Soft stools

[emiso]

Hi! One of my piggies has soft, clumped up stools today. He is still eating hay, pellets, and drinking. I’m not all too worried considering he is acting fine otherwise, but I wanted to ask if there are any tips on helping with this anyway just to make sure I get rid of this as quick as possible. (For context he is getting over his recent bloat but is no longer bloated other than small waves of it which massages get rid of instantly, so if you have any tips for getting the gut back to normal that helps as well and for getting the last bit of bloat gone please let me know!)

I have been giving him critical care recently because he is underweight, especially after he recently was bloated and off of vegetables, but I think the critical care I gave him yesterday was just too watery for him causing the soft stools. I am trying to get him to gain weight but it is hard to make sure I don’t get him bloated from giving him foods too fast, I bought pea flakes a while back but I’ve been so nervous to feed him treats like that again because I really do not want to get him bloated again, even though the bloat was not caused by that and was from a weird hay batch.

I have given him a fresh hay pile and some cardboard toys because I saw someone on this forum say cardboard can help with the soft stools as well.

 

[Piggies&buns]

If a piggy has soft poops you need to remove veg from the diet until poops normalise. This may take a few days. If poops don’t normalise after a few days off veg, then please see a vet.
I would recommend you give a probiotic to help rebalance the gut; rather than cardboard.
Once poops normalise, make sure to reintroduce veg very slowly so as to not balance the gut again. It is recommended that herbs are the more things added back in a sprig at a time to ensure the digestion remains settled.

Regaining lost weight after a period of illness is done via plenty of hay intake. It may take many weeks for weight to be regained, depending on the amount that was lost during the period of illness.

 

[emiso]

All of my piggies are on probiotics currently so I can get their guts feeling better after the bloat, I give them the benebac syringe probiotic every 3 days, but since it hasn’t hit the next time for it I also put some cardboard in.

I’ve made a previous post about his weight before because he lost weight following a cyst removal and was at around 850g on a normal day and 900g on a good day, we were getting him up past 900g steadily until he got bloated and lost again. He is at a very low 800g now and I hate how bony he is, he eats all of his food and I’ve been giving him critical care in hopes of helping him gain but I’ve been weary of anything else so he doesn’t get bloated all over again. If you have any tips on this weight gain I’d greatly appreciate it, thank you so much!

 

[exia]

I have a boy with a very sensitive tummy. When he gets soft stools I put him off veg until its better, and I also give him some Fibreplex bio-lapis. He recently had very soft stools because of a mix of critical care, metacam and anesthesia. His vet recommended us Famotidine in combination with probiotics, but I would ask your vet before giving Famotidine if he has a problem with bloating just to be sure.

 

[emiso]

I have a boy with a very sensitive tummy. When he gets soft stools I put him off veg until its better, and I also give him some Fibreplex bio-lapis. He recently had very soft stools because of a mix of critical care, metacam and anesthesia. His vet recommended us Famotidine in combination with probiotics, but I would ask your vet before giving Famotidine if he has a problem with bloating just to be sure.

I’m sorry about your piggy’s sensitive tummy I’m glad he has someone to care for him I’ve never heard of fibreplex bio-lapis, I’ll have to look into it!

Which probiotic do you use to help with his tummy? I have been giving mine critical care now that he is done being bloated to help him gain weight but its such a sensitive thing to try and get him to gain weight considering he gets back to being bloated easily or, like today, the soft stools from too much water in his CC, at least thats what I’m assuming caused it.

 

[Piggies&buns]

As I say, regaining lost weight following illness takes weeks of normal amounts of independent hay intake. It will happen in its own time.

You can continue to offer some critical care for him to nibble at as a boost.

 

[emiso]

As I say, regaining lost weight following illness takes weeks of normal amounts of independent hay intake. It will happen in its own time.

You can continue to offer some critical care for him to nibble at as a boost.

Thats reassuring thank you! I’ll keep him on hay only for a while and only give him a scoop of cc daily once he is ready for it again, do you think that will be fine?

Honestly he is acting fully fine other than the soft stools I think I’m just worrying myself because we recently lost our sweet guinea pig Moto to bloat so I’m more than likely stressing over nothing but I appreciate the help so much nonetheless!

 

[Piggies&buns]

The daily weight checks are your guide as to his food intake. If he maintains (or gains a little) his weight each day then he is eating enough hay and will put in weight in time.
If he loses weight, then he isn’t eating enough hay and you will need to continue with syringe feeding for the time being.

It also depends how old he is - older piggies are less likely to regain lost weight

 

[emiso]

The daily weight checks are your guide as to his food intake. If he maintains (or gains a little) his weight each day then he is eating enough hay and will put in weight in time.
If he loses weight, then he isn’t eating enough hay and you will need to continue with syringe feeding for the time being.

It also depends how old he is - older piggies are less likely to regain lost weight

Okay, thank you!

 

[exia]

I’m sorry about your piggy’s sensitive tummy I’m glad he has someone to care for him I’ve never heard of fibreplex bio-lapis, I’ll have to look into it!

Which probiotic do you use to help with his tummy? I have been giving mine critical care now that he is done being bloated to help him gain weight but its such a sensitive thing to try and get him to gain weight considering he gets back to being bloated easily or, like today, the soft stools from too much water in his CC, at least thats what I’m assuming caused it.

The best thing with bio-lapis is that you just mix a bag/part of a bag in water. I syringe it just to be sure he gets some in his tummy, but you can just give it in the water bottle to. It doesn't get that corny and sticky like the probiotics I use (also Fibreplex). For him it really helps when critical care alone is the problem, or hes just a bit loose from too much vegs.

Its so easy for them to lose weight, and takes some time for them to gain again. If he's not losing, maybe you could stop the critical care? Someone with better knowledge are very welcome to correct me, but around 30g is normal fluctuation for a piggie.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes 30g is normal fluctuation which is why we don’t talk of weight loss until it hits 50g.

I must add though, that no medication, probiotics or vitamins ever be put into drinking water bottles. It encourages algae growth and also means you have absolutely no control over the quantity taken in. It can also change the taste of the water and stop them from drinking (thus they aren’t getting any of the product in the water anyway). Always ensure probiotics etc are syringed to poorly piggies separately.

 

[exia]

Yes 30g is normal fluctuation which is why we don’t talk of weight loss until it hits 50g.

I must add though, that no medication, probiotics or vitamins ever be put into drinking water bottles. It encourages algae growth and also means you have absolutely no control over the quantity taken in. It can also change the taste of the water and stop them from drinking (thus they aren’t getting any of the product in the water anyway). Always ensure probiotics etc are syringed to poorly piggies separately.

Well, look at that! I always syringed it because I want to be sure he really got some of it in that little belly, and now I know why to keep syringe it. Thats why I love this forum

 

[emiso]

The best thing with bio-lapis is that you just mix a bag/part of a bag in water. I syringe it just to be sure he gets some in his tummy, but you can just give it in the water bottle to. It doesn't get that corny and sticky like the probiotics I use (also Fibreplex). For him it really helps when critical care alone is the problem, or hes just a bit loose from too much vegs.

Its so easy for them to lose weight, and takes some time for them to gain again. If he's not losing, maybe you could stop the critical care? Someone with better knowledge are very welcome to correct me, but around 30g is normal fluctuation for a piggie.

Thank you! I’ll have to ask my vet about that next time I go for a check up.

The 30g fluctuation is okay I just hate it because a 30g difference for him right now is a low 700g some days so its very worrying