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Guinea Pig Wet tail? Diareah? Vit C?

ChelleLovesPigs

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Ok, I was reading a few OLDER posts about guinea pig diareah..and well, wet tail. I have a guinea pig who appears to be in wonderful health, not losing weight or anything, eating good...drinking ect..however she always has a matted tail? The posts that i read stated that guinea pigs DO NOT get wet tail, they do however get diareah? My guinea pig does not have soft/runny stool..Well, If this is the case then why do they sell wet tail medication for guinea pigs:confused: Im confused. And also, Ive looked on other websites/forums and they say that wet tail IS diarreah, and that guinea pigs CAN get it, well yes i know guinea pigs can get diareah, but is it as serious as "wet tail" :confused: and also, Ive been told by my local pet stores that veggies/greens are not good for guinea pigs, and can cause them to get wet tail...and i was also reading another post on this forum that stated that fresh veggies is the way to go for vit C...I was going to buy the drops..but was said they aren't any good?? yes...it's safe to say we have a few conflicting opinions? :crazy: can someone PLEASE give me some insite on this, and what i should do about the Vit C...and the Matted tail without any other visable symptoms? id really appreciate it! thanks

michelle
 
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smartorl

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First, while I am not sure of the exact difference, there is one, someone else can elaborate. Veggies can contribute to diarreah, if alot of watery veggies are fed such as cucumbers, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce and so on. Cheap pellets with all the junk in it where the pigs pick out the junk only can also contribute. Does your pig get unlimited hay? Hay is the fiber that keeps the bowel in balance. If we were to believe all that pet shops say, then all pigs would doomed. A pet shop sadly is usually the WORST place to try and get information. I am willing to venture a guess that this site is not the only one advising you to feed fresh veggies and unlimited timothy hay. For example, my pigs get unlimited veggies in the form of a mix that I make every few days of what is on sale, I prep it and keep it in a large ziploc(this week, bok chop, yellow squash, red bell pepper, kale, shredded carrot, green bell pepper, a tiny bit of apple). Bell peppers, especially the red ones are a great source of vitamin C without having the acid from fruits. My pigs get unlimited timothy and orchard grass and because I provide a good balance, pellets make a small portion of the diet. Absolutely do not use the wet tail medications. If you feed veggies and hay and still have a loose stool problem a trip to the vet is in order because that is not normal and I would suspect parasites.
 

nonamian_girl

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You've been getting your information from some bad sources. Never, ever trust anything anyone working a pet store sell you. They don't know anything, and don't even follow their own advice when they do (i.e. I once saw a pig cage in a store that stated pigs should have hay all the time, when there wasn't a strand in sight with the pig in the cage).

First of all, guinea pigs don't even have tails and wet tail is a hamster's illness. They sell medication like that because pet stores are after profit and will sell you anything for money, even when it's completely useless (such as yoghurt drops and vitamin drops, which by the way cause the water to taste bad).

Guinea pigs need at least a cup of veggies a day. Iceburg lettuce is known to give diarrea, so if you stay clear of that, you'll be fine.

Check out this post to learn more: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/introductions/17032-newbies-please-read-post-first.html
 

Percy's Mom

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ChelleLovesPigs said:
If this is the case then why do they sell wet tail medication for guinea pigs
To make money. Unfortunately, most companies that make pet products, and absolutely a lot of the people that sell them in the stores, don't know much about animals.
they say that wet tail IS diarreah, and that guinea pigs CAN get it
Wet-tail is not only diarrhea, although that is one of the symptoms. It is mainly caused by a bacterial infection or imbalance in a hamster's stomach, and the diarrhea can sometimes be accompanied by a prolapsed rectum and severe dehydration of the hamster. Bacterial infections differ from one species to the next, so while a guinea pig can get diarrhea, it would not be wet tail.

I was going to buy the drops..but was said they aren't any good??
I'm assuming you mean the drops that are sold to be put in water. These are an EXTREMELY bad idea. Vitamin C degrades quickly in water and light, so your guinea pig probably wouldn't get any benefits from them anyway. The only thing they would end up doing is changing the taste of the water, and possibly causing your cavy not to drink. This could cause other motility problems, and you could end up at your vet's office with intestinal blockage or dehydration.

smartorl was absolutely correct on the vitamin C in veggies. If you give vegetables that are high in C like bell peppers, cilantro, chard, and balance that out with lettuces (except iceberg) and rotate other veggies and fruits in and out of the diet, there should be no reason for a vitamin C supplement. Good quality pellets (1/8-1/4 cup/day/pig) will also be fortified with vitamin C. If you have a pig that is ill or will not occasionally eat his veggies, you can supplement with 25mg (approximately) of a sugar free vitamin C only tablet or liquid that can be found at a health or natural foods store. (broken link removed) also produces a good vitamin C tablet for guinea pigs that can be easily broken in half to give the needed amount. Oxbow also produces an excellent quality pellet and hay. Another excellent source for pellets and hay is (broken link removed).

Your best bet is really not to listen to most of the information that is given in pet stores. While some of the employees might have good hearts, they typically do not have correct information, and are primarily there just to make money for the store. If you feed your guinea pigs a healthy diet of unlimited grass hay, a cup+ of veggies daily, and a good quality pellet, assuming there is nothing else wrong with the animal, you shouldn't have any diarrhea issues.
 

