• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Soft Smelly Stools And Sad Guineas.. Help?

Status
Not open for further replies.
WinnieandBear

WinnieandBear

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Nov 8, 2014
Messages
153
Reaction score
116
Points
340
Location
bishops stortford
Hello! I am new to this forum and I'm the mummy of 16 week old abyssinians, Winnie and Bear. I hope i'm posting in the correct place..

The last couple of days my girls have been a little bit quieter than usual and doing a little less popcorning and running around during floor time. This morning I got up to give them their veggies and they didn't really seem too interested in coming out to say good morning. Their poops were a bit sticky the last couple of days but I put this down to too many veggies so cut down, although I wasn't feeding tons in the first place. Throughout this morning they seemed to get looser poos and Bear had a crusty bottom so I began to get very worried. I decided to take them to the vets as both Winnie and Bear both were doing very sticky, smelly poops and seemed unlike themselves in nature.. The vet has given me Fibreplex, Septrin, Panacur and Emeprid and told me how to administer and to see how they are in the mroning; if any worse to go straight back.

The girls are home now and he said I can feed a small amount of pepper or carrot etc. to encourage eating as they have seemed a little off their hay lately too. At this moment they are huddled in their hidey house and I have popped a slice of pepper and a sprig of parsley through to them to encourage them to come out and have some food but they haven't ventured out yet. I'm so worried and upset and just wanted to make sure that the meds etc. and advice is all A OK for my girls as I know not all vets are Cavy Savvy as it were.. Thank you x
 
Welcome to the forum.

Could you update you profile with your location, this helps if we need to recommend anywhere...

The drugs you have been given are
Fibreplex - a probiotic which is high in fibre to firm up poo's
Septrin - An antibiotic
Emeprid- a gut stim this will help keep pushing things through
Panacur - Is for worming, I have heard it been given to piggies before but isn't routinely used.

I am tagging in our health and illness experts to this one for ideas to speak to the vet about @Elwickcavies @helen105281 @Pebble @Abi_nurse @Wiebke I am also tagging in @gizzy

The poo is loose but not full diarrhoea?
 
It hasn't been completely watery but there have been stains from their bottoms on the white fleece I put them onto to keep an eye. So I'm thinking its a bit on /off or one may be having it worse than the other, thank you :)
 
I have had experience of Panacur but only for routine worming or treatment of E-Cuniculli. I can see the vets logic in giving it though. The Fibreplex is good, make sure you give it at least an hour apart from the Septrin though. The Emperid like Lee says is a gut stimulant, this ideally should only be used for a short period of time, especially as the poos are more on the diarrhoea side.

I would try to get them to eat as much hay as possible and don't introduce any veg until things have firmed up. I also recommend additional fluids. In situations like these I tend to use Dioralyte, but feel free to run that past your vet first.
 
Last edited:
Thank you Helen105281, Wasn't aware of the hour apart dosage from the Septrin, I will keep that in mind. He said hes given the emperid to keep everything moving but as they have been nibbling on some hay since getting home, unless they stop eating it might no really be needed.. ? he said see how it goes for the next 2 days and then get back to him, he said to use the meds for a max of five days.
 
Now winnie is just sitting in her hidey and isnt eating.. she has been sitting in there since 4ish and so I got her out and as the most confident she usually eats everything but she wont touch a thing and she seems lethargic and very tired.. is this a side effect or should I phone the vets :(
 
I too would speak to the vets asap, I wouldn't expect those drugs to cause that.


Have checked our locator and
Vets Pets LTD
Amir Kashiv
Unit 11 Nazeing Industrial Estate
Nazeing New Road
Borxbourne, EN10 6SU
01992 478657

are your closest recommended piggy vets should you need to contact another cavy savy vet at any point
 
I took her back to the vets, they were supposed to close but said to bring them back just in case. Was told the emeprid was working and her guts are going ten to the dozen so that could be putting her off food. The vet has given me some Supreme Science liquid feed to use tonight and to take the girls back if they still have runny tummys tomorrow. Sods law that Winnie has perked up already now we're home and has been eating some hay. Glad I took them back though as it's not worth the risk! Hopefully after meds and food tonight they will feel better tomorrow.. what a stressful day! Thank you for all the support and advice
 
Glad they are feeling a bit better. It's always worth calling the vet if you are unsure or having another visit. They can change in condition very quickly but you're doing all the right things and have the right meds etc.

With a bit of luck the recovery food will help keep her going until she feels like eating enough for herself.
 
If Winnie has been eating a little now, ( But I haven't seen her drink yet) should I still give her a little of the liquid feed tonight on top, as they have both had hardly anything all day? The vet said they can both have some so I assume that would be okay as she was aware bear has been eating a little..? I just want to make sure I make the right decisions for the girls x
 
WinnieandBear said:
If Winnie has been eating a little now, ( But I haven't seen her drink yet) should I still give her a little of the liquid feed tonight on top, as they have both had hardly anything all day? The vet said they can both have some so I assume that would be okay as she was aware bear has been eating a little..? I just want to make sure I make the right decisions for the girls x
Click to expand...

Yes, please top them up to keep the guts going and to help stabilise them with lots of fibre and also make sure that you offer them as much water or dioralyte. Again, offer them as much as they will take tomorrow morning. Brace yourself that you may not see much in the way of output tomorrow, as it depends on what has gone in today, but hopefully it is going to settle down.

I would also recommend to put some very rough, poor fibre in their cage, like some brown cardboard. Guinea pigs with a tummy upset seem to crave it.

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/
 
Yes it's worth giving them a top up to keep their guts doing the right thing. Nutrition is really important for healing. They need enough strength to work on getting better.

Like Wiebke says cardboard and brow paper is also popular. No idea why but my boys love it more than anything else when they've been poorly!
 
Great, glad my thinking was right. I will pop in some cardboard too as funnily enough I did notice Bear nibbling on her wooden house and chews more than usual so she will probably appreciate some cardboard too. I'm super glad I joined this forum the other day, you have all been so so helpful! Thank you so much :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top