Guinea pig has diarrhea?

Question

This morning i went to check on the pigs and i saw in two corners of the cage, runny poop. I picked up one of the pigs and there was diarrhea all over his butt. I cleaned the cage real well, and filled up the sink with maybe an inch of warm water, and let them pig sit in it to soak and remove some of the poop. Than i use a rag to clean off the rest of the poop. Its all off now,and the cage is clean. But i am wondering how he got it? I was thinkin it might be because i am giving him lettce, apples, and carrots everyday. Should i cut back on giving him so much, and maybe stop feeding it to him for a couple of days till the diarrhea is gone? And just stick to his pellets?
Or is there anything else that may have caused it. Any ways to get rid of it?
Please Help. Best answer-10pts.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Well this coulld be either a major or minor problem.

Well if its iceberg lettuce then you should stop feeding that too him. Iceberg lettuce is known to be bad for them, if you want to feed lettuce try romaine lettuce, they love that stuff. Also you wanna be careful with the amount of apple your feeding them. The acid in teh apples can cause lip sores on their mouths if you feed them too much, these can quickly become infected and will require veterinary treatment. Also fruit has lots of sugar in it, so it shouldn't be fed more than once or twice a week. I suggest you cut back on the apples and lettuce, and maybe the carrots too because they have lots of vitamin A in which can cause liver problems, but they usually like carrots so a little bit of carrot a day won;t do too much harm. Try feeding vitamin c rich veg like bell peppers and small amounts of brocolli.

Here's more information on the diet:
http://www.guinealynx.com/charts.html


Well as for the major problem. If the pig looks ill or hunched up, and generally miserable, it should be taken to a vet immediatley as it could have a URI, upper respiratory infetion. The guine apig could also have an intestinal problem, such as a bacterial infection or it could've eaten spolied hay or vegetables, in which case again it needs to see a vet. These are usually the cases if its serious diarhea.

You need to keep the guinea pig drinking as otherwise it could die within hours of dehydration, so its very important that he's drinking. I would also seperate him off from teh otehr pigs, if it is a URI then you don;t want the other pigs to catch it. I would also suggest you take him to an exotic vet, to rule out URI's and bacterial infections. Regular vets don;t really know all that much about guinea pigs, so thats why an exotic vet it is best. If you can't find an exotic vet then a regular vet will do.

It it does turn out to be the lettuce or too much green-stuff then you should cut fruit and veg from his diet and feed him on pellets and timothy hay for a couple for a couple fo days, and the gradually reintroduce vegetables bakc into his diet.

Source(s):

owns 2 guinea pigs

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thank you so much, i wish i would have read your answer earlier b/c when i got home from work he was already dead =[, but thanks so much you were a lot of help.

Answer 2

Please take this pigie to a decent cavy-savvy vet asap!

Diarrhoea can be fatal extremely quickly as the animal becomes dehydrated.

Guinea pigs need fresh veggies every day. Most lettuce is absolutely fine and safe to give them!!! The only one you need to avoid is iceburg lettuce. Iceburg is known to cause runny poo, so if you are feeding iceburg it may be that.

However, I would still go to the vet as soon as you can, otherwise you may lose your piggie.

Source(s):

BSc animal management
Works with animals
Piggie owner

Answer 3

never give guineas or rabbits lettuce, it's 99% water and will give them the runs. we always stongly advise this where i work,
keep your guinea on just hay and water for 24 hours and it should clear up, if it doesn't you will need to take him to a vet
stick to treats like apple, broccoli, cabage, carrots, colliflower but keep them to a little every day and make sure fresh hay is available 24/7.
best of luck xxx

Source(s):

main animal carer at pets at home.
xxx

Answer 4

Does the g-pig sound like he's wheezing? Pick him up and put his chest to your ear. He may have an upper respiratory infection. You will want to separate him from the others for the time being. But get him to a vet or a complete check up. But cut down on his intake of the carrots, apples, and lettuce to everyother day or less than that.

Answer 5

here are a couple of good resources

Source(s):

http://www.guinealynx.com/diarrhea.html , http://www.exoticpetvet.com/breeds/guine…

Answer 6

THE LETTUCE HAS CAUSED THE DIARRHEA GET RID OF IT



search the internet on feeding piggies lettuce it will tell you that it is bad for them

Answer 7

Well, it could be a number of things actually. A quick check of the web comes up with the following (bear in mind it was written by a British guy so some of the spelling may seem odd and the medication he refers to is your average over the counter anti-diarrheal, half of a tablet crushed up and fed to the pet)

Read on to see what they said, (Good Luck)

Diarrhoea can be as minor or as major a problem as it can be in human beings

The number one rule is that if the diarrhoea is fluid and has the added symptoms of the guinea pig's coat being fluffed up and it is sitting in a corner looking thoroughly miserable then it is a major problem. It must be taken to a vet P.D.Q., for it will be in need of an antibiotic, and quickly!. There are several diseases that guinea pigs can suffer from which can prove rapidly fatal and the symptoms I have just described are indicative of them.

If the diarrhoea is fluid but the guinea pig is alert and though not eating as well, at least interested, the first thing to do is give it half a tablet of Diocalm, powdered down and given mixed with a small amount of water. This is a product formulated for human beings who have diarrhoea which is very safe and effective for use upon guinea pigs. The next thing to give, and this is very important, is a tablet of Buscopan, powdered down in the same way as the Diocalm. This is also a human medicine, which is a gut relaxant and analgesic. This eases the griping pains as it relaxes the gut spasms, which makes the animal feel better, which is half the battle.

Repeat the Diocalm every ten to twelve hours but as soon as there is a sign of things beginning to firm up, stop the treatment. Usually two to three half tablets are sufficient.

If there is a general softness of the pellets then just one half tablet of Dioclam will usually clear things up and the Buscopan will not be necessary.

In cases where this kind of diarrhoea lingers or is spasmodic, the powered astringent and delmucent herbs such as Slippery elm, Carob, and Shepherds purse can be used more long term. If the latter is available to be picked fresh then feed it to the guinea pig direct.

In all serious cases of diarrhoea it is essential to keep up the body salts with rehydration preparations. A quick comparison between those formulated for human beings and those licensed for animals quickly shows that they are almost identical, for we are, after all, both mammals!. The big difference of course is in the price, the veterinary products, as usual being far more expensive. There are several on the market, Rehydrate and Dioralyte being just two. Give little and often.

There can often be a flushing out of the gut flora which is vital for the guinea pig to be able to digest it's food so it is always wise to give some form of probiotic to help reseed the gut. Avipro is the one I use, available from most large pet shops. Just a pinch in a small syringe of water once a day for two to three days.

DON'T TAKE CHANCES WITH DIARRHOEA. IF YOU CAN'T NIP IT IN THE BUD WITHIN THE FIRST TWENTY FOUR HOURS OR THE GUINEA PIG APPEARS TO GET LISTLESS IT NEEDS DEEPER INVESTIGATION.

Source(s):

http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/index.html

Answer 8

TMI!!!!!