Strange Tummy Noises?

[Laaaauren]

For the past few days my sow’s tummy has been making some very strange noises; it’s very like when a person’s stomach makes noises, sort of a gurgling/squeaking noise. She had a checkup only three days ago with an exotics vet who said both her and our boar’s stomachs sounded fine and as they should. However, the past couple of days I’ve noticed her tummy making very odd noises. She doesn’t seem to be in pain when I touch her stomach and she’s eating hay and nuggets fine, but I’m just a little concerned/confused.

As I said, the noise is very akin to a human’s when it gurgles which as we all know doesn’t hurt, but I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experiences with unusual tummy noises coming from their piggy? Is it something to be concerned about, or is it likely to pass in a few days? And is it best to stop her from having veggies for a couple days, as it can sometimes lead to gastrointestinal issues?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Wiebke]

For the past few days my sow’s tummy has been making some very strange noises; it’s very like when a person’s stomach makes noises, sort of a gurgling/squeaking noise. She had a checkup only three days ago with an exotics vet who said both her and our boar’s stomachs sounded fine and as they should. However, the past couple of days I’ve noticed her tummy making very odd noises. She doesn’t seem to be in pain when I touch her stomach and she’s eating hay and nuggets fine, but I’m just a little concerned/confused.

As I said, the noise is very akin to a human’s when it gurgles which as we all know doesn’t hurt, but I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experiences with unusual tummy noises coming from their piggy? Is it something to be concerned about, or is it likely to pass in a few days? And is it best to stop her from having veggies for a couple days, as it can sometimes lead to gastrointestinal issues?

Thanks in advance!

Hi!

While a healthy guinea pig gut should always gurgle happily away like a cow's, it should neither be deadly quiet or near silent (GI stasis) nor should you hear any gut movement from well away.

The latter can be the start of a bout of dysbiosis, when the wrong kind of digestive bacteria in the gut takes over, whether that ends in bloating, diarrhea or occasionally with a stasis episode.

I would recommend to take him off his veg and to keep a closer eye (and ear against his gut) over the coming couple of days. If necessary, use his companion as reference how a normal gut should sound. Wait with reintroducing fresh food until at least 24-48 hours after the gut and poos have normalised again and then do it only slowly. Ideally starting with a little fresh herb and then adding more veg with every passing meal that goes down without any further episodes.
You can find more information on digestive issues in this guide here: Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

 

[Laaaauren]

Hi!

While a healthy guinea pig gut should always gurgle happily away like a cows, it should neither be deadly quite or near silent (GI stasis) nor should you hear any gut movement from afar. The latter can be the start of a bout of dysbiosis, when the wrong kind of digestive bacteria in the gut takes over, whether that ends in bloating, diarrhea or occasionally with a stasis episode.

I would recommend to take him off his veg and to keep a closer eye (and ear against his gut) over the coming couple of days. If necessary, use his companion as reference how a normal gut should sound. Wait with reintroducing fresh food until at least 24-48 hours after the gut and poos have normalised again and then do it only slowly. Ideally starting with a little fresh herb and then adding more veg with every passing meal that goes down without any further episodes.
You can find more information on digestive issues in this guide here: Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

Thank you for the detailed reply! We’ve refrained from giving her vegetables ever since I first noticed the noises, as I know that can upset a piggy tummy further if there is an issue. I’ve just weighed her and her weight is consistent. As I said, she’s eating hay and nuggets fine, her droppings and urine both seem normal, and the exotics vet we saw very recently said her stomach sounded as it should. I’m hoping that maybe it’s just a gurgly tummy that will go away within the next day or so but if it continues or she appears to have lost weight or interest in food then I’ll contact the vet ASAP!