My Guinea Pig is Constipated! Please help!

Kattp · Jan 1, 2013

Last night my female piggy of 1 year started showing signs of constipation (she is stiff, has dark soft mushy poop, struggles/makes noises while trying to poop) and she only eats Timothy hay and drinks water. I tried feeding her some apple skin and watermelon, but she wouldn't eat it. I tried feeding her normal guinea pig pellet food and she wouldn't eat it. I also tried feeding her 0.5 mL of extra virgin olive oil with a plastic spoon to soften her poop, but she wouldn't drink it. I didn't have a syringe to feed it to her orally. Also, I changed her diet yesterday before she was constipated, and i figured that that might be the cause of her constipation. I can't go to the vet because I don't have that much money so I need home treatments for my guinea pig's constipation. Please help, thank you!

jdallas2 · Jan 1, 2013

Whether you have the money or not you should consider taking her in. A lot of vets have payment plans... My vet charges around $30 for the visit and if antibiotics are needed it has been around another $40 or so. I want to say they charge around $125 for an X-ray. It can seem like a lot but the money is not worth using your friend over. I'd hate for it to be something other than constipation?

Good luck and keep us posted.

foggycreekcavy · Jan 1, 2013

You say her poops are dark and soft and mushy. I would not give her any oil, it sounds like her poops are soft enough.

What did you change her diet to? What were you giving before?

Making noises while pooping can be a sign of bladder stones.

She really needs to see a vet asap.

Paula · Jan 1, 2013

Ditto, the pig isn't constipated and refusing to eat previously favorite foods (apple, watermelon) is indicative of a very serious, probably life-threatening, condition. Squeaking and straining while peeing and pooping are likely to be a UTI, a stone, or another issue within the tract, like a tumor. None of those things can be remedied with home treatments and whatever your financial situation, your pig needs urgent medical attention and you need to find a way to get it for her straight away, whatever sacrifices you might have to make to make that happen.

madison45 · Jan 1, 2013

you can force feed your pig Oxbow critical care i do get mine from the vet but I'm sure you can find it in other places you just mix it with luke warm water and it will help a lot for a constipation problem because it goes right threw there small digestive system

madison45 · Jan 1, 2013

the same thing happens to my pig and he is fine after a few days of this but i still always recommend going to the vet

Paula · Jan 1, 2013

madison45 said:
the same thing happens to my pig and he is fine after a few days of this but i still always recommend going to the vet

The pig described in the initial post is not constipated. Mushy poop does not equal constipation, it's another issue. The OP is mistaking it as constipation because of the hunching, straining and stiffness when she tries to go - that's because there's significant pain when the animal attempts to empty her bowels or bladder, which is indicative of a different issue, not constipation.

Force feeding because this pig is not eating is a good idea, though.

In general, pigs do not get constipated in the traditional sense, so in any case the animal needs to see a vet.

madison45 · Jan 1, 2013

Paula said:
The pig described in the initial post is not constipated. Mushy poop does not equal constipation, it's another issue. The OP is mistaking it as constipation because of the hunching, straining and stiffness when she tries to go - that's because there's significant pain when the animal attempts to empty her bowels or bladder, which is indicative of a different issue, not constipation.

Force feeding because this pig is not eating is a good idea, though.

In general, pigs do not get constipated in the traditional sense, so in any case the animal needs to see a vet.

oh ok thank you guess it is time to change vets because she said it was constipation

Roo99 · Jan 1, 2013

@Kattp , as others have mentioned, vet care in these sorts of situations is vital. Especially if your little pigger is having a painful time with bowel movements. Definitely get her to the vet as soon as you possibly can. I would also try as hard as you can to get her to eat-- guinea pigs need to have food in their tummies to stay happy and healthy! If she isn't eating, it is not good. I would say that the best thing for you to do until you can get to the vet is to try to feet her some Oxbow Critical Care, or veggies, or hay.

I'm praying for your little gal! Hopefully you can get her to the vet and all will end well.

Kattp · Jan 4, 2013

Thanks guys, I brought my piggy to the vet yesterday and she stayed overnight. They are going to put her under anesthesia to see what's going on (it's either a dental problem or her digestive system). Hope everything will be alright. I was also wondering how much does guinea pig anesthesia cost?

soopermum62 · Jan 4, 2013

Check with your vet. there is a card called CARE CREDIT that you can apply for to help with the vet bills.

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My Guinea Pig is Constipated! Please help!

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