My guinea pigs have got diarrhea 😥

[PoppyFloss]

I have two guinea pigs. About a week ago, they seemed to be getting diarrhoea. We were obviously very worried, so we phoned the vets, who told us to keep an eye on them for the next few days. It seemed that they may have had too much grass, so we took them off it for a week and that seemed to cure it, but today I saw some more in their enclosure while I was cleaning it out. I am really, really, really worried, as they have been off grass completely, apart from a handful or two each today, so I don’t know what could’ve caused it. I know that diarrhoea can be very serious for guinea pigs. Does anyone have any advice on what to do?
I feed them unlimited hay, unlimited, fresh water, bell peppers, rocket, celery, carrots, fruit (once a week), Pets at Home guinea pig pellets with mint and rosemary, lettuce (not iceberg), kale, baby spinach, parsley, coriander, daisies, apple leaves, sprouts and broccoli.
Is there anything wrong with this diet that could’ve caused an upset stomach? I tried to phone the vets but they are not open yet.
Thank you! ❤

 

[Piggies&buns]

If they’ve got soft poops they need to be kept off all fresh food, not just grass. Please take them off fresh veg until their poops normalise. Keep them off veg for 24 hours after poops normalise and then reintroduce veg slowly. They may be off veg for several days. Starting with herbs can be a good idea as they tend to be gentler on the tummy while still providing nutrition

 

[Julie M]

Firstly take them off all veg and grass until the diarrhoea stops.

 

[PoppyFloss]

Thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

In terms of their long term regular diet, hay is the most important part.
keeping high calcium veg limited is a good idea. Too much calcium is not good for them and overfeeding pellets alone means they get more calcium than they need. Keep veg such as kale, parsley and spinach all limited to one small portion once per week as these are high calcium veggies. Filtering their drinking water is also a good long term thing to do for them.
Sprouts and broccoli are fine to feed but can cause bloat if fed in large quantities so keep limited;
carrots and fruit are also high in sugar and should be considered as treats only and not feature in their regular diet. again keep them limited
Pellets should be kept to one tablespoon per pig per day and are the least important part of their diet.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[Piggies&buns]

I should also add that each spring when they maybe start having access to grass again, it needs to be done slowly and built up gradually every year to prepare their tummies.
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time

 

[VickiA]

If you are seeing true diarrhoea this is a veterinary emergency. If it’s soft poop then I agree with cutting out all fresh food and feeding only hay & pellets until 24 hours after the poop normalises.
please read this guide carefully Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

 

[PoppyFloss]

If you are seeing true diarrhoea this is a veterinary emergency. If it’s soft poop then I agree with cutting out all fresh food and feeding only hay & pellets until 24 hours after the poop normalises.
please read this guide carefully Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Before, when we phoned the vet, I think there poop was quite runny, but I think now it’s just soft poop/ cow pats. Thank you for the thread, it was a huge help and I am taking them off veggies for a day or two to see if the problem gets better. If it doesn’t, I will of course take them to the vets.
Thanks again, everyone has been a huge help.