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Wet Poops Following Dental Problems

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louise_stocker

louise_stocker

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi

I'm just looking for any tips really that anyone might have to help. Some of you may remember Betty who we got in December. She was suffering from severe vitamin C deficiency and was very underweight (as well lice and wounds from the rabbit she was living with at the time).

We've had her about a month and are making good progress. The lice are gone, wounds are all healed and she's gained nearly 200g! As well as making 3 new friends :)

We had a set back a fortnight or so ago when one of her front teeth snapped and she was also diagnosed with ingrowing molars (growing backwards into the jaw). She has been on a combination of metatone, osteocare and nurofen but has been off everything for a couple of days now and seems no different for it.

Her front teeth are almost fully grown again but while we've been waiting for them to grow, she's had very wet and smelly poops, mainly I think because she's been off hay. She's managed to keep eating fresh food and pellets (soaked in water) and has actually still been gaining weight while having the diarreah.

In the last few days, she's been attempting to eat hay again but the poops aren't really improving.

I've had no experience of dental pigs before and would really appreciate any advice. If wet, smelly poop is normal in these cases and if it's just a case of waiting for the balance of dry to fresh food to sort itself out, I'd really like to know that too.

Can I just say, she's a very happy pig in every other way except her poops. She's running around, popcorning, eating well (other than hay), wheeking and like I mentioned, still gaining weight.

I know diocalm is an option, but I'm scared of disrupting her system while she's healthy in every other way.

Sorry for waffling, my posts always seem to end up as essays!

Many thanks, Louise xx
 
Lack of hay will mean no fibre - loose poops :) Is it proper diarrhea or are the poops actually formed still & have shape?

What veg is she eating? I would steer clear of cucumber, as it can make some piggies' poops looser. What about a little banana including the skin? That is supposed to harden up their poops.

If it is proper runny poop then she needs to see a vet as soon as possible.

Hope that helps, hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon!
 
i cant think of anything other that what poppys mum has said, try to steer away from very wet veg and encourage the hay, perhaps get some really tasty smelling hay? If very wet poops defo visit vets.

What a lot she has had to deal with poor lass, but glad she is doing ok, way to go Betty.

I dont know if a probiotic would help at all, maybe someone else would be able to say.
 
Poppy'sMum said:
Lack of hay will mean no fibre - loose poops :) Is it proper diarrhea or are the poops actually formed still & have shape?

What veg is she eating? I would steer clear of cucumber, as it can make some piggies' poops looser. What about a little banana including the skin? That is supposed to harden up their poops.

If it is proper runny poop then she needs to see a vet as soon as possible.

Hope that helps, hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon!
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Thanks so much for the reply. It's not really runny, they're just about poop shaped but very wet, shiny and kind of collapse as soon as you try and pick them up, then smear everywhere (gross - sorry!) They've also got a real diarreah smell to them, if you know what I mean.

I asked the vet for metacam to try instead of nurofen (for the in-growing molars) just in case the nurofen could be irritating her stomach so the vet does know she's having tummy issues. We stopped the nurofen, but haven't started metacam yet as she actually seems a bit brighter without the pain meds. If there was any sign of pain, I'd start metacam immediately.

I'll try her without cucumber today (its her favourite though, bless her!) I've never given piggies bananas before but can give it a go! I've put some dried herbs in too to try and get her to eat something drier and more hay-like.

I've found the softest/thinest hay I can to encourage her to eat it, but wondered if there's a 'best buy' hay for dental problems!
 
doglovinpiggylover said:
i cant think of anything other that what poppys mum has said, try to steer away from very wet veg and encourage the hay, perhaps get some really tasty smelling hay? If very wet poops defo visit vets.

What a lot she has had to deal with poor lass, but glad she is doing ok, way to go Betty.

I dont know if a probiotic would help at all, maybe someone else would be able to say.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much :)
 
Agree with doglovingpiggylover - maybe try a Probiotic for a few days. Fibreplex is good and available from your vet to buy.
One of my boars gets soft poops occasionally, think he just has a sensitive tum so cut his wet veg down and give him 1ml for a day or two - seems to do the trick :))
It sounds like she needs a gut stimulant though to keep her moving so if you feel a vet check is the best option, would not hesitate :)
Hope Betty gets well very soon, sending hugs ^)
 
Guinea pig slave said:
Agree with doglovingpiggylover - maybe try a Probiotic for a few days. Fibreplex is good and available from your vet to buy.
One of my boars gets soft poops occasionally, think he just has a sensitive tum so cut his wet veg down and give him 1ml for a day or two - seems to do the trick :))
It sounds like she needs a gut stimulant though to keep her moving so if you feel a vet check is the best option, would not hesitate :)
Hope Betty gets well very soon, sending hugs ^)
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Thanks, I'll try what you've said. I have no hesitation about taking her to the vets (I should be getting loyalty points and my own parking space by now!)

It's just that her front teeth have only been able to 'bite' for 2 days now, so I was just trying to give her a chance to settle down on her own first x
 
Guinea pig slave said:
It sounds like she needs a gut stimulant though to keep her moving so if you feel a vet check is the best option, would not hesitate :)
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Sorry, just read this bit. I've given gut stimulants in the past to pigs when nothing has been coming out. I think we used zantac. I never thought of using it when so much is coming out. Does it work both ways, for example to calm things down?
 
if she really really likes cucumber, maybe you could peel the dark green off a bit and just give her that so she at least gets a taste of it?
 
louise_stocker said:
Thanks, I'll try what you've said. I have no hesitation about taking her to the vets (I should be getting loyalty points and my own parking space by now!)

It's just that her front teeth have only been able to 'bite' for 2 days now, so I was just trying to give her a chance to settle down on her own first x
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Think anything where they have not eaten too well for a day or two takes it's toll on their little tums. We notice their poops as they are kind of 'in your face' and can recognise a normal from an 'iffy' one rolleyes
It is possibly her gut re adjusting to food and will return to normal very soon - I understand how worrying it can be but I flap if I notice any difference mallethead I would monitor her closely as she certainly sounds happy and doing the usual things.
Metacam can cause a low appetite so if Betty has this at any point, again, monitor her input/output - it's only given in small doses anyway so may have no effect :))
 
Guinea pig slave said:
Think anything where they have not eaten too well for a day or two takes it's toll on their little tums. We notice their poops as they are kind of 'in your face' and can recognise a normal from an 'iffy' one rolleyes
It is possibly her gut re adjusting to food and will return to normal very soon - I understand how worrying it can be but I flap if I notice any difference mallethead I would monitor her closely as she certainly sounds happy and doing the usual things.
Metacam can cause a low appetite so if Betty has this at any point, again, monitor her input/output - it's only given in small doses anyway so may have no effect :))
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Thank you - I am certainly know for being paranoid! My other half gets fed up of it but it many cases my gut instinct (excuse the pun!) has paid off. There's been times in the past where I just get a feeling a pig isn't right, even when they're doing all the normal things and hey presto, a few hours later they're desperately ill :( They're probably just the times I remember though. There's probably plenty of times when I'm just being silly!

She hasn't actually had any metacam. She's been having nurofen and we just got the metacam as a 'back-up' in case the nurofen was irritating her stomach. To be honest, she seems fine without any pain medication at the moment.

Anyway, have just found some fibreplex at the back of the cupboard. It says 1ml per 1kg of bodyweight 3 times a day. Betty is currently 800g so I think I'll give her 3/4 of a ml. Do you think I should stick to this dose, 3 times a day?

xxxxx
 
louise_stocker said:
Thank you - I am certainly know for being paranoid! My other half gets fed up of it but it many cases my gut instinct (excuse the pun!) has paid off. There's been times in the past where I just get a feeling a pig isn't right, even when they're doing all the normal things and hey presto, a few hours later they're desperately ill :( They're probably just the times I remember though. There's probably plenty of times when I'm just being silly!

She hasn't actually had any metacam. She's been having nurofen and we just got the metacam as a 'back-up' in case the nurofen was irritating her stomach. To be honest, she seems fine without any pain medication at the moment.

