Eating Each Others Poo!

[Tpcmonster]

Hi, so I have three 3 y/o piggies - Cherry, Clover and Hazel. Cherry keeps harassing Hazel for her poo, I've read they sometimes eat poo from healthy pigs if they're not well, but Cherry seems fine other than this. Do I need to take her to the vet?

P.S. I'm not really bothered she's eating Hazel's poo, but Hazel is! I want to know if there's anything I can do to stop it before it causes a fight? Thank you!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, so I have three 3 y/o piggies - Cherry, Clover and Hazel. Cherry keeps harassing Hazel for her poo, I've read they sometimes eat poo from healthy pigs if they're not well, but Cherry seems fine other than this. Do I need to take her to the vet?

P.S. I'm not really bothered she's eating Hazel's poo, but Hazel is! I want to know if there's anything I can do to stop it before it causes a fight? Thank you!

It may be that Cherry has got developing ovarian cysts (causing her to sniff for pheromones) or that she has a little deficiency.

 

[Betsy]

I'd take her to see a vet just to be on the safe side.

 

[Freela]

I would wonder if she has a minor digestive upset and is trying to replenish her gut flora. Personally, I've only seen a pig harass another pig in this particular way when she was having a bad reaction to antibiotics that upset her stomach.

You could always try making 'poop soup' with the other pig's poop and syringing her that in the hopes that she gets the gut flora she needs without driving her cagemate crazy!

 

[Katiedid]

Jet used to do that with Dozy, Jet does have some digestive issues and he was particularly bad when he was a bit bloated, he doesn’t do it with the girls but he hasn’t been as ill since I got them *touches wood*