Poop question

[Lisanjake]

Sorry I feel like I’m asking a million questions but Winnie’s poop looks kind of grainy and a bit strange. Any ideas what could be causing this?
The red ones are Erin’s and she did have a new beetroot treats the evening before btw they are never like this and haven’t been recently.

 

[sport_billy]

So they are not normally like that? Changed pellets recently?

 

[Lisanjake]

So they are not normally like that? Changed pellets recently?

Not before she had her abscess and teeth issues.
She’s eating everything fine now and I’ve not changed the pellets.
Only thing I’ve changed is lots more Timothy hay and oat grass.
She’s also on quite a few meds but I think they looked smoother until recently.
She’s happy grazing and eating. She doesn’t drink tons but loves her cucumber and I’ve seen her at the drinks bowl a few times.

 

[sport_billy]

Could be the change in hay perhaps and/or meds
@Wiebke @PigglePuggle @Siikibam @Piggies&buns any ideas

 

[Wiebke]

Not before she had her abscess and teeth issues.
She’s eating everything fine now and I’ve not changed the pellets.
Only thing I’ve changed is lots more Timothy hay and oat grass.
She’s also on quite a few meds but I think they looked smoother until recently.
She’s happy grazing and eating. She doesn’t drink tons but loves her cucumber and I’ve seen her at the drinks bowl a few times.

The pellets could reflect the fact that your piggy is eating more or different hay.

If you ware worried, take her off any fresh food for 24 hours and see whether the poos are starting to normalise or not. It could be a very mild tummy upset.

 

[Lisanjake]

The pellets could reflect the fact that your piggy is eating more or different hay.

If you ware worried, take her off any fresh food for 24 hours and see whether the poos are starting to normalise or not. It could be a very mild tummy upset.

Hi Wiebke

Ive noticed her poops are on the smaller side again and a bit pointy (which i have read can be due to not drinking enough) i dont see her drink tons but ive seen her in the water bowl now and then.
I also ran out of Emeprid over the weekend and should get some today / tomorrow in the post. I'm wondering if this could be the reason of the strange poops again?
I see her eating the hay / pellets etc but its hard to keep an eye on how much exactly. I think shes a bit bloated still but ive been giving her Loxicom twice aday to hopefully help with any pain she may be in.
I'm going back to see Simon (cat and rabbit clinic) on Friday and he mentioned maybe getting her back on the cisapride too.
Anything else i can do to help her in the meantime? shes on fibreplex x2 a day as well.

 

[Lisanjake]

just to say ive also changed to selective grain free pellets as ive read they are better for digestion.
And i am giving half an Oxbow digestive treat everyday.
(to note, Erins poop at the top for comparison haha)

 

[Wiebke]

Hi Wiebke

Ive noticed her poops are on the smaller side again and a bit pointy (which i have read can be due to not drinking enough) i dont see her drink tons but ive seen her in the water bowl now and then.
I also ran out of Emeprid over the weekend and should get some today / tomorrow in the post. I'm wondering if this could be the reason of the strange poops again?
I see her eating the hay / pellets etc but its hard to keep an eye on how much exactly. I think shes a bit bloated still but ive been giving her Loxicom twice aday to hopefully help with any pain she may be in.
I'm going back to see Simon (cat and rabbit clinic) on Friday and he mentioned maybe getting her back on the cisapride too.
Anything else i can do to help her in the meantime? shes on fibreplex x2 a day as well.

Hi

Are weighing regularly? Just going by the poops won't give you an up to date backfeed but one that is usually running a day behind. Those poops like your piggy hasn't eaten as much as yesterday for some reason and the pellets are not looking quite healthy; but still eaten enough for it not to be a huge concern. Still I would check it out on the scales, first and foremost.
Bloating and what is at the bottom of it has a tendency of coming and going when it is longer term.

 

[Lisanjake]

Hi

Are weighing regularly? Just going by the poops won't give you an up to date backfeed but one that is usually running a day behind. Those poops like your piggy hasn't eaten as much as yesterday for some reason and the pellets are not looking quite healthy; but still eaten enough for it not to be a huge concern. Still I would check it out on the scales, first and foremost.
Bloating and what is at the bottom of it has a tendency of coming and going when it is longer term.

Yes weighing everyday, she’s sticking around the 990-1kg mark.
Yeah we do think she’s still bloated, but finished the antibiotics a good month or so ago now so was hoping it would settle somewhat by now.
I’m wondering if because I ran out of emeprid on Saturday is the reason that they have changed a lot too.

 

[Wiebke]

Yes weighing everyday, she’s sticking around the 990-1kg mark.
Yeah we do think she’s still bloated, but finished the antibiotics a good month or so ago now so was hoping it would settle somewhat by now.
I’m wondering if because I ran out of emeprid on Saturday is the reason that they have changed a lot too.

That could have changed conditions if the weight is still stable.

 

[Lisanjake]

Sorry to bring this up again… poops no longer have that grainy look but still not full sized. She seems to be eating hay allll the time. Stable weight. But has bouts of having a bloated belly and I can hear it rumbling.
I take her out for a run around but she doesn’t like me touching her sides much.
The vet said on Friday she feels okay and she’s still eating pooping, fine in herself. She just has these off days.
We are still on emeprid but have upped it to 3x a day. Fibreplex twice a day.

