Dilemma .. soft poo.... heat

[artcasper]

Ok so one of the 3 girls has soft poo, noticed it last night and this morning there are a few more that feel soft... not sure which one tho...

So, their veg is always wet when they have it and they are not big drinkers... my dilema is, if I take them all off veg for 48 hours I am worried about the hot weather and them being dehydrated...

They are indoors and dont go out ever..room is cool for them, curtains closed, fan on for me and them...

 

[Julie M]

Its a tough one. I think i would personally still restrict veg. As if they got diarrhoea wouldn't that make them even more dehydrated.

 

[Claire W]

They should be fine if you take them off veg for 48 hours if they are in a cool room. That’s what I’d do anyway x

 

[artcasper]

Yes I think that best.... they will not be happy... listen for the protests and the screaming......

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’d take them off veg too, ensure plenty of water is available to them. If they are thirsty, they will drink. They likely don’t appear to be big drinkers normally because they get their wet veg.

 

[artcasper]

I’d take them off veg too, ensure plenty of water is available to them. If they are thirsty, they will drink. They likely don’t appear to be big drinkers normally because they get their wet veg.

Yep.. no dinner tonight girls! Daft question but what about grass? I have been growing it and they had a bit last night..will that still be ok in small quantity? I should know this

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yep.. no dinner tonight girls! Daft question but what about grass? I have been growing it and they had a bit last night..will that still be ok in small quantity? I should know this

No don’t give grass, Any fresh veg or grass needs to be stopped and they should be fed just hay and pellets until the poops normalise again (then still keep them off veg and grass for 24 hours after they normalise, you don’t want to cause a problem again immediately after recovery). When you reintroduce veg, do it Slowly. Often restarting with herbs first can help as they tend to be milder on the tummy

 

[KHBz]

Yes I think that best.... they will not be happy... listen for the protests and the screaming......

I concluded this morning that I, too, really do have to stop the veg for 48 hours. I was going to last night but couldn't carry it through

 

[artcasper]

No don’t give grass, Any fresh veg or grass needs to be stopped and they should be fed just hay and pellets until the poops normalise again (then still keep them off veg and grass for 24 hours after they normalise, you don’t want to cause a problem again immediately after recovery). When you reintroduce veg, do it Slowly. Often restarting with herbs first can help as they tend to be milder on the tummy

Thanks ... I wasn't 100% sure about the grass... 5 years on and still learning! Not really had any probs with poo! Only once a while ago...

 

[artcasper]

I concluded this morning that I, too, really do have to stop the veg for 48 hours. I was going to last night but couldn't carry it through

You have to be strong and remind yourself that they have TONS of hay, they will not starve .... mind you just walked away from mine and they usually get herbs when I give them their fresh hay.... I quickly said " that's it..." and walked away... they were like what the hell hooman

 

[KHBz]

You have to be strong and remind yourself that they have TONS of hay, they will not starve .... mind you just walked away from mine and they usually get herbs when I give them their fresh hay.... I quickly said " that's it..." and walked away... they were like what the hell hooman

Perhaps that's a good strategy! I was thinking maybe a bowl with extra pellets (not too many), seed-heads of timothy hay and some ready-grass, and then I'll scarper like you did! Having to crush their utterly joyous excitement and anticipation when they've been wheeking all afternoon every time I just move in the kitchen (and they are outside a few metres away) ... best not to witness it.

 

[Wiebke]

Ok so one of the 3 girls has soft poo, noticed it last night and this morning there are a few more that feel soft... not sure which one tho...

So, their veg is always wet when they have it and they are not big drinkers... my dilema is, if I take them all off veg for 48 hours I am worried about the hot weather and them being dehydrated...

They are indoors and dont go out ever..room is cool for them, curtains closed, fan on for me and them...

Hi!

Soft poos in hot weather are most likely from you overfeeding on wet veg; we always get a spate of them in any heat wave from members that are meaning too well.

Take them off it for a day; don't worry about dehydration as long as you have fresh cool water on offer. They will drink water if they are worried.
It is a very common assumption that all guinea pigs need to drink a certain amount when (like in humans) the actual need can vary hugely individually. Being a 'bad drinker' doesn't mean that your piggies are unhealthy, have a worse life expectancy or are more prone to kidney problems - they aren't. And the more you overfeed on edible fluid, the less they are encouraged to drink.

Please keep in mind that guinea pigs don't sweat - unlike sweating humans and panting dogs they are not expending more water in the heat and they don't get a lot thirstier when it is hot. What they need is access to cool and frequently refreshed/changed water whenever they have the need.

