Help/Advise Needed Please!

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Polypea

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Hi

This thread is related to the thread I posted during the week on health/illness on Infacol although the advise I need is different so I have started a new thread! :{

What I need to know is....can a guinea pig go without veg?

In my other thread on Infacol I have explained the problems I have had with my piggie Speedy, not sure if I should repeat it again but will if need be.

I have realised that veg, it seems any type, either causes her to have diahorea or bloat.
Speedy was successfully treated for diahorea on 17th September and after a few days I started her on veg again, one type at a time just in case!
By the 29th September she had bloat, this has been successfully treated and again I started her on veg, one type at a time, small amounts and she now has diahorea again!grrrr

I am at my wits end now, she seems absolutely fine in herself now that the bloat has gone, she is eating, drinking and is alert and appears happy but if I have to go veg free with her will she be ok?

Is there any veg/fruit that is less likely to cause either bloat or diahorea?

She is eating plenty of hay and dry pellets which is Science Selective so all natural.

Any help/advise will be greatly appreciated :)
 
hi, i know bannanas can cause it... just a quick question... i gave mine gripe water and infacol, due to mine had bloat, and i didnt think he would last he night, he has had it for months, and is alot better, but not his normal size, how did you treat yours?
 
Hi,
I gave Speedy Infacol, I was also given some fibreplex which restores the gut flora, that really helps.
And because she wasn't eating very much I was given some Oxbow Critical Care to syringe feed her, that also helped as it kept the tummy working! :)
 
ohh, ok, mine hasnt stopped eating, after all, he is a pig, hes ok now, i dont think he will ever go back to normal size though
 
Hi there,

Poor girlie. What veggies are you giving her at the moment and how much? They only need a small cupful of veg every day. It's more likely that watery type veg such as cucumbers/celery/peppers give diahorrea. Perhaps stick to giving a floret of brocolli and a leaf of spring greens, nice green food with plenty of vit c in.

Pigs can go without veg but you need to make sure they're getting their daily dose of vit c - oxbow do vit c tablets, that if you're lucky your pig will consider a treat and snatch out of your hand. Some just take a sniff and turn their noses up..

Take her off all veg for the next few days to get her tummy back to normal and see if these veg are better for her. I find that any kind of fruit tends to upset my pigs so stay away from that if your pig is sensitive :))

Hope she's ok xx
 
To be honest it's really a question of trial and error (i.e. an exclusion diet) as each pig is different. Grommie got terrible bloat from broccoli/cabbage/spring greens and high starch foods like sweet potato, turnip or parsnip (particualrly if they were pureed in baby food). Beechie too gets irritable bowel with brassicas (as above) but seems fine on cucumber, romaine lettuce, corn, parsley and carrot. He can take spinach, dandelion and grass but only in small quantities and only if it is the feshest of fresh - whereas my other piggies seem to have iron guts :)). None of them will eat peppers or fruit....and so the list goes on..

I suggest you take her off all veggies for a week and feed hay and pellets only, supplementing with Vit C tablets. Then feed a different veg every few days (remember it will take 24 hours for the effects to become apparent) with a couple of days rest in between on hay and pellets again and see what effects this has. Start off with fresh grass as this seems to be the most well-tolerated. Keep off the fruit altogether for the timebeing....and wash everything first....

HTH
x
 
Hi

Thanks for all the info I will definitely stop the veg for a week for Speedy.
The problem is she lives with 2 others who are fine so I may have to take her out for a cuddle whilst they have their veggies :{

When I took Speedy to vet for diahorea I was told to avoid lettuce & cucumber because it is watery, which I have done, she hasn't had any for about a month now.
So I was feeding very small amounts of cabbage, Kale, Broccoli & carrot and she got bloat! :{
So when I took her for the bloat I wasn't expecting the vet to tell me to give her spinach & brocolli, she said to give her small amounts to encourage her to eat, which is what I did and she got diahorea again :(

What would you say is the best vit c supplement to get? as when I searched for Oxbow Vit C tablets on the internet they don't appear to be available in UK:{

Thanks :)
 
Hi

I found the Oxbow Vit C tablets on SPH supplies so I've ordered some :)
 
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