xToNix
Junior Guinea Pig

@xToNix One of my pigs is very similar. He hasn't been with me very long and despite no changes in his diet he has become a bit bloated and had weird poops on two occasions.
My vet is of the opinion that he has a delicate digestive system. After checking him thoroughly she could tell that his digestive system was having spasms and the digestive sounds were very noticeable which is unusual for a pig when seeing the vet.
We have some Metoclopromide and Metacam to use when his poops are looking funny. I'm quite experienced with pigs so my vet is okay for me to use my judgement. But if he ever becomes fully bloated or has cow pat consistency poops then he needs to do back as an emergency.
We were told that he would survive fine on a diet of pellets and hay only, as he is eating enough of them to maintain weight.
However, we can try to introduce veg very slowly to see if we can find a culprit/culprits. I'm trying that as it would be nice for him to get some veg.
We were also recommended to give him a course of Fibreplex every month/6 weeks. It won't harm but it may help stabilise his system.
I find that a course of fibreplex often helps with my piggies with a tender digestion.
Try to stay off any root veg and grain (including sweet corn and grain-free pellets) as well as cabbage; these are the most common trigger foods. Introduce any other veg slowly one by one to see whether he reacts to one and leave them out of the diet if that is the case; problem veg can vary individually but it can also be that the trigger is not connected to a veg variety.
Please be aware that most pellets are vitamin C reinforced and that is also present in hay, so don't overdo the compensation for not eating vitamin C.
I am currently dealing with a piggy with a wobbly digestion in the wake of a full-blown GI stasis; I have to play it by ear. She's going for a full check by a specialist this week.
Oh goodness, guess what he had for breakfast?! Yep. Carrots and baby corn! I thought giving him less wet veg would helpwhen you say slowly one by one would you perhaps give him some of one veg in the morning, see what his poops are like and try him with a different veg in the evening and so on? I did start a bit of a diary last night so I’ll continue with that.
Aww bless your piggy, I hope they’ll be ok. Thank you very much for your help.
Thank you @Jaycey. I tried Sooty on a diet of hay and pellets (Oxbow adult essentials pellets) but after a week or so his urine became powdery and I worried about stones. What are your thoughts on this?
I've not noticed this with my boy. Is Sooty a big drinker? Just a random thought but I wonder if he's not getting as much fluid into him if he's not getting veg. And if he doesn't drink much then maybe the calcium in his system is more concentrated?
One of my past boys had bladder stone issues and had powdery urine for the rest of his life. He was a terrible drinker. He never used a bottle. If I didn't supplement him with additional water then the white spots on his fleece greatly increased.
When I'm trying to introduce veg I'll give one veg for a couple of days. If they're okay then I add in another. See what happens for a few days then add another. The first portion is always a tiny amount. My boy is very happy to get a small piece of lettuce today.
Definitely give the Fibreplex a try. It definitely won't harm.
@xToNix How's Sooty doing?
@xToNix Great news that Sooty is feeling better. I used Vitamin B many years ago with one of my boys with digestive issues and it really helped. I wonder if you could use a supermarket/health food shop Vitamin B supplement. It might be worth asking your vet next time you see her. She sounds like a really good vet.
My boy is doing pretty well. He had a bit of a problem with bloat on New Years Day but he has been acting bright and happy as always.
I use the Versele-Laga pellets too. I've found that they won't eat them if I just feed those, but if I give them normal pellets with a sprinkle of them on top then they will eat them.