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Weird poops

thomasmuffinsRgood

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, same situation, different pig. We figured out Mack had weird poops from stress, but Brutus has weirder poops. I gave him benebac but that didn’t do anything. Do you know what’s wrong? He is eating normal and he is exactly 2 pounds as of today
 

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They look very soft. The advice for soft poops is to remove all fresh food (veg and grass) from the diet to allow time for the gut bacteria to settle and reestablish. Feed only hay and the normal one tablespoon of pellets. You can give probiotic (I note you say you gave benebac but that it didn't do anything - how long have you been giving it for?) to help. Weigh piggy daily.
A few days off veg is usually enough to allow the gut bacteria to reestablish and poops should normalise. Allow a further 24 hours off of veg after they've normalised and then reintroduce veg slowly (usually starting with herbs is best as they are gentler on the tummy). If poops haven't normalised after a few days, then please see a vet.

Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
 
off topic but i just noticed he has blue eyes

Do you mean blue iris or blue centre?
Blue irises are rare, but they do happen - more often in breeder circles.

Blue (instead of black) pupae should be vet checked; it could be an ulceration (infection gunk) or cataracts, which can happen in young guinea pigs with a genetic disposition. An eye that is reflecting blue instead of red in flash light, is from an opaque lens (cataracts or nuclear sclerosis).
Sorry, but we have learned to be careful in making sure that we are talking about the same issue.

In terms of poos, please feed as much hay as possible; it should make around 80% of what a guinea pig eats in a day since grass/hay fibre is what their digestive system and their gut microbiome is laid out for. The correct diet boosts general health and can add 1-2 years to a healthy life span, taking it from the lower to the upper average end or beyond. Veg and pellets both replace the supplementary role that wild forage used to play. One small bowl of preferably green veg and fresh herbs and 1 tablespoon of pellets will do the trick. The rest should be hay, hay and more hay, making for solid, healthy poos.
Here is our comprehensive diet guide, which looks at all food groups in a diet but also at each group in practical detail.

Soft poos are an indication that the gut microbiome is not working optimally; the best way to allow the microbiome to settle down and stop the overgrowth of the wrong kind of bacteria in the gut is to stop any fresh food for a day or two in cases of a mild tummy upset.
 
not sure I’m not an expert on eyes… here’s a photo
 

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Ok so yesterday his poops back to normal, so I give him veggies. Today however, his poops were weird again?
 
Ok so yesterday his poops back to normal, so I give him veggies. Today however, his poops were weird again?

you need to wait for a further 24 hours after poops return to normal before veg is reintroduced. So if his poops only returned to normal yesterday, then he shouldn’t have had veg until today. When you reintroduce veg again, it needs to be done slowly - just one piece of something mild like a sprig of coriander. Then slowly building it back up to ensure his digestive system can handle it.

have you been weighing him daily to ensure he is eating enough hay?

Otherwise, I can only suggest you see a vet for any persistent digestive issues
 
He still has soft poops. No veggies since Sunday and I gave him benebac again yesterday.. what is going on? He eats hay and pellets, but his poops are still weird
 
Sorry to hear that your piggy is still having issues. It sounds like your piggy needs to go to the vet. I would continue benebac daily, perhaps even twice per day at least until you can see the vet, get their advice, and go from there. I hope he feels better soon.
 
i will definitely give benebac more. he eats normally, and has only lost 0.1 lbs (i think because of no veggies)
 
Veggies dont make much of an impact on the weight because they only make around 15% of the daily food intake
 
not sure I’m not an expert on eyes… here’s a photo
Those are brown irises but they can be quite reflective under certain light sometimes. My lady bun has the same eyes and sometimes they iris can look blueish or grey especially if she is is right next to some blue or grey correx.
 
I stopped Percy and Peppers veg for a couple of days and Percy lost quite a bit of weight (55g). It took him 8 weeks to get back to where he was before stopping the veg!
 
thank you all so much for the advice. i am giving him a few more days before i take him to the vet because other than that he seems fine
 
thank you all so much for the advice. i am giving him a few more days before i take him to the vet because other than that he seems fine

If the poops have not normalised in all this time, please dont wait another few days before seeing a vet.
For a mild gut disturbance, a few days off of veg should be enough to solve the problem.

Are you continuing to weigh him daily? What has been going on with his weight?

Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
 
happy to report that his poops are pretty much back to normal! normal color, not squishy, but they are a bit smaller than normal poops. i think he'll be completely back to normal soon :D:D:D
 
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