Poop Eating?!?!

[Mudpuppy]

Hi again!

Just caught my newly rescued guinea pig eating a couple of his poops whilst having floor time. Ironically, after doing so, he seemed to burst into energy and for the first time has been running around the fenced area I've made him on the carpet.
I given him unlimited hay daily as well as a fistful of pellets and some fresh veg .
Is this normal?

:/

 

[minipig]

Guinea pigs produce cecotropes which are little mucous covered poos produced in the cecum. The guinea pigs re-ingest these to reabsorb bits of nutrition. This usually happens at night but sometimes during the day. If your guineas are eating their "finished product" however this is slightly more unusual, but not unheard of

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Guinea pigs create and eat so called caecotrophs, a special (and differently coloured) form of poops, which are produced at a different time from the normal digestive poos. The caecotrophs contain vital gut bacteria as well as nutrients like vitamin C, which piggies cannot produce in their body and cannot afford to lose.

 

[Mudpuppy]

Ooohh interesting - thanks guys! Glad to hear it's not something I'm doing wrong!

 

[Jess]

Vitapoops

 

[Mudpuppy]

LOL! :d

 

[hayleyface]

It is quite common for a few rodents (Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits (maybe all, not entirely certain)). I believe they do it to reabsorb any extra nutritional value that is left in the poop - if you'll notice the ones that they eat look a little different in colour to regular poop. There is no reason to worry, although fair enough if you find it a little gross :p x

 

[Mudpuppy]

Hehe - just glad it's normal! I was panicking that I wasn't giving him enough food or something! Bit yukky, but if it's normal, that's fine... doesn't put me off my baby Fraggle - love him to bits already X

 

[VickiA]

It's entirely normal, and sometimes if one piggie is poorly they will eat another piggie's caecotrophs - sounds disgusting but works for them as a species!

 

[Mudpuppy]

Hee hee strange!