Mushy poos

[Winniethepiggy]

Hi,

I think both of my guinea pigs have mushy poops as the poops are formed but wet and easily can be squished. I'm worried about taking my youngest pig off of veg for a few days as shes on antibiotics at the moment so will need that extra vit c. My older pig whose 3, her poops have been like this for a while and we tried it before taking them off veg for a few days but my youngest one started getting more tired and less active so we started giving them veg again, this was early last year. My oldest pig has had a loud rumbing stomach for a while like it sounds like a hunger rumble from her stomach that we get when we are hungry but i can hear it but her stomach doesnt feel bloated or hollow. I'm not sure what to do as I'm scared of taking them off veg as I'm not sure how they will get their vit c intake for the day, they do have loads of hay and i measure their pellets out every day to the correct amount. And I'm not sure if its risky to take my youngest one off of veg with her been on antibiotics. I give her pro c aswell and give my oldest pig some too, i sprinkle it on their veg. I made them both poop on a towel yesterday and i took a picture so i will attach this too. Thank you

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please remove the veg. It doesn’t matter that they are on antibiotics - it’s being in the antibiotics which are causing the problems for your youngest piggy.
A few days without veg to allow their gut to settle will not harm them but keeping them on veg while their guts are unbalanced will make them worse.
They still get vit c through hay and their pellets So you don’t need to worry about vit c at all.

You could switch to fibreplex as the probiotic rather than pro-c. It is a bit better product

They will not get more tired or less active due to not being given veg. This is because veg is simply not a big enough part of their diet. Their diet should be mainly hay and that is where they get their energy from, and veg is simply a snack.

You need to be able to hear stomach noises - that is healthy.
If their gut is silent then they are seriously unwell and require emergency vet care.

 

[Winniethepiggy]

Its just the stomach noises are so loud sometimes like gurgling very loud and i can hear it from my bed. So i researched it and theres so many different things about it being bloat and an emergency and stuff and I'm not sure as shes done this ages and always been ok, the vet says shes okay and healthy so

 

[Piggies&buns]

Its just the stomach noises are so loud sometimes like gurgling very loud and i can hear it from my bed. So i researched it and theres so many different things about it being bloat and an emergency and stuff and I'm not sure as shes done this ages and always been ok, the vet says shes okay and healthy so

Yes a very noisy digestive system can be because of bloat but if she’s been checked out and she is definitely ok then it’s probably just her way.

Generally though you need to be able to hear stomach noises from them

 

[Winniethepiggy]

Yes a very noisy digestive system can be because of bloat but if she’s been checked out and she is definitely ok then it’s probably just her way.

Generally though you need to be able to hear stomach noises from them

Thank you, how am i meant to give them pro c though with no veg as dont really want to give them it in their water bottle

 

[Winniethepiggy]

Also by the time any fibreplex comes, ill be back to feeding them veg again as theres no where i can get it other than online, so id have to stick to the pro c

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you, how am i meant to give them pro c though with no veg as dont really want to give them it in their water bottle

Sprinkle in their pellets dry; or mush some
Pellets with warm water to make a slurry and then put the pro c in it for them to eat. Most piggies like a warm pellet ‘porridge’.

Please do not put it in their water bottle.

Also by the time any fibreplex comes, ill be back to feeding them veg again as theres no where i can get it other than online, so id have to stick to the pro c

If your older piggy is prone to soft poops then there is benefit in her being on fibreplex to help with that anyway.
Plus your younger piggy should be on a probiotic for as long as her course of antibiotics lasts, plus a few days after.
If you happy with the pro c then that is fine, it’s just they fibreplex is better and if I remember correctly it contains less sugar than pro c.

 

[Winniethepiggy]

Sprinkle in their pellets dry; or mush some
Pellets with warm water to make a slurry and then put the pro c in it for them to eat. Most piggies like a warm pellet ‘porridge’.

Please do not put it in their water bottle.



If your older piggy is prone to soft poops then there is benefit in her being on fibreplex to help with that anyway.
Plus your younger piggy should be on a probiotic for as long as her course of antibiotics lasts, plus a few days after.
If you happy with the pro c then that is fine, it’s just they fibreplex is better and if I remember correctly it contains less sugar than pro c.

Thank you ill do this! Ill get some fibreplex ordered. Also when i let them have their veg again, do i introduce the veg slowly as theyll have been off them a few days or can i just give the veg as i normally would again?

 

[Winniethepiggy]

Thank you ill do this! Ill get some fibreplex ordered. Also when i let them have their veg again, do i introduce the veg slowly as theyll have been off them a few days or can i just give the veg as i normally would again?

Also do i have my older piggy on fibreplex for how long?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you ill do this! Ill get some fibreplex ordered. Also when i let them have their veg again, do i introduce the veg slowly as theyll have been off them a few days or can i just give the veg as i normally would again?

You need their poops to normalise first - it can take a few days, and for the piggy on antibiotics that may not happen until she has stopped having the antibiotics - and then still keep them off veg for a further 24 hours after they are having normal poops.
You then bees to reintroduce slowly. Once small piece a day and then see how it goes. It’s recommended to start with herbs first though as they tend to be kinder to the digestion.

Also do i have my older piggy on fibreplex for how long?

It depends what her issues are really. If it is a temporary thing they keep her on it until poops normalise and a few days after.
If she is having longer term issues, then you may need to go through a process of working out if it is a particular veg which is causing her problems and then cut that particular one out permanently.