My GP is under GA and I'm nervous

[Tofumom]

Thank you so much! Idk if this is getting better like you said but he had lots poop out (mostly clumped but still yay) and started eating few pellets today I hope this means he is in less pain

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much! Idk if this is getting better like you said but he had lots poop out (mostly clumped but still yay) and started eating few pellets today I hope this means he is in less pain

Yes, these are all very positive signs that show that he is moving in the right direction and that his gut is also gradually normalising. Especially him starting to eat on his own; the crucial bit is him starting to eat hay again.

Recovery is very often not a steady but a very up and down process but you are gradually coming out of the acute crisis now.

Keep hanging in there and take heart!

 

[Tofumom]

hello
The poop is getting better.. I rarely see string now .. Thanks to amazing advices again

I came back because I have a question..
Does guineapig need to be fed good amount of food to keep their gut going every 2-4hrs or can it be just small amount of food? I've been waking up three times in middle of night to feed him but he seems to eat hay by himself now. I was curious if hay can keep his gut going

 

[Piggies&buns]

hello
The poop is getting better.. I rarely see string now .. Thanks to amazing advices again

I came back because I have a question..
Does guineapig need to be fed good amount of food to keep their gut going every 2-4hrs or can it be just small amount of food? I've been waking up three times in middle of night to feed him but he seems to eat hay by himself now. I was curious if hay can keep his gut going

Yes hay is the essential food for them, it is what will keep their gut going. It’s great he is eating hay for himself, But, he must be eating enough hay for himself before you can stop syringe feeding (Nibbling on little bits of hay here and there and eating bits of veg is not enough). To know if he is eating enough hay you need to weigh him. If he is eating hay well and is maintaining his weight then you can reduce syringe feeds but you just continue weighing him because if his weight drops again, then he isn’t eating enough hay and will need syringe feeding again until he is feeling better.

 

[Wiebke]

hello
The poop is getting better.. I rarely see string now .. Thanks to amazing advices again

I came back because I have a question..
Does guineapig need to be fed good amount of food to keep their gut going every 2-4hrs or can it be just small amount of food? I've been waking up three times in middle of night to feed him but he seems to eat hay by himself now. I was curious if hay can keep his gut going

Daily weighing is key to monitoring and managing not just the crisis but also the transition to eating on their own again.
Once a piggy is starting to seriously eating hay and they are able to take syringe feeds between 10-20 ml in one go or eat their feed by themselves from a bowl and their weight is coming up again, then you switch to support feeding by either about three daily extra feeding sessions, whether that is by syringe or by bowl - but you use the daily weighing as an instrument to see whether your piggy needs more support feed or whether they are actually able to eat fully by themselves. As recovery is a fluid and very individual process, you have to go with the flow; there are no strict rules. But the scales are your biggest helper in that situation because - unlike the poo output - they give you an up-to-date status report. It is impossible to judge the hay intake by eye but as it makes up to 80% of what you piggy eats in a day, so you need the scales to give you that important information.
Our syringe feeding guide has a chapter on feeding during the recovery (in the post about how much and how often to feed): Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre

 

[Tofumom]

Hi,

Returning back with small question

my guineapig has more energy than few days ago (yay) but his poop is still clumped due to antibiotic. His poop quality fluctuates everyday...sometimes good and sometimes bad..

But he still wheeks for vegetables. It's making me sad I can't give any fresh food to him for so long ☹ is it going to make his stomach worse if I give 1/4 lettuce?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,

Returning back with small question

my guineapig has more energy than few days ago (yay) but his poop is still clumped due to antibiotic. His poop quality fluctuates everyday...sometimes good and sometimes bad..

But he still wheeks for vegetables. It's making me sad I can't give any fresh food to him for so long ☹ is it going to make his stomach worse if I give 1/4 lettuce?

Try some fresh herbs first as the safest veg re-intro option since lettuce can cause diarrhea in a tender tummy. You can take it from there and see how his tummy is coping. Stop immediately if he is looking off or his poos get markedly worse again.

But glad that your boy (what is his name by the way?) is definitely on the mend and is getting their appetite back, so you are on the right track.

 

[Tofumom]

Hey wiebke,

I hope your weekend is good!

My guineapig name is Tofu. Yes! It's a miracle how much he improved in few days! You were right in every advice. He also gained 7 grams! (yay)

I'm glad he can try herbs tonight. Our whole family has been chewing vegetables very quietly to avoid making any crunch noises and trigger Tofu . Is there any herb you recommend for guineapig? I only have him basil before.

Try some fresh herbs first as the safest veg re-intro option since lettuce can cause diarrhea in a tender tummy. You can take it from there and see how his tummy is coping. Stop immediately if he is looking off or his poos get markedly worse again.