So I’ve need reading through old posts for what seems like hours now, some mention not giving Timothy hay as that can cause gut upset?
I’ve also grown wheatgrass but should I stop this too as it’s a new thing I was giving due to her not being able to eat hay back in November. Wondering if I should stop that?
Another mentioned not giving any pellets? She munches away at these (burgess mint pellets)
I did switch to grain free but I think that upset my other girls tummy and she wasn’t eating as much of them (she seems to be fine tonight and her weight has stabilised these past 3 days) so I’ve gone back to original.

I read about using an electric toothbrush but I worry the noise will scare her.
Anything else anyone can recommend to help her tummy?
She’s been like this since she came off the antibiotics a good month or so ago now I reckon.

 

[Lisanjake]

Just wanted to bump this so it doesn’t get lost

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

The problem with long running gut problems is that the more you throw at it and intervene, the less effective it gets. There is unfortunately only so much you can do once you have tried the usual things; you will have to live with a kind of compromise where the weight and eating is stable and any bloating episodes are on the mild side. The more you intervene, the more you ultimately unbalance it.

Shorter poos are not really an issue as long as the weight is stable. Thinner poos however mean that the food intake has dropped.

 

[Lisanjake]

Hi

The problem with long running gut problems is that the more you throw at it and intervene, the less effective it gets. There is unfortunately only so much you can do once you have tried the usual things; you will have to live with a kind of compromise where the weight and eating is stable and any bloating episodes are on the mild side. The more you intervene, the more you ultimately unbalance it.

Shorter poos are not really an issue as long as the weight is stable. Thinner poos however mean that the food intake has dropped.

ahhh interesting... maybe ill cut back a bit of certain things. eg fibreplex once a day rather than twice..
they seem to vary each day, though shes seems to be eating well thankfully. her bellys just a bit hard and looks bigger on one side.
Ill keep plodding on for now until the next vets visit in a few weeks.
Just to confirm its okay to keep giving Timothy hay? i assume it is but i read somewhere this can cause a bit of an issue with bloat, the same with pellets?
Thank you

 

[Wiebke]

ahhh interesting... maybe ill cut back a bit of certain things. eg fibreplex once a day rather than twice..
they seem to vary each day, though shes seems to be eating well thankfully. her bellys just a bit hard and looks bigger on one side.
Ill keep plodding on for now until the next vets visit in a few weeks.
Just to confirm its okay to keep giving Timothy hay? i assume it is but i read somewhere this can cause a bit of an issue with bloat, the same with pellets?
Thank you

I have no experience with timothy hay but you can see whether a mix with meadow or orchard hay may help. It very much depends on what is causing your persistent bloating issue - whether it is caused by an imbalance or high sensitivity of the digestive gut microbiome (dysbiosis), a bug of some sort or rather a mechanical/outside pressure or pain radiation problem in or onto the gut.

PS: Has your vet checked with an x-ray for a potential developing blockage or a potential problem with a growth pushing on the gut if the gassing is persistent in a certain area?

 

[Lisanjake]

Yes that is the question isnt it :/ shes never had bloat issues before she started the antibiotics / teeth issues where she wasnt eating as much.
she does have ovarian cysts one i which they said was quite big. they did suggest spaying her but i think shes too old for that now (around 5)

They havent done an xray but i may ask for one on my next visit as its been a long while now and I think you are right, it might need a bit more investigating

 

[Wiebke]

Yes that is the question isnt it :/ shes never had bloat issues before she started the antibiotics / teeth issues where she wasnt eating as much.
she does have ovarian cysts one i which they said was quite big. they did suggest spaying her but i think shes too old for that now (around 5)

They havent done an xray but i may ask for one on my next visit as its been a long while now and I think you are right, it might need a bit more investigating

I have had 3 or 4 of my own sows spayed at that age; one as a precaution in order to prevent the cyst from turning cancerous in old age and the others were all emergency spays from fast growing large fluid filled cysts, which can indeed cause persistent bloating and other problems.

Morwenna (the cancer prevention case) and here sister Mererid (who needed an emergency spay 4 months later) are currently one month short of celebrating their 8th birthday.

There are other options if your sow is too frail for an operation (hormone treatment or drainage).
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

 

[Lisanjake]

I have had 3 or 4 of my own sows spayed at that age; one as a precaution in order to prevent the cyst from turning cancerous in old age and the others were all emergency spays from fast growing large fluid filled cysts, which can indeed cause persistent bloating and other problems.

Morwenna (the cancer prevention case) and here sister Mererid (who needed an emergency spay 4 months later) are currently one month short of celebrating their 8th birthday.

There are other options if your sow is too frail for an operation (hormone treatment or drainage).
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

aahhh interesting to know.. I hope next time i go we can look at other options rather then keeping on with the meds which dont seem to be helping much at the moment. though i did ask could her cysts be hurting, and she said one of them felt 'reactive'

Thats good to hear that your older sows got through the surgery with no issues. it worries me as she has been under GA a few times recently but seems to have pulled through fine. shes back up to 1kg so is a good weight as well.

Thanks for the link, i will have a little look.