Poop issues

[PiggyPoppa]

He all, my Piggy has been pooping differently for the past day or two. He typically has big poops that are very similar in shape and size, the past couple days the poops are squishy and smaller and he doesn’t seem to be pooping as much. I can’t get a vet appointment till tomorrow morning, do you think it’s ok to wait or should I take him to the emergency vet? He’s eating hay, veggies, and pellets like normal so idk what to do, any help is appreciated

 

[fluffysal]

First thing to do is stop giving veggies. Has he lost weight? Start daily weighing, preferably at the same time each day.

 

[PiggyPoppa]

I haven’t weighed him yet, is weight loss a sign of something? He’s kinda chunky, are pellets ok to still give?

 

[Claire W]

Yes, just feed him hay, pellets and water and hopefully the poos will normalise in a day or two

Weight loss can indicate an underlying illness. We say anything of 50g drop in 24 hours or a downward trend warrants a vet check x

 

[piggl]

If I was in your position, I would remove veg for a day or two and see how he gets on. Guinea pigs can deal with minor stomach upsets, just like we can, and normally these can be helped by a temporary removal of vegetables.

A general check over of him wont go amiss, checking the eyes, ears and mouth for any irregularities. Then checking to make sure the stomach isn't bloated and there is no issue with his genitals.
You may find these guides helpful to read through, I hope its nothing too serious going on with your boy x
Weight Monitoring and Management
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

 

[Wiebke]

He all, my Piggy has been pooping differently for the past day or two. He typically has big poops that are very similar in shape and size, the past couple days the poops are squishy and smaller and he doesn’t seem to be pooping as much. I can’t get a vet appointment till tomorrow morning, do you think it’s ok to wait or should I take him to the emergency vet? He’s eating hay, veggies, and pellets like normal so idk what to do, any help is appreciated

Hi

Please switch from weighing once weekly on your kitchen scales to weighing first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison.

Hay makes over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day and you cannot control it by eye whether your piggy actually eats enough; just seeing them chewing on some cud can be very misleading. Hence the scales, which give you instant feedback while poos always run 1-2 days behind since it takes on average a day for food to pass through the digestive tract - and then you have to factor in a second run with some of the poos. Simple cheap superstore/online scales will do the trick for this.

Step in with feeding support once your piggy has lost over 50-100g (2-3 ounces).

Less and squishy poos are either down to a minor tummy upset or they are caused by a reduced hay intake from a pain or illness issue. Stop the fresh veg and see wether the poos star firming up and normalising again within 24-48 hours. If they stay smaller and the weight loss continues or they do not firm up, then you are dealing with a pain issue or illness which can also lie outside the gut.

Here is our support care advice, which includes how you can improvise with feeding support in a pinch:
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Weight - Monitoring and Management

Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)

This just in case your boy is taking a sudden turn for the worse before you can see the vet or any meds can kick in: Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Please take the time to read the information links. You may find them very helpful.

 

[PiggyPoppa]

Ok thanks for the info everyone appreciate it, I have a vet appointment set tomorrow in the morning. Do you think it’s something that can wait till then, if not I’d be taking him to an emergency vet and I’ve been put off before taking him to vets that don’t primarily deal with Piggies

 

[piggl]

Ok thanks for the info everyone appreciate it, I have a vet appointment set tomorrow in the morning. Do you think it’s something that can wait till then, if not I’d be taking him to an emergency vet and I’ve been put off before taking him to vets that don’t primarily deal with Piggies

He should definitely be okay until tomorrow (as he is still eating, drinking and moving about), if I was in your position I would just remove veg for a day or two before going to the vet, but there’s definitely no harm in getting your boy checked out, especially to make sure there is nothing else going on!

Have a read of this guide, it may help you get a better idea of the urgency of different ailments, as I know how hard/scary it can be when a piggy is ill.
How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

Fingers crossed your boy recovers soon, let us know how you get on at the vets tomorrow x

 

[PiggyPoppa]

Ok thanks I appreciate it. We’ve definitely had to learn a lot about Piggies but it’s worth it