Troubles going to the bathroom

[jesse1234]

My little boy Oswald is having discomfort peeing and pooping. He is 2 years old and recently (about 2 weeks ago) got off of antibiotics for a URI. He had issues going to the bathroom while on the antibiotics but he was on Natural Science Digestive Support (and still is) and that really helped. He stopped having issues going, but they seem to be back. He's acting normal, running, drinking, eating, playing, but almost every time he pees or poops he strains and squeaks. I also am pretty sure I heard his stomach gurgle. His pee has been showing up a rusty-ish colour sometimes, some spots are normal. His difficulty before was strictly with pooping, but now he's uncomfortable peeing too. I'm worried about bladder stones, bloat, UTI or impaction. He is a rather chunky guinea pigs lready, so it's really hard to tel f he's bloated, because he always is pretty round and he doesn't seem rounder than usual. His fur has been puffed, but I know he always has poofy fur when he's not feeling the best. It goes back down after he goes to the bathroom or runs around. No vets are open near me until Monday and the emergency vet doesn't take guinea pigs. I'm hoping he just stops having these difficulties, and it resolves itself. I will get a vet appointment if the issues persist or get any worse, but does anybody have any ideas? He is happy to eat and is pooping and peeing a normal amount, drinking and eating a normal amount and everything. Not every time is hard either, which is why I'm hoping maybe he's getting better already. His poop is relatively inconsistent, some is a little mushier, some is a lot mushier, some are small, some of them are long, some are super thick, some are smaller and some come out as a longer one with a tiny little dollop at the end, but his poop has been like that (little dollop and longer and thicker but not mushy) since he has been off his antibiotics and the vet said not to worry. I just am wondering if anybody has had a similar situation or has any suggestions to try to help him for the time being. I'll attach pictures of his poop and pee below.

 

[jesse1234]

sorry the pictures interrupted my sentence, the text is all connected

 

[jesse1234]

here is rather puffed up, poor baby

 

[Gem789]

here is rather puffed up, poor baby View attachment 121844View attachment 121845

He doesn't look happy, in fact he looks unwell to me.

 

[Wiebke]

My little boy Oswald is having discomfort peeing and pooping. He is 2 years old and recently (about 2 weeks ago) got off of antibiotics for a URI. He had issues going to the bathroom while on the antibiotics but he was on Natural Science Digestive Support (and still is) and that really helped. He stopped having issues going, but they seem to be back. He's acting normal, running, drinking, eating, playing, but almost every time he pees or poops he strains and squeaks. I also am pretty sure I heard his stomach gurgle. His pee has been showing up a rusty-ish colour sometimes, some spots are normal. His difficulty before was strictly with pooping, but now he's uncomfortable peeing too. I'm worried about bladder stones, bloat, UTI or impaction. He is a rather chunky guinea pigs lready, so it's really hard to tel f he's bloated, because he always is pretty round and he doesn't seem rounder than usual. His fur has been puffed, but I know he always has poofy fur when he's not feeling the best. It goes back down after he goes to the bathroom or runs around. No vets are open near me until Monday and the emergency vet doesn't take guinea pigs. I'm hoping he just stops having these difficulties, and it resolves itself. I will get a vet appointment if the issues persist or get any worse, but does anybody have any ideas? He is happy to eat and is pooping and peeing a normal amount, drinking and eating a normal amount and everything. Not every time is hard either, which is why I'm hoping maybe he's getting better already. His poop is relatively inconsistent, some is a little mushier, some is a lot mushier, some are small, some of them are long, some are super thick, some are smaller and some come out as a longer one with a tiny little dollop at the end, but his poop has been like that (little dollop and longer and thicker but not mushyView attachment 121838View attachment 121839View attachment 121840View attachment 121841) since he has been off his antibiotics and the vet said not to worry. I just am wondering if anybody has had a similar situation or has any suggestions to try to help him for the time being. I'll attach pictures of his poop and pee below.

Hi!

If your boy is straining/wheeking when pooing or peeing, please have him checked for bladder stones, UTI, bacterial or sterile cystitis. It is generally a symptom for problems with the plumbing in a guinea pig.
Also have his penis shaft checked for semen rods, which can also cause pain when toiletting. Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

Antibiotics impact on the gut microbiome as well as on the bacteria they are targeted at. In most cases, soft poos caused by an antibiotic normalises within a few days of the course of antibiotics finishing.
Otherwise 'poo soup' containing very fresh live microbiome from a healthy companion or probiotics can help. This link here has a list of products and advice on how to make poo soup so it is really effective (when made properly more so than probiotics): Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

 

[jesse1234]

I checked his penis earlier actually, I wipe and check out his butt and his genitals about every other day because he gets pretty dirty pretty fast. Thank you for your advice. I only have one guinea pig so poop soup really isn't an option. I think the soft poop isn't from the antibiotics, because he just started having them today.Also I live in the US, and I am not sure what probiotics we have around here. I'll try looking online to order some, but I know we don't have any in any nearby stores, because when he was on his antibiotics I went to every pet store within a 20 mile radius and only could get the digestive support. I'll check Amazon.

 

[rmw1217]

here is rather puffed up, poor baby View attachment 121844View attachment 121845

Awww poor thing

 

[jesse1234]

wow i'm an idiot, posted this in wrong thread. my guy is sick rn. this was meant to be on my recent, not this one.he's usually very happy, he's just sick at the moment which is why he's puffed up. i would delete that from the thread but i can't now. i'm not the best at navigating this website, hence why i posted those pictures in the wrong thread to begin with. he's usually happy though. just not when he's ill. sorry again, those pictures have 0 relevance here.

 

[VickiA]

wow i'm an idiot, posted this in wrong thread. my guy is sick rn. this was meant to be on my recent, not this one.he's usually very happy, he's just sick at the moment which is why he's puffed up. i would delete that from the thread but i can't now. i'm not the best at navigating this website, hence why i posted those pictures in the wrong thread to begin with. he's usually happy though. just not when he's ill. sorry again, those pictures have 0 relevance here.

I’ve moved your posts for you. With him being puffed up like that I would suspect bloat or extreme pain. Either way he needs to see a vet as soon as possible.
Please withhold fresh veg and treat him as if he has bloat until you can get him to the vet. If it’s bloat then it’s really critical to act as quickly as possible. Here’s a link to the relevant guides. Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Bloat, GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
Illness Support Care Guides

 

[jesse1234]

this was some pee i found today, definitely more red than i've seen before. could this be blood?