Poop

[CavySlave23]

My new pig had caramel/tan coloured poop when I got him which I can only assume was because he was fed muesli, little to no vegetables and possibly no hay in his previous home. Now that I have slowly switched him to a proper and healthy diet, his poop has turned black which I know is a normal colour for guinea pigs but it smells pretty strong if you put it up to your nose. Is this normal? I thought piggy poo hardly had any smell? I cannot recall any of the guinea pigs I have owned since a teenager ever having poop that had a strong odour to it.

 

[Wiebke]

My new pig had caramel/tan coloured poop when I got him which I can only assume was because he was fed muesli, little to no vegetables and possibly no hay in his previous home. Now that I have slowly switched him to a proper and healthy diet, his poop has turned black which I know is a normal colour for guinea pigs but it smells pretty strong if you put it up to your nose. Is this normal? I thought piggy poo hardly had any smell? I cannot recall any of the guinea pigs I have owned since a teenager ever having poop that had a strong odour to it.

Very dark, smelly poos can be a sign of a minor digestive issue. If in doubt, cut out any fresh veg for a day or two. As up to 80% of the daily food intake should be hay, your boy won't go hungry. Give him a bit of rough brown cardboard to nibble on; some piggies crave it to help rebalance their guts. A pinch of probiotics mixed with very little water and then syringed can also help. The poo should normalise within a day; then re-introduce any veg slowly one by at first in small quantities.

If any problems persist, I would recommend to have your by vet checked.

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Hang on...my guinea pigs poos seems quite dark whilst others come out a lighter tan- this sounds so weird but could you send a pic of what a healthy guinea pig poo is because I believe my piggies is healthy but now I'm confused

 

[Wiebke]

Hang on...my guinea pigs poos seems quite dark whilst others come out a lighter tan- this sounds so weird but could you send a pic of what a healthy guinea pig poo is because I believe my piggies is healthy but now I'm confused

The colour of the poos can vary depending on the diet. Some veg like parsley, broccoli or cabbages can make poos a bit smellier, but generally, strongly smelly poos are not ideal nor are very light poos (and I am not talking about the lighter redigested poos, the caecotrophs).
Ideally, poos should be dark brown and firm, slightly moist and well formed.
You learn over time from observation what is the normal range of your piggies' poos. It is a good way of keeping an eye on their health, apart from a weekly weigh-in and checkover. If you are worried, you switch to weighing daily at the same time (just before their dinner is ideal, for instance).

Any changes where poos are a lot softer or shapeless (cow pads are generally lighter in colour), very dark and smelly, tear-shaped or stringy poos point towards a milder tummy upset. Take your piggy off fresh food or a day or two and see whether things normalise again. If not, if you have repeats or if things get worse, please see a vet.
Thinner and smaller poos usually mean that a piggy is not eating fully. Please start topping up with syringe feed and water and book a vet appointment.
If poos are covered in mucus, this means major dehydration. Tiny mucus covered poos mean that your piggy hasn't eaten or drunk in 24 hours and needs to see a vet as an emergency; it is severely ill and its guts are in danger of closing down.

Fluid diarrhea should always be seen promptly by a vet. If is very dark and very stinky, asap as an emergency.

I hope that that helps you?

Any good diet should consist of at least 80% if hay. It is rather impossible to control that, but hay is often the first food group that is dropped - hence why regular weighing is important! Marked changes in poos can be an indicator that something is not quite right with the food intake unless you know that you have fed something new or unusual. Keep in mind that the problem is not necessarily located in the guts.
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Guinea pig body quirks

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Thank you @Wiebke for clearing things up. He's poo do smell a little but nothing that makes me think it's out of the ordinary and he's poos are all torpedo shaped and brown. Some darker then others but they've always been like that.