Guinea Pigs?

[Chinnies]

Does any one work with guinea pigs? We took in a pair that were not doing so well and spent about $150 in vet bills trying to get them healthy again. Guinea pigs are not my specialty but I've been doing quite a bit of reading on them, so I can help these little ones get all better.

However, I have a question on their poo: is it normal for it to be relatively soft? I'm comparing, in my mind, their poo to my chins. The problem is that when we got them, the boy's gut was completely ruined (and the poor thing was only 2 months old!) and had no good bacteria in it, at all, which caused constant diarrhea. We had to re-establish this bacteria, and get his poo back to pellet form. So far it's been a bumpy, but successful road and his poo IS back to pellet form, but the slightest thing can upset it and cause his poo to go pretty soft again (such as introducing a new veggie or changing cages on his- this last one caused his latest upset) but after some bene-bac and time it goes back to being how it was.

No matter what, though, his poo is still soft-ish- as in, not what I'm used to with my chins. I'm not sure if this is normal for guinea pigs, as even the female's poo is softer than my chins' and she is healthy.

Any help on this matter would be great!

 

[stormyhogs]

its normal to be soft, as long as its not diarhea/runny. It's a lot softer than hedgie poo, I don't know what chin poo is like though. You don't want the guinea pig poo to be hard, but it will harden and darken after it sits for a while. What are you feeding them? I would recommend switching to Oxbow if they're not already on it. its the best food for guinea pigs.

 

[Chinnies]

Thanks for the help! They are, actually, on Oxbow hay and pellets. It's the brand I have for my chins, as well, so I switched them when I got them (they were on the nasty stuff with a bunch of random crap in it). They love their food and eat the hay like there's no tomorrow.

Pigs are a new thing for me, and I'm learning as I go, since their rescue was kind of all of a sudden and I couldn't NOT take them. LOL

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

I've had a few Cavies come through here, and I'd say the poo is relatively "firm" ..like, the slightest pressure doesn't smoosh it ..and it firms up even more, as it dries out. It is different from a Chin'kid poo, though. I think that's due to the actual FRESH stuff that the Cavy can consume, whereas, everything our Chins consume is dry.

Just my thought..


Good luck with the Cavy'kids! They are funny little "people" :thumbsup:

 

[Chinnies]

I've had a few Cavies come through here, and I'd say the poo is relatively "firm" ..like, the slightest pressure doesn't smoosh it ..and it firms up even more, as it dries out. It is different from a Chin'kid poo, though. I think that's due to the actual FRESH stuff that the Cavy can consume, whereas, everything our Chins consume is dry.

Just my thought..


Good luck with the Cavy'kids! They are funny little "people" :thumbsup:

Is it different from when they're young compared to when they're older? These guys are only 3 1/2 months old, so I don't know if that will do anything to it. They're relatively well adjusted- we've had them for two months now. The girl is healthy as can be; she just gets occasional soft-ish poo. She's in a huge cage that we made (the C&C kind) and spoiled senseless.

The boy is the one who has trouble maintaining a good poo. Thank God, it's not diarrhea any more, the poor guy. It's pellets, but sometimes his system gets irritated and it gets pretty soft. We have to be so careful with any changes with him- his latest cage change into something a lot nicer and bigger for him has triggered his latest mushy poo. Other times it will be caused by veggies, such as new ones being introduced or certain varieties of pepper or such.

The vet says we're doing such an excellent job, but I still wonder if he'll ever be where he's supposed to be. He's already very small and stunted in growth, but a sweetheart nonetheless. I just want to make sure their poo, especially the female's, is how it should be.

Thanks for the help! :thumbsup:

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

If he were still nursing ..which he shouldn't be, at 14 weeks.. I would say that his poo could be slightly different in texture. At his age, though ..his poo should only be different from an adult pig ..in size.

