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What can you tell from piggy poop?!

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missy

missy

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Hi all,

Apologies if anyone finds this subject offensive....(although if you're offended by poo, then I'd say piggies aren't really the best pets for you, quite frankly!)

I'm no Gillian McKeith, but in all seriousness I'm guessing that we can tell a lot about a piggy's health by the appearance of their poops (colour, texture etc)....just wondering what, exactly? ?/

In particular, I'm interested to know why they would be quite brittle/crumbly - is this dehydration? (Just like to add that I don't make a habit of examining them but it's often obvious if they're lying around broken!)

Also, what is the colour of a "normal" healthy poo, as I've seen a range of colours, from very dark brown/almost black, to a very light caramel shade, as well as some a greenish khaki colour!

I'm guessing that their poop can be a good indicator and could help us to identify health problems quickly or even avoid more serious conditions developing, so any tips gratefully appreciated!

Thanks x
 
Ok, not my specialist subject so couldn't give an in depth answer, but I think you are right Susan, poops can tell a fair bit about piggie health. This is by no means a comprehensive list, just what I am aware of at this time; others will have other suggestions too. Also, if the pig has a particular type of poop off the list, it doesn't necessarily mean that the problems I've mentioned can be linked to that type of poop is your guineas problem. Just one or two things I'm aware of that can be linked. There's a lot more to piggie poop than I know of. :))

Light poops - can sometimes be linked to dehydration.
Dark poops - often dietary related e.g. eating a lot of dried grass/grass.
Mucous- covered poops - can signify a disturbance in the gut e.g. not eating enough/regularly enough, I *think* these can also suggest dehydration but not totally sure on that one.
Soft (squishy) poops- very often dietary related, may also occur when giving medication or when a systemic fungal or endoparasitic(internal parasitic) problem is present. Can sometimes be countered by giving a probiotic and removing veg for a day or two, depending on cause.
Tear-drop shaped poops (with a tail on) - can suggest a disturbance in the gut or dehydration.
Crumbly poops - may suggest not enough fibre.
Soft, odorous poop collecting in the anal sac - impaction, common boar problem, not a medical issue per se but does need monitoring and dealing with as and when required.

I'm sure something else will come to mind at some stage...not that I'll be deliberately thinking of piggie poops or anything... rolleyes
 
Thanks Laura....but your list makes me wonder what a healthy poop actually looks like! (looks pretty comprehensive to me!)
 
The sudden appearance of unusually small poos and poos with a tail can also indicate a lack of food intake - caused by illness, gut or tooth/mouth problems.

White spots on poos are down to a piggy peeing on its own poos. The white spots are excess calcium that has been excreted (absolutely normal and no cause for any concern whatsoever).

Any form of diarrhea needs to be seen by a vet asap. The piggy needs to be taken of fresh food immediately.
 
Good ones Wiebke. Surprising how many different types of poop there are!

Another couple to add to the list:

"Pitted" poops (look like they have a dent in the middle) - often suggests disturbance in the gut or dehydration.
Smelly, odourous poops (normal shape) - often dietary related, can occur when feeding brassica veg like cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.

Healthy poop tends to be right in the middle -

- Medium to dark brown in colour;
- Uniform, solid shape;
- No strong odour.

Size variable.

Oh, what a topic! :))
 
This is a really useful thread. We all have to face up to piggy poo. Could it be made a sticky? (no pun intended) :(|)
 
Wow I was just about to post about this!

I have taken in a boar today and he has HUGE poops that are caramel colour(ish) and very brittle. He's come from a place that couldn't give a monkeys about him and I have no idea what he's been fed.

So I can take it he's not had much fibre? Poor diet? and Dehydrations a definite as he came from a hutch at the back of a garden and had no water left and nothing to keep him cool!
 
Lisajazz said:
Wow I was just about to post about this!

I have taken in a boar today and he has HUGE poops that are caramel colour(ish) and very brittle. He's come from a place that couldn't give a monkeys about him and I have no idea what he's been fed.

So I can take it he's not had much fibre? Poor diet? and Dehydrations a definite as he came from a hutch at the back of a garden and had no water left and nothing to keep him cool!
Click to expand...

Make sure that he has plenty of hay and is drinking; be careful about introducing fresh veg in case he is not used to it.

Poor boy! :(
 
I am going to get his teeth checked tomorrow too as he didn't have any hay either that I could see, nor the bunny they had there they were ditching.

He's got an abundance of hay and has drank too.

He lived in a hutch (no run) and was always being pestered by working dogs who wanted to get him. He looks healthy enough which seems mad considering his conditions. Funny isn't it how some of them manage with care like that, last few days I would have thought he would over heat.
 
