Normal poops

[Cait_lin]

One of my guinea pigs, Moss, has started having smelly poops again (he had them back when he was on antibiotics). They're dark and they *look* normal but I can break them very easily and they're definitely too soft. I'm going to cut down on the fresh veg again for the time being, or cut it out completely if that doesn't help, but I'm wondering if there is something else I'm doing wrong because my other guinea pig, Pumpkin, has poops that look the same but without the bad smell. Occasionally their poop is crumbly as well. I'm not sure what else could be causing it, as they drink well, eat plenty of hay and at the moment only have a very small amount of fresh veg. I've read the guide Wiebke's Guide to Poops (Sorry, not sure how to link it properly) and it's super informative but I was just wondering what sort of consistency, if that's the right word, healthy gp poop has? Would Critical Care help, or a probiotic? And will they get enough vitamin C if I stop giving them bell pepper, or do they need something else to supplement that? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions

 

[Ramia]

My boys poop is crumbly too. When I go to put it in the dust pan with a cat litter scooper, it leaves a powder behind. I just got some washable pee pads and I'm going to put them in the corners so I can just shake them out. So maybe it's normal?

 

[Cait_lin]

I realised I probably should have named this thread something different, "normal poops" doesn't exactly sound like a problem. Not one of my brightest moments

 

[Cait_lin]

My boys poop is crumbly too. When I go to put it in the dust pan with a cat litter scooper, it leaves a powder behind. I just got some washable pee pads and I'm going to put them in the corners so I can just shake them out. So maybe it's normal?

Before it crumbles, is it dry or moist/shiny? Because if it's dry, that could mean they're maybe not drinking enough. But if it's moist, then they're probably drinking fine but maybe their tummies need a break from fresh veg/grass? I'm not completely sure though, I don't know what it means if they're crumbly but not mushy.
That's a good idea, I hope it helps! I use those bobble bath mats in the areas of the cage that get the messiest, they really help

 

[Ramia]

It's kinda shiny when it first comes out.

 

[Lorcan]

I count poop that's wet when it first exits as normal. I only withdraw fresh foods when it's not just wet but very wet in a pile, like it would be squishy, rather than you can pick it up as an individual poop.

Cam gets a dodgy belly very quickly, and the "very wet" look is obvious once you've seen it. But a slight damp sheen when it first appears, I wouldn't stress too much about it.

 

[Cait_lin]

I count poop that's wet when it first exits as normal. I only withdraw fresh foods when it's not just wet but very wet in a pile, like it would be squishy, rather than you can pick it up as an individual poop.

Cam gets a dodgy belly very quickly, and the "very wet" look is obvious once you've seen it. But a slight damp sheen when it first appears, I wouldn't stress too much about it.

Thank you so much! They all exit as pellets that I can pick up, they just seem softer than they should be. I'll see if having only hay and a small amount of pellets helps their tummies out. Aw poor Cam </3

 

[Piggies&buns]

From what you are describing it is likely that he has just eaten a bit more veg probably than your other piggy has. It is a minor issue. A couple of days off veg should sort it out.

Critical care supplements hay intake when they aren’t eating enough. This isn’t needed in your case at this point.
Vit c supplementation is not needed if you stop veg. They’ll be off veg for a few days, it won’t affect them on that front. There is vit c in pellets also they won’t be lacking in anything.

 

[Cait_lin]

From what you are describing it is likely that he has just eaten a bit more veg probably than your other piggy has. It is a minor issue. A couple of days off veg should sort it out.

Critical care supplements hay intake when they aren’t eating enough. This isn’t needed in your case at this point.
Vit c supplementation is not needed if you stop veg. They’ll be off veg for a few days, it won’t affect them on that front. There is vit c in pellets also they won’t be lacking in anything.

Thank you so much!

 

[Cait_lin]

The issues are continuing for both boys and I'm wondering if it's because I started giving them different hay (soft cut Timothy) to try out. Unfortunately, I thought soft cut would be great as I wouldn't have to worry so much about hay poke but it wasn't until I'd already ordered a bunch of it that I started reading what people in the forum have said about this cut of hay and saw that it might cause soft poops . Not sure why I have a habit of reading reviews for products *after* I buy them instead of before, I think my brain needs a reboot. Anyway, I've reordered the Oxbow hay that I was feeding them before but there seem to be some problems with stock so I'll have to make a plan for if I can't get it next time. After reading some of the advice given to other forum members, I also ordered a box of Timothy blend from HayBox to see if that's easier on their tummies. I'm thinking I'll still give them some soft cut Timothy when the other hay arrives but mix it in with the Timothy blend so the proportions are like 10-20% soft cut: 90-80% blend. And then feed them mostly Oxbow Timothy and Orchard Grass as I was before. I'm still weighing them daily and there's been no weight loss which is reassuring at least.

