Weird poop

[FknEcho]

Hi, so we’re still maintaining weight. I tried giving him poop soup since tuesday. His poops are still in a good shape but very squishy and wet and today they got lighter in color.

For the syringe feeding I try to give him 70-80ml every day.

On tuesday and today we were to other vet in my town and he gave him injection but I don’t see any difference, only that poop is a bit lighter in color. I’ll insert photo.

Also I haven’t seen him eat poop and I’m not sure if he’s eating or even pooping the caecotrophs.

 

[FknEcho]

I’m sure no one will answer me but I’ll still post…

So today’s weight is 962, so we’re gaining weight but I still think there is not enough poop…. When I look at the cage in the morning, there isn’t much poop in there…? His companion pooped all over it during the night but Puffy only had like 4 poops, one normal and 3 small ones, maybe 1cm each…

I started another round of Fibreplex since yesterday, just to be sure. I also still do poop soul from his companion.

 

[Piggies&buns]

We do try to make sure all posts are answered. I have been away so my time on the forum has been reduced but I’ve been coming on when I can.

How can you be sure some of those poops aren’t Puffy’s? His weight is stable so he is eating enough, so he should be pooping. The poops in the picture don’t look too concerning to me at all.
I would get him seen by the vet again if you are worried.

 

[FknEcho]

Because his companion is still a baby and his poops are smaller and thinner since he is around 2 months old now…

I’m going to the vet again but I noticed that after shot he gives him Puffy has soft, paste like poop three-four hours after that injection…

Also regarding the soft poop he should eat, it looks like he doesn’t eat all of them and I often find it myself and then put it in front of him, that’s when he finds them, is it a problem too?

 

[Piggies&buns]

What was the injection?

New research has shown that piggies don’t produce special soft poops (caecotrophs) in the way as rabbits do. Rabbits produce and eat caecotrophs. Piggies do not. Piggies simply eat their normal poops for a second run when they need to and they usually take it directly from their bottom. You don’t need to go searching for his poops to feed him. He will eat them if he wants to. Any which are left on the ground are not wanted and will not be any good to eat as the benefit from then dies off very quickly.

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Poops'

May 30, 2024

1 How the Digestive System Works
2 Poo Eating (Coprophagy)
3 Health Monitoring: Weighing vs. Poos Watching
- What does weighing do?
- What does the poop output tell you?
4 Minor Poop Issues
- How to deal with a minor tummy upset
- Funny poops: What do they mean?
- Caked on poops
5 Serious Diarrhoea
6 Impaction
7...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Guides to the Body

• 
• 

 

[FknEcho]

I forgot the name of the injection, I’ll ask again today… but it was ending with -cadom, I think

I never see him eat it straight out of his bottom. I saw baby Jerry a lot of times…

 

[Piggies&buns]

I forgot the name of the injection, I’ll ask again today… but it was ending with -cadom, I think

I never see him eat it straight out of his bottom. I saw baby Jerry a lot of times…

If he is choosing not to eat his poops, then it’s likely he knows there is something wrong with them.
Poop soup with Jerry’s immediately produced poops (ie you will need to either follow Jerry around and catch the poops the moment they come out or separate Jerry into a box to catch his poops) will help if puffy’s own poops are not healthy.

 

[FknEcho]

yes, I’ve been doing that since tuesday, I try to give Puffy poop soup at least once a day… I get few of Jerry’s poops, in 2-3ml of water and wait 10-15 minutes for the water to change color so they soak properly and then give the soup to Puffy…

so far I did it twice on tuesday, wednesday and thursday, only did it once yesterday since I had a lot of work…

but Puffy seems very alert in comparison with the way he was last month… He is surely better but the poops are still not in the great state… Like I mentioned, they mostly looked normal in shape so far, but kinda wet and soft, not paste like soft since they are solid in the shape.

In the photo attached, left one is Puffy’s poop - normal, kinda soft which he just pooped few minutes ago… the middle one is from night, there were only like 4 of those and the right one is Jerry’s

 

[FknEcho]

If he is choosing not to eat his poops, then it’s likely he knows there is something wrong with them.
Poop soup with Jerry’s immediately produced poops (ie you will need to either follow Jerry around and catch the poops the moment they come out or separate Jerry into a box to catch his poops) will help if puffy’s own poops are not healthy.

So I went to the vet yesterday and he told me he’s been giving him antibiotics… The last shot was some other kind, after which Puffy did not have paste like poop.

I mean he still doesn’t poop as much or eat as much on his own, so I will continue in syringe feeding, still off veg. I just have no idea why the poops are so squishy since I’m not giving him any veg.

I still give him poo soup, also I have two days of fibreplex left.

 

[Wiebke]

If he is choosing not to eat his poops, then it’s likely he knows there is something wrong with them.
Poop soup with Jerry’s immediately produced poops (ie you will need to either follow Jerry around and catch the poops the moment they come out or separate Jerry into a box to catch his poops) will help if puffy’s own poops are not healthy.

It's better to catch Jerry, give him a little treat and process the poos as soon as he drops them for best effect. Gut microbiome dies off very quickly, so it is a race against time.

 

[FknEcho]

It's better to catch Jerry, give him a little treat and process the poos as soon as he drops them for best effect. Gut microbiome dies off very quickly, so it is a race against time.

It's better to catch Jerry, give him a little treat and process the poos as soon as he drops them for best effect. Gut microbiome dies off very quickly, so it is a race against time.

Yes, I take him out and wait until he poops. Soak the poops in 2-3ml water for 10-15 minutes and then syringe it to Puffy.

Also today Puffy is starting to lose interest in syringe feeding, but it’s at least around 70-85ml these past few days. I hope it’s enough. His weight today was 960g.

 

[Wiebke]

Yes, I take him out and wait until he poops. Soak the poops in 2-3ml water for 10-15 minutes and then syringe it to Puffy.

Also today Puffy is starting to lose interest in syringe feeding, but it’s at least around 70-85ml these past few days. I hope it’s enough. His weight today was 960g.

70-85g is very good. That is most of an average daily food intake.

Weighing daily on our kitchen scales first thing in the morning for bst day to day comparison will tell you whether the weight is pretty stable or whether there is a slow down trend. If the trend it going up, then this means he is staing to eat by himself.

This new guide of mine takes a look at what goes into weight monitoring and how to put things into the proper individual perspective:

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

Jun 20, 2024

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

• 

 

[FknEcho]

Thank you. I wish he will get better soon. But it’s also getting exhausting for me, since my whole day is about watching after him. I work as a care giver for my mum so I have plenty of time to look after him too.

I always weight him around 7:50-8:00am before first syringe feeding on a kitchen scale in round dish. I also use an app for tracking his weight, there it even shows if the weight is going up or down. I’ll attach some photos.

I also try to get them out of the cage for an hour or two so they can run in a big space on the ground. Puffy is active for maybe 10-20 minutes but then he mostly rests.

When I get them fresh hay, I noticed that Jerry will come running but Puffy isn’t that interested… I mean I see her eat some hay, then drink water but the hay eating is not that much.

I will read the guide, thank you. I just wish I had found this community sooner.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you. I wish he will get better soon. But it’s also getting exhausting for me, since my whole day is about watching after him. I work as a care giver for my mum so I have plenty of time to look after him too.

I always weight him around 7:50-8:00am before first syringe feeding on a kitchen scale in round dish. I also use an app for tracking his weight, there it even shows if the weight is going up or down. I’ll attach some photos.

I also try to get them out of the cage for an hour or two so they can run in a big space on the ground. Puffy is active for maybe 10-20 minutes but then he mostly rests.

When I get them fresh hay, I noticed that Jerry will come running but Puffy isn’t that interested… I mean I see her eat some hay, then drink water but the hay eating is not that much.

I will read the guide, thank you. I just wish I had found this community sooner.

You are doing great. It is exhausting caring for a guinea pig with a health issue that need more managing because there is no straight forward recovery, as I know myself.

The weight variation is within a 30g band, which means that it is stable. The weight will inevitably jump around a little from day to day. You feel around the ribcage for the BMI to check for individual weight/size ratio but unless Puffy is a large girl, she should still be in the ideal weight range so that weight range should be fine as it is.

The activity level is normal for an adult piggy and nothing to worry about.

I hope that this gives you some reassurance? You could try and see whether Puffy may like a top up snack of mushed up pellets? you can also offer her a little fresh hay during syringe feeds.

 

[FknEcho]

You are doing great. It is exhausting caring for a guinea pig with a health issue that need more managing because there is no straight forward recovery, as I know myself.

