Bloated?

[Alx]

Hello , new to this forum. Does my guinea pig Zen look bloated? His poops have been two toned, dark brown and a lighter brown but no other symptoms so far. A bit more cautious since we lost our youngest pig to bloating a month ago (see story below)
I’m from Washington state, about an hour away from Seattle, any vet recommendations who actually know how to treat cavies is much appreciated.

A month ago my wife and I lost our youngest guinea pig Nirvana In surgery. After three useless vets:

-VCA (Parkland) who had previously given Zen penecillin for an injury and almost died from the side effects which was off the table.

-blue pearl (Tacoma) who told us it was his teeth (it wasn’t)

-center for birds and exotic animals (where he died in surgery)

At the last place, he was diagnosed with bloating and possible stasis (she still didn’t seem to know for sure) so they sort of pushed for surgery to “see” what was causing the “blockage” or bloating and reassured us Nirvana looked like a great candidate for surgery (about $3000...). We went for it and he didnt even make it past the anesthesia.

Maybe he really was very ill, but I keep reading all these other posts about much more conservative treatments that have had success, treatment that weren’t even mentioned to us. I just feel like Nirvana didn’t seem to be that sick and could have probably survived with other treatments.

 

[DM030819]

@Alx He doesn't look bloated to me. How is he acting? Is he lethargic? Is he eating okay? Is his stomach making odd sounds? Is his stomach really swollen and solid when you touch it?

If he seems okay then I think he's probably either had too much veg, or a bit of veg was a bit spoiled which has caused a bit of tummy upset. It's easily done. I'd reduce the veg for a few days and give him some probiotics for a few days to get his digestive bacteria balanced again.

 

[Alx]

@Jaycey

Thanks you for the reply. He’s not acting much different, but I feel like he’s eating less than normal although he’s still very much interested in veggies/treats. It’s mostly just the hay he picks through and doesn’t eat much of.
I listened to his tummy, it sounded like normal gut movement and doesn’t feel solid. It just looks like it fluctuates in size. (Some days he looks fuller than others). One thing I did notice is that his poop is two toned and is more on the lighter side and has been for about a couple weeks. I read it could be dehydration and didn’t know if I should be concerned.
Are there any good probiotics you recommend?

Thanks again!

 

[DM030819]

@Alx Is it very warm over there? We're having a crazy heatwave in the UK and my boys are eating their veg at meal times but they're lying around a lot more because of the heat.
The GuineaLynx website might be worth a check for which good probiotics are available in the U.S. I'm in the UK and use either Pro-C or Fibreplex.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello , new to this forum. Does my guinea pig Zen look bloated? His poops have been two toned, dark brown and a lighter brown but no other symptoms so far. A bit more cautious since we lost our youngest pig to bloating a month ago (see story below)
I’m from Washington state, about an hour away from Seattle, any vet recommendations who actually know how to treat cavies is much appreciated.
View attachment 90700
A month ago my wife and I lost our youngest guinea pig Nirvana In surgery. After three useless vets:

-VCA (Parkland) who had previously given Zen penecillin for an injury and almost died from the side effects which was off the table.

-blue pearl (Tacoma) who told us it was his teeth (it wasn’t)

-center for birds and exotic animals (where he died in surgery)

At the last place, he was diagnosed with bloating and possible stasis (she still didn’t seem to know for sure) so they sort of pushed for surgery to “see” what was causing the “blockage” or bloating and reassured us Nirvana looked like a great candidate for surgery (about $3000...). We went for it and he didnt even make it past the anesthesia.

Maybe he really was very ill, but I keep reading all these other posts about much more conservative treatments that have had success, treatment that weren’t even mentioned to us. I just feel like Nirvana didn’t seem to be that sick and could have probably survived with other treatments.

Hi and welcome!

You can find information on acute severe bloat via this link here. He looks pretty normal to me. Feel his tummy; if it is soft and not tight, then he is not gassy. Acute bloat is very painful and means reduction or total loss of appetite. If an acute bloat is suspected, then an x-ray can usually bring clarity. Sudden onset severe acute bloat is a frightening experience.
I lost my 9 year old lady to it only 3 weeks ago; all I could do was to race her to the out-of-hours service for euthanasia in the middle of the night to spare any further agony as it was progressing too quickly and had reached the point of no return in record speed. She's not the first I have lost that way.
Bloat, Gi Stasis ( No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

I would recommend to take Zen off any fresh veg for a day or two to allow hit guts to rebalance with plenty of fibre. Hay should make over 80% of the daily food intake, with a little balanced veg mix about 10% and a tablespoon of pellets about 5% in a day. That will hopefully settle the issue. Fermentation in the gut from too much veg in the diet can contribute to the risk of bloating, especially from too much fruit.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

If it is very hot where you are, then here are tips on keeping your piggies as cool as possible; heat can also impact majorly on piggies as their way of regulating their body temperature is not very efficient when dealing with sudden changes and the extremes of weather.
Hot Weather Management And Heat Strokes
The temptation to overfeed watery veg and fruit in hot weather!

Here is the link to the Guinea Lynx list of recommended vets in your state. Since were a mainly UK based forum although with members from all over the world, we rely on knowledge of local members, which can be very haphazard. Veterinarians: Washington - Guinea Lynx Records