The only time my piggies ever had unusual poo was when I had two and one rabbit, but the rabbit and one guinea pig died (of old age) within a few weeks of each other, so the remaining pig (Devlin) was getting way too many veggies, including iceberg lettuce, because she had to eat all the peelings and leftover veggies on her own! She had diarrheoa and I just cut out veggies for a few days and then let her have them in small amounts again and she was fine.

My dogs had to eat the extra veggies and now they love them! In fact, today Donna was barking at the guinea pigs because they had a parsnip, so I had to give her one too :)
 
Oh my god, Jane, I wish I'd never got involved in all this! Don't hold your breath for a Humphreys scale, it ain't happening!

I do agree that this thread should be made a sticky, definitely a very valid point that Susan raised. Although sticky is really not a good word in the context of this thread. :))

All we need now are PICTURES!

Lisa, wonderful to hear you have a new boar after sweet Dink's journey. As diet impacts so much on poops, the odds are that once his diet is corrected and he's drinking well, his poops will be back to normal. :)
 
Laura-CCC4 said:
All we need now are PICTURES!
Click to expand...

NOOOOOOO That would be just a tad too far :(|)

Laura-CCC4 said:
Lisa, wonderful to hear you have a new boar after sweet Dink's journey. As diet impacts so much on poops, the odds are that once his diet is corrected and he's drinking well, his poops will be back to normal. :)
Click to expand...

Yes I think so too. I'll let you know ;)
 
No Jane because nothing would make sense afterwards! You've taken us off on a bit of a tangent!
 
We have roundish poop here today and its quite soft. Any ideas?

Totally agree this thread should be made a sticky btw :)
 
flips said:
This is a really useful thread. We all have to face up to piggy poo. Could it be made a sticky? (no pun intended) :(|)
Click to expand...

36_11_6.gif
 
Quick update on Dukes poop :))

The next day was much darker and it's now completely normal. Didn't take long - Laura you were right
 
Laura-CCC4 said:
Any change in diet, or on any medications?
Click to expand...

No to both, I think they just like making me worry! It's always on a Sunday or in this case Bank Holiday Monday :)). I cut their veggies down to a strip of pepper each last night and this morning and poop patrol suggests everything is back to normal in that department thank goodness.

Thank you :)
 
a small offering from my piggys
4 different types from various piggys

1. normal sized but dry crumbly poops light colour
2. small sized dry crumbly poops light colour
3. mega poops, slightly slimy
4. 'normal' poops

100_5768.jpg
 
Nice pic, Spishkey! Are you working around from top left in a clockwise direction? Or top L-R then bottom L-R? (from your descriptions, I'm guessing the latter)

To me your "light" colour looks lighter than normal but I've seen a lot lot lighter, almost like the colour of Caramac chocolate! (I figure nobody eats that any more these days so it's ok to make than comparison!)
 
Spishkey said:
a small offering from my piggys
4 different types from various piggys

1. normal sized but dry crumbly poops light colour
2. small sized dry crumbly poops light colour
3. mega poops, slightly slimy
4. 'normal' poops

100_5768.jpg
Click to expand...

There should have been a health warning on that post...I was eating me lunch! Well to be honest I sneaked in a bounty bar...resembles....oh no going too far now.:))
 
Ok, I've been talked into putting something together following a number of piggie poop discussions recently. (But really, Jane - having Poo Champ under my name is just going a bit too far!)

So, I need pictures. Can't do this without pictures and I am not taking all the credit for a subject on poop! If you think your piggie's poop is normal or not normal - although as many of the latter as possible! - pictures would prove most useful. I will make a new topic if replies to this one aren't enough. :))
 
missy said:
To me your "light" colour looks lighter than normal but I've seen a lot lot lighter, almost like the colour of Caramac chocolate! (I figure nobody eats that any more these days so it's ok to make than comparison!)
Click to expand...


LOL! I love Caramac choc, yummy, not had it in years though. Do they sell it anymore? Mmmm I can taste it now. :))

As for piggie poo, everything seems normal with my two at the mo. One of them did have rather large long poops a week ago, but nothing out of the ordinary and no diarrhea.

Interesting thread............shame though that whenever I think of Caramac, it will remind me of piggie poop, LOL! ;)
 
Laura-CCC4 said:
Ok, I've been talked into putting something together following a number of piggie poop discussions recently. (But really, Jane - having Poo Champ under my name is just going a bit too far!) :))
Click to expand...

Yay...Woop woop!.......or should that be "Poop poop"?! rolleyes
 
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