Abnormal Poop

[xToNix]

Almost a year ago and a relapse 3 months later, Sooty became unable to absorb vit C and became extremely unwell. His poops became very small and stringy. But with a daily dose of 25mg of shop-bought vitamin C tablets, he got much better. The only trouble is his poops have never really returned to normal. They recently became really soft and weren’t far off diarrhoea. I stopped his veg and fed only pellets and hay for a few days which helped a little. He was neutered a few days later and the vet tested a sample which came back all clear. On a post-op check another vet said his poops looked a little dry and to reintroduce veg but the slightest bit too much causes his poops to become soft again. I also cut back on the pellets as his urine was beginning to look more powdery. So I’m at a bit of a loss which way to go with this now. I’ve read too much vitamin C can cause softer stool but with the limited veg he has he’s probably still only getting his daily requirement. When I was feeding less veg he didn’t look as swollen and he actually started doing little popcorns which I had never seen him do before. I don’t want to keep putting his tummy through too many changes and I’m also worried he’s not getting enough food. He weighed 728g yesterday which isn’t too unusual for him, he’s always been a small pig. Anyway I’ve attached a picture and would be grateful for some advice.

 

[DM030819]

@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.

 

[Wiebke]

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.

 

[sport_billy]

@Jaycey great advice as always x

 

[xToNix]

@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.

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?

Although it’s for the best it is such a shame stopping their veg, and as you say it would be nice for them to have some. I feel awful when he starts biting at the bars for more food and putting extra hay in the cage isn’t always a good enough distraction

Fibreplex has been mentioned to us previously so I think I may go and get a tube.

Thanks again Jaycey, your help is much appreciated.

 

[xToNix]

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 help when 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.

 

[Wiebke]

Oh goodness, guess what he had for breakfast?! Yep. Carrots and baby corn! I thought giving him less wet veg would help when 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.

I would try one veg in a day; it usually takes about a day to see the results at the other end. it is not a quick process, but if you have recurring problems it is worth finding out if there are specific vegetables piggies are extra sensitive to.

 

[xToNix]

I would try one veg in a day; it usually takes about a day to see the results. it is not a quick process, but if you have recurring problems worth finding out if there are specific vegetables they are extrea sensitive to.

That’s great @Wiebke thank you.

 

[DM030819]

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]

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.

I think so. I’d say he probably drinks the most out of my 3 but I’ll keep an eye on that.

I gave him a few chunks of red pepper and 5g of pellets tonight as he’s dropped 20g since last night (I weighed him just after he’d eaten though) and obviously plenty of hay. I’ll give him the same again in the morning and see what happens. I’ll definitely get some fibreplex tomorrow too.

Aww a small piece of lettuce bless him. I bet he savoured every bit of it

 

[DM030819]

@xToNix How's Sooty doing?

 

[xToNix]

@xToNix How's Sooty doing?

Hi @Jaycey. He seems to be doing ok thank you very much for asking I bought some Fibreplex on Wednesday evening. I’ve been feeding him half of what I’ve been feeding the others to start with which is more than he’s had for a while and touch wood there haven’t been any cow pats. Most of his poops have been half the size they should be but there have been some normal ones amongst them so hopefully the Fiberplex is working my only slight concern is that his weight is around the 700g mark and has been dipping into the high 600s so that’s something I’m monitoring.

How is your boy?

 

[DM030819]

Excellent news @xToNix ! Fingers crossed he continues to improve. Try not to worry about his weight too much, as long as it's not constantly going down then he'll be okay. Once he's over his tummy issue then he should start to increase again.

My boy is doing pretty well. He's had a different type of lettuce today. I'm introducing veg alot slower than I usually do, which he's not too happy about. But it's for the best. Thankfully he is still eating lots of hay and pellets so his weight is really good.

 

[xToNix]

Hi @Jaycey. How’s your boy doing?

I just wanted to write an update on Sooty. His poo still wasn’t great after a round of fibreplex so I took him to see a vet. She seemed happy that we were doing everything right and with his malabsorption issues, came to the conclusion that his gut just doesn’t work quite as it should. She gave him an injection of vitamin B to help with absorption. A few days went by and his poo was pretty much still the same but then they started to become normal and have remained that way ever since. The vet said she treats cats and dogs with malabsorption issues the same way (she is an exotic vet) and owners bring their pets back every so often for a top up. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence or if the injection of vitamin B has done the trick so we’ll just monitor him and see how things go

I’ve changed their diet slightly to a portion of pellets first thing, veg in the evening and of course unlimited hay I’ve also just ordered a bag of Versele-Laga Cavia Complete, now I’m upping their pellets as one of my other piggies had a bad episode of sludge a while back and I don’t want a recurrence of that! (I’m currently using Oxbow Cavy Cuisine).

 

[DM030819]

@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.

 

[xToNix]

@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.

Ooh that’s a very good idea, I didn’t even think about that even though I do exactly that with his vitamin C lol. I rate her very much, and increasingly more so than the vet who appears to be the celebrity at the branch lol.

Aww I’m sorry hear that, bloat is one of the worst fears isn’t it but I’m glad he seems to be doing ok

Ah ok, thanks for the tip. The pellets turned up this morning so we’ll see how it goes!