Mushy poops?

[lauryn1289]

Yet another post! My 6 1/2 year old boy Kip has had mushy poops for the past couple days, not the first time but usually has happened before if I gave him too many pellets which I’m pretty sure isn’t the problem here, he actually gets a bit less pellets now. I noticed it the day before yesterday, I cut out veggies apart from a couple tiny bites of tomato to incentivise him to eat his hay, he’s very fussy but anyway they are still mushy. Not diarrhoea though, just big lumps and mushy! It’s like a few poops combined into one coming out. I inserted a photo for context (I hope that’s okay). Very slightly moist and loose but not wet or watery if that makes sense.

I’ve weighed him and I’m happy with his weight it’s stable and actually a bit higher than last time he was weighed, his mood is absolutely fine, no change in appetite when it comes to pellets and veggies but still picky with hay even though he’s offered multiple types I’ll run to the shop and get even more hay today. I don’t feel any impaction either down there, I have been wiping his rear a few times a day. He’s drinking as normal too. Also been feeding him critical care every few hours for some extra fibre. Apart from the mushy lumps of poops he seems totally normal. Should I be concerned?

His cagemate Ollie has no changes or issues with his poops if that’s relevant, I did give Kip some poop soup but perhaps the poops weren’t fresh enough!

 

[Piggies&buns]

If you’ve removed veg and it’s not made a difference and he doesn’t have impaction, then it would be best to get a vet check done just to be sure all is well.

Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

How do you serve his hay?

If you’re going to use poop soup, you literally need to be behind Ollie and catch the poops as they come out and soak them immediately. The good bacteria dies off very quickly after poops are expelled so getting them soaked quickly is important for it to be most effective

 

[lauryn1289]

Just incase it’s relevant he did have some clementine, kiwi and pear a couple days ago which he doesn’t have often at all! Wondering if that maybe disturbed his tummy a little

 

[Piggies&buns]

Just incase it’s relevant he did have some clementine, kiwi and pear a couple days ago which he doesn’t have often at all! Wondering if that maybe disturbed his tummy a little

It may well have done.
Fruit does not need to be in their diet at all but if you are going to give it it should only be one very small amount

 

[lauryn1289]

If you’ve removed veg and it’s not made a difference and he doesn’t have impaction, then it would be best to get a vet check done just to be sure all is well.

How do you serve his hay?

If you’re going to use poop soup, you literally need to be behind Ollie and catch the poops as they come out and soak them immediately. The good bacteria dies off very quickly after poops are expelled so getting them soaked quickly is important for it to be most effective

I have hay in little piles throughout the cage, I have one of his hideys on a bed of hay so he can snack while he lies down and a tunnel filled with hay. He goes through phases with types of hay it seems and for now he’s snubbing the hay he usually will only eat! But he is eating it just not too enthused. I did put some hay in a cardboard roll but he had 0 interest in anything but the roll. Yeah I thought I had caught a very fresh poop earlier but I might have been wrong!

 

[lauryn1289]

It may well have done.
Fruit does not need to be in their diet at all but if you are going to give it it should only be one very small amount

Yes I’ve been thinking perhaps that’s the culprit, I got a variety of things I usually wouldn’t feed them the day before my Bobby passed when I was trying to get Bobby to eat something, so they just got some bites of the different fruits purely because they were here. It had been a LONG time since he had kiwi and orange especially

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes I’ve been thinking perhaps that’s the culprit, I got a variety of things I usually wouldn’t feed them the day before my Bobby passed when I was trying to get Bobby to eat something, so they just got some bites of the different fruits purely because they were here. It had been a LONG time since he had kiwi and orange especially

I would think a sudden intake of fruit is likely the cause, particularly if you’ve given all three of the fruits at the same time or even in the same week, when he isn’t used to it.

I have hay in little piles throughout the cage, I have one of his hideys on a bed of hay so he can snack while he lies down and a tunnel filled with hay. He goes through phases with types of hay it seems and for now he’s snubbing the hay he usually will only eat! But he is eating it just not too enthused. I did put some hay in a cardboard roll but he had 0 interest in anything but the roll. Yeah I thought I had caught a very fresh poop earlier but I might have been wrong!

That’s good - free and easy access and so he can just lay in it and eat is a good thing.

