Is This Normal?

[Starboy]

hello

so, earlier i took my eldest out to check how his mange treatment's been going, thankfully most of his hair has grown back, and he only has this small spot with no hair on his back. he will probably need a third shot, but thats okay. cant wait to be able to have him in the same cage with his friend, tho

but as i was checking him, i noticed that his butt was...well... poopy. REALLY poopy. I'm sorry for tmi, but I'm honestly worried. there was a bunch of poop stuck in there. is that something i should worry about, or did i just catch him right before he was going to relieve himself?

 

[Betsy]

Sounds like the poor boy may be impacted. You need to help him expel it (not a pleasant and very smelly job ). Here is a guide that explains what to do.

Impaction Recovery - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.

 

[Wiebke]

hello

so, earlier i took my eldest out to check how his mange treatment's been going, thankfully most of his hair has grown back, and he only has this small spot with no hair on his back. he will probably need a third shot, but thats okay. cant wait to be able to have him in the same cage with his friend, tho

but as i was checking him, i noticed that his butt was...well... poopy. REALLY poopy. I'm sorry for tmi, but I'm honestly worried. there was a bunch of poop stuck in there. is that something i should worry about, or did i just catch him right before he was going to relieve himself?

Hi!

Your boy has either got impaction or a tummy upset. It would be good to have him checked out by a vet. Impaction affects about 10% of all older boars (age 4 or more).
Impaction - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.


When treating for mange mites, please don't do so on spec without a vet diagnosis and a proper good quality treatment. Don't use low cheaper dosed broad spectrum pet shop products as they only temporarily suppress, but not cure an acute attack. Fungal skin infections can look very similar in the early stages, but require different treatment. Ivermectin can suppress a fungal infection temporarily, but not cure it.

You also need to treat all guinea pigs living together. Any proper mites course consists of 3-4 rounds of applications at the product specific interval (usually the further apart the higher the ivermectin content).

If you have split up your piggies, you need to re-introduce them formally on neutral ground again. Sometimes they can decide to not go back together after a separation, even as bonded adults.
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

 

[Starboy]

Sounds like the poor boy may be impacted. You need to help him expel it (not a pleasant and very smelly job ). Here is a guide that explains what to do.

Impaction Recovery - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.

Ah, that's exactly what it looks like! I had no idea about this. Does it only happen to older pigs? I knew my boy was old, but I would've never imagined that he's that old. When I got him from the pet store, they said he was 4-6 months old. That was on feb of last year. I was too naive to know that they lied back then, but I now know that he was definitely MUCH older. He's gotta be around 3-4 years old.

Hi!

Your boy has either got impaction or a tummy upset. It would be good to have him checked out by a vet. Impaction affects about 10% of all older boars (age 4 or more).
Impaction - How To Help Your Guinea Pig.


When treating for mange mites, please don't do so on spec without a vet diagnosis and a proper good quality treatment. Don't use low cheaper dosed broad spectrum pet shop products as they only temporarily suppress, but not cure an acute attack. Fungal skin infections can look very similar in the early stages, but require different treatment. Ivermectin can suppress a fungal infection temporarily, but not cure it.

You also need to treat all guinea pigs living together. Any proper mites course consists of 3-4 rounds of applications at the product specific interval (usually the further apart the higher the ivermectin content).

If you have split up your piggies, you need to re-introduce them formally on neutral ground again. Sometimes they can decide to not go back together after a separation, even as bonded adults.
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Yeah, it does seem like he is impacted.

Where exactly did I mention that I was treating him WITHOUT a vet diagnosis....?
I appreciate the concern, but I'm older than 10, and know that no one should ever self-diagnose their pets' problems.
He's been to the vet twice now and was diagnosed with mange. The vet's given him 2 shots, and she did say we may have to do a third.

 

[Wiebke]

Ah, that's exactly what it looks like! I had no idea about this. Does it only happen to older pigs? I knew my boy was old, but I would've never imagined that he's that old. When I got him from the pet store, they said he was 4-6 months old. That was on feb of last year. I was too naive to know that they lied back then, but I now know that he was definitely MUCH older. He's gotta be around 3-4 years old.




Yeah, it does seem like he is impacted.

Where exactly did I mention that I was treating him WITHOUT a vet diagnosis....?
I appreciate the concern, but I'm older than 10, and know that no one should ever self-diagnose their pets' problems.
He's been to the vet twice now and was diagnosed with mange. The vet's given him 2 shots, and she did say we may have to do a third.

Hi! I would recommend to see your vet for a check-up. Impaction in younger boars should always be investigated as in older boars it is due to the muscles at the bum end gradually losing their strength.

I currently have got a three year old boar who is suffering from impaction, which is a knock-on effect of him having developed a hernia as a late and rare post-neutering operation by his previous owner. At that young age, he should not have impaction yet, so it is worth seeing whether there is a mechanical cause that is preventing him from evacuating properly (Sperm rod? Bladder stone?) all of a sudden.
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

We have got a duty to ensure that as many guinea pigs as possible that pass through this forum see a vet when they need one. Sadly there are too many owners that are not able or willing to do so. Vet cost and vet access varies widely across the world, and so does the background of our members from many different countries and climates. It is nothing personal, just part of making sure that we know where we stand with any new member and on which level we need to pick you up to make sure that your boy gets the support he needs. After all, what we care about deeply is the welfare of each guinea pig that passes through this forum and our support for each owner to help it to the best of their individual possibilities.

In fact, you can help us a lot by adding your country to your details so we can tailor any advice to what is available and relevant where you are instead of keeping our advice as general possible to cover all bases.
Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal detail and scroll down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make but is vague enough for you to be still protected. By the way, out forum is not open for people under the age of 13. Thank you!

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Oh dear, impaction is no fun and games Might be worth popping back to the vet if he's young, did the vet have a guess at how old he is when you've seen him?

I'm no expert with impaction (thankfully...so far!) but I think there are some great videos of how to relieve it safely on here. I've watched them, don't eat before you see it

Hope your poor boy feels better soon, he's sure been through the wars bless him!