Soft poops an calcium patches

[xEnigmaticErinx]

After months of research and preparation we got 3 new guinea pigs just over a week ago. I thought we were pretty well clued up but now I feel useless and lost.

Their diet consists of plenty of hay, they have no bother eating it. Pellets, they maybe eat 1 or 2 pellets a day at most, they're really not keen and so far a small amount of veg.
As far as I'm aware they had never ate veg before we got them so I thought it best to start slowly. They also had orange poo when we first got them but this changed to normal looking within a few hours.

Day 1 they had a small piece of pepper each.
Day 2 the same but slightly larger
Day 3 a stick of celery cut into 3 between them
Day 4 2 slices of cucumber between them and a bit of pepper each
Day 5 a thin slices of carrot and a bit of pepper each
Day 6, 7 & 8 they had 1 large romaine Lettuce leaf between them and a small piece of pepper each.

Today is day 9 and after looking at threads on here I am thinking I should not offer veggies tonight.

2 days ago I noticed they all had poo stuck into their feet. I spent 2 days examining their poo and most of it looks fine but there are some pellets that look normal but when you touch them really squish and will stick to your finger. Or a couple that were all ready squished bits when I saw them. I'll attach a photo.

I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Could it possibly just be that one of them isn't eating the soft poop that they're meant to?
I'm planning to take them out into the playpen one at a time later on to see if I can spot who it is, or if it is all of them.

Also yesterday when I cleaned them out fully I noticed white patches which I'm pretty certain are from calcium build up which shocked me as I didn't feel they had had that much calcium.

 

[xEnigmaticErinx]

They aren't as dark as they look on the photo my camera just didn't want to work.

Almost all are like the bottom but there are some like the top ones

 

[xEnigmaticErinx]

Closer up of the squishy ones. Sorry its not the best quality.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do remove veg from their diet for a few days until poops normalise. Feed plenty of hay for the next few days and see how things go. If poops go back to normal, then reintroduce veg slowly. Starting with herbs is often best as they are milder on the tummy but contain a lot of good nutrition. Coriander is fine to be fed daily.

Its normal for them to excrete calcium in their urine, so seeing some some calcium patches is totally normal. If they are excessive or gritty, then please do see a vet.
Most calcium comes from pellets and drinking water, so ensuring pellets are kept limited to just one tablespoon per pig per day (although I see you say yours aren’t getting many anyway) and ensuring drinking water is filtered will help. Of course you cannot nor should you remove calcium altogether but pellets and water are the main thing to monitor.

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

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

Stop with the veg until their poos have normalised and review how much pellets and unfilteres water you are providing - the latter two food groups are where most calciums comes into the diet.
You may also want to review your veg diet and opt for something a bit more leafy and green overall. If your piggies are from a place where the veg on your diet have not been on offer, then their gut microbiome may struggle to cope; soft poos are a typical reaction of a not yet adapted digestive system. Most babies get veg traces in their mother's milk and then start to nibble on and increasing eating greater amounts fresh foods pretty soon after birth so they can usually avoid tummy upsets. Larger pet chains with their supply breeders have grudgingly introduced fresh veg into the shop diet after lots of complaints about diarrhea in newly bought babies...

When reintroducing fresh foods, start with a little herb like coriander/cilantro, then coriander and a bit of celery or a slice of cucumber and with the next meal - if they are still fine - add a little pepper etc... Just a little bit more with every meal, starting just with a taster and then gradually upping the quantity and the variety.

You may find our comprehensive diet guide helpful which looks at diet (including water) as a whole but at all food groups in practical and precise detail. A good diet can really add 1-2 years to an average healthy life expectancy; staying away from some rather unexpected plant groups has also the added benefit that it can help to minimise the risk of stones (via oxalates).
Here is the link: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

The diet guide is part of our extensive new owners practical information and how-to tips collection, which looks at settling in/making friends with your piggies (including a little course in piggy whispering), the most common pitfalls that can come with newly bought piggies; housing, enrichment, diet and life-long health monitoring/learning what is normal and not, understanding behaviours and dynamics, guinea pigs as a species (including a journey through their life time from birth until death in terms of development). We have also included information on vet care, spotting early signs of illness and emergency support care guides.
Here is the link, which you may want to bookmark, browse, read and re-read at need: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

You are however always welcome to ask any questions along the way, the little as well as the large ones in our Care sections or enjoy our friendly community and show off your boys.
We have all started out knowing nothing and have been perplexed by unexpected things so you do not have to feel embarrassed asking 'silly' questions - odds are that you are making lots of lurkers very happy...