Need bloat advice - gripe water?

[avafaghani]

Hi,

Today my guinea pig Ginny (7 years old) was acting very tired and had little interest in food. I then felt her stomach and it was very bloated yet loose feeling. I gave her some vitamin c, a teeny bit of simethicone, and am still worried. I also put her on a massager gently for about 10 minutes. How else can I help? Should I give gripe water? I can’t afford to go to the vet right now unless it’s really urgent. Her poops are still frequent and perfect!

 

[piggl]

Hi!

Unfortunately I don’t have any information on gripe water but just wanted to let you know that simethicone isn’t really recommended for guinea pigs, as piggies can’t burp so can sometimes make the issue worse, as large gas bubbles can be hard to shift out of just one end!

Massage her stomach every two hours, keeping it regular helps shift the bloat, I find.
Is she still eating? Has she lost any weight?

I hope she’s feeling better soon x
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s always best to go to a vet, painkillers and gut stimulants are often needed. We can’t advise home treatments for bloat (it’s against forum policy to suggest anything other than to go to a vet in this situation) particularly as you say she is very bloated and bloat can be dangerous.

Simethicone isn’t recommended as it gathers gas into a big bubble which is more painful for piggies to pass (it’s fine for human babies due to the fact our gut is different to a piggy).
Gripe water won’t do anything for acute bloat and I have seen some other posts that say gripe water can contain an ingredient which is not safe.

Make sure to switch to daily weight checks and syringe feed

 

[avafaghani]

Thank you so much! I’ll avoid simethicone and try my best to get to the vet. Update: she’s eating hay again and feels a little better, purring a little, but what’s weird is she’s passing really big stools. Is this a good sign? I’ll attach a photo. They’re not soft, just bigger than normal!

 

[piggieminder]

If she's had bloat/gut stasis then yes the bigger poops are normal while things right themselves. Bloat can come back in waves so keep a close eye on her and it would best to still see a vet for the correct medicines.


This is a photo of the poop of one of my boars after bloat/stasis, the first 2 bits are one poop that broke, the 3rd one is a normal size poop! It's such a relief when things start moving again isn't it!

 

[avafaghani]

Thank you so much! I’ll avoid simethicone and try my best to get to the vet. Update: she’s eating hay again and feels a little better, purring a little, but what’s weird is she’s passing really big stools. Is this a good sign? I’ll attach a photo. They’re not soft, just bigger than normal!

If she's had bloat/gut stasis then yes the bigger poops are normal while things right themselves. Bloat can come back in waves so keep a close eye on her and it would best to still see a vet for the correct medicines.

View attachment 238017
This is a photo of the poop of one of my boars after bloat/stasis, the first 2 bits are one poop that broke, the 3rd one is a normal size poop! It's such a relief when things start moving again isn't it!

Yes that’s what hers look like! She feels, looks and is acting so much better today. Thank you so much, anything I should do moving forward? What could’ve caused this? Is this just a one off or because of her age will this happen a lot?

 

[piggieminder]

You really need to see a vet to make sure there are not any underlying health issues causing it. Bloat can be a secondary condition to a health problem.
How to proceed with diet etc is explained in the guides linked in above in green.