Is it ok to cut out veg?

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Finn-Bendle

Finn-Bendle

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Ok so a while back I posted a thread when I had first had my pigs. Since then I've noticed Pamela has been showing symptoms of bloat, her pooping is normal but she will blow up like a balloon and get very agitated if I try to pick her up. She'll cry out and squint her eyes when I rub her belly and she is not very active, only getting up to eat or drink. Compared to Dana, who doesn't show any of these symptoms and who's gas goes away an hour or so after eating, this is worrying. I've ordered childlife vitamin C which I plan on giving Pamela daily and I think it would be best if I stopped feeding her vegetables. Is there any risk from this?
 
:agr: Some vegetables like broccoli can cause bloat.

Honestly, I wouldn’t cut out something as important as veggies without a specific diagnosis from a piggie-experienced exotic vet.
 
My piggies get veggies three times a day so they are used to getting plenty of veggies like a cup and a half every day. They will know if their veggie meals are missing so I wouldn’t cut out veggies unless an experienced exotic vet tells me to stop feeding them veggies.

My boy Finn is a healthy 2 year old boy eating three veggie meals a day. I don’t know how old Lara is because she was given to me by a friend but she is also healthy getting plenty of veggies.
 
Has she seen a vet?
If she is suffering from bloat at the moment, then you need to get her to a vet, but temporarily stop vegetables untilnthe episode of bloat is dealt with.
You can then reintroduce veggies, but if she is prone to bloat then you need to check what you are feeding her regularly, and then find out if there are any veggies which cause her digestive issues.
Definitely don’t do a blanket veggie ban though
 
In response to all the questions, I haven't taken her to a vet and I've deduced that what I'm seeing is probably just gas rather than full on bloat. I'm not too worried because she's eating and pooping normal healthy amount and her only symptom seems to be tummy pain. I've been giving her massages and I bought Woodward's gripe water today. I'm going to give her some veggies and then give her 1 ml every hour for 3 hours to see if that helps with her pain. I know bloat is very serious and I will see a vet as soon as I notice she isn't eating or pooping, but I am well stocked up with vitamin C and critical care to keep her stable if an emergency does occur. Is there any advise to how much gripe water I should be giving her? I've read that gripe water seems to have a better effect than simethicone but I'm judging by half the infant dose.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Which vegetables do you feed?
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Romaine lettuce, bell peppers, carrots, cucumber,celery and coriander. I rotate what I feed so they don't eat the same every day. Unfortunately I haven't noticed that one specific vegetable brings the symptoms on. It seems to be any vegetable that I give her.
 
Seven7 said:
My piggies get veggies three times a day so they are used to getting plenty of veggies like a cup and a half every day. They will know if their veggie meals are missing so I wouldn’t cut out veggies unless an experienced exotic vet tells me to stop feeding them veggies.

My boy Finn is a healthy 2 year old boy eating three veggie meals a day. I don’t know how old Lara is because she was given to me by a friend but she is also healthy getting plenty of veggies.
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Mine usually get one veggie meal a day. They have been noticing that the veggies are missing and I've been giving then small amounts in the meantime, but considering her symptoms, I feel safer with feeding little veggies and making up for it by giving extra hay, pellets and vitamins. There are no exotic vets in the area and unfortunately I think my local vets are pretty useless at diagnosing guinea pig conditions as I asked about bloat and they said it was 'nothing to worry about'. They are both 1 year old. I don't know if younger pigs are more susceptible to getting gassy?
 
I think you need to take her to the vet, and get a proper diagnosis and treatment- we really do not recommend home treatments unless suggested by a vet. Bloat can flare up fast and can be a killer unfortunately, any sign of bloat should be checked out by a vet. As I seem to be in a major city in the UK I dont quite see why you cannot access a good vet? Have you checked out the forum vet locater?
 
20200120_200043.webpit's 8:00, she's just had some veggies and is looking quite gassy. Her tummy is quite firm and hollow. This is what her typical symptoms look like. I've given her 1ml of gripe water, I'll check back in an hour with another photo to see what effect that has had. If it makes no difference, I'll try another ml.
 
