A large amount of grass hay is a staple part of guinea pig’s diets, and their poop must have the grainy feel of crushed hay. The abnormal guinea pig poop can be different in any of these areas. Additionally, cover your guinea pig with a lightweight blanket to keep it warm, … These small animals hide their pain or hide themselves away when they are in pain. Guinea pigs cannot vomit or cough up hairballs as cats and other animal does. The owners who have some experience of keeping guinea pigs know that they can naturally pass two kinds of fecal matter: cecotropes and pellets. If the poo is soft or wet he might have diarrhea. I pulled it off and it wasn't solid on the inside, it was like a casing. Next, choose a good-quality litter tray for your cavy to use. I didn't see anything else, and then I soaked him in warm water for a little bit. A very dark, almost black poop is not perfect, as it can cause many health problems if your guinea pig consumes excess protein. Guinea pig poop stuck together It will be odd to find out the pellets of guinea pigs that are struck together. These tend to cause upset tummies and gases. The Anal Sack of the guinea pig is a very delicate area and as such contains vital secretions which will coat guinea pig faecal pellets which will be consumed by them at a later time. I noticed the last few days that the pigs poops were normal and some very dry and small looking. Poop strings can also be caused by consuming the rug fibers or other mineral matter. The size of pellets is not always comparable with the size of guinea pigs. Older male guinea pigs may develop a condition known as impaction. ... Can male guinea pigs be placed together? If the pellets of guinea pigs remain small or tiny, it can be a sign of chronic pain or intestinal problems. Baby guinea pigs eat the hard pellets of their mother as a standard of creating the colonies of healthful intestinal bacteria. Gastrointestinal problems are common in guinea pigs. Very young guinea pigs may also eat their mother's soft droppings. If your guinea pig doesn’t drink enough water, then their body will try to save the liquid, which results in dry dropping. Head-Raising Bragging Rights. A guinea pig will eat their droppings only, except baby guinea pigs who are beginning to wean from their mother’s milk. FAECAL IMPACTION IN GUINEA PIGS Faecal impaction is a condition seen most commonly in entire male guinea pigs after 2-3 years of age. A normal guinea pig’s poop is not at all smelly, which makes them easy to handle. Hi everyone, One of my guinea pigs has been doing some strange looking poops over the last few days. In the case of impaction, this has been interupted and the impaction will need to be removed several times until the body slowly re-develops the mechanism for normal excretion. The degree of severity can vary and in this case it is extreme. Why Does My Guinea Pig have Soft Poops? If your guinea pig has an adverse reaction to antibiotics, they may display symptoms like diarrhea, a lack of appetite, dehydration, or a drop in body temperature. An upset guinea pig might also let out a high-pitched shriek to tell you that they are very unhappy with something you did or that they feel threatened. But how will you know if the poop is normal? Most often, cavies, in fact, do not poop in … Eating too much vegetables can lead to the soft stool formation as well. One guinea can have a yellowish-brown color, whereas another guinea pig can have dark brown pellets. Sometimes, the inner color can also be slightly green. It would be best to take some advice from your veterinary surgeon about the changes in diet to make your senior guinea pig in perfect shape. Food is extremely important to any recovery so hand feeding a guinea pig that is not eating is vital. What should guinea pig poop look like? on food: Since day 1 up to today I've been giving them unlimited pellets. its stays stuck in his butt and well if i try to get it out it breaks since its really soft poop. By knowing what is most commonly seen, you can be better prepared to monitor for signs and symptoms that your guinea pig may be getting sick. When I first got them 10 days ago (I'm a first time owner), their poop was a dark brown and it was moist. My motto with this blog is to help guinea pig owners understand their pets better so they can provide them with the life they deserve. Usually, a guinea pig’s poop color can have little to no difference. What does normal guinea pig poop look like? Guinea pigs can also have a significant difference in the poop color when they are in the same family and fed the same diet. but maybe wait for someone else with better info before jumping in with scissors. In cases where impaction does occur due to age, you will notice a smaller pea size mass that can accumulate over time. If the pellets of guinea pigs are shapeless and small, and probably combined with the larger pellets, this means that your guinea pig is not getting much food. Guinea pigs can have several issues leading to abnormal poops. Conclusion A healthy guinea pig grooms themselves several