It’s good he is maintaining his weight though. Provided you are sticking to one cup of veg and just one tablespoon of pellets, those items together will not be enough to sustain him. Therefore, he should be eating more hay than you think. He needs plenty of hay fibre to right his digestive system.
Definitely continue with regular weight checks to make sure.

I would try the poop soup again for a few days and see if that helps. Do see a vet though if you are concerned and things don’t improve

 

[lauryn1289]

I would think a sudden intake of fruit is likely the cause, particularly if you’ve given all three of the fruits at the same time or even in the same week, when he isn’t used to it.




That’s good - free and easy access and so he can just lay in it and eat is a good thing.

It’s good he is maintaining his weight though. Provided you are sticking to one cup of veg and just one tablespoon of pellets, those items together will not be enough to sustain him. Therefore, he should be eating more hay than you think. He needs plenty of hay fibre to right his digestive system.
Definitely continue with regular weight checks to make sure.

I would try the poop soup again for a few days and see if that helps. Do see a vet though if you are concerned and things don’t improve

Absolutely, he has 2 types of timothy and 3 types of meadow hay in his cage currently but I’m gonna go and get some different brands tomorrow to hopefully excite him. I scattered a few tomato seeds into his hay earlier to incentivise him but I do need to think of ways to get him excited about hay. He doesn’t seem to like eating from a hay rack at all either and if he stands in it usually he’ll snub it. He’s the prissiest guinea pig I’ve met I recently bought them 10kg of fresh local timothy hay they usually love for €35 and now they’re both like “meh!”

I’ll get Ollie out for floor time when I wake up and get him some fresh poop soup. Thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

How often do you throw new hay in during the day?

 

[lauryn1289]

How often do you throw new hay in during the day?

I’ve been doing an entire bed clean, washing fleeces and all, every day basically lately but I throw in handfuls of hay every couple hours usually, I actually tend to waste a lot of hay throwing loads in that they won’t get the chance to even eat because I’m such a worrier about them not having enough. I’ll start throwing in less but fully getting rid of what’s already in there before I do from now on though I think, versus doing whole bed cleans every day or second day when it’s probably not necessary

In saying all that I just saw him and Ollie feasting on some expensive meadow hay I got them weeks ago that they turned their nose up at before now when offered! They can’t make up their minds about what hay they like and what hay they hate

 

[Piggies&buns]

That sounds like a good plan to give a little less more often and certainly worth a go if you are concerned they aren’t eating enough. (as I say though provided they are not being overfed on pellets and veg then, for their weight to be maintained, they must be eating enough hay). He may do better with a bit less but more often and to ensure all of it is fresh.

 

[Posyrose]

I'd be a little hesitant about changing the hay. My two boys had soft poos for a month after I changed from haybox Timothy blend to haybox soft Timothy. I went to the vets and there were no other issues. They got better as soon as I changed back to their normal hay!

 

[lauryn1289]

I'd be a little hesitant about changing the hay. My two boys had soft poos for a month after I changed from haybox Timothy blend to haybox soft Timothy. I went to the vets and there were no other issues. They got better as soon as I changed back to their normal hay!

Oh wow I wouldn’t have thought of that! I was only changing up his hay because he seems to be bored of his usual one

 

[lauryn1289]

Patiently awaiting a fresh poop for some poop soup

 

[Livia Rabideau]

Aww. Hopefully it's just the fruit. My Zoey who I just lost could not have fruit. Her poops would get soft and mushy. Probiotics helped her pretty quickly if you have any.

 

[lauryn1289]

Aww. Hopefully it's just the fruit. My Zoey who I just lost could not have fruit. Her poops would get soft and mushy. Probiotics helped her pretty quickly if you have any.

I got him some poop soup last night, a new hay he seems to really like and have been giving him critical care for some extra fibre the past few days and his poops are completely normal this morning Since they were so mushy he was getting very messy down there and let’s just say having his bum and penis cleaned a few times a day wasn’t his favourite

So sorry about your Zoey again Sending you so much love

 

[Livia Rabideau]

I got him some poop soup last night, a new hay he seems to really like and have been giving him critical care for some extra fibre the past few days and his poops are completely normal this morning Since they were so mushy he was getting very messy down there and let’s just say having his bum and penis cleaned a few times a day wasn’t his favourite

So sorry about your Zoey again Sending you so much love

Yay! Thank you! Boy cleaning is not fun is it? Lol. I have 5 boys.