• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Fix bloat with diet?

Dwarfpotato

Dwarfpotato

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Apr 19, 2021
Messages
157
Reaction score
530
Points
420
Location
Cambridgeshire
Poor little cookie got bloat on Monday night. I've been to the vet, who gave him a metaclopramide (about half 9 yesterday morning). I've been giving him lots of recovery food (science selective, with some emeraid in the post) and he's eating hay on his own too. Obviously I've stopped giving him any grass or veg as soon as I found the bloat. He's also been having some pro c. He put on 10g between Tuesday morning and today (Wednesday morning), so I'm happy he's eating enough. Overnight on Monday he was really swollen and hollow but by Tuesday evening it was almost completely gone. He was back to his usual mischievous self last night, after being a bit subdued for a while. However today the bloat has got a little bit worse again (although not as bad as Monday night).

My question is, if I keep feeding him recovery food to maintain his weight and keeping him off the veg, will the bloat subside eventually? Or does it need something tougher like more metaclopramide/gripe water/? I've read all of the guides through several times (thanks wiebke, they're a lifesaver!)

Other info: he's still pooping. The poops are a little variable and mostly big and paler than usual, but still poop shaped with no tails. He's close to his usual weight (1080g this morning, Vs 1100 ish normally). He's eating on his own, although he's decided he only likes the recovery food from a syringe and not off a spoon! He's very keen when it's in a syringe, so it's not like he's off his food.

Pig tax included. Here's Cookie and Tico (black one) enjoying some hay this morning.
 

Attachments

  • IMG-20220608-WA0000.webp
    IMG-20220608-WA0000.webp
    68.3 KB · Views: 7
The gas needs to come out before he will feel better, whether gut stimulants and other meds are needed is situation dependent. Gripe water is only any good in mild cases.
Bloat can also come in waves so keep an eye on him and be prepared to get to the vet if things change
 
Hi and welcome

A serious bloat is nothing you want to come up against, unfortunately.
The bloat needs to settle first, the gas needs to come out and the gut microbiome needs to re-balance before you can think about a normal diet. While some foods can trigger bloating in some piggies (but not in others); recovery formula and plenty of probiotics are the best you can do in terms of trigger-free foods.

Serious bloat happens in waves that can be hours and sometimes days or even some weeks apart. It is a little bit like a tsunami. Gripe water is OK for mild bloating but it does nothing for serious bloating.

Here is our bloating guide:
 
Yes, thank you. It's currently very hectic off the forum for me.
 
When I have treated guinea pigs for bloat I always use massage as an aid to move it. I use a Collate battery operated toothbrush and turn the guinea pig on back or side and concentrate on the right hand side of their tummy using the flat side of the brush head. You can also massage by hand but it's not as effective
 
Cookie is doing well. He's still the same weight this morning and is happily eating hay, rumbling/plipping around and getting upset when I give Tico veg and grass but not him. Tico kindly donated some poop for soup last night. Unfortunately I've had to go back to work today so I've given my dad instructions on pro C and hope Cookie can stay good until I get home tonight, and he can have some more critical care.

Free Ranger said:
Our recent bloat experience was caused by a surfeit of rich spring grass as far as I can tell. Only 1 pig of my 3 was affected and although it was dramatic it was also transient First time with bloat - and it's Louise
Click to expand...
Thanks, that was a really useful thread to read.
 
Dwarfpotato said:
Cookie is doing well. He's still the same weight this morning and is happily eating hay, rumbling/plipping around and getting upset when I give Tico veg and grass but not him. Tico kindly donated some poop for soup last night. Unfortunately I've had to go back to work today so I've given my dad instructions on pro C and hope Cookie can stay good until I get home tonight, and he can have some more critical care.


Thanks, that was a really useful thread to read.
Click to expand...

You can leave some critical care in a bowl in the cage so he can nibble at it independently if he wants to alongside plenty of hay.
 
Piggies&buns said:
You can leave some critical care in a bowl in the cage so he can nibble at it independently if he wants to alongside plenty of hay.
Click to expand...
If I do that Tico comes along and scoffs the lot without giving him a chance! She's a greedy beast for such a tiny pig. I don't want to separate them at all because bonding was a nightmare.
 
Dwarfpotato said:
If I do that Tico comes along and scoffs the lot without giving him a chance! She's a greedy beast for such a tiny pig. I don't want to separate them at all because bonding was a nightmare.
Click to expand...
You have done the right thing - best not to separate if it isn't really necessary.
I am sure Cookie will be fine until tonight without the CC.
 
An update: Cookie is still doing really well. He's had a little bubble on his side (I think? or it might just be his ribs sounding hollow?) that won't shift so I took him back to the vet. I got 5 days worth of oral metaclopramide and a course of fibreplex. I'm reducing how much emeraid I give him daily and he's still putting on weight. In fact, he's heavier than before he got sick!

Since this started his poops have been fine - I think I spotted it early enough that he didn't have a chance to go off his food. They've stayed nice and poop shaped too. However, twice I've tried reintroducing veg by giving him a leaf of coriander and afterwards I've noticed some squishy/pointy poops. I've been trying to give him poop soup when I can but it is a challenge extracting poop from Tico. He gets pro C and fibreplex regularly.

It has now been over a week since he first got bloat. How long is normal before I reintroduce veg?
 
Dwarfpotato said:
An update: Cookie is still doing really well. He's had a little bubble on his side (I think? or it might just be his ribs sounding hollow?) that won't shift so I took him back to the vet. I got 5 days worth of oral metaclopramide and a course of fibreplex. I'm reducing how much emeraid I give him daily and he's still putting on weight. In fact, he's heavier than before he got sick!

Since this started his poops have been fine - I think I spotted it early enough that he didn't have a chance to go off his food. They've stayed nice and poop shaped too. However, twice I've tried reintroducing veg by giving him a leaf of coriander and afterwards I've noticed some squishy/pointy poops. I've been trying to give him poop soup when I can but it is a challenge extracting poop from Tico. He gets pro C and fibreplex regularly.

It has now been over a week since he first got bloat. How long is normal before I reintroduce veg?
Click to expand...

Hi

The easiest way of getting really fresh poos is by feeding the healthy companion on a towel outside the cage (an armchair etc. is perfect. Feeding usually triggers poos. ;)

Re-introducing veg takes as long as it takes. There is no set time. My Nye took about three weeks after his bout with dysbiosis last month.
 
The easiest way of getting really fresh poos is by feeding the healthy companion on a towel outside the cage (an armchair etc. is perfect. Feeding usually triggers poos.
Click to expand...
I sat with Tico for about an hour last night. She had all her veg and a giant handful of grass. Two wees (on the towel for once) but no poop. But then I put her back and she did two straight away... I think she gets performance anxiety!

IMG-20220614-WA0016.webp

Re-introducing veg takes as long as it takes. There is no set time. My Nye took about three weeks after his bout with dysbiosis last month.
Click to expand...
That's good to know! I won't worry yet then :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top