times in a day, and from this habit, guinea pig regularly ingests their fur. Otherwise, increased protein in the diet will cause a very dark poop. Impaction is the hard swelling of the anal muscles to the point that the guinea pig is unable to pass softer caecal pellets (cecotropes). Most guinea pigs will still poop and wee in other areas of the cage, but you should focus only on the areas they use the most. It doesn’t always mean that if your guinea pig refuses to eat cecotropes, then there is something incorrect. It needs to be noted that your guinea pig can have some mucus in their droppings if they are recovering from the stomach and the intestines upset. In these instances piggies have been left in horrendous conditions whereby they either do not have access to water, or they do not have access to hay. In some cases, particularly as the pig ages, both regular poops and cecotrophs can essentially get stuck and cause difficulties with pooping or abnormal feces. The consistency in shape, size, texture, smell, and color of guinea pig poop needs to be observed. As these types of stools are indeed softer, meant for ingesting, they clump together. By ... My guinea pig is not pooping. However the degree of impaction is no where as severe as in rescue cases where it can be extreme and could result in masses of the size of a golf ball. However, Abnormal cecotropes are a warning sign of underlying health issues, and your guinea pigs may refuse them to eat. If your guinea pigs produce unusual cecotropes, they may not eat them as it lacks proper structure or smell. In-Depth Understanding Of All Aspects Of Their Diet, List Of Vegetables And Fruits Guinea Pigs Can Eat, Importance Of Vitamin C and Calcium+ How To Balance It, Water For Your Guinea Pig (How It Can Lead To Bladder Stone), 4 Complete Diet Chart To Follow With Veggie List, Learn All About Setting Up Perfect Living Environment, Understand Common Behavior And How To Deal With It, An Insight On Common Health Problems And What To Do About It, A Complete Care Guide To Keep Your Guinea Pig's Healthy and Happy, Covers All The Practical Aspect Of Keeping Guinea Pigs, Printed On Good Quality White Paper With Glossy Cover. STAYbowl has a simple, ergonomic design that makes sure small pets get just the right amount of food they need without over- or under-feeding. If your guinea pig has mucus in poop, then it is a cause for concern. Stinky soft stools are the results of a poor diet. Don’t try to apply any pressure on your guinea pig’s abdomen, as it can be very painful for them. If your guinea pig has diarrhea, you need to take your guinea pig to the veterinary surgeon immediately. These include round, fibrous pellets and shiny dark-colored cecotropes. The cecotropes are naturally nighttime droppings, and guinea pigs eat these dropping right from the anus. A guinea pig in pain may not eat. It will be odd to find out the pellets of guinea pigs that are struck together. There have been several instances of life-threatening conditions in guinea pigs from severe diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli infections. Generally piggies that may experience this will be well over the age of 5 years. If you want to prevent this, you need to make sure that your guinea pig has a clean and healthy living environment and a healthy diet full of grass hay. The treatment for this can be painful. When she does it's diarrhea, and she won't leave her bed for long. Hours Of Fun And Relaxation For Adults As Well As Kids, 50 Unique Halloween Theme Coloring Designs, Hours Of Fun and Relaxation For Adults As Well As Kids, Consuming of inorganic matter (fur, carpet fibers, clay litter). It will help if you take your guinea pig to the veterinary surgeon immediately, mainly when it occurs again, as this is not normal. The abnormal pellets that are tiny or odd in shape can be a cause for concern. Cleaning the Cage Remove toys, bowls, and other objects from the cage. Luckily, this is not abnormal or uncommon if it occurs occasionally. Their urine usually has a pungent smell. When you look at your guinea pig you may notice that there is a big ‘plug like’ area that is full of poop. | Benebac Probiotic |. The abnormal poops can be the sign of guinea pig’s upset stomach or intestinal impaction. Also read: How does normal guinea pig urine look like? If it is really mushy poop then there is a problem. An impacted guinea pig will need to be cleaned out every week in accordance with Part 2 above. Particularly long haired guinea pigs are prone to hair being caught in this area. If your guinea pig suddenly starts producing less poop, then it can be a cause for concern. All items should be … Impaction can form for a number of different reasons. Guinea pigs do get startled easily, so move slowly and speak in a regular voice. However, the same can’t be said for your guinea pig’s urine. Sometimes, the pellets can clump and smash together when the matter moves slowly from the intestine. However, they can’t hide their poop. Luckily, this is not abnormal or uncommon if it occurs occasionally. I was surprised to learn that it is okay for your dog to eat guinea pig poop. Hello, I am Saurav the founder of this blog that's all about guinea pigs. Being readily available at an economical price, people often wonder if they can use straw as bedding... Is It Worth Getting Pet Insurance For Guinea Pigs? … My male guinea pig, about 8 months now, has a dark brown lumpy thing attached to his bottom. 