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Impaction

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Tracyxx

Tracyxx

Adult Guinea Pig
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My 4 year old rescue boar came home today and I have noticed he has impaction. Read up on it and Peter Gurney said it was a matter of rolling the skin backwards and flicking out the hard pellet between finger and thumb. However, Wilbur's poo is very soft and sticky. He doesn't have diahorrhea, but to remove it I had to scoop it out and as far as I can see there's still some remaining. I was a bit weary of rolling his skin any further back in case I hurt him. Can anyone give me a bit of reassurance or tips on how best to do this please? :(
 
I've had 3 boars with impaction & have got used to cleaning out their 'pouch'!

I have one pig who has a similar problem to your boy - that is soft poo seems to accumulate in the pouch. I find that his pouch doesn't get impacted every day, but periodically it does need a good clean out, otherwise it starts to smell. I also have a boar who does have impaction with the harder pellets, & as it has progressed for some unknown reason the poos have started to go moudly, especially if left in for too long.

Anyway, I do roll the skin back to clean right in the whole pouch. I generally only use water & kitchen roll (its better than tissue which falls apart) or an iodine solution with the mouldy poos. Just clean it gently & know that it may take a few wipes to clean it out.

The piggies tend to squeak & protest but then I think I would if someone was fiddling & cleaning my bottom! I think it is more out of annoyance rather than pain & the fact that they have to be upside down for a while. Just take your time & be confident. Reassure your pig too, they always like being talked to!

I would say keep an eye on his pouch & check it daily. See how it develops. It may be an occasional thing, which could go on to be full impaction or not. Each pig is different, but don't be afraid to keep them clean - it has to be done no matter what. My Jerry has his pouch emptied twice a day, so you can guess how full & uncomfortable it must get for them.

Let me know how it goes & good luck! My boys send squeaks your way - especially Jerry & Pippin who know all about it!

Michele
xx

PS - wear gloves if you can. Your hands can smell a little otherwise!
 
With some boars it will clear up after you've cleaned it out a few times and it might be ok, others (as above) will need help regularly. If he's new to you then you might find that diet etc. play a part - has he been fed ok previously, do you know?

Not a pleasant job but good advice above and I'm sure if you do a search on the forum for impaction then other similar threads will come up, which might help.

Hope he's ok!

Sophie
x
 
Hopefully, Gethin won't be too embarrassed about me mentioning it (hee!) but about 6 or 8 months ago, he started to develop impaction. I was surprised as I thought this was something that only older boars got and he wasn't yet 3, but David at the Pet Rodent Centre said it can happen with younger ones.

Thankfully, he's a very good natured little guy so doesn't get too upset about me cleaning it. I use the hugest, most perfumed baby wipes that I can find for the job. I usually start by seeing if I can get most of it out by gently squeezing from the outside. Then with a baby wipe covered finger, I have a good rummage inside to remove anything remaining, but I've never actually turned the anal sac inside out. At first, he only needed this every few days, but now I do it every evening. Nappy sacks are great for disposal and yes, gloves are a good idea, particularly if it's on the messy side (with Gethin, it's usually a mixture of pellets and soft stool.)

Another tip form the Pet Rodent Centre - during bath time, fill the anal sac with neat Aphosphil (sp) shampoo and leave it for a few minutes before rinsing, preferably with a shower stream. The inside of the sack is coated with a heavy greasy material, which can make the stool stick more firmly (although the problem is due to lax muscles and can't be "fixed.") This will usually keep it clearer for a few days after the bath. A really, really good wipe round with a baby wipe after the sac is empty will help as well.

Kim

(Gethin smelly bum's mum!)
 
It should take 10 seconds maximum (with practice)to empty the anal sack. Admittedly, the first time may take more like 10 minutes. Offer the contents to the pig, some will refuse, others will take some. With impaction they can't always recycle the first pass pellets. I have yet to find a boar, on a normal diet, that has shown any untoward problems from not recycling
 
Thanks so much for all the replies. Wilbur's so good natured and laid back, I was worried he wouldn't let me know if I was hurting him! But my friends have reassured me that he definately would, and he just sat there with a slightly sheepish look on his face while I had a good poke around.
I rescued him about 2 months ago but I had no spare boar cages so my friend boarded him for me, he has been fed on PaH nuggets and lots of hay and veg. I didn't check for impaction before, but I did notice his bottom seemed quite loose and saggy. The poo that I cleaned out was quite sticky and greasy and slightly green in colour, it also absolutely stunk, so much that we had to move outside and I was actually glad of the wind blowing around! My boyfriend gave me a hand and I did the best job I could but I'm off to get baby wipes tomorrow, I'm assuming these won't break up like the tissues did. I've also got some gloves here I used for my false tan, so I'll be using those next time as my boyfriend was horrified when I had to use my naked finger to scoop it out! Thank you so much for all the replies, I'll keep you updated as to how we get on.
 