The weight variation is within a 30g band, which means that it is stable. The weight will inevitably jump around a little from day to day. You feel around the ribcage for the BMI to check for individual weight/size ratio but unless Puffy is a large girl, she should still be in the ideal weight range so that weight range should be fine as it is.

The activity level is normal for an adult piggy and nothing to worry about.

I hope that this gives you some reassurance? You could try and see whether Puffy may like a top up snack of mushed up pellets? you can also offer her a little fresh hay during syringe feeds.

Thank you for your help and kind words. I felt around his ribs, some I can feel separately but not too much.

I mix his recovery food with pellets, so I don’t want to overdo it by giving him more mushed up pellets. But I give him 2-3 pea flakes a day. Also dry mixed herbs but he’s not always into them.

I also noticed that Jerry started to lick Puffy’s eyes. I’ve never seen something like this, is it a good or a bad sign?

And Puffy often chatters his teeth, but stops whenever I try to record him on. This video is the closest thing I could find, but Puffy’s lower jaw moves a whole lot more. Is it just being angry or could something hurt him?

Guinea pig teeth grinding!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your help and kind words. I felt around his ribs, some I can feel separately but not too much.

I mix his recovery food with pellets, so I don’t want to overdo it by giving him more mushed up pellets. But I give him 2-3 pea flakes a day. Also dry mixed herbs but he’s not always into them.

I also noticed that Jerry started to lick Puffy’s eyes. I’ve never seen something like this, is it a good or a bad sign?

And Puffy often chatters his teeth, but stops whenever I try to record him on. This video is the closest thing I could find, but Puffy’s lower jaw moves a whole lot more. Is it just being angry or could something hurt him?

Guinea pig teeth grinding!

Licking eyes is a sign of affection, but it can also convey gratitude and appreciation from a youngster taken on by an older guardian/teacher or convey sympathy and moral support to a piggy that is not quite well.

Cherish it! We humans would give kisses or a hug in the same context.

 

[FknEcho]

It’s so cute when he’s doing that! I will cherish that for sure. My deceased piggie often snuggled with Puffy but they never licked each other.

Puffy today is starting to spit recovery food out. So far I managed to give him 35ml. I’ll give him poop soup soon. Also I noticed his poops started to firm up but he did not poop much today, only smaller poops and also poops in the photos attached

 

[Wiebke]

It’s so cute when he’s doing that! I will cherish that for sure. My deceased piggie often snuggled with Puffy but they never licked each other.

Puffy today is starting to spit recovery food out. So far I managed to give him 35ml. I’ll give him poop soup soon. Also I noticed his poops started to firm up but he did not poop much today, only smaller poops and also poops in the photos attached

Hi

The smaller, thinner poos reflect a diminished food intake (should be echoed by today's morning weight on the scalesif that is the case - your kitchen scales are much better in monitoring the actual food intake). Shorter thicker poos can point towards potential discomfort when the poos are expressed. The sticking together can be also down to the way the poo was expressed.It is however minor.

The poos are still a good thickness and healthy looking in terms texture and colour.

You still have three quarters of the day to get as much into as she will take, both hay and feed. Use your kitchen scales to monitor the transition. They will tell you whether and how much hay Puffy is eating indepently. Your eyes can't because chewing is often from cud in the mouth and not from freshly picked up hay.

 

[FknEcho]

Smaller poops are still thick, but I don’t know why would he be in discomfort… He raises his bottom when he poops sometimes.

He ate 86ml yesterday and lots of hay, his weight today was 955g.

But today he isn’t eating much hay. The weather is warmer now so I have fan on and a cold bottle wrapped in kitchen towel in their cage.

Also poops are now longer and better looking, but again still kind of squishy. I’ll feed him again in two hours.

 

[Wiebke]

Smaller poops are still thick, but I don’t know why would he be in discomfort… He raises his bottom when he poops sometimes.

He ate 86ml yesterday and lots of hay, his weight today was 955g.

But today he isn’t eating much hay. The weather is warmer now so I have fan on and a cold bottle wrapped in kitchen towel in their cage.

Also poops are now longer and better looking, but again still kind of squishy. I’ll feed him again in two hours.

Just keep at it. Whatever it is, it is very mild and nothing that is to worry about.

You should see more poos today going by yesterday but less poos again tomorrow if he isn't into his hay.

 

[FknEcho]

Just keep at it. Whatever it is, it is very mild and nothing that is to worry about.

You should see more poos today going by yesterday but less poos again tomorrow if he isn't into his hay.