2020 © Guineapigstuff.com - TERMS AND CONDITIONS. The color of poop in guinea pigs can differ from guinea pigs to guinea pigs. Guineapig101.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. Also, the guinea pig will avoid drinking or consuming anything and can become very sluggish or unwilling to move. To stop it, simply give your guinea pig a veggie break. You don't want to miss them out! Also read: How often do guinea pigs pee and poop? Recovery takes more time for other animals. Q. The consistency is all that matters in the poop color of guinea pig. Guinea pigs may eat the soft cecal feces 150 to 200 times in a day, usually directly from the anus. Leslie, a three-year-oldish guinea pig, having pain while going to the bathroom. Our site doesn’t provide you with any medical advice for your guinea pigs. Guinea Pigs can catch a chill very easily, so the best thing to try is a very wet (warm, not hot) fabric compress (an old wash cloth, or similar). Very young guinea pigs may also eat their mother's soft droppings. Can Guinea Pigs Have Straw In Their Cage? When the guinea pig’s droppings are abnormal, it can be a cause for concern for all owners. It looks like they just keep running through it and get it stuck to their feet some times. As their eating habits will come back to normal, so will the shape and size of the poop pellets. Thus, you will rarely see the cecotropes in the enclosure or litter box of guinea pigs. Most of the guinea pigs will adopt an arched posture that will keep the stomach pressure off, as this is a sign of internal blockage that causes discomfort. Try to exclude the following vegetables: iceberg lettuce, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. The appearance of mucus doesn’t matter. Some guinea pigs have been known to snatch cecal feces from other pigs. Apart from the small shapeless poop or lack of poop, many signs indicate impaction in guinea pigs. Under such instances, the cecotropes can have abnormal texture and smells, making them unsuitable to consume. If the poop looks any different, it could be a sign of the trouble. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Then you can either strain the liquid out to pour onto your plants, or just pour it as-is onto the soil around your plants. When cleaning out the cage, there will be no mistaking normal poop from cecotropes. If you do want to give your guinea pig a wash, then simply using warm water as shown in the videos above is the best and least intrusive method that can be used. Also read: 25 common health problems in guinea pigs. Next, choose a good-quality litter tray for your cavy to use. For any medical assistance and advice, it is recommended to consult a licensed veterinarian. Why does my dog eat guinea pig poop? It will also enable normal function to have the best possibility of returning. If your guinea pig has real diarrhea, then it is a cause for concern that needs quick action, especially when your guinea pig is young. Guinea pig 101 is an ultimate resource for all guinea pig parents who are passionate about learning everything about their guinea pigs and provide them with a life they deserve. Conclusion You can not find these drops of your guinea pig because they eat these droppings almost immediately. An old guinea pig can have small pellets than what you usually expect, but a younger guinea pig can have a more massive pellet poop. They slide their bottom along the ground making them more susceptible to debri going in this region. It was like 3 or 4 pellets stuck together. Obviously this owner knows HOW to clean it up, what he or she doesn't know is why a guinea pig would have a big clump of poop stuck to it's rear. hey guys i have 3 male guinea pigs one is 6 years old and other two are both 5 so the older one "romeo" who is also the father of the two 5 year olds is having problems with poop. I waited a day to see if he would push it out. The occurrence of a few of these pellet clumps on occasion is not a severe issue. You do not need to regularly clean the anal sack area unless there is a case of impaction that you are dealing with. Does anyone else have a issue with poop getting on your pigs feet from using fleece? There are a few more signs you need to look for while determining normal guinea pig poop from abnormal guinea pig poop. My guinea pig has begun to arch its back while pooping and a painful squealing sound at the same time. The Internal impactions are usually caused by: The impaction is not comfortable for a guinea pig. When your guinea pig is not eating food, then it can lead to the production of pellets in odd ways, as they don’t have enough fiber to develop the pellets. Before you learn more,here