Q) When do you take away the vegetables?

[ISAAQqwes]

Hello everyone, I want to know when it is suitable or necessary to remove the vegetables from their diet, for a period of time, when you know their GI system is messed up.
So my question is, how do you know when your guineapig's GI is messed up? When should vegetables be taken away? How long is too long, and how should vegetable slowly
Some of the things I've read were specifically the shape and size of your guineapig's poop, bloatedness, behaviour and also weight loss. (If I've missed out any, please feel free to mention)
Other questions anyone might ask
"when do you know your guineapig is bloated"
"how should a healthy guineapig behave? Or a sick one?"
"what variation of poop shape, smell, size might you get if its GI isn't in tip top shape?"
"what if your guineapig is losing weight but still in the healthy weight bracket?"
"when taking away vegetables and hay is the only food they eat during the time period, are there different hays better at keeping the GI tract more stabilised?"
"Are there hays to avoid which will make the GI tract worse?"
I'm sure if I go through the forum I'd find what I'm looking for, but I think having all the links and ideas in one place will help loads of people with the same problem. I'll place links to some if I can figure out how to.
I'm not entirely confident with answering these questions, so I want to start a discussion about it incase anyone is doing the wrong thing taking their vegetables away due to missjudgement.
The entire purpose of taking vegetables away at certain times is to stabilise the GI tract. (correct me if I'm wrong) I still consider myself as a new owner, figuring things out as I go.


- I've noticed that there's no mention of the poop shape called "strangled poop" where it looks like a normal poop shaped like someone tied an invisible knot tightly in the middle (feel free to add poop pictures I think it's very useful having variations of the same "shape category", because sometimes I'd see specific tear shaped poops, but I've always wondered if it can be other shapes e.g.- normal shaped but with a blunt tip on one end)
Thank you for reading, and hope to have some insight on this.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I think this guide will answer your questions in terms of bloat and gi stasis Bloat, GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

 

[Lady Kelly]

Here is a guide to signs of an ill piggy and how quick to see a vet How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

Here is a guide about healthy "weights", it's not s healthy weight range but the feel of the heft Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[Lady Kelly]

Basically I believe the majority of your questions will be covered by our guinea pig guides which is located in the top bar on a pc or in a drop down menu under the 3 lines in the top left of a mobile website

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

The guide links in the previous posts largely cover your questions re. weight monitoring, when and how urgently to see a vet and severe digestive problems.

You stop feeding fresh food if your piggy has soft to shapeless poos. If they do not firm up fully or very noticeably within 24 hours, are getting worse, are a recurring problem, then please see a vet within 24 hours; don't start re-introducing fresh food gradually again until the poos have normalised for 24-48 hours. You need to see a vet as soon as possible if your piggy has the runs.

Bloating issues, especially severe bloat (ballooning), lots of rumbling or no gut noise at all (i.e. life-threatening GI stasis) mean that you switch from feeding vet to feeding recovery care in combination with daily weighing; any of the severe digestive issues is usually connected with major loss of appetite/the inability to process food.

If your piggy is not well, please follow the advice in our emergency care guide link, which you can find in the emergency advice at the top of our health/illness section or in the medical emergency section when you click on the guide link on the top bar. it is a very useful link to book mark for when you are usually in a bit of a panic: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment


Does your guinea pig have any digestive problems?

 

[ISAAQqwes]

Hi!

The guide links in the previous posts largely cover your questions re. weight monitoring, when and how urgently to see a vet and severe digestive problems.

You stop feeding fresh food if your piggy has soft to shapeless poos. If they do not firm up fully or very noticeably within 24 hours, are getting worse, are a recurring problem, then please see a vet within 24 hours; don't start re-introducing fresh food gradually again until the poos have normalised for 24-48 hours. You need to see a vet as soon as possible if your piggy has the runs.

Bloating issues, especially severe bloat (ballooning), lots of rumbling or no gut noise at all (i.e. life-threatening GI stasis) mean that you switch from feeding vet to feeding recovery care in combination with daily weighing; any of the severe digestive issues is usually connected with major loss of appetite/the inability to process food.

If your piggy is not well, please follow the advice in our emergency care guide link, which you can find in the emergency advice at the top of our health/illness section or in the medical emergency section when you click on the guide link on the top bar. it is a very useful link to book mark for when you are usually in a bit of a panic: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment


Does your guinea pig have any digestive problems?

Hello!
Answering your question, I think Isabelle and Tata are fine, I weighed them today, they're 1.1kg and 1kg. I want to weigh them tomorrow to see their progress. I took their vegetables off for half the day initially because I was extremely worried at the moment, when I found the strangled poop. I've read most of the guides relating to my questions, and also your response. I found one poop that was strangled and a poop with a blunt tip, which made me think it was a gut problem, because they're both drinking well. Most of their poop was normal shaped Its a bit subjective when it says "strong odor" so I'm not sure what I'm looking for in that. The shape is totally fine but they're having a slight faded brown stripe on their black poop, so I was brainstorming and thinking it might be the meadow hay they always get.
Is it safe for them to have meadow hay everyday? They've had it ever since I got them almost.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello!
Answering your question, I think Isabelle and Tata are fine, I weighed them today, they're 1.1kg and 1kg. I want to weigh them tomorrow to see their progress. I took their vegetables off for half the day initially because I was extremely worried at the moment, when I found the strangled poop. I've read most of the guides relating to my questions, and also your response. I found one poop that was strangled and a poop with a blunt tip, which made me think it was a gut problem, because they're both drinking well. Most of their poop was normal shaped Its a bit subjective when it says "strong odor" so I'm not sure what I'm looking for in that. The shape is totally fine but they're having a slight faded brown stripe on their black poop, so I was brainstorming and thinking it might be the meadow hay they always get.
Is it safe for them to have meadow hay everyday? They've had it ever since I got them almost.

