Post GI stasis poops from antibiotic advice needed!

[rlsf]

Hi all, I use this page for info all of the time, so thank you for providing such an incredible resource space for GP mommies and daddies.
This is my first post so I do hope I am doing it properly, and apologies in advance for a lengthy one. Located in Los Angeles, just fyi.

Quick background on my two boys... Salvador Dali is approx 5 yrs old and Pablo Picasso is 4.5.
Poops have been more off than usual lately (mind you both have pretty hefty separate health issues so I am used to gut imbalance due to medications etc) and and our vet did see quite a bit of gas in X-rays 3/4/25 at their appointment.
We had a fecal sample sent out for both, and blood work on my oldest sent out as well.

She prescribed Metronidazole on 3/4/25 (always along with probiotic) in case there is an overgrowth of bacteria or parasite in tummy while we wait for results. My boys have been on their fair share of antibiotics in the past, but this specific one, they had a HORRIBLE reaction to.
Went into early signs of GI stasis about 5 days into treatment. Poops started becoming smaller and smaller/pointy dry etc.
I discontinued their 14 day course on the morning dose of day 7 which was Tuesday 3/11/25 after discussing with vet office.
I know my vet is in high demand and extremely busy...I have been in touch with her and sent photos of last nights poop to make sure it isn't an emergency... but I thought this would be the right time to turn here and get some community support as I am experiencing something specifically unique with Pablo Picasso that I have never seen.

Metoclopramide was not working alone so we began cisapride yesterday at 4 pm. He went from next to no poops and the few he made were tiny and pointy, to now these clumps of mush and stacks stuck together. The dime and syringe in photos are purely for size referencing. Apologies for babbling, I feel so overwhelmed nursing both at the same time and with Pablo crying while he poops, it's like he is giving birth every time he goes. I am thankful his gut is moving, but is this a normal part of stasis recovery for some guinea pigs? My other boy is not experiencing it like this.
I would like to add that I have extensively read ALL of Wiebke's guides and re read often... I just am curious if it is possible that my baby will come out of this stage of stasis? And if there is anything specific you suggest I do to help him through it?

He is eating and drinking some on his own, albeit not quite as eagerly as usual. I was syringe feeding him yesterday before cisapride. I have only given him a tiny bit of critical care today since he is pooping a lot of these masses and is eating hay. (I must note that Pablo has had 3 surgeries in the last 6 months for stones and dental disease, and I'm trying to encourage as much hard hay intake as possible to keep his molars in check)

Oh- I will also note that their weight had ballooned up like 50-70 grams in a short time. Clearly they had been intaking but unable to expel!

Current meds for Pablo Picasso are :
*Short term *
0.5 mL Metoclopramide 2x day (up to 3 if needed)
0.1 mL Cisapride 2x day (up to 3 if needed)

*Long Term*
0.33 mL Meloxicam 2x day
0.1 mL Gabapentin 2x day
0.1 mL Potassium Citrate 1x day (stone prevention)
0.1 mL Hydrochlorothiazide 1x day (stone prevention)
0.07 mL Prazosin 1x day
1 Oxbow Urinary Cookie / day
1 Oxbow Vit C Cookie/ day
2 Sherwood Urinary Tablets/ day
Probiotic daily

Current media for Salvador Dali are:
*Short term *
0.5 mL Metoclopramide 2x day (up to 3 if needed)
0.1 mL Cisapride 2x day (up to 3 if needed)

*Long Term*
0.36 mL Meloxicam 2x day
0.1-0.14 mL Gabapentin 2x day adjusted depending on arthritis activity
1 Oxbow Joint Support Cookie/ day
1 Oxbow Vit C Cookie/ day

Again thank you SO much for any personal advice from anyone who has had similar experiences to this!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

The poop in the pictures is reflecting a gut which has been struggling.
Poop output reflects food intake from 1-2 days ago so you cannot use poop output for a gauge of intake.
It’s great he is pooping but you cannot cut down on syringe feeds until he is through it and eating enough independently.
It’s essential you continue to syringe feed enough to get him through stasis and You must weigh daily so you know they are getting enough syringe feed. It’s great if they are starting to eat some hay in their own.

I would certainly discuss the pain he is experiencing with your vet again.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

I am very sorry. Please continue with weighing first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison and for planning the necessary support feeding amount/number of feeding sessions for the coming 24 hours.

