-Many people look for a home remedy for constipated guinea pig and try to get the best one, so this article is helpful for you, as it provides a lot of data.
–Guinea pigs always get a rich fiber diet, so they are less suspected of constipation.
-But what you can do if you notice that your guinea pig doesn’t poop as usual, that is what we will discuss.
-You can’t let constipation last for more than 24 hours as that will make your guinea pig suffer from intestinal blockage and make it at high risk.
Before you can detect a home remedy for constipated guinea pig, you should know what the signs of constipation are.
What are the signs of a constipated guinea pig
Constipation isn’t common in guinea pigs, so if your guinea pig suffers from it, that may be a warning sign for something dangerous.
Constipation in guinea pig may be secondary to any illness.
You can choose a home remedy for constipated guinea pig if you notice these signs.
1- Your guinea pig doesn’t eat
If it stops eating for more than 24 hours, that will be a sign for statis(this condition when the guinea pig not pooping)
2- Hiding
If you notice that your guinea pig doesn’t interact with you as usual, that means it may feel pain.
3- Reduced amount of stool
Guinea pigs produce large amounts of stools throughout the day. but if it has constipation, the amount will decrease.
4- Dry stool
The stool of the guinea pig is moist and soft, so if you find it dried up, that is a sign of constipation because it means that the stool stays longer in the intestine.
5- Swollen stomach
Accumulation of food in the digestive system due to digestive blockage will cause the guinea pig’s stomach to be swollen.
6- Grinding teeth
If your guinea pig is grinding its teeth, it means it may feel pain.
How often does guinea pig poop
-Healthy guinea pigs can produce about 100 poops per 24 hours.
-Also, the quality of poops is as important as the quantity.
-You should be able to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy poops.
What does healthy guinea pig poop look like
1- Normal poop
-The measure of normal poop is 1-2 cm in size.
-It looks oval and rounded on both sides and its color is medium dark brown.
-Healthy poop doesn’t have any smell.
-As we mentioned, the frequency can be 100 times per day.
2- Green poop
-Green poop doesn’t mean a serious problem.
-It may happen due to some green pellets from the guinea pig’s bottom.
-You may wonder why guinea pigs eat their pellets as these pellets contain some nutrients such as fiber and protein.
3- Bloody poop
-This condition needs emergency care immediately because it is a sign of digestive system obstruction.
4- Dry poop
-It Is a sign of dehydration.
-It becomes a fatal problem if it doesn’t be treated as soon as possible.
5- Smelly poop
-If you start to smell your guinea pig poop, it may be a sign of infection.
-You should get veterinary care quickly.
The causes to get a home remedy for constipated guinea pig and how to deal with:
There are many causes for constipation that happened to guinea pigs.
1-Dehydration(lack of water):
The intestine of guinea pig becomes dry due to lack of water intake and that causes constipation.
2-Diet:
The nature of diet affects surely the digestive system.
Guinea pig needs high fiber content in their diet and low carbohydrates.
3-Lack of vitamin C:
The guinea pig’s body doesn’t synthesize vitamin C so it will need vit C supplements.
4-Dental problem:
Food needs to be chewed well to be well digested too.
Make sure to offer a hay-based diet to your guinea pig.
Here are some other causes for guinea pig constipation
-The psychological state also has a significant impact on the occurrence of the problem of constipation.
-Stress can cause serious problems for your guinea pig.
-You should support your guinea pig emotionally if it is upset as that affect the digestive system.
-Don’t leave it alone as a guinea pig is a social animal, it needs to spend time with you and gets entertainment regularly.
-Guinea pigs need to stay in a wide place as they don’t like to be trapped.
-Changes in environmental temperature may affect guinea pigs.
Home remedy for constipated Guinea pig and its importance:
Using a home remedy for constipated guinea pig is very important because if constipation doesn’t be treated well, may result in fatal problems.
1-Adjust guinea pig diet:
-Food rich in fiber is very important as a home remedy for constipated guinea pig because it helps the digestive tract to be healthy and prevent hard stools.
-Provide green vegetables to diet but take care of their amount as an excessive increase may lead to diarrhea.
-Some food causes bloating in guinea pig as cauliflower, cabbage, and raw beans, so make sure not to give them to your guinea pig.
-You can mix 5 or 6 different green vegetables and include some vegetables which are high in vitamin C.
-Here is a list of useful and safe vegetables:
- Beetroot
- Carrot tops
- Celery leaves
- Savoy cabbage
- Chicory
- Watercress
- Bell peppers (rich in vitamin C )
- Spring greens( rich in vitamin C )
- Tomatoes but not leaves( rich in vitamin C )
-Also there are some herbs(home remedy for constipated guinea pig) such as:
- Thyme
- Mint
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Coriander
List of useful fruits (home remedy for constipated guinea pig) but in small amounts as high sugar cause weight gain:
- Kiwi
- Unpeeled apple
- Pear peel
- Melon
- Strawberry
-You can add some drops of olive oil because they can help in passing food easily through the digestive system.
2-Probiotics:
-A probiotic supplement is effective as a home remedy for constipated guinea pig and gives the best result.
-There is a difference between human probiotics and guinea pig probiotics as each of them contains different types of bacteria.
-Make sure not to give your Guinea pig human probiotics
You can give probiotics in 2 ways:
- Orally: mixed with water
- Rectally: by enema
3-Water intake:
Water as a home remedy for constipated guinea pig is very important.
It helps soften the stool
Make sure to provide fresh and clean water every day.
4-Hay and grass:
-We can consider hay as a home remedy for constipated guinea pig and it is important.
–Hay and grass should be present in almost 90% of guinea pigs’ diet unlike pellets which can’t be over-fed.
-Make sure to provide grass and hay of good quality.
-Timothy-hay is a great choice and also fresh grass from the garden.
-Large piles of fresh hay are perfect to encourage guinea pigs to get the needed fiber.
5-Pellets:
-According to some vets, you can give a tablespoon of pellets every day.
-Choose grass-based pellets.
6-Lubricants:
-Using lubricants such as Vaseline, mineral oil, and smear petroleum jelly can ease the passing of stool.
-Put lubricant around the outer wall of the anus.
-You can put your guinea pig’s hindquarters in warm water to soften the stool.
7-Digital evacuation:
-If there is a fecal mass trapped in the base of the guinea pig’s anus, you can hold it and apply some pressure slowly by using your thumb and pointer finger, then gently try to get this mass out of your guinea pig’s body.
-Don’t use sharp instruments in digital evacuation as they may cause any harm and your guinea pig will worsen.
-You may need to do this process several times to resume your guinea pig’s normal bowel movement.
Summary:
Providing a home remedy for constipated guinea pig is necessary as constipation problems may be life threatening. That is why you must follow your animal constantly so that you can solve the problem in the fastest way.
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