 

[Wiebke]

One of my guinea pigs, Moss, has started having smelly poops again (he had them back when he was on antibiotics). They're dark and they *look* normal but I can break them very easily and they're definitely too soft. I'm going to cut down on the fresh veg again for the time being, or cut it out completely if that doesn't help, but I'm wondering if there is something else I'm doing wrong because my other guinea pig, Pumpkin, has poops that look the same but without the bad smell. Occasionally their poop is crumbly as well. I'm not sure what else could be causing it, as they drink well, eat plenty of hay and at the moment only have a very small amount of fresh veg. I've read the guide Wiebke's Guide to Poops (Sorry, not sure how to link it properly) and it's super informative but I was just wondering what sort of consistency, if that's the right word, healthy gp poop has? Would Critical Care help, or a probiotic? And will they get enough vitamin C if I stop giving them bell pepper, or do they need something else to supplement that? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions

Hi

The crumbliness has more to do with how much of a natural drinker your piggy is and how much dry food they eat. There is a large individual healthy variance so it is not something to worry about.
If that is how they usually drink with a stable weight then there is nothing wrong with them; it's just how their body works. Overfeeding on fresh food (especially in hot weather) simply means that they will drink less and their poos will be correspondingly softer - if you get diarrhea, then you are definitely overdoing it. They are not getting any thirstier just because you offer more.
The temptation to overfeed watery veg and fruit in hot weather!
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

The need to drink comes before the need to eat so a healthy piggy has basically a stronger drive to drink than to eat. Some piggies are getting most or all their fluid via fresh food while others can empty a large bottle in a day - and both are still within the normal spectrum.
Where it gets dicey when the water supply doesn't work (bottle problem, heatwave etc.) or when the appetite or mobility fails in illness and can then also affect the need to drink or simply the ability to get to the water bottle. You always need to offer some water via syringe with any feeding session but please do not just squirt it into the mouth because it can easily go the wrong way.

What you need to check is a sudden change in water intake.
Water intake can change with weather/temperature chances (especially big jumps up and down to weather extremes), indoors heating or air conditioning coming on etc.
Leaking bottles or blocked nozzles; overheated, icy, green (algae) or additives/medication in the water (don't do that with piggies) can all keep them from drinking so that needs checking first before you are looking for illness.
Persistent increased drinking in combination with a weight loss needs vet checking.
We have got all of that (including symptoms for dehydration) in this very useful guide here: All About Drinking And Bottles

I hope that helps you? As long as the poos are looking normal otherwise there is no problem.

 

[Cait_lin]

Hi

The crumbliness has more to do with how much of a natural drinker your piggy is and how much dry food they eat. There is a large individual healthy variance so it is not something to worry about.
If that is how they usually drink with a stable weight then there is nothing wrong with them; it's just how their body works. Overfeeding on fresh food (especially in hot weather) simply means that they will drink less and their poos will be correspondingly softer - if you get diarrhea, then you are definitely overdoing it. They are not getting any thirstier just because you offer more.
The temptation to overfeed watery veg and fruit in hot weather!

The need to drink comes before the need to eat so a healthy piggy has basically a stronger drive to drink than to eat. Some piggies are getting most or all their fluid via fresh food while others can empty a large bottle in a day - and both are still within the normal spectrum.
Where it gets dicey when the water supply doesn't work (bottle problem, heatwave etc.) or when the appetite or mobility fails in illness and can then also affect the need to drink or simply the ability to get to the water bottle. You always need to offer some water via syringe with any feeding session but please do not just squirt it into the mouth because it can easily go the wrong way.

What you need to check is a sudden change in water intake.
Water intake can change with weather/temperature chances (especially big jumps up and down to weather extremes), indoors heating or air conditioning coming on etc.
Leaking bottles or blocked nozzles; overheated, icy, green (algae) or additives/medication in the water (don't do that with piggies) can all keep them from drinking so that needs checking first before you are looking for illness.
Persistent increased drinking in combination with a weight loss needs vet checking.
We have got all of that (including symptoms for dehydration) in this very useful guide here: All About Drinking And Bottles

I hope that helps you? As long as the poos are looking normal otherwise there is no problem.