It takes 1-2 days for food to make its way from the mouth to the anus, so the poo input always lags behind. That is why it cannot replace the daily weigh-in during illness. The consistency and size of output can however give you clues what has been going on inside the gut with the appropriate time lag, which the weighing can't, so you need both for best health monitoring. It is however good to see that there is a slow improvement trend.
This link here explains what each part of health monitoring and support can do and what it can't. You may find it very helpful: Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

It usually takes quite a bit more time than you'd expect to recover from an antibiotic induced gut microbiome upset/wipe out. If you have a healthy companion not on antibiotics, then a live microbiome transfer ('poo soup') twice daily may help to speed things up a bit; especially after a total or near total wipe-out. The transfer mimics natural behaviour in recovering piggies and when done speedily and correctly can be more effective than commercial probiotics.
Probiotics & Live Gut Microbiome Transfer ('Poo Soup'); Recovery Formula Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links and Transfer Recipe

PS: Metronidazole is often better known under the brand name flagyl.

 

[rlsf]

Oh no he doesn’t have more stones.
We just checked on the 4th, and we get x rays every 3-5 weeks when he has his dental checkups to make sure no more are recurring. We are at the vet OFTEN, and unfortunately, he has been through the wringer in the last 7 months.
He developed a stone and it was discovered back in August along with advanced dental disease. At that time, we first had to tackle dental surgery so he could actually eat while recovering from stone surgery. At the time, he wasn't able to chew hay since his upper farrrrr back molar had a massive spike disabling his ability to chew hay.
His stone surgery was only a few weeks later. Since then, he has had one of his incisors root die and it is permanently gone. He has had to have multiple dremelings done in the last few months as well. Otherwise he has arthritis in one of his knees, but he is quite the trooper and still has so much joy inside of him.

This situation is specifically was a horrible reaction to this antibiotic, and in fact, since my post, he is now pooping almost completely normally! Firm and oval! A few are ever so slightly pointed on one end, but he is eating and drinking and prancing around our house with all of his happy chirps and attitude. Salvador has lost quite a bit of weight through this ordeal, so I will supplement a bit to help him put his normal weight back on. Still keeping them off their usual veggies for the next few days to make sure their gut flora gets re-normalized.

Re: Pablo's stones and prevention, I am very cautious with his veggie diet at this stage and am doing everything I can to prevent more stones from forming! No doubt, there is only so much we can control, right?

Salvador Dali has had Bilateral Otitis Media since he was a baby, mostly affection his right side, though. Otitis Media causes symptoms like CBS... he used to get frequent URI's. In part due to the middle ear disease, and in part due to the fact the fluid that leaks from ear to right nose has made his right nasal canal extremely tiny. He has rebounded from a few bouts of head tilt, and since it is incurable, he has been treated with antibiotics on and off his whole life when flareups occur. THANKFULLY, this has actually been the longest stretch of it keeping at bay! I want to say his last Chloramphenicol treatment was back in October!
He also suffers from severe arthritis in his shoulders and legs, as well as low spine. He has hopped like a bunny since always. His gut has been quite a mess since (I believe) permanent damage to gut flora is inevitable when antibiotics become routine.

I am SO sorry to hear of your force feeding going wrong! I cannot imagine what that must've been like for you.

 

[rlsf]

I’m sorry to hear this.

The poop in the pictures is reflecting a gut which has been struggling.
Poop output reflects food intake from 1-2 days ago so you cannot use poop output for a gauge of intake.
It’s great he is pooping but you cannot cut down on syringe feeds until he is through it and eating enough independently.
It’s essential you continue to syringe feed enough to get him through stasis and You must weigh daily so you know they are getting enough syringe feed. It’s great if they are starting to eat some hay in their own.

I would certainly discuss the pain he is experiencing with your vet again.

Thank you so much for your reply. I am not sure how to post a proper update on my original post, but we have independent eating happening and lots of beautiful poops again! It looks like the syringe feeding I was diligent with, along with adding Cisapride to the Metoclopramide got things moving through. No more crying in pain and lots of happy active behavior. I have never encountered such a bad reaction to an antibiotic before. Stool samples also came back okay. I am now beginning to think that they are developing sensitivity to veggies that they didn't have before.
Perhaps because of age along with advancing health issues?

Not that any health issues are good, but I have been lucky enough with my special needs boys in the past to only have one of them having major issues at a time.
This go of it was a double whammy, and it is very stressful to do around the clock care for two once. They are my babies and my heart gets hit extra hard experiencing them both struggling simultaneously. I know it's still delicate right now, but I am thankful they are both seeming to be doing well today. I will continue to monitor closely and I am in close contact with my vets office.

