I tend to waffle so I will write this inbullet points and hope my brain a make it make sense. It is an ongoing problem hence writing on this thread. I think it actually pertains to a couple of different threads but I will do my best here.
* Button, big black piggie, you called her stress reactive/agressive something like that
button has a cagemate (small female)
- button and cagemate did have husband who passed away
- bought little boy put in next door cage until castrated. This started all the problems.
- A month later buttons poo got very soft a squishy
- tried poop soup from the male (she was so interested in him that I thought she would accept it better and he actually pooed on me whereas her case mate didn’t) only did it once as she despised it which I now know is because she despised him and wasn’t in fact enamoured with him as I thought
- bought Fibreplex. Button Hated it had to put it between slices of cucumber to get her to swallow. Did not seem to help.
* she’s always been a little bit boisterous and aggressive and with the soft poos and a very big extra fat/swollen bum. I suspected cysts. We asked the vet one of the newer exotic vet suggested doing the scan to be sure and she came up clear.
- failed bonding with male (she attacked him)
- next two days she spent attacking him through the bars of their cakes and her poos became disastrously soft. You suggested separating their cages which we did and her poops went back to normal without stopping any veg.
* when her sister came into heat and started mounting her her poos got soft then but again waited 24 hours and they were back to normal. I did not want to stress her further by stopping veg. I had decided if after 24 hours it was still as bad. I would then stop the veg and this continued for some time every time the poop’s got back to normal without intervention.
*We have showed her normal poos to the vet which is slightly pointed and the vet said they were fine.
*Another time we showed her quite bad poo (not her worst) and they said” that’s fine if it’s only when she’s stressed.”
*her poos go soft every time her sister stresses her like mounting etc when she’s in heat or even just arguing on a day she feels like arguing (but they do get on really well and like each other, I dont think separating them is a good plan they would miss each other)
- our dog died I sept and a puppy came which was very hard on my illness, thankfully button seemed fine for the next few months other than occasional soft poo which sorted themselves out without withholding veg
- dec her poos became very soft, did not clear up so we withheld veg for about a week. Once cleared up we slowly we introduced pepper in slowly increasing amount and her poo is fine then we increased to small bits of lettuce with it as well and her poo was fine then one day suddenly they were bad again with no alteration of what they are eating. Poor button hasn’t had cucumber since the end of November now which she misses.
- we did the withholding again and slowly re-introducing pepper which was fine and then got soft again for no reason.
*we then had Christmas, I said to mum if this is still a problem in jan we need to see a vet and get advice from Guinea pig forum
- our sick cat had to be put down beginning of jan, I didn’t think it would affect me too much because although I liked her, she really didn’t like me. But I think with all the other death recently it really threw me I was incredibly depressed and I’ve had two weeks of tremoring.
- I have finally got the energy together today to write this. It’s taken me the entire day hence why is now so late and I’m in agony.
- I know none of this is really your guys problems but I just want some advice. The vet each time we have taken her seems to think she’s healthy. Her coat is beautiful and glossy and thick really really is very beautiful. White is most of the time okay it does fluctuate it goes from about 1080 to about 1160.
- We have her booked in for next Monday, which is when the really good exotic vet is next in. Has anyone had any sort of experience with this? I can only assume extreme stress digestion related problems?
What can I try doing to help? Is there any test the vet can actually do?
Long time ago,(before the boy and button met) I tried to be poop soup but I used the boy poop and obviously she hated it. I’ve been very nervous of trying her sister‘s poop because I don’t want her to decide to hate her sister who is obviously the only pig that I and you guys have said she’ll probably ever be able to live with.
One question can a guinea pig live without vegetables? seems very boring. And quite sad because they enjoy when I wrap up their little bit of vegetable for foraging.
I am very exhausted now and a lot of pain. Anyone has any suggestions that would be great. But is such a lovely pig when you cuddle her she seems to nestled down and go “oh I don’t have to be a boss pig anymore.” i’m sorry for any errors in this. I’ve done speech to text for most of it.
