has it at the moment luckily..
Thank you guys in advance, my guinea pigs mean the world to me and I could not bear to loose either of them

 

[Siikibam]

Boars are susceptible to impaction when they age. This is more common with intact boars but I think it can happen to neutered boars as well.

Have a read of the guide I’ve linked below. I know you weren’t looking for advice on their diet but I’ll also link to the feeding guide below.
Impaction - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[alixscreaturecrew]

Boars are susceptible to impaction when they age. This is more common with intact boars but I think it can happen to neutered boars as well.

Have a read of the guide I’ve linked below. I know you weren’t looking for advice on their diet but I’ll also link to the feeding guide below.
Impaction - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

thank you so much for the info !
Both my boars are unneutered as far as i am aware
I'm new to the forum so the links are very helpful thank you so much

 

[Cosmic_Shadow]

As stated above it is so common with older boys, especially intact (not neutered males) or boars neutered later in their life.
When their testes grow (quite large in some cases) it allows for the 'pouch' where the impaction ends up to stretch. As they reach older age sometimes their muscles weaken, their droppings and other things do not push out as efficiently leading to the impaction. Unfortunately, often times there isn't really a way to prevent it especially in the case of weakened muscles, but rather manage it with cleanings.

It isn't always a pleasant task, but it is a necessary one.