chatterboxlauu
Junior Guinea Pig
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 cage 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, 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. I'm worried something is wrong with Rocky as Thor isn't having any issues with pooping. They both live in my lounge in their indoor cages and I check on him more so at the moment while working from home. His poops are hardening in the cage but still very soft when freshly done and darker than a normal pellet poop. They are forming but mush up when he treads through them. I'm also worried he is lacking nutrients at the moment as he will be struggling eat his poops if they're so soft.
Sorry for the essay and advance thank yous for any responses. x
I noticed they were mushy a week or two ago when I cleaned his cage 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, 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. I'm worried something is wrong with Rocky as Thor isn't having any issues with pooping. They both live in my lounge in their indoor cages and I check on him more so at the moment while working from home. His poops are hardening in the cage but still very soft when freshly done and darker than a normal pellet poop. They are forming but mush up when he treads through them. I'm also worried he is lacking nutrients at the moment as he will be struggling eat his poops if they're so soft.
Sorry for the essay and advance thank yous for any responses. x