Female guinea pig having massive poops!

[Flowergirl255]

Hi my guinea pig has been really unwell with a nasty UTI and she started going into gut stasis last week so I’ve been feeding her critical care every few hours and she has a gut stimulant 3 times a day. I stopped giving it to her yesterday as she was doing really well but she’s only had a few massive poops now that have been painful for her and her tummy feels like it’s full of poops. I’ve got her back on the gut stimulant today and she hasn’t pooped yet. I’ve been massaging her tummy and I gently broke up what feels like massive poop in her tummy which didn’t hurt her. Is it bloat and could she need surgery? I can’t find anything about female guinea pigs having an impaction so any help would be massively appreciated!

 

[Claire W]

I am sorry your girl has been unwell The odd huge poo isn’t a problem considering the bloat and meds she’s been on but if she is struggling to pass poo and is in pain, I’d have her back at the vets. I doubt she’ll need surgery but I think she should be assessed x

 

[Piggies&buns]

It is normal for the digestion to take a while to get back up to speed following stasis so seeing abnormal poops isn’t uncommon

Keep up with daily weight checks so you can be sure she is getting enough food and so are your vet if you are worried about her

I hope she is ok

 

[Flowergirl255]

Thank you both for replying, I’m waiting for a call back from the vets to book an ultrasound. Is it normal when recovering from gut stasis to not poop much? She only had that massive poop yesterday and the same today

 

[Piggies&buns]

Generally if a piggy isn’t pooping then it’s because they haven’t eaten enough in the previous 1-2 days.
It is common to see abnormal poops when recovering from stasis while the gut gets back up to speed, but I think an ultrasound is a good idea to ensure everything in her gut is as it should be

Are you weighing her every morning?
Are you still syringe feeding her?

Wiebke's Guide to Tummy Trouble

 

[Flowergirl255]

I haven’t been weighing her but I’ll get scales tomorrow! I dropped back to feeds twice a day as she was doing so well. I’m going to try and get her to vets first thing as she still hasn’t pooped and her tummy has loads of hard lumps

 

[Piggies&buns]

Definitely get scales. Independent hay intake cannot be gauged by eye - they can appear to be eating but it doesn’t mean it is enough.

Weight checks should ideally be done once a week as routine (weight loss is often the first and early warning sign of an issue, sometimes even before any symptoms show so knowing what the weight is doing means you can step in much sooner), but they then need to be done daily (each morning) during any illness.

They are the only way to know she was getting enough syringe feed and are the guide as to when syringe feeding can be scaled back/stopped.

Let us know how you get on at the vet

I hope she is ok

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels

 

[Flowergirl255]

Thank you so much for your help. She had a suspected tumour that was causing a block so I had to do what was best for her and put her to sleep

 

[Wheekallweek]

Oh no what a shock for you! I’m so sorry
She is pain free now over the Rainbow Bridge

 

[Claire W]

Oh I’m so sorry to hear such sad news (((hugs))) x

 

[Truffolo]

Rest easy over the bridge little one