Guinea Pig Impaction. Improvement?

[*kate*]

I adopted Colin nearly 2 weeks ago and was shown how to clean his butt as he suffered with impaction.

The first few days I was cleaning him twice a day and getting rid of a fair sized lump of poop.

The last 3 or 4 days, I have still checked his butt but have only cleared about 5 or so normal poops, no lumps of impacted poop at all.

Is it possible for his issues to have improved? or is the issue irreversible?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Stewybus]

I find it can get better from time to time. We have 2 impaction boys at TVGPR. Lionel is here & I find if cleaned out 4 times a day it is not as smelly as when when it's in a solid mushy mass. More often it's a pocket full of pellets. We also have Ginger who is out on long tern foster. He's the same when he visits us for holiday breaks.

Once it's there it rarely goes away by itself but things such as more exercise or having a friend will help.

 

[Wiebke]

I adopted Colin nearly 2 weeks ago and was shown how to clean his butt as he suffered with impaction.

The first few days I was cleaning him twice a day and getting rid of a fair sized lump of poop.

The last 3 or 4 days, I have still checked his butt but have only cleared about 5 or so normal poops, no lumps of impacted poop at all.

Is it possible for his issues to have improved? or is the issue irreversible?

Thanks for any advice!

Hi! With regular care and some minor diet adjustments, you can ease mild impaction for a while to the extent where it only needs support ever 2-3 days. The problem itself, a gradual weakening of the muscles at the back, is irreversible and is bound to deteriorate slowly over time. It is the redigested poos, the caecotrophs, that can no longer be expressed properly. Guinea pigs cope with the nutritionally poor diet they have evolved on by running it twice through their guts at different times. The higher the fibre content of the diet (i.e. hay) and the more regular the diet is, the better.

You will find our impaction guide very helpful; it contains several videos as well as tips from an impaction piggy owner:
Impaction Recovery - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.

 

[*kate*]

I find it can get better from time to time. We have 2 impaction boys at TVGPR. Lionel is here & I find if cleaned out 4 times a day it is not as smelly as when when it's in a solid mushy mass. More often it's a pocket full of pellets. We also have Ginger who is out on long tern foster. He's the same when he visits us for holiday breaks.

Once it's there it rarely goes away by itself but things such as more exercise or having a friend will help.

His Fosterer said he wasn't a good hay eater but, as Hettie loves her hay, he does seem to be copying her and eating loads of it!

He also does a lot of running around the enclosure and popcorning. Maybe the exercise is shoving the poops along!

 

[*kate*]

Hi! With regular care and some minor diet adjustments, you can ease mild impaction for a while to the extent where it only needs support ever 2-3 days. The problem itself, a gradual weakening of the muscles at the back, is irreversible and is bound to deteriorate slowly over time. It is the redigested poos, the caecotrophs, that can no longer be expressed properly. Guinea pigs cope with the nutritionally poor diet they have evolved on by running it twice through their guts at different times. The higher the fibre content of the diet and the more regular the diet is, the better.

You will find our impaction guide very helpful; it contains several videos as well as tips from an impaction piggy owner:
Impaction Recovery - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.

The first few days of cleaning him resulted in a big lump of horrendously smelling poop with no definable torpedo shaped poops at all.

Now, the lump has gone and all that is removed is a few torpedo's which don't smell bad

He is also eating a lot of forage including long grass, dandelions, blackberry leaves and hawthorn, he loves everything and isn't fussy at all!

I think I will try checking him once a day, from today, and see how he gets on.

 

[Wiebke]

The first few days of cleaning him resulted in a big lump of horrendously smelling poop with no definable torpedo shaped poops at all.

Now, the lump has gone and all that is removed is a few torpedo's which don't smell bad

He is also eating a lot of forage including long grass, dandelions, blackberry leaves and hawthorn, he loves everything and isn't fussy at all!

I think I will try checking him once a day, from today, and see how he gets on.

Please read the link I have given you; you should find it helpful as it has more details and advice than I can give you in one post.

 

[Stewybus]

Adding to my earlier post, I've also cut back on dark green veggies such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, spinach etc from their diet. Also when cleaning them if there are any perfect poos I offer them and they will both take them and eat them which helps their dietary needs x