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Soft cowpat poops

Mynsii

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My oldest boar, Dale, is just about to turn 4. I've been ill (I have a longstanding renal issue) so for the last week or so my fiance has been caring for my pigs on my behalf. Sunday evening, unbeknownst of me, he gave my two boys a giant bowl of veggies. Think tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, peppers, etc. Waaay too much for two pigs, although all of them were pig safe.

The youngest boar, Cooper, is six months old and has been fine since, but I've noticed that Dale's poops are a cowpat consistency, sometimes a little paler than usual, but other times the right colour, only mushy. I thought it would clear up if I laid off fruit/veg for a while, but it's now Tuesday afternoon and his poops are still soft (but not runny). He's active, eating and drinking as much as he used to, and still yells at me and demands attention/scritches whenever I pass his cage. He just has softer poops.

I spoke to the vet and she said to increase his hay intake, lay off the veg, and give him appropriate cardboard to chew on, which I have. She did warn me that she doesn't specialise in exotics/small animals, and that the exotics vet wouldn't be in till Friday, but seemed confident that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him. I plan on speaking to the exotic vet, and having someone take him in for me if he gets worse or doesn't improve(due to aforementioned renal issues I have to shield for another month and won't be able to take him myself), but I'm anxious. I lost a pig suddenly in October, and I don't want to lose another one. Although he's behaving normally, his soft poops are worrying me.

Is it possible for his tummy to remain upset for so long after eating veg? In the past, with my old sows, if a pig ate a little too much the soft poops would only last for a few hours before clearing up.
 
The advice you had been given by the vet is the same as we would give you - don’t give veg until things stabilise, feed only hay etc. It can take a while to settle down but if after a week it hasn’t, then I would look to get piggy checked out/speak to the specialist vet on Friday
 
My oldest boar, Dale, is just about to turn 4. I've been ill (I have a longstanding renal issue) so for the last week or so my fiance has been caring for my pigs on my behalf. Sunday evening, unbeknownst of me, he gave my two boys a giant bowl of veggies. Think tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, peppers, etc. Waaay too much for two pigs, although all of them were pig safe.

The youngest boar, Cooper, is six months old and has been fine since, but I've noticed that Dale's poops are a cowpat consistency, sometimes a little paler than usual, but other times the right colour, only mushy. I thought it would clear up if I laid off fruit/veg for a while, but it's now Tuesday afternoon and his poops are still soft (but not runny). He's active, eating and drinking as much as he used to, and still yells at me and demands attention/scritches whenever I pass his cage. He just has softer poops.

I spoke to the vet and she said to increase his hay intake, lay off the veg, and give him appropriate cardboard to chew on, which I have. She did warn me that she doesn't specialise in exotics/small animals, and that the exotics vet wouldn't be in till Friday, but seemed confident that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him. I plan on speaking to the exotic vet, and having someone take him in for me if he gets worse or doesn't improve(due to aforementioned renal issues I have to shield for another month and won't be able to take him myself), but I'm anxious. I lost a pig suddenly in October, and I don't want to lose another one. Although he's behaving normally, his soft poops are worrying me.

Is it possible for his tummy to remain upset for so long after eating veg? In the past, with my old sows, if a pig ate a little too much the soft poops would only last for a few hours before clearing up.

Hi

We strongly recommend to take a piggy with soft poos of any fresh veg until 48 hours after the poos have firmed up again and to speak to your vet if there is no noticeable improvement within 24 hours. Pellets should make only the usual tablespoon that is now the welfare backed guideline. Please keep in mind hay actually contains vitamin C but it also contains vital fibre which is crucial for the digestive process as it is all geared up to break it down. You can feed a very little brown cardboard to help relign the gut but not too much or it could cause problems on its. but the more tough fibre your piggy eats the easier it will be for the gut to rebalance.
Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

We also strongly recommend that you support the gut with 'poo soup' from a healthy companion (i.e. with the transfer of live healthy gut microbiome). When done correctly, this is the most effective way of helping a dysbiotic gut in which bad bacteria have taken over back on its gut. It may sound a bit yucky but it actually mimics natural behaviour.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

I hope that this helps you?
 
Cannot improve on Wiebke's advice but definitely get some probiotics or make your own with poop soup. I had this with Daisy a couple of years ago when she overgorged on grass. Runny poop everywhere. I took her out at veggie time everyday (she is with 3 others) and it did take her about a week to improve. She went to the vets but as she was eating and drinking normally and bright eyed they weren't concerned. I gave her probiotics and syringed some extra water when doing so to keep her hydrated (though I hate to do this because of the risk of getting water in her lungs - it's more offering the syringe and letting them take drips from the end). I hope Dale improves soon
 
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