soft poops

[alexmoss52]

Hi everyone, my older piggie has developed soft poops overnight, it’s not watery but it’s like a soft paste, i will post a piccy below. he is still eating his veg and pellets and hay and acting normal so far as i can see, i am wondering as we recently got a new baby and have been mixing his baby pellets with ours to get him used to ours and i’m wondering if that’s caused upset tummy in my older piggy, i don’t want to take him to the vets just yet to cause any unnecessary stress, do you guys think i need to go urgently or keep an eye on him? should i take him off veggies for a few days? any help is appreciated.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Take him off veg until poops normalise, feeding only hay and his normal pellets (in the normal amount of one tablespoon per day). Reintroduce veg slowly but only after poops have been normal for 24 hours. Its best to reintroduce herbs in small amounts first as they tend to be easier on the tummy.
If this doesn't help his poops go back to normal, then he will need to see a vet.

 

[Wiebke]

You can find more practical information in our digestive problems guide: Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

 

[alexmoss52]

will my other piggie be okay not having veg aswell or shall i feed him separately?

 

[Claire W]

I would feed your other boy veg separately it would be a shame for him to miss out

 

[Wiebke]

will my other piggie be okay not having veg aswell or shall i feed him separately?

Your companion won't be hurt by just a day or three off any fresh food - it is just missing out on their afternoon snack after all. There is enough vitamin C in the hay and in the pellets that you need not worry. Your problem is not so serious that I would expect it not to be able right itself again within 2-3 days, unless it is caused by something pushing on the digestive gut.
It is however most likely a minor tummy upset caused by dysbiosis (overgrowth of the wrong kind of bacteria in the gut). Please check that you are not overfeeding on high sugar/starch veg like carrots, too much fruit etc. as the sugars developed during the digestive process encourage the overgrowth of sugar-loving bacteria and make a piggy more prone to suffering from digestive issues.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

If the problem persists and you need to see a vet, then feeding separately would be needed.

Guinea pigs have a very keen sense of smell; feeding one something the other is not getting can cause upsets and clashes, so you want to avoid it as much as possible. If I have a very jealous companion, I give them a little syringe feed etc. just so their mouth is smelling just the same as when their ill companion returns and vice versa.

 

[alexmoss52]

thankyou that’s really helpful, they have had veg this morning before i realised the problem so won’t give any tonight and tomorrow and see where we are at! fingers crossed it’s a diet problem and will resolve! i worry so much about my little piggies! Also hope they don’t hate me for not giving them their beloved veg haha! but thankyou for your advice! it’s really helpful!

 

[alexmoss52]

i normally feed my boys kale, mixed greens, cucumber but have carrots and spinach as treats, i have had a few more carrots then usual this week. what would you suggest is a good daily veg intake for future? i always see so many different things online about the correct veg to feed them!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Kale is too high in calcium to be given to them daily, and too much calcium can cause health problems. Kale should be kept to very small amounts and only given once per week only. Spinach is also high in calcium so if you’re going to feed kale, then don’t feed spinach in the same week. Carrot should be kept as an occasional treat - one small amount once per week only as it is high in sugar. Foods too high in sugar can lead to an imbalance in the gut.

Safe daily veggies include, a green bean, lettuce (not iceberg) a slice of cucumber, a couple of sprigs of coriander and some bell pepper for vitamin c.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets