Weight Loss Poop still different, 4 month after antibiotics stopped

[SFTrex]

My soon to be 2 year old neutered boar, Pinky was on 2 different antibiotics for over a month back in March. Since then, his poos have been forever different. They have gotten smaller, greener and tear dropped shaped.
Occassinal probiotics didn't sustain the improvement. We are now giving probiotics everyday, which seems to help greatly. His poops are bigger in size but still greenish brown.
Is there anything else I need to do? Would he have to rely on probiotics forever?

To provide his medical history,
The meds were given for suspected UTI (10days on one) then 3 weeks of Cipro for bladder sludge after ultrasound.
Despite the prolonged treatment, the blood in urine did not completely go away, which stumped our vet. She suggested cancer. But it was never conclusive.
To make a long story short, he is now completely off med, and he is doing fine. I have only spotted blood in urine two month ago just once. His weight stays around 980g since then. (He used to be 1050g before antibiotics) He seems completely normal otherwise. He eats well.

 

[bpatters]

What exactly is his diet like?

What kind of hay? Is it unlimited?

Which pellets? How many?

What veggies? And how many of each?

Sometimes it takes a while for the gut to readjust, especially after strong antibiotics.

Was this an exotic vet? Because Cipro, which is a very strong antibiotic, is not a normal treatment for bladder sludge.

 

[SFTrex]

We use KMS third cut Timothy hay, provided unlimited. We refill 2-3 times a day.
OXbow pellet, 1/4cup/day for 2 piggies. 1/8 cup for him. His housemate doesn't dominate food supply. They get along well.
Veggies: we try to limit kale and calcium rich veggies since sludge. 1 cup/piggie of cucumber, red pepper, Italian parsely, cilantro, red leaf lettuce, carrot, celery, fennel are the typical veggies.

Yes, it was exotic vet. Cipro was given after Pinky did not respond to 10 days of Sulfatrim. I can see that it messed up his system big time! Sigh....

Anything else to help him to revive his system beside probiotics? How long should we give him?

 

[bpatters]

Ok, here's what I'd do.

I'd cut out all the veggies/probiotics for 48-72 hours and then see if his poop firms up. If it does, you can add veggies back one at a time, 24-48 hours in between each one, until you get to one that's causing the problems. Pay particular attention to the cucumber.

Italian parsley, celery, and fennel are high in calcium, and I wouldn't feed them at all. Cilantro is not especially high in calcium, but it's like romaine lettuce -- some pigs will have sludge problems when eating it, but others don't. I wouldn't give kale to a sludge pig.

If things don't improve after the first 24-36 hours after coming off veggies, I'd start giving probiotics again, twice a day, morning and evening. If you do that, wait another 24-48 hours before adding veggies back in to see what happens.

 

[SFTrex]

His stool is not soft though. The poops are firm, just slightly smaller and not as dark. They are greenish brown and slightly dry. So, if anything wouldn't he need more water contained veggies like cucumbers?

Now, I am not sure what else to feed him beside red bell pepper and carrot????

 

[bpatters]

See https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List for what you can feed and how often.

I assumed the poops were softer, but now that I re-read your first post, I'm confused. Are they smaller, greener and tear-shaped, or larger and greenish brown?

 

[SFTrex]

They used to be tear drop shaped and a lot smaller. With consistent doze of probiotic, they are regular shaped, still slightly smaller than pre-antibiotic poos, and lighter in color (greenish brown). They were always firm and rather dry. Would it make sense? They do look a lot better now for sure. I will try attacha photo. Two poos in white circle is Pinky's. The darker one belong to his buddy, Guinness.

 

[bpatters]

They look okay to me.

 

[SFTrex]

Oh! Good to know! I will then continue probiotic until stable. Thank you for your feedback.
Is it a concern if his weight remain 980g when he used to be 1050g?

 

[bpatters]

Adult guinea pigs gain weight very slowly. Just keep feeding him good quality food, and he'll probably slowly, very slowly, regain the weight. Senior pigs don't always regain lost weight, but young pigs usually do.

 

[SFTrex]

Oh, that is very helpful to know. Thank you so much for your advice and wisdom!