Soft poop.

[Vanschick91]

Hi guys, looking for some advice for my piggies. I noticed last week when I was doing the hoovering up of their poos in their cage for the 4th time that day that their poos were soft & a bit wet. I typed into google & loads of videos on YouTube advised that I don’t give them any veggies, just pellets & loads of Timothy hay. My guinea pigs have loads of hay available to them all the time which gets topped up even more every 2 days. We made a 2 x 2 c & c cage measurement of proplex as a kitchen area so they love playing in the hay & burying themselves. On the videos it suggested using a vitamin c supplement one which was the child life one & also probiotics. Since Thursday last week they have had no veggies at all. Friday they had their first lot of probiotics & due their next lot this Tuesday as it says you have to wait 3 days after first giving it then for their last dose of it. They have been on vitamin c supplement everyday since Friday when it arrived as they are not on any veggies. On Saturday their poo was solid & now it’s gone slightly soft again. I have to put pressure on the poo to squish it so not completely solid but miles better than it was last Thursday! I have 4 boars who live in 2 pairs & they all have the same poo. They have all been eating, being active etc as normal. Not lost any weight as I have been weighing them daily to check. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you

I have attached the pictures of their hay box so you can see that they have loads, the probiotics, vitamin c supplement & their poops.

 

[Piggies&buns]

The picture of the poop in your hand looks perfectly normal. If shouldn’t be completely solid, they should break if you were to squeeze it
If they have soft, wet poops, then you should take them off veg until it all goes back to normal. You can then slowly introduce some veggies back into the diet slowly. Starting with a few herbs is usually for best thing to do.
You shouldn’t, ordinarily, need to give any vitamin c supplements if they have a good diet.
.

 

[Vanschick91]

The picture of the poop in your hand looks perfectly normal. If shouldn’t be completely solid, they should break if you were to squeeze it
If they have soft, wet poops, then you should take them off veg until it all goes back to normal. You can then slowly introduce some veggies back into the diet slowly. Starting with a few herbs is usually for best thing to do.
You shouldn’t, ordinarily, need to give any vitamin c supplements if they have a good diet.
.

Hello! Thank you for the advice! When they went to the vets just over a month ago to have a check up the vet said they were all completely healthy & we told them what we do & they said that is spot on & they wish everyone could be like us with guniea pigs. Only giving them the vitamin c supplement while they are off the veggies as the youtube videos suggested that would help. They Do get the right amount of vitamin c from their veggies they have & will continue to have once they are back on them. Would you suggest any herbs in particular to start them back on with?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Coriander is a safe daily herb that can be given

 

[Vanschick91]

Coriander is a safe daily herb that can be given

Thank you. My guinea pigs love coriander! Would you advise to give them some on Wednesday as they are having their last dose of probiotics tomorrow?

 

[Claire W]

I would give them a tiny bit of coriander on Wednesday and see how they go

 

[chatterboxlauu]

Hello - I wonder if anybody can help at all ? I am having a similar issue with my boy Rocky. I've had him 3 years beginning of June. He's still a youngling really so I'm worried for his health. He's been having soft, sometimes smelly and wet looking stools. I've been cleaning him out more regularly to keep on an eye on them but they're not hardening.
I noticed they were mushy a week or two ago when I cleaned his age out and the poop was smeary when using a brush to clean but didn't think too much of it until it was looking worse when cleaning out his pen. He's been a little more lethargic too but I just assumed he was enjoying the sunshine.
As it's been nice recently, I've been putting him outside but the pen he has is an indoor one so he isn't able to get the grass unless I pop any in the pen which I haven't been doing. He has however had more veggies and cucumber while being outdoors in the sunshine. Looking online, there have been advisories on laying him off fresh veggies and they should normalise but they haven't yet, still very soft and I'm worried it's something more serious.
He's drinking a lot but he always has and I'm giving him some pellets and lots of timothy hay.
I did call the Vet on Monday for some reassurance and he didn't seem too worried, and thinks it could be the grass intake but he definitely hasn't been having any that I know of. He's been chewing the cardboard tube he loves to hide in and I wondered if there was something in that that might have upset his tummy.
Due to Covid-19 I can only have a telephone consultation with the Vet which was fine but I would feel better if he could be checked over. Unless the situation is critical, I cannot take him in for a check-up and I also worry for the vet bill. I'm currently on furlough with a wage drop, I can't take out a loan and do not think my vets allow a payment plan process so I'm currently a bag of worry and nerves. He's a large long haired happy piggy, cheeky but lovely, I just hope for some reassurance and for him to start having harder poops again.
I do have another piggy, Thor, he's nearly 6, they are in separate cages, always have been. They both have been having veggies but I'm worried something is wrong with Rocky as Thor isn't having any issues with pooping.

Sorry for the essay and advance thank yous for any responses. x

 

[CinnamonTeddyOreo]

Hello - I wonder if anybody can help at all ? I am having a similar issue with my boy Rocky. I've had him 3 years beginning of June. He's still a youngling really so I'm worried for his health. He's been having soft, sometimes smelly and wet looking stools. I've been cleaning him out more regularly to keep on an eye on them but they're not hardening.
I noticed they were mushy a week or two ago when I cleaned his age out and the poop was smeary when using a brush to clean but didn't think too much of it until it was looking worse when cleaning out his pen. He's been a little more lethargic too but I just assumed he was enjoying the sunshine.
As it's been nice recently, I've been putting him outside but the pen he has is an indoor one so he isn't able to get the grass unless I pop any in the pen which I haven't been doing. He has however had more veggies and cucumber while being outdoors in the sunshine. Looking online, there have been advisories on laying him off fresh veggies and they should normalise but they haven't yet, still very soft and I'm worried it's something more serious.
He's drinking a lot but he always has and I'm giving him some pellets and lots of timothy hay.
I did call the Vet on Monday for some reassurance and he didn't seem too worried, and thinks it could be the grass intake but he definitely hasn't been having any that I know of. He's been chewing the cardboard tube he loves to hide in and I wondered if there was something in that that might have upset his tummy.
Due to Covid-19 I can only have a telephone consultation with the Vet which was fine but I would feel better if he could be checked over. Unless the situation is critical, I cannot take him in for a check-up and I also worry for the vet bill. I'm currently on furlough with a wage drop, I can't take out a loan and do not think my vets allow a payment plan process so I'm currently a bag of worry and nerves. He's a large long haired happy piggy, cheeky but lovely, I just hope for some reassurance and for him to start having harder poops again.
I do have another piggy, Thor, he's nearly 6, they are in separate cages, always have been. They both have been having veggies but I'm worried something is wrong with Rocky as Thor isn't having any issues with pooping.

Sorry for the essay and advance thank yous for any responses. x

 

[Siikibam]

It's always better to start your own thread. These old ones fall through the cracks and aren't usually seen. How long have you kept him off veggies? And you say he hardly eats any grass. How much has he been eating, and how much was he eating before? Otherwise if it's ongoing then you need to get him to the vet to be checked over.