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Can too much fruit make piggies smell bad?

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Briony_S

Briony_S

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Over last week my pigs have started to smell bad.

On Tuesday I cleaned out the cage fully replaced the vet bed etc.. then came home last night and they stunk. I couldn't contenplate a full clean second day running so just sweeped.

Tonight they stunk worse so have done a full clean but just dont understand it.

I feed them 2 bowls of veg a day (the normal size piggie/rabbit bowls) is this too much and is this why their wee smells so bad?

They have a littertray which only get used slightly when in their cage but this gets changed daily.

In desparation I have been out today and bought two small cat litter trays which I have filled with carefresh for under their houses hoping this might help.

Has anyone else had this problem? They are both boars!
 
They have just been in their playpen on light coloured fleece and a few wees seem slightly red but no way of telling which one it belongs to is this the cause of the smell is one of them ill?

Mods - please move this to health - thanks
 
I know it sounds disgusting but smell the wee from their fleece and see if it smells sour, also, if you can, try and get some wee on your finger and rub the wee between your finger and thumb. Does it feel gritty? Both of these symptoms can be a sign of bladder sludge or a UTI x
 
I would say musty not sour! just cleaned them out so will need to try that tomorrow! will **** give them turns in the playpen to see who the offender is and ship them off to the vets hope it's nothing serious? what is UTI?
 
A Urinary Tact Infection http://www.guinealynx.info/uti.html If you find out who the offender is, I suggest that you try and collect a urine sample and take it to the vets with you so that the vet can dip it and test it for blood. I am no way suggesting that your piggy has this but if you are worried, this is what I suggest you do x
 
The best way I find is to put piggy on a hard service, not soakable. l always find a pet carrier the best. Simply place piggy in the carrier and then when she pee's, remove piggy and use a syringe and suck it up. Either keep the urine in the syringe or put the urine in to a sealed container of some sort. Make sure that you place the urine in to the fridge right up until you head to the vets x
 
What veggies/fruit is particular are you feeding? Some veg, like cabbage, or some very sugary foods can affect the smell of piggies 'output'.
 
I feed peppers most days and green beans then once a week they get 1/2 banana between 2 and once a week 1/4 apple between two. they get carrots twice a week and cabbage maybe once a week, cucumber twice weekly and I have fed them the occisional bit of lettuce maybe once every two weeks, they had fennel last week but only once. I do feed them two rabbit bowls of veg a day is this too much?
 
The amount is fine. I am wondering if the green beans aren't the best thing to feed daily. Will George and Tiger take to something like coriander, and maybe lettuce daily? Just to balance the veg out a bit more. If you're giving lots of a 'limited' variety each day then it could affect the urine concentration a bit more than if there was less of each thing, but a little more variety.
 
thanks good advice no red wee tonight in playpen so probably something they ate! tiger def does not have red wee as he wee'd on my nice cream couch and it was clear! (thank god and hope i get the smell out) Didn't know lettuce was a daily thing and green beans were bad will cut back on them and only get a small pack a week. will stick to daily peppers and lettuce and then mix in the rest of the items! Thanks again
 
Is everything still ok with them?

I've noticed with my boys that lots of Red pepper can cause a slightly "pink" colour to their pee.

I suppose other veggies will do this also, like beetroot, etc.
 
yes fine now I think. they normally have green pepper as I don't like them and I save the red ones for me but I had run out the day before I spotted the wee and had given them red ones so hopefully that is it!

Smell is better now too! I have vetbed at min and in dispair for the smell I have put a small litter tray under each house with carefresh in it & seems to have done the trick! Only problem is the extra expense as carefresh is quite dear! I will have to see how it gets on and maybe remove the carefresh at later date!
 
Mine get
Morning Spring greens
Evening Spring greens, celery, cucumber, a slice of apple together with dried food. In addition 3-4 times a week they will get melon/carrots/parsley.
When sp. greens are not available I substitute broccoli or curley cale.
 
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