With many animals (prey animals especially), putting them on their back can trigger a vagal or fainting response. Theoretically, it happens because the brain/body is interpreting being forced onto the back as an attack by a predator, and the faint is a protective measure to both fool the...

The reason they have difficulty pooping with urinary stones is usually related to pain. I don't know the anatomy specifically, - and someone with more knowledge feel free to correct me if this is inaccurate - but as I understand it, a portion of their urethra passes very close to their rectum...

The chalky white fluid that is dripping all the time is most likely urine with calcium sludge in it. Urinary incontinence and the fact that he's having trouble passing stools are both BIG warning signs that are VERY commonly associated with urinary stones. Stones are especially dangerous for...

With those symptoms, he should go back to the vet to get an x-ray asap. He could have urinary stones.

I'm not sure what 7x4 means; can you describe it in terms of inches or cm? When you say that you clean 1-2 times a week, do you mean that you completely change out the wood shavings and replace with all fresh stuff? Do you spot-clean areas with lots of pee and poop in-between full cleanings?

What is your cage setup like? How big? What kind of bedding? How many pigs share the cage? How often do you clean?

I've never had it happen to any of my boars before, but I have heard that some boars do develop problems passing stools as they get older, especially if they tend to be lazy fellows who don't get a lot of exercise. My best friend's mom had a pig lat that, and the only thing to do was just clean...

My pigs have always liked to "customize" the entrances of their hidies by chewing them into the perfect shape. 😁

Update: Sad news, my friends. I had to euthanize Casper today. 😢 The recent infection that caused him to have his last lower incisor extracted wasn't getting better on the one antibiotic to which the culture was sensitive. The abscessed area had closed up, but was continuing to swell, becoming...

Nevermind, he's totally figured out how to eat his food pellets now. :p

Update: After having the spurs trimmed off his back molars 3 weeks ago, Casper was still not quite right in his eating. One of the first things I noticed after the tooth trimming - which should have been obvious to me earlier - is that his cagemate, Poptart, eats more than twice as fast as...

Hi everyone! Well, it's been a while since I've been on the forums, and I never did actually post about the conclusion of Casper's tooth abscess saga. Long story short: we were finally able to heal the abscess without surgery using azithromycin. After 6 months of fighting the horrid thing, he's...

A long-overdue update on Casper's abscess: he saw the exotic specialist at the vet school on 9/6. The day before we went, I made a startling discovery: he had lost his right-lower incisor. I pointed this out to the vet when we were there, and she said that because the tooth was missing, she...

Update on Casper: His appointment with the exotic specialist at the vet school is this coming Tuesday. I was initially really concerned about waiting so long after the vet diagnosed a tooth root abscess, but actually... He seems to be doing just fine. Almost indifferent in fact, which is...

Update on Casper: Shoot. I really thought we had this problem with the abscess licked. Palpated his chin last Saturday and the abscess was coming back, along with that awful, smelly breath from draining pus. He saw the vet on Wednesday, and it's not good news. Vet is now sure that what he has...

Update: Casper went back to the vet for a recheck on Tuesday. A different vet saw him this time, and bumped up his dose of bactrim by 50%, and he's going to take it for 2 weeks this time instead of 1. Vet did mention possibility of this being a tooth root abscess, but thinks it unlikely at this...

Update: It's not healing tissue. I palpated the abscess this morning and it felt slightly bigger, but then as I pressed on it, I smelled pus express into his mouth through the fistula. As I examined him a little more closely, I saw a little blood around his lower incisors, so the fistula into...

Welcome to the forum! It can take some time for guinea pigs to get used to a new home and new people. Make sure they have places in the cage where they can go to hide and feel safe; draping a few towels over a corner or two work wonderfully for this. Establish a routine early on so that they can...

Update: Casper finally started eating his pellet food again Friday night after I posted. His weight this morning is up 10 grams from yesterday and 20 grams from the day before that. So he's gaining slowly, but headed in the right direction. I can still feel the lump where the abscess is/was, but...

I'm so sorry your sweet girl didn't make it.