Possible Bloat?

[Sharpy]

Hi All,

I am wondering if one of our little piggies has bloat, I have read all the information but I am just not clear on whether it is or isn't. I'll probably end up taking him to the vet anyway given we just lost one of our piggies out of the blue (not to bloat).

II is a bit if a chonky pig (we are addressing that) he doesn't really seem to have any symptoms really although he does seem big at the rear end as it were.

Notes
- Still eating both hay and veggies the former in abundance
- Still drinking well
- Not really lethargic
- Poos are sometimes smaller than normal but that varies
- He seems happy (although I am aware that they can hide sickness very well.

Any thoughts? Am I just being paranoid after losing Jerry recently?

 

[My Piggies]

I can't really give advice other than if you're concerned, take him to the vet to get checked out. Hope all is well

 

[Piggies&buns]

A bloated piggy is a poorly piggy, it is also an emergency so you would need to get piggy seen by a vet ASAP. The signs of bloat are a swollen belly which is hard and sounds hollow to tap, amongst other things

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

Smaller poops can be a sign that hay intake has reduced. Do you weigh weekly as part of routine care? If so then that is your guide as to whether he is eating enough hay.

 

[Sharpy]

A bloated piggy is a poorly piggy, it is also an emergency so you would need to get piggy seen by a vet ASAP. The signs of bloat are a swollen belly which is hard and sounds hollow to tap, amongst other things

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

Smaller poops can be a sign that hay intake has reduced. Do you weigh weekly as part of routine care? If so then that is your guide as to whether he is eating enough hay.

Thanks, as I noted I have read through all of that and he doesn't really have any of the "symptoms".

He is still eating a lot of hay, they are not bonded so live alone (albeit next to each other) so we can easily monitor hay intake, it hasn't slowed down and we are topping it up in both at the same time for both piggies.

We have only recently starting weighing them and there has been no weight loss, but II is about 10% heavier than "average"

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks, as I noted I have read through all of that and he doesn't really have any of the "symptoms".

He is still eating a lot of hay, they are not bonded so live alone (albeit next to each other) so we can easily monitor hay intake, it hasn't slowed down and we are topping it up in both at the same time for both piggies.

We have only recently starting weighing them and there has been no weight loss, but II is about 10% heavier than "average"

Even living alone, you can’t judge hay intake by eye - it can be very deceptive watching them eat hay and weighing is the only way to know enough is actually going in. If he isn’t losing weight, then he is eating enough hay.

I think a vet check would be wise - if for nothing other than your own peace of mind. A vet would rather see a worried well, then leave it and find it was the early signs of something.

There is no average weight and weight alone isn’t a good guide for what is healthy. The adult weight range is very wide but they can all be perfectly healthy - one of mine weighs 1500-1550g while the other is usually around 1250-1300g but both are healthy for themselves. Heft is the guide you need to use to gauge what is healthy for an individual piggy - the guide below explains how to check a piggy’s heft
What is his weight? When you say you’re addressing his weight, what do you mean? Has a vet said there is a heft problem? (ie his ribs cannot be felt so is overweight)

Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[Sharpy]

Its not as easy to feel his ribs and spine as it is on our other piggie. Hence why we think he is a little overweight. He weights 1355g but now you have said that I am thinking he's not too bad.

I am not sure what you mean by "you can’t judge hay intake by eye" as they are not bedded on hay it seems quite easy to do monitor? I do appreciate that weighing is a better gauge generally hence why we have started doing that.

I have made an appointment for later today, so I should get an answer then.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi All,

I am wondering if one of our little piggies has bloat, I have read all the information but I am just not clear on whether it is or isn't. I'll probably end up taking him to the vet anyway given we just lost one of our piggies out of the blue (not to bloat).

II is a bit if a chonky pig (we are addressing that) he doesn't really seem to have any symptoms really although he does seem big at the rear end as it were.

Notes
- Still eating both hay and veggies the former in abundance
- Still drinking well
- Not really lethargic
- Poos are sometimes smaller than normal but that varies
- He seems happy (although I am aware that they can hide sickness very well.

Any thoughts? Am I just being paranoid after losing Jerry recently?

Hi

If you have any concerns, please have him vet checked, both for potential bloat or problems with his boar bits, which can also impact on the gut as they are sitting next to each other.

Please switch from the life-long weekly health monitoring weigh-in to weighing daily at the same time. Keep in mind that unlimited grass hay is the mainstay of any piggy diet (around 80% of what a piggy eats in a day). You cannot control that by eye. Watching your piggy eat their veg and 1 tablespoon of pellets is like watching them eating their afternoon snack and dessert but not checking how they are eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our weighing guide will help you with how to get up to date information via the scales and when to step in with vet visits and feeding support.

It is very normal to be jittery after an unexpected loss, so it is always good to (hopefully) allay any concerns or deal with any issue early on. Vets do understand that and would rather you saw them sooner than too late.

Here is more helpful information:
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths
Weight - Monitoring and Management

Our all in one emergency, crisis and bridging care guide, which is a good one for bookmarking; especially when you are in a panic: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

All the best.

 

[Sharpy]

Thanks.

Just got back from the vets and there is nothing of concern with II, other than he is a bit fatter than they would expect albeit not significantly.

I think the other reason we are comfortable that he is eating okay is that my wife works from home with them in the same room and can hear and see them eating all day. So we do have more insight there than some might have in that regard.

All of that being said we are going to make sure we are weighing them more regularly and tracking that. Just relieved he is okay!

 

[My Piggies]

Glad to hear he's okay! ❤

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks.

Just got back from the vets and there is nothing of concern with II, other than he is a bit fatter than they would expect albeit not significantly.

I think the other reason we are comfortable that he is eating okay is that my wife works from home with them in the same room and can hear and see them eating all day. So we do have more insight there than some might have in that regard.

All of that being said we are going to make sure we are weighing them more regularly and tracking that. Just relieved he is okay!

Glad that it is nothing untowards.

Please take the time to read the weight guide link in my previous post. It has information on how to check whether a guinea pig is a good weight for their actual size at all ages (feeling for the 'heft' around the ribcage) and what you can do if your piggy is overweight or underweight in terms of diet adjustments, exercise and healthy treats. it also has a chapter on how weight develops over the course of a life time.
Weight - Monitoring and Management

A good diet with only a modicum of preferably green and leafy veg and just 1 tablespoon of pellets per piggy per day can really make a difference in boosting the average healthy life span and keep the risk of potential operation complications lower. In my own experience, it can add 1-2 years and take a healthy piggy from the lower to the upper end or beyond; so well worth reading up and checking out.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

The bum size is often genetically determined so you can't go by the shape of it, only if it suddenly balloons up or you notice a swelling during the once weekly weigh-in and body check-over.