Thank you so much, this is really helpful! They do drink ok and their poops don't seem dry or anything so I'm not worried about their hydration at the moment. I'm thinking the bad smell is a combination of their guts trying to get back to normal after being on antibiotics and me introducing new richer hay to their diets too suddenly. Occasionally there's a smaller poop but otherwise they do look normal, it's just the smell and the fact that they're not as firm as they maybe should be that has me thinking they're having some tummy trouble. Hopefully, once their regular hay arrives and I cut down on the amount of soft cut hay they get things will normalise. Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much, this is really helpful! They do drink ok and their poops don't seem dry or anything so I'm not worried about their hydration at the moment. I'm thinking the bad smell is a combination of their guts trying to get back to normal after being on antibiotics and me introducing new richer hay to their diets too suddenly. Occasionally there's a smaller poop but otherwise they do look normal, it's just the smell and the fact that they're not as firm as they maybe should be that has me thinking they're having some tummy trouble. Hopefully, once their regular hay arrives and I cut down on the amount of soft cut hay they get things will normalise. Thank you so much for your help!

It's just a very minor tummy upset but nothing to worry about and nothing that shouldn't right itself. If necessary skip a meal or two of fresh food to allow the gut microbiome to adjust and settle down.

I use richer hay as a winter treat rather than as a base (mine is plain meadow hay). Too much on a daily basis can lead to overweight. Mine get some daily fresh grass from the meadow that is my lawn during growing season and won't need it then.
Always start with a handful of new hay or just a little fresh food in order to allow the gut bacteria to grow the specialist digesters in greater numbers.

All the best.

 

[Cait_lin]

There are still some soft smelly droppings but I've also noticed there are a few more firm ones without the smell, so I'm hoping that something's improving. The amount of poop in the cage is also normal for them so I know that they're still going regularly. My brain keeps going to "what if they have intestinal parasites and you leave it too late" but they show none of the symptoms of intestinal parasites. I weighed both boys again this morning and their weights are completely normal. They're eating and drinking like normal, running about and popcorning like normal, they're not lethargic, they haven't had any diarrhoea, they're not showing any other symptoms that would indicate that something's badly wrong. If it weren't for the poops I wouldn't be worried at all, they're just their happy bouncy selves.
At this point there are a few things I think might have caused so I've cut all of them out. For now the boys are just getting 0.5-1 tablespoon of pellets per day and plenty of hay and water. No pea flakes or new treats If there's no more improvement I'll call the vet and try to get an appointment to be on the safe side. If things go back to normal I'll reintroduce veg again slowly and see how they are.

 

[Wiebke]

There are still some soft smelly droppings but I've also noticed there are a few more firm ones without the smell, so I'm hoping that something's improving. The amount of poop in the cage is also normal for them so I know that they're still going regularly. My brain keeps going to "what if they have intestinal parasites and you leave it too late" but they show none of the symptoms of intestinal parasites. I weighed both boys again this morning and their weights are completely normal. They're eating and drinking like normal, running about and popcorning like normal, they're not lethargic, they haven't had any diarrhoea, they're not showing any other symptoms that would indicate that something's badly wrong. If it weren't for the poops I wouldn't be worried at all, they're just their happy bouncy selves.
At this point there are a few things I think might have caused so I've cut all of them out. For now the boys are just getting 0.5-1 tablespoon of pellets per day and plenty of hay and water. No pea flakes or new treats If there's no more improvement I'll call the vet and try to get an appointment to be on the safe side. If things go back to normal I'll reintroduce veg again slowly and see how they are.

Hi

Internal parasites are very rare in guinea pigs. We have only ever seen a handful of confirmed worm cases in the over 15 years of this forum's existence and with literally tens of thousands of questions, just to put it into perspective. And no, not even those cases have been fatal.

The tummy should right itself in your case. Just persist with the probiotic support and be patient.

 

[Cait_lin]

Hi

Internal parasites are very rare in guinea pigs. We have only ever seen a handful of confirmed worm cases in the over 15 years of this forum's existence and with literally tens of thousands of questions, just to put it into perspective. And no, not even those cases have been fatal.

The tummy should right itself in your case. Just persist with the probiotic support and be patient.

Thank you so much That's really reassuring to know.
I will

 

[Wiebke]

Trust your boy's immune system to do the job it has been designed for (it will help to strengthen it) and try to stay off any medical information searches if you suffer from anxiety and a runaway imagination that zooms straight into the worst case scenario.

There is some very effective medication if that is really needed but right now you are not even in the same town, never mind on the same side of the street of where it would be needed.