Anyway, have just found some fibreplex at the back of the cupboard. It says 1ml per 1kg of bodyweight 3 times a day. Betty is currently 800g so I think I'll give her 3/4 of a ml. Do you think I should stick to this dose, 3 times a day?

xxxxx
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3/4 ml sounds ideal for her weight so would go with that, it recommends three times a day but I've only ever administered it twice a day to my boar as he hates being picked up when he has a dodgy tum :( Always does the trick so would see how she goes after two doses then give her a third before bedtime if needed :)) Hopefully, you may see a more formed poop :x
 
Guinea pig slave said:
3/4 ml sounds ideal for her weight so would go with that, it recommends three times a day but I've only ever administered it twice a day to my boar as he hates being picked up when he has a dodgy tum :( Always does the trick so would see how she goes after two doses then give her a third before bedtime if needed :)) Hopefully, you may see a more formed poop :x
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Thank you. She's just necked it! Absolutely loved it - I usually mix it with water to help it go down. Have put some new hay in and she's having a good old chomp. It's Sainsburys "My Little Friend" Meadow Hay. We have some locally produced stuff from our local farm but she's not interested in that.

I'm so weary from cleaning up diarrhoea. Have been doing it about every half hour for days now. It seems if you don't pick it up straight away, the other 3 find it and dance about on top of it! Lovely girls x
 
louise_stocker said:
Thank you. She's just necked it! Absolutely loved it - I usually mix it with water to help it go down. Have put some new hay in and she's having a good old chomp. It's Sainsburys "My Little Friend" Meadow Hay. We have some locally produced stuff from our local farm but she's not interested in that.

I'm so weary from cleaning up diarrhoea. Have been doing it about every half hour for days now. It seems if you don't pick it up straight away, the other 3 find it and dance about on top of it! Lovely girls x
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Oh the joys of piggies eh rolleyes When Harley had his bladder stone, he stopped eating so we were giving him Critical Care, Dioralyte, Septrin, Metacam, grass and dandelion leaves ! That's ALL he would eat :...We bought Alfalfa hay which he didn't like, Timothy Western - you name it, we got it for him. He starting tucking into Asda Supervalue pet hay like he'd never been fed, a cheapo brand compared to the 'gourmet' seemed to interest him in food :{ Won't touch the stuff now though :))
He suffered terrible diarrhoea from the Baytril he had first been given and I was constantly cleaning his little bum and feet with pet wipes - it was bloody awful for the poor little mite and seeing him like that broke my heart 8... He's perfect now thank goodness but know how draining it can be, we nursed him 24/7 and I wouldn't leave him - took time off work to be home with him as well and my daughter sat the 'night shift' so I could try and get a couple of hours sleep.
It all pays off in the end to see them recover and bounce back but makes you totally paranoid if you spot anything out of the ordinary rolleyes
 
louise_stocker said:
No, sorry, I didn't mean to moan. Obviously its worse for Betty than it is for me xxxxx
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arr dont be daft i didnt mean that. I just remember when my Sid (rip) had diarrhoea for about a week its was awful just awful, there would be big clumps of it all over his cage and he would lay in it and his beautiful gingerness was covered!
 
Guinea pig slave said:
Oh the joys of piggies eh rolleyes When Harley had his bladder stone, he stopped eating so we were giving him Critical Care, Dioralyte, Septrin, Metacam, grass and dandelion leaves ! That's ALL he would eat :...We bought Alfalfa hay which he didn't like, Timothy Western - you name it, we got it for him. He starting tucking into Asda Supervalue pet hay like he'd never been fed, a cheapo brand compared to the 'gourmet' seemed to interest him in food :{ Won't touch the stuff now though :))
He suffered terrible diarrhoea from the Baytril he had first been given and I was constantly cleaning his little bum and feet with pet wipes - it was bloody awful for the poor little mite and seeing him like that broke my heart 8... He's perfect now thank goodness but know how draining it can be, we nursed him 24/7 and I wouldn't leave him - took time off work to be home with him as well and my daughter sat the 'night shift' so I could try and get a couple of hours sleep.
It all pays off in the end to see them recover and bounce back but makes you totally paranoid if you spot anything out of the ordinary rolleyes
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Golly, I really shouldn't be moaning about this because it's really not that bad!

