Sole male cavy with impaction

[fourcavies]

we have a four year old Californian gp who is sadly now on his own having lost three others over 18 months or so. To compensate during nice weather he has an adapted house in the garden which gives him free access to our garden and he seems happy pottery about. In the winter and bad weather, he has a two story hutch in a heated shed with a radio And he lives in there on his own with visits from me.

he developed impaction a little while ago and initially I treated it daily and then gradually stopped and just kept an eye on it helping him out when it looked like he hadn’t passed a lump himself. he has lots of fruit and veg to help with this and also I have a fibre supplement I can give him if required. I feel he looks sad in the hutch but happy when in the garden.

last night I took him to the vets as his eye looked a bit runny and I left his bottom alone to discuss with the vet but was told off for not clearing it daily For him. I did try and tell him that he was managing well himself but I monitor him but that didn’t go down well. He is a stressy boy so constantly picking him up and doin* that can’t be much fun for him. I also felt the exercise he’s getting from running about the whole garden very beneficial. The dog leaves him alone and keeps cats out so it’s safe.

I wanted to ask for opinions. He is very difficult to catch when in the garden and I’m sure it stresses him out. In his best interests I felt I’m doing the right thing for him monitoring but now, intervening if I see his back end looking full. I’m not so sure. I can’t have any more to keep him company in a hutch and I certainly couldn’t rehome him. So what would be the best thing?

 

[Piggies&buns]

These guides will help with information on dealing with impaction. It does need to be cleared regularly and not doing so will cause pain and discomfort and potentially infections. There can be underlying causes for impaction so it is important to get him thoroughly checked out.

Please ensure his diet is kept hay based so he has lots of fibre which will help more than lots of veg will. Keep veg to one cup per day. Lots of fruit isn’t good for them - they don’t need fruit in their diet really but it should be only given as a treat once a week if you do want to give some.

Impaction - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.

Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

Do you mean you let him free roam in the garden but then can’t catch him? If so, I would suggest you use a secure run - it will ensure he is kept safe from predators (including birds of prey) but also make it easier for you to herd him into a carrier to catch him.

In terms of him living alone, would you be able to approach a rescue centre to look to foster a friend for him. As you only foster that piggy and hand them back when your piggy has passed, you aren’t committed to the full life of another piggy if you wish to end you piggy cycle but your piggy still has the essential companionship that he requires. A radio in the shed and you going out to see him sadly isn’t enough to stop loneliness. At four years old, he could still have another four years left and that is such a long time for him to spend alone.

 

[WobblyPiggy]

Hi,

Both my elder males suffer from impaction as they're both unneutered, I personally look everyday to check neither of them like it but it means they're clean as sometimes lumps can get lodged far up...theyre both wiggly and hate it happening but have now discovered the fascination of licking fingers and attempting to bite rings...so they're distracted normally...however if your routine is working and he is not in pain then keep up your routine...but there's never any harm in extra checks...maybe just provide a reward system for him...sometimes lumps if they're too big can be painful to pass or uncomfortable so extra checks are always a plus...lone piggies are hard to look after our female is a lone piggy after her sister passed...she is 9 years old as a minimum if her age was correct when she was rescued by her previous owner and despite bonding attempts she attacked all of them even the babies so she now lives permanently inside and comes out as she pleases to run around and cause havoc...and yell at 3am to wake us up for snacks...I'm sure she does it on purpose...

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I used to have a piggy who suffered from impaction. He was maybe around 6 when it started. I had to clean him every day. After a little while he did get used to it. I think he was just relieved it was gone. It took me seconds to clean it as I got more confident. As he got older it got bigger more quickly. How do you clean it out? Is it big enough just to “pop” it out? You say you help him when he can’t manage himself. But from my experience once they get impacted they then can’t get it out for themselves. I would also like to say I feel uncomfortable with you having your dog in the garden while your piggy is free roaming. There have been so many sad stories on here where dogs have killed piggies. .