Hay is the mainstay of any guinea pig diet and should make over 80% of the daily food intake; it is the one food group that cannot leave out. Veg and pellets are more in the way of daily treats. The more hay a piggy eats, the better its general health, but especially gut and dental health (it is the abrasive silica in the hay that keeps the crucial molars at the back ground down while the self-sharpening front teeth are there to pick up and cut food. A hay based diet can easily add 1-2 years to your piggies' lifetime - it is that important!

If there is a minor or, as in your case, a very minor tummy upset, then going back to mere hay fibre to rebalance the natural fermentation process in the gut for 1-2 days is usually enough to allow the microbiome to settle down and to stop the dysbiosis - the bad bacteria etc. from taking over if you want a slightly more scientific explanation.

I don't think that you need to worry and can stick to weighing once weekly right now.

 

[ISAAQqwes]

Here is a guide to signs of an ill piggy and how quick to see a vet How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide

Here is a guide about healthy "weights", it's not s healthy weight range but the feel of the heft Weight - Monitoring and Management

Thank you Lady Kelly
I've revised most of the guides relating to all my questions. I've found them very useful, but I was curious:
Could a guineapig lose weight but still appear fine? How can you safely add weight in cases where they are underweight?

 

[ISAAQqwes]

Hay is the mainstay of any guinea pig diet and should make over 80% of the daily food intake; it is the one food group that cannot leave out. Veg and pellets are more in the way of daily treats. The more hay a piggy eats, the better its general health, but especially gut and dental health (it is the abrasive silica in the hay that keeps the crucial molars at the back ground down while the self-sharpening front teeth are there to pick up and cut food. A hay based diet can easily add 1-2 years to your piggies' lifetime - it is that important!

If there is a minor or, as in your case, a very minor tummy upset, then going back to mere hay fibre to rebalance the natural fermentation process in the gut for 1-2 days is usually enough to allow the microbiome to settle down and to stop the dysbiosis - the bad bacteria etc. from taking over if you want a slightly more scientific explanation.

I don't think that you need to worry and can stick to weighing once weekly right now.

Thank you very much
I wanted to make sure I wasnt feeding the wrong type of hay. Theyre always stacked full of it lol
Yes, I really needed to hear that scientific explanation and reassurance. I find I can understand everything more just by a little bit AND Its really fascinating just getting to know about guineapigs, I spend like 3 hours a day reading other people's posts on the forum. A bit of an exaggeration, but I love them loads

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you Lady Kelly
I've revised most of the guides relating to all my questions. I've found them very useful, but I was curious:
Could a guineapig lose weight but still appear fine? How can you safely add weight in cases where they are underweight?

Hi!

Some guinea pigs can lose weight very quickly while seemingly carrying on depending on the problem; that is why the weekly weigh in and regular handling are important - you will notice the problem hopefully in time.

As to underweight: as long as you are not addressing the cause of the underweight, any feeding up will not stick. Trying to address the symptom instead of the cause is not solving the issue. Once healthy again, a guinea pig will usually regain its weight again on its own (especially on a healthy diet). Extra feeding support is only needed for longer term issues where guinea pigs are unable or struggling to maintain their weight on their own. Rest assured that we will tell you when you need to step in with support feeding, and what to best feed in that specific situation.

 

[ISAAQqwes]

Hi!

Some guinea pigs can lose weight very quickly while seemingly carrying on depending on the problem; that is why the weekly weigh in and regular handling are important - you will notice the problem hopefully in time.

As to underweight: as long as you are not addressing the cause of the underweight, any feeding up will not stick. Trying to address the symptom instead of the cause is not solving the issue. Once healthy again, a guinea pig will usually regain its weight again on its own (especially on a healthy diet). Extra feeding support is only needed for longer term issues where guinea pigs are unable or struggling to maintain their weight on their own. Rest assured that we will tell you when you need to step in with support feeding, and what to best feed in that specific situation.

Thank you loads for sharing your understanding. It's very very helpful I aspire to be as knowledgeable as this

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you loads for sharing your understanding. It's very very helpful I aspire to be as knowledgeable as this

I have got a few decades on you!

But I am still learning myself. You never stop to.

Learn, but do not be afraid of making mistakes. You often gain a much deeper understanding by doing things wrong - and believe me, I have learned the majority of the 'whys' not by rote learning but from things going wrong and me having to work out the reasons.

Rote learning allows you to skim the surface smoothly, but you can explore the depths that underly the rote only by diving.

 

[ISAAQqwes]

I have got a few decades on you!

But I am still learning myself. You never stop to.

Learn, but do not be afraid of making mistakes. You often gain a much deeper understanding by doing things wrong - and believe me, I have learned the majority of the 'whys' not by rote learning but from things going wrong and me having to work out the reasons.

Rote learning allows you to skim the surface smoothly, but can you explore the depths that underly the rote only by diving.

PREACH couldn't have said it any better