Finn-Bendle said:
In response to all the questions, I haven't taken her to a vet and I've deduced that what I'm seeing is probably just gas rather than full on bloat. I'm not too worried because she's eating and pooping normal healthy amount and her only symptom seems to be tummy pain. I've been giving her massages and I bought Woodward's gripe water today. I'm going to give her some veggies and then give her 1 ml every hour for 3 hours to see if that helps with her pain. I know bloat is very serious and I will see a vet as soon as I notice she isn't eating or pooping, but I am well stocked up with vitamin C and critical care to keep her stable if an emergency does occur. Is there any advise to how much gripe water I should be giving her? I've read that gripe water seems to have a better effect than simethicone but I'm judging by half the infant dose.
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If your piggy is suffering from severe acute bloat, then please see a vet as quickly as possible for gut motility medication and read the guide for what you can do at home additonally but NOT replacing proper medication.
It is a potential killer that can kill in hours - or in the second or the third wave!
This is NOT a small problem; this is an emergency. And home tinkering is not enough!
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
 
@Finn-Bendle we cannot diagnose from photos especially bloat, if you suspect bloat at all please go see a vet first rather than asking online and treating on spec with home remedies!
 
:agr: We strongly advise against home treatments. Giving gripe water is not a substitute for a proper vet diagnosis and correct treatment.
 
PigglePuggle said:
I think you need to take her to the vet, and get a proper diagnosis and treatment- we really do not recommend home treatments unless suggested by a vet. Bloat can flare up fast and can be a killer unfortunately, any sign of bloat should be checked out by a vet. As I seem to be in a major city in the UK I dont quite see why you cannot access a good vet? Have you checked out the forum vet locater?
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I will certainly take her to the vet soon, especially if her symptoms don't improve. The only guinea pig savvy vet I know of in Bath is rosemary lodge. Now I still live with and am payed for by my parents so sometimes it can be hard to convince them how serious their problems can become in just a few hours. The two vets within walking distance (the ones I can get to without having to nag my parents to take me) are both really not great with small animals. Like I said I could get to rosemary lodge by car but my parents wouldn't be too willing to oblige unless it was a life or death situation (by their standards).
 
Finn-Bendle said:
I will certainly take her to the vet soon, especially if her symptoms don't improve. The only guinea pig savvy vet I know of in Bath is rosemary lodge. Now I still live with and am payed for by my parents so sometimes it can be hard to convince them how serious their problems can become in just a few hours. The two vets within walking distance (the ones I can get to without having to nag my parents to take me) are both really not great with small animals. Like I said I could get to rosemary lodge by car but my parents wouldn't be too willing to oblige unless it was a life or death situation (by their standards).
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Bloat can be a life or death situation, my own piggy almost died from bloat and it was only by following the advice given here on the forum and getting prompt vet treatment that the vet could save her. We also have members who sadly werent so lucky when dealing with bloat. Please don't delay a vet trip, bloat can kill very fast :(
 
PigglePuggle said:
Bloat can be a life or death situation, my own piggy almost died from bloat and it was only by following the advice given here on the forum and getting prompt vet treatment that the vet could save her. We also have members who sadly werent so lucky when dealing with bloat. Please don't delay a vet trip, bloat can kill very fast :(
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I understand, I really do, I'm just trying to get around the parent situation and trying to make her comfortable in the meantime.
 
Is there any way you could get to rosemary lodge by public transport?...please tell them they have a legal responsibility to take piggy to the vet. One of the piggie’s rights is to have access to healthcare. They shouldn’t have allowed you to take her in if they weren’t willing to take care of the vet fees. Tell them she could die in a matter of hours if not seen.
 
Bloat can be very serious. I lost my piggy to gastric stasis a few weeks ago. :( Please get her to the vet as soon as you can. It really can be a life or death situation here, hopefully you can convince your parents - show them this thread if you have to.
 
Goldie said:
How is Pamela today?
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I've been super careful and she's looking much more spritely and her tummy is all back to normal. We're slowly introducing veggies back in small quantities which she's very happy about. I'm gonna see if I can get a vet diagnosis for any stomach sensitivities or gas problems though, this has been super worrying. In the meantime she's been super closely monitored and rest assured if I had seen something really worrying I would have walked to the vet myself if I had to. (Added bonus, my new C and C should be arriving this week! I'm hoping they'll love it.)
 
Finn-Bendle said:
View attachment 131662it's 8:00, she's just had some veggies and is looking quite gassy. Her tummy is quite firm and hollow. This is what her typical symptoms look like. I've given her 1ml of gripe water, I'll check back in an hour with another photo to see what effect that has had. If it makes no difference, I'll try another ml.
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maybe cut some food out or try visiting a vet
 
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