 

[rlsf]

Hi

I am very sorry. Please continue with weighing first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison and for planning the necessary support feeding amount/number of feeding sessions for the coming 24 hours.

It takes 1-2 days for food to make its way from the mouth to the anus, so the poo input always lags behind. That is why it cannot replace the daily weigh-in during illness. The consistency and size of output can however give you clues what has been going on inside the gut with the appropriate time lag, which the weighing can't, so you need both for best health monitoring. It is however good to see that there is a slow improvement trend.
This link here explains what each part of health monitoring and support can do and what it can't. You may find it very helpful: Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

It usually takes quite a bit more time than you'd expect to recover from an antibiotic induced gut microbiome upset/wipe out. If you have a healthy companion not on antibiotics, then a live microbiome transfer ('poo soup') twice daily may help to speed things up a bit; especially after a total or near total wipe-out. The transfer mimics natural behaviour in recovering piggies and when done speedily and correctly can be more effective than commercial probiotics.
Probiotics & Live Gut Microbiome Transfer ('Poo Soup'); Recovery Formula Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links and Transfer Recipe

PS: Metronidazole is often better known under the brand name flagyl.

Thank you for your personal reply, Weibke! Unfortunately, they are my only two and both were on the antibiotic, so no poop soup to make.
I have been providing 1-2 twists of benebac.
I have noticed Salvador Dali has dropped to a good 30-35 grams below his average daily weight now, so I am picking back up with supplementing today. How do I know how much to supplement when I do actively see him eating lots of hay/pellets and drinking? I am a bit confused on how much critical care to give him to rebalance his weight?
Is 5 cc every few hours adequate? Or 10 cc 3-4 times a day?
And I am seeing Pablo eat loads of hay and pellets as well now on his own. Do you feel I should continue syringe feeding him as well? His poops are firm and healthy now. Photo of poops I am seeing this morning 3/14/25:

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your personal reply, Weibke! Unfortunately, they are my only two and both were on the antibiotic, so no poop soup to make.
I have been providing 1-2 twists of benebac.
I have noticed Salvador Dali has dropped to a good 30-35 grams below his average daily weight now, so I am picking back up with supplementing today. How do I know how much to supplement when I do actively see him eating lots of hay/pellets and drinking? I am a bit confused on how much critical care to give him to rebalance his weight?
Is 5 cc every few hours adequate? Or 10 cc 3-4 times a day?
And I am seeing Pablo eat loads of hay and pellets as well now on his own. Do you feel I should continue syringe feeding him as well? His poops are firm and healthy now. Photo of poops I am seeing this morning 3/14/25:
View attachment 266427

I would aim at 20-30 ml per day in a couple of sittings but depending on his appetite you do not have to syringe if he is eating the recovery formula from a spoon or a bowl. This is called 'topping up' or support feeding in the case of only a partially and not fully lost appetite. You up the amount if he still loses weight and reduce it gradually once he is gaining weight well and is coming up towards his original weight and is showing less and less internest/need of it. Offer water from a syringe, as much as he is willing to drink from it actively; don't force any down.

This is a gradual and dynamic process, so you have to manage it via the feedback from the scales and the poo consistency as well as his behaviour. the poos are looking not bad at all and nearly back to normal.



Al

 

[rlsf]

I would aim at 20-30 ml per day in a couple of sittings but depending on his appetite you do not have to syringe if he is eating the recovery formula from a spoon or a bowl. This is called 'topping up' or support feeding in the case of only a partially and not fully lost appetite. You up the amount if he still loses weight and reduce it gradually once he is gaining weight well and is coming up towards his original weight and is showing less and less internest/need of it. Offer water from a syringe, as much as he is willing to drink from it actively; don't force any down.

This is a gradual and dynamic process, so you have to manage it via the feedback from the scales and the poo consistency as well as his behaviour. the poos are looking not bad at all and nearly back to normal.



Al

This is so helpful. Thank you x a million.
I wish my boys would take Critical Care from a bowl, but when they NEED it, they of course hate it... and when they don't need it, they LOVE it, but only ever from a syringe.
Part of my process when taming them to take medication way back when was to use a syringe as a positive "treat" tool so they don't always relate it to negativity and medicine. In that process, they essentially trained ME that they will forever be spoiled and hand fed critical care via syringe

Again, you have my deepest appreciation. Your format on all of your guides is so organized and helpful, especially when I need a refresher of knowledge on issues that I haven't had to deal with in a while.