Why did my guinea pig squeak passing a large poop after changing hay?

Hello. Any change in formulation of feed can change the color & consistency of the feces, especially in hindgut fermenters like guinea pigs. It does take time for the bacteria to adapt. But if your pigs are only picking out the good parts, then it makes sense to change back to their regular hay. This should not be too upsetting to their GI tract since you are doing a relatively fast switch back. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Make sure brownie has plenty of fresh grass hay such as Timothy hay as the majority of his diet. He will also need some supplementation with vitamin C powder's or liquid and the fresh fruits and veggies. On a balanced diet he shouldn't be having soft stools so you may just need to decrease the portion size of his fresh foods. Here are a couple of articles on feeding getting pigs that may be helpful. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/guinea-pigs-feeding https://tricountyhumanesociety.org/pet-tips/critter-tips/139-proper-guinea-pig-diet

It sounds like Kinako may not be getting enough fibre from her diet, so her poop is small and dry. Make sure you offer her fresh hay and pelleted food made for g.pigs that has a high fibre content. Raspberries are higher in fibre, so worth trying to offer her some. If this problem continues, your vet should examine her teeth to make sure there are no sharp spurs which may prevent her chewing properly. Change her water daily.

Not having grass for one day is not likely to be the reason, gut stasis could be one of the reasons, if it is the same by tomorrow and the appetite is decreased as well, you will need to take him to the vet to get it treated.

Hi there! Guinea pigs really like their veggies and pellets, so your guy may be starting to want those more often instead of hay. However, Guinea pigs really need to be eating hay as the main staple of their diet. This makes sure their gastrointestinal tract is always active and working. Try to continue to offer your pig hay and very small amounts of the other stuff. He also needs to have a vitamin C supplement in the diet. If your pig isn't eating much though in general, my biggest concern is always checking the teeth (which should be done a couple of times a year anyway by a veterinarian who is skilled at treating Guinea pigs), and also making sure the pig isn't bloated. Guinea pigs can also colic and have issues with the gastrointestinal tract not moving at an appropriate pace. I would monitor your pig for another 12 hours and if he is not improving, I'd take him in to see his veterinarian to insure nothing serious is going on.

Thanks for reaching out about Miss Piggy. Yes, soft stool can be a result of stress, but stress also lowers the immune system that can lead to bacterial overgrowth or parasitic overgrowth. Since she is still eating well and acting well, try limiting her diet to hay only for 1-2 days, to see if that will firm the stool. Vegetables and fruit can be too rich for the diet and lead to soft stool also. If the clinical signs does not improve, seek an appointment with a veterinarian with experience in companion exotic mammals.

This can be caused by parasites, dietary indiscretion or poor diet. Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites. Treat if indicated. Discontinue feeding any fruits or vegetables for now. Feed only timothy hay and a small amount of pellets daily. Once the stool is normal, you can gradually offer tiny bits of vegetables. Limit fruit though to prevent diarrhea or obesity.