More information on hot weather care and general drinking information in these guides below:
The temptation to overfeed watery veg and fruit in hot weather!
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
All About Drinking And Bottles

 

[Wiebke]

Yep.. no dinner tonight girls! Daft question but what about grass? I have been growing it and they had a bit last night..will that still be ok in small quantity? I should know this

Green growing grass counts as fresh veg, so they have to stay off it, too. Unlimited hay it is to help realign the gut microbiome again and kill off the overgrowth of bad bacteria that cause the fermentation process in the gut to derail (dysbiosis) . Please keep in mind that hay - even in high summer - should still make around 80% of the daily food intake and that veg and pellets should basically be seen as the daily snacks but not main meals. You do not need to worry about vitamin C. Fresh spring and autumn grass is very high in it but that doesn't mean that hay or no longer growing summer or winter grass are totally devoid of it - especially not when hay is eaten in bulk. We have yet to see a guinea pig on a mainly grass hay based diet develop scurvy, especially not on for a very short term!

 

[KHBz]

Green growing grass counts as fresh veg, so they have to stay off it, too. Unlimited hay it is to help realign the gut microbiome again and kill off the overgrowth of bad bacteria that cause the fermentation process in the gut to derail (dysbiosis) . Please keep in mind that hay - even in high summer - should still make around 80% of the daily food intake and that veg and pellets should basically be seen as the daily snacks but not main meals. You do not need to worry about vitamin C. Fresh spring and autumn grass is very high in it but that doesn't mean that hay or no longer growing summer or winter grass are totally devoid of it - especially not when hay is eaten in bulk. We have yet to see a guinea pig on a mainly grass hay based diet develop scurvy, especially not on for a very short term!

This is probably a stupid question but I'd like to be absolutely sure and not worry: is ready-grass ok to give them (in small quantities) when all fresh grass and veggies have to be cut out for 48 hours? I'd only give it to appease them a little for the withdrawal of veg, not because I think they need it.

 

[Wiebke]

This is probably a stupid question but I'd like to be absolutely sure and not worry: is ready-grass ok to give them (in small quantities) when all fresh grass and veggies have to be cut out for 48 hours? I'd only give it to appease them a little for the withdrawal of veg, not because I think they need it.

Ready grass is fine because it is freeze-dried. So not full of fluid!
If it helps your anxiety and mood, you can give them a small handful over the course of the day as a special on-off treat.

 

[KHBz]

Ready grass is fine because it is freeze-dried. So not full of fluid!

Thank you. These piggies and their poops are such a worry!

 

[artcasper]

Perhaps that's a good strategy! I was thinking maybe a bowl with extra pellets (not too many), seed-heads of timothy hay and some ready-grass, and then I'll scarper like you did! Having to crush their utterly joyous excitement and anticipation when they've been wheeking all afternoon every time I just move in the kitchen (and they are outside a few metres away) ... best not to witness it.

They always make out they are starving lol... even after having their veg!

 

[Wiebke]

They always make out they are starving lol... even after having their veg!

Yes, that is part of the territory - but giving in is not the way to go as you don't do them any favour in terms of longevity.
It is better to concentrate on making feeding time enriched time rather than treat feeding or overfeeding on veg or pellets.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[artcasper]

Yes, that is part of the territory - but giving in is not the way to go as you don't do them any favour in terms of longevity.
It is better to concentrate on making feeding time enriched time rather than treat feeding or overfeeding on veg or pellets.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

Oh dont worry... I can resist their pleas..... every time they hear a knife chopping they start

 

[KHBz]

Oh dont worry... I can resist their pleas..... every time they hear a knife chopping they start

Fortunately my 11-year-old is a tough, hard cookie and scrupulously does what is best for them (eg counting out the number of pellets so it is the same little each time). She has a strict time-table and gets very cross when I try to inch their veggie time back from 5 - 5.30pm to 4.30pm (I've sometimes succeeded with that one ) to 4 pm ... and she really put her foot down when I pleaded for 3.30 because of their heart-rending wheeks. I do try and be careful but of course I'm to blame for the soft poops: I thought I was re-introducing the grass slowly enough after they hadn't been on the lawn for a couple of weeks (because they'd eaten it all up), but it would seem not. Oh dear.

 

[artcasper]

Fortunately my 11-year-old is a tough, hard cookie and scrupulously does what is best for them (eg counting out the number of pellets so it is the same little each time). She has a strict time-table and gets very cross when I try to inch their veggie time back from 5 - 5.30pm to 4.30pm (I've sometimes succeeded with that one ) to 4 pm ... and she really put her foot down when I pleaded for 3.30 because of their heart-rending wheeks. I do try and be careful but of course I'm to blame for the soft poops: I thought I was re-introducing the grass slowly enough after they hadn't been on the lawn for a couple of weeks (because they'd eaten it all up), but it would seem not. Oh dear.

Dinner is done... well no dinner is done lol! its weird as they know the routine.... Daisy and brownie go into the floor run for theirs and Winny has hers in the cage - this is due to Daisy and Brownie stealing Winnys food..... Winny looked at me tonight all confused as if to say ' Why am i going down now, I've not had my dinner " ..... I just gave them fresh hay, a small bit of redigrass sprinkled about and their nuggets... they are fine...

