Mattress Pad Help! Poop paws!!

[philly.piggies]

Hello guys , I am in need of some help! My female piggy meeps keeps getting Feces all in her paws and nails. It's driving me nuts and it can't be healthily for her as well.

We recently upgraded our piggies home to a c&c cage with anti pill fleece . Problem is that our one female meeps Tends to hang out in her hut and likes to now poop in her hut. So she ends up getting lovely poop hands.

I like to keep as clean cage. And sweep the cage 2-3 times a day , if im off even more. We also keep layer of towels under the huts and a top layer of plush fleece blankets . They get changed once a day. I even bought organic all natural baby wipes to wipe her paws every night.

I'm thinking about getting a kitchen to put under the huts to see if that helps. Any tips will help .

 

[bpatters]

Generally, pigs get poopy paws when the poop is too soft. That can be caused by an intestinal infection, or something as simple as too many veggies and too little hay. Exactly what do you feed her, and how much of each item?

The other thing is that if she's peeing on the poop that's there, it can make it mushy. You can make smaller pads, say one foot square, and put them under the hidey. Then change them every day, which will keep them cleaner and cut down on how often you have to change the whole cage.

If changing her diet and the smaller pads don't help, then you should take her to the vet for a fecal smear to make sure she doesn't have something intestinal going on.

 

[philly.piggies]

Thanks for the tips. Both pigs get a salad twice a day. I feed them selective guinea pig food. They also always have hay available. I will cut back on the salad. I think I will schedule a visit anyway she was adopted sick with an uri & a ear infection from a shelter. I would love to get her to a specialist to get checked out anyway.

 

[bpatters]

If it hasn't been long since she's been off the medication for the infections, that may be what's causing the soft poop.

 

[philly.piggies]

December 29th was her last antibiotic day. She was on antibiotics for 4 weeks. She also was taking a steroid for 15 days too. Poor little girl.. But she is doing good now.

 

[bpatters]

Are you giving her a probiotic? Poop soup from a healthy pig would be good. You can buy Bene-Bac, or use a human acidophilus or kyodophilus tablet crushed and sprinkled on her food.

 

[philly.piggies]

No I have not. I Actually have it on hand right now I got it when she was on antibiotics . I asked the vet about it . But he did not seem to thrilled so I did not use it. But he was the vet from the humane society. So I was not sure what to think. Since we are newer guinea pig family.

 

[bpatters]

Some vets recommend probiotics, some don't. Same is true with human doctors. The best exotic vet in Houston doesn't recommend them. But as a survivor of a six-week-long bout with diarrhea (while I was on crutches, no less -- NOT fun at all) that was finally cured with probiotics, I'm a real believer. And if it doesn't help, it at least won't hurt, and you'll have given it a shot.