anyar.dris
Forum Buddy
I would just like to share this article that might be able to help others. If this isn't allowed, then the Admin can probably just delete it.
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Guinea pig owners, especially the ones who have it for a long time, can distinguish right away if there are health and behavior changes to our much beloved furry companions. The digestive system of a guinea pig works the same as the other mammals. When animals eat, the food goes through its way to the stomach, where it is processed. The process will start with the enzymes and bacteria in the saliva, then all the main breakdown will be processed in the stomach.
The acid, bacteria and enzymes will then mixed with the food in the stomach, thus breaking the basic parts into carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Gases like methane is then released in this process. When you hear gurgling noises, this mean that bubbling of gas is happening, which you can usually hear even in humans when hungry, eating or drinking soda. Is this the reason why there are gurgling noises in your guinea pig's stomach? In some way, yes. It is one of the reasons why you can hear the gurgling noise.
Although there's another reason. Everytime we eat, we swallow air. For the humans, it happens when we eat food and drink, but it is more noticeable whenever we drink soda. The difference with humans and guinea pigs though is that we can recognise gas in our stomach and we can release it by burping. Guinea pigs don't have the ability to do that. Guinea pigs can only release the gas that their stomachs produced and swallowed through their bottoms as wind. Guinea pigs produce farts. Sometimes you can hear it, other times it may just produce smell, but it will usually depend on what they ate.
Other than the reasons above, there are other rare reasons for the gurgling noise. Problems with the digestive system will often be the reason, like bloat. A blockage can sometimes be the cause and its first sign is loud gurgling noises in the stomach. The gurgling sound can be very audible when it happens. This problem can be a sign of intestines tightening somewhere inside, or it can either be a sign of hernia. The only way to find it is through operation. If this isn't done, the guinea pig will experience bloating and eventually die. The trouble with having these rare conditions is that the guinea pigs may have the gurgling noise in the stomach while still being able to eat, pass urine and poop, and act normally for some weeks before the problem occurs.
Take extra precaution when you have a neutered guinea pig. If the neutering was performed within the last six months, gurgling noises might be a sign of hernia. When you neuter an animal, there is usually a hole left where the testicle tubes were removed. There is a rare occurrence that some parts of the intestines can pass through that hole, causing a blockage. Until an operation is done to fix this very rare problem, the guinea pig can die from bloat caused by that blockage. There will be times that food will be able to pass through the intestines for months before things get serious. So if your neutered guinea pig makes loud gurgling noises in its stomach, the problem could be a hernia where its testicles used to be.
The best advice whenever these kinds of problems occur is to seek an exotic pet specialist. In case the condition is rare, it is unlikely that the regular vet would be able to detect it. It will surely cost you more than the usual but keeping your pet healthy is worth it. One of the common reasons that kill guinea pigs is having digestive problems, so seeking the best advice is always important.
Our gorgeous guinea pig, Timmy, died from the hernia stated above. For the last 3 months that we had him, he suffered from and on-off bloat, but we have managed to keep him alive during those times through intensive care. He's been looked at by six vets but unfortunately, no one had detected what the real problem was. The only time that we have managed to find a very good exotic animal vet was when his condition really got worse and on the brink of dying. The only reason the vet discovered the problem was when she operated him. We know she did everything she can to fix the problem, but Timmy's intestine was too stretched after having the problems for 3 months and he passed away the next day after his operation. Timmy was adopted from the RSPCA. We had him for a very short 4 months and just had his first birthday when it happened. This article is written in his memory.
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Guinea pig owners, especially the ones who have it for a long time, can distinguish right away if there are health and behavior changes to our much beloved furry companions. The digestive system of a guinea pig works the same as the other mammals. When animals eat, the food goes through its way to the stomach, where it is processed. The process will start with the enzymes and bacteria in the saliva, then all the main breakdown will be processed in the stomach.
The acid, bacteria and enzymes will then mixed with the food in the stomach, thus breaking the basic parts into carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Gases like methane is then released in this process. When you hear gurgling noises, this mean that bubbling of gas is happening, which you can usually hear even in humans when hungry, eating or drinking soda. Is this the reason why there are gurgling noises in your guinea pig's stomach? In some way, yes. It is one of the reasons why you can hear the gurgling noise.
Although there's another reason. Everytime we eat, we swallow air. For the humans, it happens when we eat food and drink, but it is more noticeable whenever we drink soda. The difference with humans and guinea pigs though is that we can recognise gas in our stomach and we can release it by burping. Guinea pigs don't have the ability to do that. Guinea pigs can only release the gas that their stomachs produced and swallowed through their bottoms as wind. Guinea pigs produce farts. Sometimes you can hear it, other times it may just produce smell, but it will usually depend on what they ate.
Other than the reasons above, there are other rare reasons for the gurgling noise. Problems with the digestive system will often be the reason, like bloat. A blockage can sometimes be the cause and its first sign is loud gurgling noises in the stomach. The gurgling sound can be very audible when it happens. This problem can be a sign of intestines tightening somewhere inside, or it can either be a sign of hernia. The only way to find it is through operation. If this isn't done, the guinea pig will experience bloating and eventually die. The trouble with having these rare conditions is that the guinea pigs may have the gurgling noise in the stomach while still being able to eat, pass urine and poop, and act normally for some weeks before the problem occurs.
Take extra precaution when you have a neutered guinea pig. If the neutering was performed within the last six months, gurgling noises might be a sign of hernia. When you neuter an animal, there is usually a hole left where the testicle tubes were removed. There is a rare occurrence that some parts of the intestines can pass through that hole, causing a blockage. Until an operation is done to fix this very rare problem, the guinea pig can die from bloat caused by that blockage. There will be times that food will be able to pass through the intestines for months before things get serious. So if your neutered guinea pig makes loud gurgling noises in its stomach, the problem could be a hernia where its testicles used to be.
The best advice whenever these kinds of problems occur is to seek an exotic pet specialist. In case the condition is rare, it is unlikely that the regular vet would be able to detect it. It will surely cost you more than the usual but keeping your pet healthy is worth it. One of the common reasons that kill guinea pigs is having digestive problems, so seeking the best advice is always important.
Our gorgeous guinea pig, Timmy, died from the hernia stated above. For the last 3 months that we had him, he suffered from and on-off bloat, but we have managed to keep him alive during those times through intensive care. He's been looked at by six vets but unfortunately, no one had detected what the real problem was. The only time that we have managed to find a very good exotic animal vet was when his condition really got worse and on the brink of dying. The only reason the vet discovered the problem was when she operated him. We know she did everything she can to fix the problem, but Timmy's intestine was too stretched after having the problems for 3 months and he passed away the next day after his operation. Timmy was adopted from the RSPCA. We had him for a very short 4 months and just had his first birthday when it happened. This article is written in his memory.
The staff are so nice too. You will notice it the moment you enter the clinic. The vet surgeons who operated on Timmy are Suzetta Cameron and Vicki Baldrey.
