Soft poops and climbing

[willow&clover19]

Hi everyone! I am new to owning Guinea pigs I got them on Friday and it is now Monday. they are 10 weeks old 2 sows. I’ve done a lot of research. They are in a 2x4 c and c grid and have fleece bedding. I stupidly forgot I had to introduce new veg slowly as I’m pretty sure the old owner only fed leafy greens. So now one of the piggies has soft poop it’s a normal shape but feels a bit wet and I can squish it. The other piggies poop is hard and a normal shape. They love cucumber which might be the issue. About the climbing one of them tries to climb the strawberry bed so I’ve had to move it into the middle of the cage. Also I’m worried they’re not eating enough hay I put hay in the tunnel as that’s where they like to eat it but there is also a shoebox full of hay that they won’t go to and I’ve only ever seen them drink water once.

 

[RosieLily]

Hello, welcome!

My piggies also reacted badly to veg in the beginning - they most likely only got carrot in their previous "home". Take them off veg for now, see if the poops return to normal. If they do in the next few days, slowly start introducing veggies again.

I had to experiment a lot with different hays and also had to syringe feed Rosie in the beginning since she wasn't eating or drinking enough due to nervousness.

If the poops remain soft even after eliminating veg, get them to a vet. It would be an excellent idea to always have new piggies checked by the vet anyway.

This would be my advice. I am sure somebody more knowledgeable will be here shortly to help some more

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

Remove any veg for at least 48 hours and see if the soft droppings return to normal. Definitely a vet check if not or if you are concerned (better to be safe).
Make sure that good quality hay is fed ad lib (and as said above maybe try different types - though I tend to avoid some of the pet shop herby type hays due to calcium content). My guys love nothing more than both meadow and timothy hay from the Hay box company. Due to the structure and function of the guinea pig gut (they are hind gut fermenters) they must have a continuous supply of fresh hay to eat, and never run out. It is also essential for chewing and wear of the teeth to prevent overgrowth and dental issues.

The amount of water they drink can vary massively from piggie to piggie. They also get a lot of water content from vegetables, so don't worry too much about that. But again, if concerned, get a vet check up.

My piggies have a piece of C&C over the beds (as they like to sit on top of them - this is perfectly normal), to stop them jumping into another cage

 

[willow&clover19]

I’m going to remove the vegetables. They’re not nervous I think they mostly eat at night as they were in my room and to be moved due to a LOT of noise. The vet could be an issue as I have been looking at the locator and couldn’t find any exotic vets in my area

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone! I am new to owning Guinea pigs I got them on Friday and it is now Monday. they are 10 weeks old 2 sows. I’ve done a lot of research. They are in a 2x4 c and c grid and have fleece bedding. I stupidly forgot I had to introduce new veg slowly as I’m pretty sure the old owner only fed leafy greens. So now one of the piggies has soft poop it’s a normal shape but feels a bit wet and I can squish it. The other piggies poop is hard and a normal shape. They love cucumber which might be the issue. About the climbing one of them tries to climb the strawberry bed so I’ve had to move it into the middle of the cage. Also I’m worried they’re not eating enough hay I put hay in the tunnel as that’s where they like to eat it but there is also a shoebox full of hay that they won’t go to and I’ve only ever seen them drink water once.

Hi!

Please remove any fresh food for at least 24-48 hours until after the poos have firmed up again and then reintroduce fresh food slowly. Use cucumber as a treat in very small pieces at first until the gut microbiome has got used to it and can cope with more. It may make a good medium to train them in the coming weeks, like coming into a cardboard tunnel or box for pick-up, weighing or transport to the lawn etc.
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Please be aware that if you offer a lot more veg high in water in addition to their leafy greens, their overall need of fluid won't change irrespective of whether they are getting their water in edible or drinkable form.
All About Drinking And Bottles
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[willow&clover19]

The veg I’ve been giving them is as follows:
Red, green and orange pepper (every day), carrots (once), cucumber,(every day) spinach (once), celery (three times) coriander (three times) and cherry tomatoes (twice) they have a shoebox full of hay and a water bottle I don’t think they’re using too much that’s why I feel the need to give them cucumber.

 

[Wiebke]

The veg I’ve been giving them is as follows:
Red, green and orange pepper (every day), carrots (once), cucumber,(every day) spinach (once), celery (three times) coriander (three times) and cherry tomatoes (twice) they have a shoebox full of hay and a water bottle I don’t think they’re using too much that’s why I feel the need to give them cucumber.

Some piggies drink a lot and others barely; it varies massively on an individual basis. Many new owners seem worry about their piggies not drinking enough but please keep in mind the need to drink comes before the need to eat, so a healthy eating piggy is not at risk of dehydration unless it cannot access fresh, cool water. They just drink as much as they feel the need for. the more fresh you feed, the less they will drink because they are not getting any thirstier.
Please read the green link about drinking and bottles in my previous post.

 

[willow&clover19]

Thanks so much I will read the link now!