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Worried about 9 weeker with diarrhoea

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Kazzaboobers

Kazzaboobers

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Hi all
I'm a new Cavie slave - although had numerous rabbits and guinea pigs as a child. My son and i are the proud owners of 2 boys - Cuddles and Google (the later being named such as i said to my son what about Dougal and he said Google for goodness sake mum you are obsessed with computers so it stuck!)
They were 6 1/2 weeks old when we picked them up on 8th June - mine was half the size of my sons but is doing well after an initial touch of diarrhoea. My sons however has lost a fair few grammes in what appears to be the last 12 hours and has diarrhoea - he was still eating but will keep a close eye - trouble is dont want to keep bothering them as that could make it worse!
Fingers crossed we wont need a vets visit tomorrow x Have just tried parsley which he had some nibbles on and have bought him some diralyte but dont want to stress him out anymore :...
 
I am neurotic if my girlies even have soft poos because I had a pig, Mollie, who had quite bad diarrhoea and she stopped eating and died. I would take him to the vet if it is watery. If he just has soft teardrop shaped poo maybe he has eaten too much veg and is fine. If your piggie is still eating that is a good sign but weight loss is not. Piggies have very delicate digestive systems so I think it would be best to see a vet just incase. Hope he gets better soon sorry I'm not more positive just a bit over protective of piggies after Mollie.
 
Hi, welcome to the fourm :)

If the pig is refusing even his very favourite foods and is all fluffed up and looking miserable with the runs, it is likely to be the bad type of diarrhoea however if your pig is still eating and otherwise seems fine in himself, he could be absolutely fine. We've had an awful problem with the runs a long time ago and we lost three pigs to it very quickly in rapid succession two years back, so I am with you all the way on the fear of diarrhoea!

Two of ours kept getting sporadic outbreaks which they were still absolutely themselves and we couldn't work out why - someone suggested that we left their veggies out for at least half an hour to bring them to room temp before we fed them and ever since we did that touch wood we've not had a problem since, although it could just be coincidence. It was also suggested that we wash our veggies thoroughly before giving it to them, but we did that anyway as I worry about pesticides and allsorts! Have they eaten something they shouldn't? Other possible causes can be buttercups which are toxic to pigs as are some other common garden plants. There is a safe food list in the Food section on this forum. Also contamination from mice or rats etc can cause it of they have run through their food supply or bacteria buildup in water bottles (it gathers in the spouts, a weekly clean with a Milton tablet works wonders). I'm sure there are more things that I can't think of off the top of my head which can cause it!

As the diarrhoea in ours lasted more than a day, we withheld their veggies for a few days and made sure they kept their fluids up with a little Dyoralyte (a few 1ml syringes here and there throughout the day) and some Oxbow Critical Care to help them regain the weight with a small bit of banana here and there to help bind them up a bit. If it's really severe, but they are still acting normally, we gave a crushed Buscopan tablet each to help with muscle spasms of the gut when you see them straining and a part of a Diocalm tablet as per Peter Gurney's advice. It took just under a week to see poos with ends come back! Make sure they have good quality hay at all times as they still need this.

We found this helpful: http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/diarrhoea.htm

Good luck, it's very stressful when they have diarrhoea!
 
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Sorry to read about your worry.

Tummy upsets can be very dangerous as dehydration will set in quickly and he is obviously only young so won't have much body fat to help him. You say also he is losing weight.

If you are worried please do consult your vet. Also have a think if you have fed him something different, or too much of, that may have brought this on.
 
Hi all and a massive thank you for all your support and advice.

I have just opened my back doors as i do every morning at 6 and... there they BOTH were waiting for me making that lovely mweep sound. I went up to have a look before deciding on what to do and the poorly one started drinking water and has a clear rear end!

So i have just given them a tiny bit of parsley - as the little bit i left yesterday had gone and have renewed their dry food and hay - dont want to over do things - so shall see how they both are tonight - finger's crossed :) As soon as i left them they both started eating!
 
HI there :)
I just read thru your post a HUGE welcome from us too in OZ (aka Australia) xxxxxxxxxxx
erm i think i'd be careful with food for next few days, only feed lots of hay and water and few veggies, not the watery ones tho.........but keep an eye on the little one x should say Google ;)x) that's a sweet way your son has helped you name him x
Maybe not too many veggies during day and only a small serve at night to encourage more hay and pellet eating. And then when he's feeling better back onto some more veggies xxxxxxxxxxx
 
That's great that they are alert and showing normal behaviour :) As Glynis said, I would avoid veggies just for a couple of days, and concentrate on making sure they get enough clean water, hay and dry food.

Edit - if you don't already, dry food should not really be topped up, but any uneaten stuff discarded, the bowl washed and replenshed with fresh stuff daily. I avoid wastage by giving less dry food every morning and giving a small top-up before shutting them down for the night, then there's not usually tons left. :) Keeps bacteria down and the Vit C freshness up!
 
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Thank you all

Well they are in their run - Cuddles is nice and clean in the bottom area and no more evidence of you know what - have just given them hay and dried food and as i gave them parsley yesterday a little bit of that - but not handfuls! :)

They are both happily exploring the log tunnels i have in there and climbing on top - This is Cuddles favourite party trick and why he was picked - in the pet shop he was standing on the hay cube looking like he was going nah nah :p

Finger's crossed we are ok - will give them a couple of days and then i'll weigh them again - and thank you for all the good advice re the food. :rose
 
Could it be that mabe you were giving them too much veggies as they are only little, i was told when mine were that age not to give them to much as they have sensitive bellies? x
 
Great news! I was worried about him.

Yes, just give him little bits of greens. Carrots and corn on the cob are good. Corn on the cob especially.
 
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