Puberty White Milky Liquid

[hkwalker1]

I have 2 teenage-ages guinea pigs and I noticed a small pool of white liquid they left in a plate. When I cleaned their cage, I noticed similarly-sized white residue spots. I was under the impression that guinea pig sperm is more solid, so I was wondering if this is something to be concerned about. thank you!

 

[bpatters]

That's urinary calcium, and that largest spot is pretty big.

How old are the pigs?

What exactly is their diet like? What kind of hay? What brand of pellets, and how many? What veggies and how many of each?

 

[hkwalker1]

Timothy hay from Oxbow, bulk premium guinea pig food from pet supplies plus (it has little “treat” rings, seeds, and pellets). The dry food is left in there all the time. They get bell peppers, kale, and cucumbers almost every day.

 

[LittleSqueakers]

That looks more like calcium deposits from dried urine to me. Guinea pig semen, or "boar glue" as it's often called, is very much just like that -- a gluey substance that dries hard onto stuff and is almost impossible to get off. I've had many a good piece of fleece ruined from hardened boar glue that wouldn't come off in the wash...

Some cloudiness to urine and some calcium deposits left behind from dried urine is quite normal for guinea pigs. However, if you ever start seeing very opaque, white puddles of urine in large quantities or piles of dried calcium deposit, you may want to consider reducing the amount of high-calcium veggies in your pig's diet. You can also monitor the texture of the calcium residue left behind by feeling to see if it's a soft, powdery substance or if it's gritty in texture. Supposedly, a grittier texture can indicate a potential buildup of sludge in the bladder, possibly leading to bladder stones.

 

[bpatters]

You didn't say how old they are. That determines what you should do, if anything.

That "premium" food is NOT. Pellets should be primarily timothy hay, with no nuts, seeds, or colored bits in it. It should have a calcium content of no more than .4% if you can find it -- Oxbow and KMS Hayloft are the only ones we recommend. Neither uses calcium carbonate as a calcium source, which may be implicated in bladder stones.

Kale is too high in calcium and vitamin A for regular feeding -- red or green leaf lettuces are much better greens for a staple in the diet. They need a vegetable source of vitamin C every day, which the bell peppers will give them.

 

[hkwalker1]

Is Oxbow Essentials a good dry food for them? What greens would you substitute for kale?

 

[bpatters]

From my post above,

red or green leaf lettuces are much better greens for a staple in the diet.

And,

Oxbow and KMS Hayloft are the only ones we recommend.