Genitals Trouble pooping??

[MissFormosa]

Alton seems to be having trouble pooping.

I read the info on Guinea Lynx about impaction and I'm not sure. I also read a few threads on here and I would still like more info.

Here's what happens: He walks around with a dropping sticking out of his behind, like he couldn't push it out all the way. He does go in the corner and poops out a few droppings at one time with no apparent problem. I see him push, but he doesn't look like he is in pain or using great effort and I figure all animals (and humans) have to push to poop so I am not worried about that - just about the walking around with the dropping sticking out of his behind. He doesn't pull at it and as far as I can tell, it doesn't bother him any.

Also, I don't notice clumps of droppings either in the cage or in his sac when we clean him as described in the Guinea Lynx article. He never gets "backed up". When we clean him and pull back the sac, it is usually a little moist, somewhat slimy, with little bits of hay or other things stuck to it. It smells really foul, but I have read that is normal.

We do clean and lube his behind once a week and more often if it seems that things have gotten mucky. He is only about a year and a half old as far as we have been told, so I didn't think he was an older pig yet and that we didn't need to clean it out daily if there was no apparent problem and we do check daily.

I feed him the recommended fresh greens diet from the diet thread stickies and in the right amounts. I give them fruit no more than 2-3 times a week. He has Oxbow timothy hay at all times and occasionally, I'll add a little orchard grass to the hay rack. They eat Oxbow pellets, but a small amount, which is 1/4 a cup daily. There is fresh water at all times.

He gets exercise, but we don't have any ramps yet for him to climb up, so the exercise he gets is basically running around, jumping, motorboating and popcorning whether in the cage or during floor time.

Alton is a little overweight at 2lbs 15oz. Does that have anything to do about it? Also, he loves marking things, so he drags his butt a lot.

 

[fieryone]

He walks around with a dropping sticking out of his behind, like he couldn't push it out all the way.

He never gets "backed up". When we clean him and pull back the sac, it is usually a little moist, somewhat slimy, with little bits of hay or other things stuck to it. It smells really foul

I'll be keeping my eye on this thread. My new guy has the same problem. Sometimes when I pick him up he has one hanging out or right at the opening. I have helped him get it out a few times and usually 2 or even 3 come out at the same time. And yes, it stinks! But there are normal amounts of poo in his cage, so he IS pooping.

 

[MissFormosa]

Oh I forgot one thing. Alton likes to play with toilet paper tubes and sometimes he nibbles on them. I'm sure it is digestible. I'm just looking for possible causes.

Also, the dropping that is stuck is not super soft, so I don't think it is a caecal pellet. It seems to be the same consistency as the others around the cage.

We went to clean him late last night after I posted and he was clean, had the clear film in his sac, and no blockage...but yet, he was walking around with the dropping sticking half out of his behind.

 

[wigglesgiggles1]

One of my boys Giggles does this. He gets alot of excercize. He also poops alot. Nor is he impacted, by the way he's a year and a half old. I am interested to hear some answers.

 

[NicholsS10]

My boy Bodie does this once in a while too, and he's 2.5 years old. He gets plenty of exercise and a good diet. I'm also doing everything that everyone else has stated, and since he's not impacted, I've figured that it's no big deal, but if someone has an answer to this, I would like to hear it as well.

 

[Paula]

As pigs get older, they start to lose strength in the muscles of their anus. For obvious reasons, this is more of an issue for males. While they don't usually become fully impacted, they do sometimes have more difficulty expelling their poos than in their younger days. If you're noticing that your boys are having occasional difficulties, it's a good idea to get into a more regular habit of checking and cleaning their sacs to make sure they're expelling all their poos - both fecal and caecal.

It's not a cause for alarm, per say, but it does warrant closer watching.

ETA - This is the basic explanation I got from my vet when I asked this question, because I have a lot of older gentlemen myself, many of which have this occasional struggle.

 

[MissFormosa]

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I thought I was starting to lose my mind spending my time watching this pig walk around with a poo sticking out of his behind instead of watching my favorite tv shows. I was concerned this must be something awful and that I was doing something wrong. Ugh! Being a new confused pig owner certainly is frustrating at times.

I'm going to start checking him daily.

I know this must be a ridiculous question, but is there any way to tone up the muscles down there? Will adding a ramp or more running room help?

 

[Paula]

The more exercise, the better. But there aren't any butt specific piggy aerobics that I know of.

From what I understand, it's kind of just a fact of aging boar life, and like I said, something worth watching but not quite worrying about unless they develop full on impactions or seem to have pain going.

 

[wigglesgiggles1]

Thank you Paula! Now I don't have to worry, just monitor him.

 

[MissFormosa]

The more exercise, the better. But there aren't any butt specific piggy aerobics that I know of.

From what I understand, it's kind of just a fact of aging boar life, and like I said, something worth watching but not quite worrying about unless they develop full on impactions or seem to have pain going.

Phew! That is good to know! I'll definitely keep an eye on it for now.

As soon as you mentioned piggy aerobics... I couldn't stop laughing to myself! I could stop thinking of Alton in a leotard with a belt, leg warmers, and a headband!

 

[pigsmakemesmile]

Man and I have 5 boys, all older with one who struts around his pen with half a poo stick'n out of his behind too....if he can only see himself. A pig in a leotard???? LMAO.

 

[Paula]

As soon as you mentioned piggy aerobics... I couldn't stop laughing to myself! I could stop thinking of Alton in a leotard with a belt, leg warmers, and a headband!

Pigs have such a short little span of attention that I don't think there are many who could commit to a full exercise routine anyway, even if you could find the perfectly appropriate piggy workout gear.

 

[ResqMomma]

Oh gosh... Piggy workout gear!!! I was reading for education purposes and had to laugh at that. I better not mention it to my daughter I can picture naked dolls and dressed piggies..