This girl is gonna be the death of me! (soft & abnormal poops)

[CJR]

For the past two and a half weeks or so, I have noticed that Tia has been having moist poos. They don't smear or anything, they are just soft. I tried using shreddies, and they temporarily fix the problem. Tia is on the same feed and water and care regimen as Bessie, and Bessie is having no problems.

Tia has been rejecting timothy hay in favor of oat hay lately.

Today, I noticed that her poos are getting "puffy", as seen in the below picture. On the left is a Bessie poo, and on the right is a "puffy" Tia poo.

Can anyone tell me what's going on? Tia is drinking and playing and chewing normally and eating as normal as she can get (she varies in how much she eats, I often have to supplement her with lifeline to get her to eat more than 1 T of food per day).

What do you think?

 

[ticklechin]

Does the poo have any odor? Does it have a slimey surface or is it sticky? When you break it open is it hollow? Can you see actual hay fibers in the poo like its not digested?

 

[CJR]

No odors, not really sticky just kind of moist, they are not hollow when I break them open (I break a few open every day to check), and no hay fibers.

They are just... wet and puffy.

 

[AZChins]

Is it possible that she's just a bit hormonal at the time? Maybe she's going into heat, in heat or just coming out of it? Sometimes that can cause strange droppings. Every now and then they throw a strange dropping at us anyway. For the most part chins are very consistent in their dropping size and shape...sometimes that can change. Most of the time when there are strangely shaped droppings here it's with an in heat, pregnant or new mother chin.

If it's just a little moist, I would give it a few days to see if it clears up on its own. Maybe a little more probiotic would give you something to give her? I'd probably give it if I saw those droppings, but it would really depend on the chin since it's not really all that bad.

You're actually breaking apart her droppings? Hmmmm...

 

[CJR]

You're actually breaking apart her droppings? Hmmmm...

Yeah, I thought we were supposed to do that? I've heard that if the inside of a poo is hollow or like swiss cheese, it means something bad? Or are you makin fun of me? :neener:

I'll try getting hold of some pectillin and/or probiotics and see if that doesn't help. Personally, I think Tia just likes making my life more difficult...

 

[AZChins]

I don't know if I am making fun of you or not. I don't think I have ever broken one apart...I honestly didn't know that that was something to do. A hollow poo or one that has little holes all in it can indicate that there is some gas present or that digestion isn't going very well. Do you have to dissect it, as well? Whatever floats your boat...it's not the weirdest thing I have ever heard of doing. Wash your hands after you are done though.

Her droppings don't look like there's something really wrong. The probiotic will probably help out the most of anything. I'd cut back on the shreddies and any treats for a bit, too. I don't know if she would need the pectillin, at least not right now?

 

[ticklechin]

Hollow poo or poo that looks like swiss cheese is gas, poo with undigested hay is a digestive issue such as enternitis. The Pet pectillin sooths the digestive tract and can't hurt.

 

[ticklechin]

Dang Susan we keep double posting, LOL!