But glad that your boy (what is his name by the way?) is definitely on the mend and is getting their appetite back, so you are on the right track.

 

[Siikibam]

Try coriander (can be fed daily), and basil if he liked it before.

 

[Piggies&buns]

This guide has a section for herbs

Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

Mine love coriander and have some everyday. They also like basil, a bit of mint. Dill and parsley (occasionally due to calcium content) are also enjoyed by them

 

[Tofumom]

Then tonight's treat will be Coriander and basil thank you guys!

I guess I'll avoid calcium high ones cause my guineapig only eats hay seedhead atm

 

[Wiebke]

Hey wiebke,

I hope your weekend is good!

My guineapig name is Tofu. Yes! It's a miracle how much he improved in few days! You were right in every advice. He also gained 7 grams! (yay)

I'm glad he can try herbs tonight. Our whole family has been chewing vegetables very quietly to avoid making any crunch noises and trigger Tofu . Is there any herb you recommend for guineapig? I only have him basil before.

Cilantro (UK: fresh coriander) is the mildest and the one you can feed a little on a daily basis; but parsley, dill, mint, basil, fennel are all fine to feed, too, especially as an appetite starter. If Tofu is best used to basil, then by all means use that as a treat as his gut is used to it. If that goes down well, then you can add a little of another veg more with every passing meal. Stop as soon as his poos get worse.

 

[Tofumom]

Tried to see if his poop gets worse but he almost didn't poop at all... saw weird shape of like 4 tint droppings.. am I back to start wonder what's the cause...

 

[Tofumom]

Sigh...still no poop but farts and pees

 

[Siikibam]

The poo output is 1-2 days behind. If he wasn’t eating 2 days ago there won’t be much poo. Are you still syringe feeding him?

 

[Tofumom]

Mhm I'm still syringe feeding. He actually ate over 90ml 2 days ago and little bit less yesterday but still over 50ml...

He took cesipride about 4 hours ago and probiotic about 1 hour ago

The poo output is 1-2 days behind. If he wasn’t eating 2 days ago there won’t be much poo. Are you still syringe feeding him?

 

[Wiebke]

Mhm I'm still syringe feeding. He actually ate over 90ml 2 days ago and little bit less yesterday but still over 50ml...

He took cesipride about 4 hours ago and probiotic about 1 hour ago

50 ml is rather little so you may see less poos today. That is why investing $15 in kitchen scales from the supermarket will help you much more as you can see what is going on now and are not lagging 1-2 days behind.

Try to get 60-90 ml into him in the next 24 hours - if you can, rather at the upper end. Unfortunately the tummy looks like it hasn't fuly stabilised yet. It is a very uphill battle with a guinea pig to settle it down and it may take weeks until it is fully back to normal. You may have to crank up your support depending on how well or badly things are going on a day to day basis. The times between tummy upsets should get longer and the upsets should ideally get less and less severe.

 

[Tofumom]

Ohhh i didn't know 50ml is too little for poo..! Ok ill def feed ~90ml today and update you soon.

Btw he loved his mint and basil treat yesterday. I also read mint and basil are good for indigestion.. hope those little leaves are doing their job in his tummy

50 ml is rather little so you may see less poos today. That is why investing $15 in kitchen scales from the supermarket will help you much more as you can see what is going on now and are not lagging 1-2 days behind.

Try to get 60-90 ml into him in the next 24 hours - if you can, rather at the upper end. Unfortunately the tummy looks like it hasn't fuly stabilised yet. It is a very uphill battle with a guinea pig to settle it down and it may take weeks until it is fully back to normal. You may have to crank up your support depending on how well or badly things are going on a day to day basis. The times between tummy upsets should get longer and the upsets should ideally get less and less severe.

 

[Wiebke]

Ohhh i didn't know 50ml is too little for poo..! Ok ill def feed ~90ml today and update you soon.

Btw he loved his mint and basil treat yesterday. I also read mint and basil are good for indigestion.. hope those little leaves are doing their job in his tummy

You will see smallish poos at some point, just not a steady stream.

However, as long as your boy is taking his syringe feed willingly and is having interest in food you need not worry - that in itself is a much surer sign that the digestive system and the internal food conveyor belt is still working than the poo output. Keep in mind that what little or much is going in at the front will be eventually reflected at the other end. Concentrate on what is going in and stop fixating on the poo output please - you can manage the front end with the help of scales and make sure you get enough food into him but you are too late in management if you go by the output at the back. It is like measuring the exhaust cloud left by a car which by then is miles further down the road.