Good morning,

I managed to give him 96ml yesterday. His weight was 955g and today it’s 969g. He’s gaining his weight back but why is there still lack of poop? I again found 5-6 poops this morning, really soft and tiny. Could it be because he sleeps at night and maybe doesn’t eat? These are some of the poops I found.

Thank you.

 

[Wiebke]

Good morning,

I managed to give him 96ml yesterday. His weight was 955g and today it’s 969g. He’s gaining his weight back but why is there still lack of poop? I again found 5-6 poops this morning, really soft and tiny. Could it be because he sleeps at night and maybe doesn’t eat? These are some of the poops I found.

Thank you.

View attachment 255103

Hi

It depends on how quick the digestive process is - the time of poos passing through the gut can be anything between 8-33 hours. The shorter end is runny diarrhea. Your piggy is likely more at the upper end. The hike in body weight means that the poos will come; they are just currently still in the body, most likely the caecum; the last and biggest fermentation part of the lower gut where you can find the majority of the digested matter at any given time. .

Please be patient. Poos don't come nicely spaced out. They tend to happen in clusters. That is why weighing is giving you a better feedback in terms of food intake. The poos will come, I promise you. I cannot make any prediction as to the softness but well hydrated fresh poos are always softer than drying poos or dehydrated poos. Yours are still in the spectrum of healthier poos.

 

[FknEcho]

Thank you for your reply. Sorry for lots of questions. I don’t want to be anxious but it gets the best of me.

Another question, sorry, can I overfeed Puffy by syringe feeding? His tummy is pretty full after feeding and after 3-4 hour sometimes seems still full. I try to give him 15-20ml in a session, sometimes more if he let’s me. So far today he ate around 40ml.

In regards to other piggie, Jerry, do you have any guide about babies and how much should they weight, etc? Thank you.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you for your reply. Sorry for lots of questions. I don’t want to be anxious but it gets the best of me.

Another question, sorry, can I overfeed Puffy by syringe feeding? His tummy is pretty full after feeding and after 3-4 hour sometimes seems still full. I try to give him 15-20ml in a session, sometimes more if he let’s me. So far today he ate around 40ml.

In regards to other piggie, Jerry, do you have any guide about babies and how much should they weight, etc? Thank you.

No you cant overfeed him. He will stop when he has had enough. Continue to offer as much as he will take.

There is no amount they should weigh - each piggy is different and there is a huge range of healthy weights as they get to and are adults - 800g-1500g is within a normal range for an adult so you can see why there is no range for a baby!
In terms of weight, you are looking to ensure that he gains weight while he is young.

To check whether he is a good size for himself, you check his heft. This guide explains how to do that

Thread 'Weight - Monitoring and Management (Underweight & Overweight)'

Mar 11, 2019

1 Health monitoring: BMI, weighing, poo out and body changes
- The importance of the weekly health and grooming body check
- Different feedback from BMI, weight, poos and body changes
2 Regular weight monitoring
- How often should I weigh?
- Weighing tips
3 Guidelines for changes in weight
- Weight loss guidelines
- Sudden weight gain and fluctuations...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 4
• Forum: Grooming Care & Health Monitoring

• 
• 

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your reply. Sorry for lots of questions. I don’t want to be anxious but it gets the best of me.

Another question, sorry, can I overfeed Puffy by syringe feeding? His tummy is pretty full after feeding and after 3-4 hour sometimes seems still full. I try to give him 15-20ml in a session, sometimes more if he let’s me. So far today he ate around 40ml.

In regards to other piggie, Jerry, do you have any guide about babies and how much should they weight, etc? Thank you.

I would not go over 90 ml with a piggy that is not eating at all. He will fight the syringe when he's had enough. Puffy's weight is frankly a safe weight well above where you need to have any major concerns. You can feel around the ribcage for the BMI whether a piggy is a good weight, underweight or overweight. But I would continue to give him totally freshly made poo soup from once a day to help his boost digestive system.

