Guinea Pig poop

[Thebubbypiggies]

Hey!
One of my piggies poops small poops? Like he poops big once too, but has begun to poop some small once?
What can I do, and what is wrong? Or is this normal?
They’re not critical small, just a little bit smaller than the others, and maybe a little bit rounder?
He shows no signs of an illness, he sneeze but I think that is because we’re at the end of the hay bag and there is dust atm...

 

[Wiebke]

Hey!
One of my piggies poops small poops? Like he poops big once too, but has begun to poop some small once?
What can I do, and what is wrong? Or is this normal?
They’re not critical small, just a little bit smaller than the others, and maybe a little bit rounder?
He shows no signs of an illness, he sneeze but I think that is because we’re at the end of the hay bag and there is dust atm...

Hi!

Please switch from the regular weigh-in to a daily one to monitor his food intake. Over 80% of what a guinea pig eats in a day is hay, which you cannot control by eye. Veg and pellets should only make about 15% (about 1/6 of what a piggy eats).

Take the time to read these guides here. You will find them very helpful:
Weight - Monitoring and Management (contains a chapter about guidelines for weight loss)
If the weight loss is ongoing and or/speeding up, please step in with offering additional syringe feed.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

The loss in food intake can be caused by pain or discomfort somewhere in the body or by problem with the teeth.
- Please check the front teeth: Are they even and upright or are they slanted, jagged or inward pointing. If they are the latter, then you are dealing with a developing overgrowth problem in the crucial back teeth that for some reason are no longer ground down evenly as your piggy is eating its hay.
- A problem with his boar bits can also cause smaller poos; it may be worth checking for a semen rod or impaction: Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

You are obviously a very observant owner picking up on a potential problem very early on before there are any symptoms and while the impact is still very small. At the moment, all you can do is monitor more closely and see a vet if the downhill trendin poo size or weight continues.

 

[Thebubbypiggies]

Hi!

Please switch from the regular weigh-in to a daily one to monitor his food intake. Over 80% of what a guinea pig eats in a day is hay, which you cannot control by eye. Veg and pellets should only make about 15% (about 1/6 of what a piggy eats).

Take the time to read these guides here. You will find them very helpful:
Weight - Monitoring and Management (contains a chapter about guidelines for weight loss)
If the weight loss is ongoing and or/speeding up, please step in with offering additional syringe feed.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

The loss in food intake can be caused by pain or discomfort somewhere in the body or by problem with the teeth.
- Please check the front teeth: Are they even and upright or are they slanted, jagged or inward pointing. If they are the latter, then you are dealing with a developing overgrowth problem in the crucial back teeth that for some reason are no longer ground down evenly as your piggy is eating its hay.
- A problem with his boar bits can also cause smaller poos; it may be worth checking for a semen rod or impaction: Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

You are obviously a very observant owner picking up on a potential problem very early on before there are any symptoms and while the impact is still very small. At the moment, all you can do is monitor more closely and see a vet if the downhill trendin poo size or weight continues.

Thank you for the quick answer ! I will read the links, I have weighed him almost every other day since I noticed the poops, and he only go down 7 grams and then up and then down again, so his weight seems stable, but will weigh him tomorrow too! I will see a vet if it get less poop etc

 

[Thebubbypiggies]

Hi!

Please switch from the regular weigh-in to a daily one to monitor his food intake. Over 80% of what a guinea pig eats in a day is hay, which you cannot control by eye. Veg and pellets should only make about 15% (about 1/6 of what a piggy eats).

Take the time to read these guides here. You will find them very helpful:
Weight - Monitoring and Management (contains a chapter about guidelines for weight loss)
If the weight loss is ongoing and or/speeding up, please step in with offering additional syringe feed.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

The loss in food intake can be caused by pain or discomfort somewhere in the body or by problem with the teeth.
- Please check the front teeth: Are they even and upright or are they slanted, jagged or inward pointing. If they are the latter, then you are dealing with a developing overgrowth problem in the crucial back teeth that for some reason are no longer ground down evenly as your piggy is eating its hay.
- A problem with his boar bits can also cause smaller poos; it may be worth checking for a semen rod or impaction: Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

You are obviously a very observant owner picking up on a potential problem very early on before there are any symptoms and while the impact is still very small. At the moment, all you can do is monitor more closely and see a vet if the downhill trendin poo size or weight continues.

Another update:

Just checked his teeth, they look good, and I weighed him, and it’s they same weight as the last few days,.. so no clue why the change in poop? Maybe a Change in his diet triggered it?

 

[Wiebke]

Another update:

Just checked his teeth, they look good, and I weighed him, and it’s they same weight as the last few days,.. so no clue why the change in poop? Maybe a Change in his diet triggered it?

Just keep an eye on him, but at that small change I would not worry.