Update..
So I got some baby wipes and gave Wilbur a really good clean out. As far as I can see I completely turned his sac inside out but I had to use six or seven wipes to get everything, there was SO much green poo and it is so sticky and greasy. I can't see how this will take me 10 seconds - it took about 3 minutes in total and that was with my dad helping me! There was honestly just loads.

But Wilbur is eating, drinking and running around and so far as I can tell, really happy to be with me. He's got a ton of hay too, which he loves, and a Parsley Bell which he's done nothing but chew on.
So my questions now are..
Is there anything I can do for Wilbur that will make him more comfortable? He got a bit edgy towards the end but was probably fed up of being on his back. Also, there was bits of shavings stuck to the poo - INSIDE his bum. Is that normal? Someone told me to use a bit of vaseline to make them inside of his bum more slippy.

And is it normal for him to be passing "normal" pellets but still have green soft poo in his bum?

Thanks everyone x
 
It will get quicker with practice - honest! Just have confidence in yourself & what you are doing for him. I tend to empty Jerry's pouch once or twice a day & then every 2 or 3 days clean it - with him I use iodine solution (see above for reason why!) The cleaning takes a little longer, but emptying it can be done in less than 10 seconds!

I find it is being upside down that they protest at more, rather than what is being done to them. But once they realise what you are doing is good for them they will learn to settle, once they have had it done a few times - after letting you know that they don't approve of you prodding with their personal bits & pieces! Jerry will lie on my lap for up to 5 minutes now, although he does still use bad language to remind me that I'm being mean to him! :x

My Pippin is, I think, at the early stages of impaction (sadly too much experience in this area!) & I am sure he will develop it. He is only 2.5 years & has had this problem on & off for a few months now. Like your pig he can have the soft green poo, but this does need to be cleaned out. From experience this does take a little longer to clean out, just because it goes everywhere! At least with Jerry it comes out in one lump & a few pellets! (sorry it's gross sounding, but it's true!) I think with the softer, green poos it is more important to clean when you empty as it does get smellier than with the harder lumps. I am sure there are other piggies out there who have had the softer green poo like our piggies, so I wouldn't get too worried about it.

about shavings in the poo - if the poo is sticky it is likely to have shavings or small pieces of food stick to it & so it is possible for it to then get 'stuck' in his pouch. Just another reason why it needs to be emptied & cleaned regulary.

I think I should go & apologise to my boys now for sharing their personal problems with everyone who reads this! ")mallethead A trip to the garden & fresh grass is in order!

Michele & my boys!
xxxxx

Jerry is the greying, ginger boy & Pippin is the brown & white patch punk pig! They are with the blonde bimbo Fudge who crossed over the rainbow bridge last year xx

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Oh bless, they are so handsome! x)x)

Well I had noticed that whenever I looked up impaction in guineas, people always talked about a hard lump but never soft mushy poo! It did go everywhere, the smell was awful but at least he's nice and clean. I think I'll try using some vaseline next time though because it looked horrendous as I peeled back the skin, I couldn't believe he was letting me do it :{ Do you tend to clean right inside their little bums too? I know it's important to do but I am worried I'm causing him harm!
 
I only clean inside the pouch & not their bottoms where the poos come out. That always seems to work OK even in piggies with impaction - or it has with my piggies. It is just that because the muscles get weak, the pouch cannot be emptied. When you first start doing it you do worry that you might be hurting them or causing more harm to their little bums, but the truth is as long as you take care & just do inside the pouch only, then you will be OK. :))

As I've said before they do protest but my boys always seem to have known that it is in their best interests. The thing is you are doing it to keep him fit & healthy & not to cause harm, so remember that & you will be OK. Oh, and give him cuddles & kisses after so he knows you do still love him! x)x>> That kind of bribery always seems to get you back into their good books! Well that or a piece of cucumber!! :(|)

Michele
 
It does get easier the more often you do it. Yes, 10 seconds is about right and about half a dozen baby wipes will do it. I've found the best ones are "Tom and Jerry" baby wipes from Poundland as they have a stronger fragrance (very important!) and are pretty big and strong. They're designed for baby bottoms, so they are bound to be gentle. The smaller toddler wipes are good because they have a strong "fruity smell" but they aren't really big enough for getting down to business.