Each piggy is an individual combination of weight and size at any time of life. As long as that combination is in the healthy area irrespective of how small or big a piggy is, then they are fine in themselves and you need not worry - feeling for the BMI will tell you that.
This also goes especially for growing youngsters. The natural growth pattern can actually vary quite bit individually. Any weight growth charts will only send you down a rabbithole of your making because you become fixated with the entirely arbitrary concept of 'average', which has nothing whatsoever to do with individual health or life expectancy. As long as your baby is eating well, is active and is not losing weight, they are fine and will realise their determined optimum healthy size and weight in their very own time. And it is this individual health from a good balanced diet which is the most important factor in boosting general health and life expectancy.
By clinging to 'average' numbers, you can actually fail your piggies by over- or underfeeding because they do not fit a very narrow line. Some of my longest lived piggies have been smaller than what is considered 'average' and one large boar who was feeling borderline underweight at 1500g (his natural weight on a good normal diet) but they all lived to ca. 8 years.

A good piggy life isn't about you clinging to mere numbers; it is about you providing normal good care as much as you can under the circumstances. Puffy is physically still in a decent state and he is already living much longer than he would in another home, thanks to your care. Your little boy will grow into a healthy boar with your good daily care. The weekly weigh in is there to make sure that your boys' weight is stable or going up on its own and to flag up when there is a problem with the food intake by it going down, so it needs extra support and potentially medical treatment.

Please read this guide here in which I am explaining why getting bogged down with counting poos and counting grams can send you down a really bad anxiety rabbit hole if you are unable to put things into the correct perspective. And why it is an entirely man-made, usually anxiety problem that has little to do with guinea pig health. The problem is, that fixating on numbers makes your anxiety worse instead of better and you can easily lose sight of the bigger picture.

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

Jun 20, 2024

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

• 

Thread 'Pet Owners Anxiety - Practical Tips For Sufferers and For Supporters'

Mar 1, 2022

1 What is Pet Owners Anxiety?
2 What can I practically do when I suffer from it?
3 What can I do when dealing with an anxiety sufferer?
4 Conclusion
5 Practical Resources


This article has been written for Guinea Pig Magazine issue 62 in May 2021 and is shared on this forum with the permission of the magazine. The copyright for this article remains with Guinea Pig Magazine.

We are all often in equal measure excited and scared at taking care of a new pet or pet species, and frightened when our beloved guinea pigs are...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: New and Wannabe Owners Corner

• 
• 

 

[FknEcho]

Hello, thank you both for your replies. I can feel his ribs just slightly, so I think he looks good.

Yesterday he ate around 85ml. His weight was 963g. But this morning his tummy started to rumble again, poop on a string appeared after a week or two. Other poops have one stringy end.

Since yesterday was last day of fibrepplex, I started rodicare acut again.

I just don’t understand what makes his tummy upset. Guinea pig sanctuary from Czech Republic recommended me to give him 1ml of Espumisan before feeding so I started that as well, hoping it will help.

I searched for a vet who specializes in rodents and such, but the soonest I can go there is on next Wednesday. Even though they don’t have a specialist there, there’s one vet from the team who takes on cases like this, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchilas and such…

If his stomach will continue to rumble, I will get him to vet here tommorow so she would probably give him degan again.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, thank you both for your replies. I can feel his ribs just slightly, so I think he looks good.

Yesterday he ate around 85ml. His weight was 963g. But this morning his tummy started to rumble again, poop on a string appeared after a week or two. Other poops have one stringy end.

Since yesterday was last day of fibrepplex, I started rodicare acut again.

I just don’t understand what makes his tummy upset. Guinea pig sanctuary from Czech Republic recommended me to give him 1ml of Espumisan before feeding so I started that as well, hoping it will help.

I searched for a vet who specializes in rodents and such, but the soonest I can go there is on next Wednesday. Even though they don’t have a specialist there, there’s one vet from the team who takes on cases like this, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchilas and such…

If his stomach will continue to rumble, I will get him to vet here tommorow so she would probably give him degan again.

All the best. Could he have intestinal parasites or something since it is very persistent? However, thanks to your good care, he is physically in good shape.

 

[FknEcho]

All the best. Could he have intestinal parasites or something since it is very persistent? However, thanks to your good care, he is physically in good shape.

I have no idea… I hope not. I just wish all this troubles would be over…

They can only find out if they test his poop or is there another way?

 

[FknEcho]

he just started to poop small poop at first and now these big ones

also saw him eat his poop as well

 

[Wiebke]

I have no idea… I hope not. I just wish all this troubles would be over…

They can only find out if they test his poop or is there another way?

No, I think that poop testing would be the logical way forward with persistent digestive problems; especially with a rescue piggy from aa bad background since possible meds all don't seem to be able to heal the problem and the persistent loss of appetite is concerning.