What To Do If Your Guinea Pig Has Diarrhea

[Rochester Piggy]

Lots of diarrhea is a serious sign of illness and needs to be monitored. A bit of diarrhea means you should schedule a checkup. What may look like diarrhea could also be a squashed poop, piggies often step on their poops and grind them into the cage floor! This can scare a piggy owner, as it has me, many times!

A few ways to tell the difference between diarrhea and a squashed poop includes:

Smell- Diarrhea will have a fowl smell to it, whilst a squashed poop will have little to no scent.

Texture- Take a piece of strong, thick hay, and poke the poop. If it moves, it's just a squashed poop. If it doesn't move or is in a long, thin, line, then it is diarrhea.

Again, a lot of diarrhea should be seen by a vet. If there's just a little with nothing else abnormal, then I would just get a checkup, and mention it to the vet. Remember, a bit of abnormal poop every once in a while is normal!

If any of my information is incorrect, please correct it below.

 

[DM030819]

You've not actually mentioned what to do if a pig has diarrhea.

You need to take the pig off veg until the poops have firmed up again and if there is no improvement within 24-48 hours then a vet visit will be needed to get medication that can help. So, only pellets, hay and water.

You sometimes need to give the pig water as they can get dehydrated and there are electrolyte solutions which can be used. In the UK we have Dioralyte. These aren't always required.

When the poops are firm again slowly introduce veg back into the vet, bit by bit.

 

[VickiA]

@Rochester Piggy tgank you for your post. Do you have piggies with diarrhoea ?

 

[Lady Kelly]

Also to add that diarrhoea isn't always smelly. Mine recently haven't had additional odour from splodgey poops, Daisy had full blown diarrhoea that there was definitely no mistaking from a squashed poop and Willows stayed a bit firmer

 

[Wiebke]

Diarrhea means strictly runny faeces. As long as the poos are just soft or shapeless, it is NOT a diarrhea. Acute diarrhea should always be seen by a vet very promptly. The extreme form can kill very quickly. Runny faeces stick around the genitals, either when still fluid or when they dry as crusts. A piggy that is just peeing on firm poos does not have this.
Generally a piggy with diarrhea is looking off very quickly. The biggest problem with acute diarrhea is dehydration (for which it may require subcutaneous fluids at the vets), followed by loss of appetite.

I know that lately 'diarrhea' is increasingly being applied to any form of soft or shapeless poos on this forum, causing confusing. It is in that area where the poos are still recognisable that you have discretion to see whether it is just a minor tummy upset that will right itself in 24 hours without fresh veg, fruit or grass as long as your piggy is not showing any other signs of being unwell, and as long as it is a one-off.