 

[KHBz]

Dinner is done... well no dinner is done lol! its weird as they know the routine.... Daisy and brownie go into the floor run for theirs and Winny has hers in the cage - this is due to Daisy and Brownie stealing Winnys food..... Winny looked at me tonight all confused as if to say ' Why am i going down now, I've not had my dinner " ..... I just gave them fresh hay, a small bit of redigrass sprinkled about and their nuggets... they are fine...

Wow, that was peaceful! Poor little Winny with her confused expression -- she sounds lovely. Now you've got to do it tomorrow too ...
It was just awful the other time I have had to withhold veggies for 48 hours (thanks to fresh grass that time too), but tonight also went eerily well for us ... They just accepted a bowl of 6 pellets each, a pinch of readigrass and several seed-heads and got on with eating it all That was it: no wheek-pleading at all. They have struggled with the heat today, though, and I have struggled with keeping the temperature down for them (a thank you to the hot-weather guides on this forum), so they weren't their usual exuberant selves. At least today is over - particularly in terms of that heat.

 

[VickiA]

You’ve got to be cruel to be kind, so they say. Stay strong x

 

[PigglePuggle]

Yes, stay strong! I get that from my lot if they just get a scatterfeed leafy breakfast no pellets or bowls, they go and dance about on their hind legs in the place the bowls go, Piggle on top of the castle house, Blod underneath, Theo at the side... but they know that when I serve the after dinner timothy hay in the hayroom its all over- piggy cafe closed now guys, stop begging!

 

[artcasper]

Wow, that was peaceful! Poor little Winny with her confused expression -- she sounds lovely. Now you've got to do it tomorrow too ...
It was just awful the other time I have had to withhold veggies for 48 hours (thanks to fresh grass that time too), but tonight also went eerily well for us ... They just accepted a bowl of 6 pellets each, a pinch of readigrass and several seed-heads and got on with eating it all That was it: no wheek-pleading at all. They have struggled with the heat today, though, and I have struggled with keeping the temperature down for them (a thank you to the hot-weather guides on this forum), so they weren't their usual exuberant selves. At least today is over - particularly in terms of that heat.

I figured if I dont use the words DINNER or BREAKFAST they wont know

 

[KHBz]

I figured if I dont use the words DINNER or BREAKFAST they wont know

Brilliant! I have to be careful to avoid the word FOOD. That strict daughter of mine got very cross with me the other day for forgetting that. I was repeatedly telling them that no, it wasn't FOOD time yet, that they had to wait for FOOD time, that their mummy-slave (that daughter!) would be very cross with me if I gave them FOOD now, and the more I said it, the more they wheeked. At least I remembered not to use that word today

 

[artcasper]

So breakfast went ok... altho they were still confused they had a bowl of water - they seem to like it and a bowl with chunks of hay cookies.... note they do also have 2 bottles of water but the bowl is new so something different to distract them

 

[KHBz]

So breakfast went ok... altho they were still confused they had a bowl of water - they seem to like it and a bowl with chunks of hay cookies.... note they do also have 2 bottles of water but the bowl is new so something different to distract them

Fortunately our two only get 12 pellets each for breakfast (well, sometimes double because they have been so convincing when the next person has gone to see them ). Perhaps that's why they go quite as beserk as they do, running around in frantic circles and scrabbling up our legs, when it is veggie time! Poops are still exactly the same (I know it's early days) but I'm anticipating another 2 days of this now. I too have done the bowl-with-water thing and, like yours, they also have 2 water-bottles. I wish I had some hay cookies. Where do you get them from? How are they coping with the heat?

 

[artcasper]

Fortunately our two only get 12 pellets each for breakfast (well, sometimes double because they have been so convincing when the next person has gone to see them ). Perhaps that's why they go quite as beserk as they do, running around in frantic circles and scrabbling up our legs, when it is veggie time! Poops are still exactly the same (I know it's early days) but I'm anticipating another 2 days of this now. I too have done the bowl-with-water thing and, like yours, they also have 2 water-bottles. I wish I had some hay cookies. Where do you get them from? How are they coping with the heat?

I have 3 so they get a mini bowl full... not so many soft poops here this morning but will see how we go... they have just had the air con put on for them, they are indoor pigs, curtains are always kept closed until about 4pm, as the sun moves over after lunch time, Its not raining today as predicted! The Hay Cookies were from The Range I think... or they might have been from Natures Own Pets where I get my hay from...x

 

[KHBz]

I have 3 so they get a mini bowl full... not so many soft poops here this morning but will see how we go... they have just had the air con put on for them, they are indoor pigs, curtains are always kept closed until about 4pm, as the sun moves over after lunch time, Its not raining today as predicted! The Hay Cookies were from The Range I think... or they might have been from Natures Own Pets where I get my hay from...x

They do get 8 more pellets before 'bed', although I often slip in a couple more after that as Ophelia tends to linger, nuzzling the empty bowls so forlornly. Two bowls with some pellets, readigrass and timothy hay have just been accepted, albeit less passively than yesterday, and judging from the wheeks, they think that that was the starter! But I am getting better at this cruel-to-be-kind lark
(I'll check out the hay cookies -- thank you.)