Monty has pain on one side ?

[Stretters91]

Hey guys !
Hope your all coping well in this tough times !
we have noticed that our pig monty seems really tender on one side ? If you touch anywhere near his left side he will go for you ! Just have a little bite towards you ?
He seems almost constipated/ struggling to go for a number 2 !
we was wondering if anyone could shed any light on this ?
Many thanks
Stuart

 

[Siikibam]

Guinea pigs generally don’t like being touched on their sides. Does he do the same thing when you touch his other side?

They can’t be constipated but if he seems to be struggling then do get him checked out by the vet. Is he pooping normally? How often does he seem to be struggling and how is he acting at that time? We can only guess given the symptoms you describe, but can’t replace a hands on vet check.

 

[PigglePuggle]

I would really recommend a vet check, piggies hide pain well so if he seems in noticeable discomfort he may be in quite a bit of pain. There could be any number of things causing this, only a vet can tell you after examining your piggy.

 

[Stretters91]

It’s just the one side he seems to be in pain when you go near it ! He does sometimes seem to struggle with pooing ! I’ll have to get checked out I think

 

[Free Ranger]

If Monty is an older boar they can sometimes suffer from impaction. There might be poops that have made their way around the blockage - have a look at his bum and if his anal sack is hard and bulging like he's about to lay an egg you can usually manipulate out the 'cork' of poop. It will be normal poops bound up with a cement of the soft caecotrophs which are what causes the difficulty. There are links at the top here to some videos showing the technique if you have a strong stomach. George here gets a little bit bunged up because he's a chubby boy and he doesn't move about as much as he should (and it's worse if he gets stressed!). George hunches and strains (then unloads about 8 or 9 in one go!) but he usually clears it himself now and it doesn't cause him any pain. If Monty is young it is less likely to be this. If he in too much discomfort to pick up you can probably just cop a feel underneath - if it's impaction it will feel pretty obvious! Is he pooping at all? If production is down it is a warning sign. If he has been feeling unwell and generally eating less than usual his gut might just have slowed, but if it stops altogether it is an emergency and he might have a blockage. If he looks like he's hunching in pain or struggling when he goes it might also be a urinary tract problem.

The thing that rings alarm bells is that pigs in pain usually hide it pretty well but if Monty is reacting that obviously and strongly I'd get him vet checked as a matter of urgency - especially if poop production is affected. There can be all sorts of reasons but the vet will know what to look for. Good luck Monty x