I also worried about the sac getting sore, but David at the Pet Rodent Centre said not to worry about it. Keeping it clean is the most important thing as it's actually the faeces that will cause discomfort, not the baby wipes. He also said that Gethin might swipe a few pellets from Celyn, but that I could give him a wee dose of Metatone Tonic to help build up the missing vitamins. I remember Peter Gurney once suggesting this and I think it's in one of his books (can't remember which.)

I suppose I'm lucky that it's only boar 5 of the 6 I've had that's had this problem.

Oh, and I also showed my next door neighbour how to clean the sac so if I go away for a couple of days, she'll come and do it. She says it's no worse than a bad nappy, but I'm not so sure sometimes! I'm so glad I've got such a good neighbour. I never have to do anything like that when I look after her fish :))
 
No need to wear gloves, you won't catch anything. The pungent smell is coming from the first pass pellets, ie the soft ones. I rarely use anything other than my fingers/finger nail to clean out the sack, on occasion a cotton bud is ideal. I do not subscribe to cleaning the sack with "drugs", for want of a better word. However, you may find in some pigs (not all) that the lining of the p.a. sack comes away with the impacted material, don't panic. Just take hold of the loose "skin" and gently pull, it leaves a clean layer underneath. Peri-anal sack exfoliation for guinea pigs. Follow that!
 
My Bob has inpaction, hes 4 years old now. We took him to the vets last night as he was going for a check up after his 'snip', l asked the vet about it and he said it can be due to the muscles becoming weaker as the pig gets older, just what others have said on here. He said to clean out the pouch and wash out every now and then with salt water.
 
Protective equipment such as gloves is not just to stop us 'catching' anything but also protects our piggies from anything we may have in our nails or on our hands. It is good practice.
 
I've managed to get hold of some gloves - as a student nurse I'm already in the practice of wearing them for anything even slightly invasive.
 
It isn't a nice job to have to do and can be smelly also.

My Jack had a bad case of this (RIP Jack) and I had to help him everyday. It was messy and smelly and I used to use a cotton bud (not for poking in but just for tidying up, if you know what I mean) as his poos were not firm and I couldn't squeeze it out. All I used to think as I was doing it, was just how uncomfortable it would have been for him if I hadn't have done it! :(

My Shaun is now showing signs of this. I don't think he helps himself as he just lies around alot of the day. He is neutered, big and lazy!

However, at this stage I can just squeeze his pellets out. But it is not pleasant when the "sac" gets smelly.

Unfortunately, it can be an old boars problem ... apparently something to do with the muscles of the back passage that get slack!
 
Well I had a look tonight (left Wilbur yesterday to settle!) and was able just to squeeze it out - it didn't take long and then I put a blob of vaseline around the area, just to soothe it a little really. I gave him lots of cuddles afterwards, and some celery too, for being such a good boy. I think I'm getting the hang of it and already am immune to the smell although whoever's helping me gets a bit grossed out!
 
Unless the skin is broken I would not put anything around the area. Even then I would not use vaseline, sticky mess!
Bepanthen ointment is good, available from all good etc etc
 
Goldie said:
It isn't a nice job to have to do and can be smelly also.

My Jack had a bad case of this (RIP Jack) and I had to help him everyday. It was messy and smelly and I used to use a cotton bud (not for poking in but just for tidying up, if you know what I mean) as his poos were not firm and I couldn't squeeze it out. All I used to think as I was doing it, was just how uncomfortable it would have been for him if I hadn't have done it! :(

My Shaun is now showing signs of this. I don't think he helps himself as he just lies around alot of the day. He is neutered, big and lazy!

However, at this stage I can just squeeze his pellets out. But it is not pleasant when the "sac" gets smelly.

Unfortunately, it can be an old boars problem ... apparently something to do with the muscles of the back passage that get slack!
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OH yes had this problem too...........i was cleaning out daily at least 3 times a day with our Sully...........if i misses a clean out i really noticed a difference :(
Good luck and yes you're doing the right thing, keep his butt clean and hopefully he'll be a happy little chappy xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>
 
Bepanthem is for nappy rash though isn't it? Why would I need to use that if the skin isn't broken?
 
Sorry, I have just read my post, I see why you mis-interpreted it. Bepanthen ointment is good for broken skin, and I sometimes use it on unbroken skin if it appears to be sore.
 
Ohh I see. Well if his skin around the area does become irritable, I'll bear that in mind. Thanks! :)
 
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