He may just be a "special needs" pigger for the rest of his life ..hard to really say ..but sounds like the little guy will require some specific attention to his stress threshold, etc. It's not a terrible thing ..he'll just be "speshul"

You can ask your Exotic Vet about any remedies that may help with his sensitive gut issues, but I would just make sure he remains on a good pellet with plenty of fresh timothy hay and fresh water, daily. Maybe minimize the salad items to the ones you are sure don't give him upset. I mean, variety is good ..but not when it's wreaking havoc on his tummy.

I have given my Cavy kids the same acidophillus that I give rescued Chins and other furry kids... to aid the transition of food, environment, etc. For him, I'd give a 1/4 of what I would offer to a healthy adult ..but with his history, you really should consult with your qualified Exotic Vet, first.

 

[Chinnies]

Thanks for your help. This little guy and his sister will be spending the rest of their lives with us. I just love them to pieces. I had already self-diagnosed him as a "special needs" guy, which is fine; I'm not worried about it. I just want to make sure I'm able to give him the best he can get. So far, he loves his green and red peppers, parsley and dandilion greens. So far, those are the gentlest with his stomach.

I have found a wonderful vet, about an hour from me, who has helped us turn this little guy's health around spectacularly. She also works with chinchillas, which makes it all the better! I have a large thing of powdered Bene-Bac that he gets occasionally, which has helped re-establish the good flora in his gut. Too bad his poo still makes him smell like a barn! :laughitup:

If he were still nursing ..which he shouldn't be, at 14 weeks.. I would say that his poo could be slightly different in texture. At his age, though ..his poo should only be different from an adult pig ..in size.

He may just be a "special needs" pigger for the rest of his life ..hard to really say ..but sounds like the little guy will require some specific attention to his stress threshold, etc. It's not a terrible thing ..he'll just be "speshul"

You can ask your Exotic Vet about any remedies that may help with his sensitive gut issues, but I would just make sure he remains on a good pellet with plenty of fresh timothy hay and fresh water, daily. Maybe minimize the salad items to the ones you are sure don't give him upset. I mean, variety is good ..but not when it's wreaking havoc on his tummy.

I have given my Cavy kids the same acidophillus that I give rescued Chins and other furry kids... to aid the transition of food, environment, etc. For him, I'd give a 1/4 of what I would offer to a healthy adult ..but with his history, you really should consult with your qualified Exotic Vet, first.

 

[addictedtochins]

So far, he loves his green and red peppers,

Are peppers OK? I was told not to give gassy foods like broccoli and peppers because guineas can't burp or pass gass.

 

[stormyhogs]

peppers are a favorite. here is a link to a great food chart, what is healthy and how many times they should be fed each item per day/week. http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...-pigs-diet-read-me-nutrition-charts-info.html

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Peppers are perfectly acceptable in a Cavy's diet ..good source of Vit. C And the more colors ..the better ..so he thinks he's getting more of a variety than he actually can tolerate. (I'm a sneaky Mommy.. hehe)

If he can tolerate the dandelions, he may be able to tolerate some Arugula on occasion ..and a few of the Mesculun greens. I'd definitely try ONE leaf of something different about once a week ..just to sneak in some variety without causing pure havoc on his tummy. With that level of moderation, he should ...should ..be a little more tolerable.

You know best, so go with what works for you both. And don't expect the "barn" smell to go too far.. with piggers ..it's kind of a "given" :neener:

 

[Newt]

Here's a great site for info on medical matters and diet and general care...

http://www.guinealynx.info/

The firmness of a guineas poop will vary depending on amount of greens given, type of greens given, and also how much hay they get. My 12 guinea girls all have soft-ish poop.... like you can squish it.... but its not watery or malformed or runny. It is softish when fresh, and hardens up as it dries.

Cruciferous veges like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, should be given sparingly...because they do cause gas and bloat. Peppers are great though...very nutritious, and dark leafy greens are great, like spinach, parsley, silverbeet, dandelion leaves.

Good on you for taking in the little guys...Im sure they'll be much happier and healthier with you!