ChelleLovesPigs

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Thank you guys so much! you have ALL been very helpful, And everything you've said makes total sense to me. The this is, My guinea pig does not have runny or wet stool:?:, It appears to be normal.
She does however have a matted tail, which I was thinking it might be because she is long haired and things are getting caught in it (urine ect). As I stated in my first post, she does not have ANY other symptoms or actions to be concerned about, She eats and drinks normal, doesnt look to have any problems going to the bathroom, no loss of weight (she is a plump pig):p I change her bedding once a week. Does the fact that she is long haired make sense to anyone? Ive had her for a few months and im not sure what her diet was before I rescued her,however ive been keeping the fruits and veggies to a minimum (which I will stop doing). I do give her dried treats, Like the fruit n nut bars ect..she loves them. Once again, thank you everyone for the replys, And thanks to you all piggy will be even more spoiled with more and more fruits and veggies! Along with some hay :heart: Please let me know any more advice you may have, it is definately appreciated!

Michelle
 

Percy's Mom

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The long hair DEFINITELY makes sense. Most of the forum members with longer haired pigs (all of mine have short hair), give their pigs butt trims to keep the hair short in that area and avoid matting. You might want to give her a butt bath in warm water to soften the matts before trimming them off.

Make sure you keep hay in her cage all the time. This will help keep her digestive system in check, so you don't have to worry as much about her bowels. As far as those snacks, please stop giving them. Nuts are fattening and can be a severe choking hazard for guinea pigs. Give her extra bits of pepper, cilantro, any noticed favorite veggie, or a sliver of fruit if you want to give her a treat. In addition, it's really better to only give them a couple small pieces of fruit a couple times a week. Guinea pigs are highly susceptible to diabetes, and fruit is high in sugar.
 

cookie_gal

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You could try getting someone to hold her on her back and you trimming the hair around her bum very short, taking extreme care not to cut her skin. This way she'll be cleaner and dryer.

Stick with this site, I promise you will get the right info i.e. yes to veggies and occasional fruit for your piggy, no to any sort of drops and a big no to asking petshops for advice.

Just out of interest, what dry food has the petshop sold to you?
 

ChelleLovesPigs

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You guys are very fast to reply! After my first post, I gave her a bath and she let me trim some of the hair off, Im VERY relieved to hear that im not the only one that has this problem. As for the fattening nut snacks, Im glad you say not to feed them to her, they are expensive!:cheerful: To answer cookies question, Ive been buying Kaytee Dry pellets, which is the most expensive the pet store sells:eek:hmy: Ive taken a mental note of all the great advice everyone had given me, thank you so much again!

Michelle
 

ChelleLovesPigs

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Is there a place on here that i can post some pictures of piggy, not just her cage?
 

VoodooJoint

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All the advice you have gotten is good advice. I do recommend you try to get your GP a better food though like Oxbow or KMs.

You can upload pictures of your GP here (broken link removed)
 

ChelleLovesPigs

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thank you voodoo, And i will look into getting a better food!
 

cookie_gal

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Its so nice to see someone readily accepting and listening to advice, I'm sure you and your piggy will have a lovely life together. I would certainly try and see if you are able to get oxbow pellets in any stores nearby, or perhaps try online? Kleenmama's online pellets are raved about here too.
 

ChelleLovesPigs

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Im going to take a trip to the pet store and see what i can find, thanks again!
 

VoodooJoint

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Petstores are unlikely to carry Oxbow unless it is a privately owned store (unlike Petsmart and Petco). You will most likely find Oxbow in feed stores or get it online (like I do).

Try going to (broken link removed) and check out their store locator. You may save yourself some running around. I do recommend calling the store in advance though as sometimes stores discontinue carrying Oxbow and the locator is outdated. Also look in your phone directory for feed stores and petshops and call them in advance to see if they carry it. Exotic vets often have it as well.
 

smartorl

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I have found Oxbow to be very helpful when I have called. You can also go to your local pet store and ask for them to carry the product. After I made the request, my store started to carry it. Before that to offset the price of shipping, a friend and I would buy a larger bag and split the cost and the feed. You will really see and smell a difference between their pellets and the Kaytee which has been sitting on a shelf for who knows how long.
 

ChelleLovesPigs

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I will definately check out that website, and make some phone calls regarding oxbow, and ill keep you all updated! thanks
 

Ly&Pigs

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She does however have a matted tail, which I was thinking it might be because she is long haired and things are getting caught in it (urine ect).
It's not the "tail" that is getting matted but the rump area. Long haired pigs tend to get everything caught in the hair on their rumps. Pee, poo, hay, etc. The easiest solutions to this problem is to keep the hair on the rump trimmed short and then do a daily brushing of your pig all over. With the hair short, it doesn't get all matted up.
 

smartorl

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It is a good idea for health reasons to keep long haireds trimmed. They can get painful urine scald and in my opinion be more prone to having bacteria present in that area that could lead to UTI's. Your pigger may not like it the first time and you may need an extra set of hands but over time it will be accepted especially, if lots of veggie treats follow!
 

ChelleLovesPigs

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I trimmed the hair around her bum as much as I could, Of course was fearful of catching the skin, She handled it pretty well though, she is very well behaved and does not give me problems bathing, brushing or even blow drying her in the winter when its to cold to leave her wet. (don't worry, I do not get the blow drier close enough to burn her) :) I will definately from now on keep her hair trimmed, Im so glad I found this forum and was blessed enough to run across such helpful people. feel free to let me know anymore useful information you may have about anything that has been talked about in this subject! thanks again.

michelle
 
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