We did the 24/7 syringe feeding/medicine rota with our girl Peggy in August after a spay for ovarian cysts. She didn't eat anything for about 2 weeks and we got up 3 times every night etc etc. If I didn't work for myself, I'd definitely have been sacked! We nearly lost her but she's fine now and a very beefy 1250g! Makes it all worthwhile :)

Thanks for reminding me to put this into perspective!
 
doglovinpiggylover said:
arr dont be daft i didnt mean that. I just remember when my Sid (rip) had diarrhoea for about a week its was awful just awful, there would be big clumps of it all over his cage and he would lay in it and his beautiful gingerness was covered!
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Thanks. Poor Sid :(

I keep telling Betty to do her poops then just 'walk away' and mummy will come and remove it, but no, they all have to go and investigate!

I've had to soak and clean her fingernails everyday as they get little dried caps of poo on the end of them and she somehow managed to rub it all over the top of her head yesterday!
 
louise_stocker said:
Sorry, just read this bit. I've given gut stimulants in the past to pigs when nothing has been coming out. I think we used zantac. I never thought of using it when so much is coming out. Does it work both ways, for example to calm things down?
Click to expand...

Gnger was prescribed zantac by my vet when he had very squishy poops (plus withdrawal of veggies - only fresh grass allowed until he was pooping normally again)

HTH
x
 
Pebble said:
Gnger was prescribed zantac by my vet when he had very squishy poops (plus withdrawal of veggies - only fresh grass allowed until he was pooping normally again)

HTH
x
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Thanks Pebble. I've remembered what you said about waiting 20 hours to see the results of changes to their poops. Like I said she's only been able to 'bite' for 2 days. Hopefully the fibreplex will help and I'll try and make some changes to her fresh food too. If things don't improve, would you recommend I try zantac tablets in the dose you suggested for Peggy or take her to the vet for an injection? Louise x
 
louise_stocker said:
Thanks. Poor Sid :(

I keep telling Betty to do her poops then just 'walk away' and mummy will come and remove it, but no, they all have to go and investigate!

I've had to soak and clean her fingernails everyday as they get little dried caps of poo on the end of them and she somehow managed to rub it all over the top of her head yesterday!
Click to expand...

oh hell, id forgotten about the little poo caps! rolleyes
 
louise_stocker said:
Thanks Pebble. I've remembered what you said about waiting 20 hours to see the results of changes to their poops. Like I said she's only been able to 'bite' for 2 days. Hopefully the fibreplex will help and I'll try and make some changes to her fresh food too. If things don't improve, would you recommend I try zantac tablets in the dose you suggested for Peggy or take her to the vet for an injection? Louise x
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I would suggest that you ring your vet and get their OK on whether the zantac would be appropriate and in what form.

x
 
Just to let you know, we've had 2 doses of fibreplex and I was very strict with veggies/grass last night. Things seem much firmer this morning. I think I'll give her 1-2 more doses of fibreplex and keep off very wet veg for a few days. Hopefully, we're on the mend now! Thanks for all your help x
 
Just wanted to let you know that things are much, much better now. Poops are nearly normal (they are at least hooverable again now!) Phew!

I actually tried metacam yesterday as she was looking a little down in the dumps and she's been perkier and eating more hay since then. Its always difficult to know whether its just time (i.e. her teeth have grown) or if the metacam is working but I think I'll leave her on that for another week or so. Possibly her overgrown molars are still giving her some pain.

We'll get there eventually, I'm sure.

Thanks again for the help x
 
A big thank you from Betty for sorting out her nasty poopies:

THANK YOU!
160112044.jpg


Oooh that was a bit embarrassing!
160112045.jpg


I think I'll just hide now...
160112036.jpg


x
 
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