are some hand-picked supplies for your guinea pigs that you must add to your wishlist today: link to Can Guinea Pigs Have Straw In Their Cage? Certainly using Q-tips is not recommended as you can do more hard than good. When guinea pigs are stressed or frightened, then it causes the movement of the intestine(s) to produce the smaller pellets than average. I didn't see anything else, and then I soaked him in warm water for a little bit. A. It is usual for the cecotropes to have an overpowering smell. Guinea pigs are popular across the US and UK. Step 2: Prepare a Litter Tray. I waited a day to see if he would push it out. Once your guinea pigs grow older, they will proceed to consume and produce cecotropes. link to Is It Worth Getting Pet Insurance For Guinea Pigs? Their environments though can get quite messy due to their poop, urine, and playing habits. I am an Animal Nutritionist by education but a pet blogger by profession. Cecotropes poop is round in shape, small in size, dark in color, and has a glossy surface that sticks with each other. Sized At 8.5x11, A Perfect Size To Color And Frame! If you overfeed your guinea pig with veggies or pellets, then it may not eat their cecotropes. The freshness of the food is also going to directly impact the fecal matter your guinea pigs eliminate. Mucus can also pass as a movement without any pellets. If your guinea pig’s diet had high protein in the past, the poop would be lighter in color as you deliver them with a more healthy diet. If your guinea pigs have excess protein in their diet, then they will produce black poops. Impaction can form for a … It is important not to disrupt this environment. This does not need to be removed unless solid and crusty. Some guinea pigs have been known to snatch cecal feces from other pigs. They are joined together in like a string or in a little clump. Recommended Supplies For Guinea pigs: Our Top Picks! I wouldn’t recommend making it a habit, but if it happens accidentally there is no need to worry. Usually in these cases guinea pigs may not have had hay within their diet. Some guinea pigs seem to recover well from surgery and are up and eating right away. Also, poop clumps can be a sign of aging. Don’t be confused in cecotropes and regular pellets, because even cecotropes have a strong smell, but they are usually good for your guinea pigs. But my piggies occasionally step on a poo and get it stuck too. No one is really sure why dogs can be enticed to eat pig poop, but they could actually get nutrients from it. If an animal is obese or pregnant, these soft droppings may be expelled and eaten from the floor. Small pellets can also possibly be caused by intestinal impaction. If this happens again, you might consider having him surgically sterilized (neutered). Unlike dogs or cats, change in the diet can’t be the only cause of diarrhea in guinea pigs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made by our readers with no extra cost added to you all! So to conclude we can say that if the pellet size remains constant, then the poop of guinea pig can be considered normal. GI stasis refers to prevented or slowed down movement of fecal pellets through the GI tract. Those that she managed to pass were hard, round and sometimes stuck together. This can lead to them getting quite untidy with poop sticking … Guinea pigs like to keep themselves clean and thus, they groom themselves a lot. Guinea pigs can also experience impaction as they age. As the fresh pellets are drier, it can be mashed easily when they are pressed. Do guinea pigs eat their own babies? If the poop is solid, dry and hard mass, you can tell there has been a lack of water in the guinea pigs diet. Sometimes, you can detect signs of pain or severe bloating. I was wondering if one of them is starting to suffer from impaction. The impaction debri will reflect this. Offering treats is a way to engage them to interact with you. If you bring drastic changes in the diet of a guinea pig, then there can be a small variation in their poop color. One guinea pig can have a dark brown poop, while another guinea pig can have light brown colored poop. This is both painful for the guinea pig and at its worst can kill your guinea pig. I dont want to bathe them all the time but this is gross. Guinea pigs show their dominance over other guinea pigs by raising their heads, which is reported to be their way of showing up one another. Its not like completely mashed and matted into their feet. Why Is My Guinea Pig Always Hungry? Guinea Pig Coloring Book: Let Your Anxiety Go Away! If your guinea pig has digestive problems, then maybe they will not eat their cecotropes. When he didn't, I picked him up to look. Guinea Pigs and Coprophagy After a while, the pellets should come back to their standard size. The cecotropes are the tiny balls of shiny and dark fecal matter that looks like a clump of black grapes or tapioca pearls. Alternatively, if the impaction is moist and wet in its formation, then there has not been enough fibre in the guinea pigs diet – of which they need up to 70% fibre.