First photo is the before photo. If your current bedding (shavings, paper products) collect in your boar's sac, changing to fleece bedding may also help. The guinea pig is usually presented for straining to defecate, constipation, or passing large amounts of foul-smelling soft stool. Regular checking of all males is recommended. Adjusting Your Guinea Pig's Diet Add soft fruits and veggies to your pet's diet. Generally piggies that may experience this will be well over the age of 5 years. Third and fourth photos: the perineal sac. This is called “coprophagic” behaviour. Some species of fly lay eggs in impacted fecal matter and the hatching maggots can kill the guinea pig by boring into its flesh. The National Pork Producers Council estimates pork farmers will lose $5 Billion in revenue. Gently retract the folds of the anus to ensure that all debris has been completely removed. It's not a dog. When I say yelling and aggressive behavior, this of course is applied to you, not to your guinea pig. However, over the last decade, wild pigs have increasingly impacted urban/suburban areas of the state—including all the major cities, by damaging greenspaces (i.e., lawns, parks, sports fields) and by increases in vehicular collisions causing damage to vehicles and in some cases humans. It is very easy to distinguish which of these is the cause by the appearance of the resulting faecal matter. If the pig can't poo, he won't eat. I rinse his sac once or twice a week, as needed. In these instances piggies have been left in horrendous conditions whereby they either do not have access to water, or they do not have access to hay. While not all boars will develop impaction, knowing what to look for and a little preventive maintenance will keep your animal healthy. There's some slight swelling on the left side of the picture, which according to my vet is normal in older boars with this type of problem. Spaying a female guinea pig is usually considered more risky than neutering a male because it is more invasive. Boars that have been neutered rarely if ever experience impaction. You have a girlfriend on anti-depressents and she can't bare to see a motionless guinea pig for a minute? Many diseases and pests plague the cattle industries of the world, the more serious ones being prevalent in the humid and less developed countries. Second photo, Brimstone opens the sac to gently remove the impacted material: Two views of how to rinse using a 6cc syringe and warm water: "This is what Rocky's sac looks like when it's inverted. 11. Check more frequently if a particular guinea pig has problems often. Please do not assume that any vet can do a guinea pig neuter. Neutering is a surgical procedure and all surgical procedures carry real risks, even when performed by an experienced vet. Check out her Guinea Lynx post for comments and links to them. The perineal sac is a collecting place for all sorts of debris (hair, cage shavings, hay) and should be checked on a regular basis and cleaned if needed. In his book A Grown-up's Guide to Guinea Pigs, Dale Sigler suggests that guinea pigs on high protein diets produce more cecal feces. It is not necessary to wash guinea pigs regularly nor to clean the anal sack areas, unless there is a problem. In rescue situations we see this commonly as it is a directly result of an incorrect diet. The drier fecal pellets are also used but do not contain as many beneficial bacteria. The following article was contributed by Andrew and printed with his permission. If your guinea pig is impacted, it needs to see a Vet immediately, either for an enema, surgery, or euthanasia before it starts to suffer. Second photo shows the penis with the prepuce drawn back. With a stomach as sensitive as a guinea’s, however, you must watch what you feed your pet. However the degree of impaction is no where as severe as in rescue cases where it can be extreme and could result in masses of the size of a golf ball. If this condition develops, it's necessary to clear the impaction every day. Yelling and/or aggressive behavior. If you need to take your guinea pig to a shelter, we recommend finding a no-kill shelter. Some guinea pigs have been known to snatch cecal feces from other pigs. The penile shaft on male guinea pigs can also collect debri such as hair or faeces. In most cases, they are selective, eating only the smaller, moister droppings, which they usually take directly from the anus. I don't know Rocky's exact age, but I estimate he was at least 5 when these pictures were taken.". The muscles of these guinea pigs have weakened and they are no longer able to expel the soft caecal pellets that accumulate in the perineal sack. Brimstone contributed the following pics to help illustrate how she takes care of her boar, Rocky. Find a discussion of impaction experiences in the forum. Warm water soaks can help make removal of hardened material easier (Q-tips work well). My main question is though is that is it very likely my other guinea pig will die and how can i tell if it is sick? Many people clean their impacted boars in the bathroom. a cage (One that is at least 30 inches wide, 36 inches high, and 36 inches long should suffice for one guinea pig, but you should make it as large as you can, preferably with two levels for exploring, ramps, and a “bedroom” made out of an upside-down box with a cut-out doorway. Impaction in younger boars can be due to marking habits and personal hygiene. If not, the inside of the pouch will be lined with the natural whitish paste called cecum. Below is a guinea pig showing the typical signs of mites. Like, it's some weird time-pressed thing about all the ways to kill a small animal in the name of its "well being". Occasionally young boars may develop an impaction. First I remove any accumulation by either using Q-tips (for a small amount) or opening the sac and gently coaxing out the impaction (for larger amounts such as that pictured). "Gently separate the testicles so that the inside of the pouch is visible, if the boar is impacted, a firm dark lump of matter can be seen. You need to find a vet who has done quite a few guinea pig neuters AND has a high success rate doing them. This does not need to be removed unless solid and crusty. Terminology. If your guinea pig reingests the pellets, mineral oil is the best lubricant to use for cleaning purposes. If your guinea pig hasn't passed feces in 12 to24 hours, call your veterinarian's office for an exam. How can fecal impaction be prevented? A guinea pig that is not passing feces may be eating too little food. Brimstone also sent a couple pictures of her normal boar, Apollo, who was about 14 months when these were Click on the photo for a larger image. See Pet Education's article on Cecotropes and Coprophagy explaining this unique method of digestion employed by rabbits, guinea pigs, and a few other rodents and mammals. It is commonly referred to as "boar glue". This little piggie made a full recovery. By knowing what is most commonly seen, you can be better prepared to monitor for signs and symptoms that your guinea pig may be getting sick. Particularly long haired guinea pigs are prone to hair being caught in this area. Andrew's advice will guide you through the maintenance process. You could do like the majority of answerers suggest, take him to a veterinarian to be euthanized. If confronted by an agitated pig or cow, back away and get behind a barrier such as a tree. "Because of Rocky's lack of elasticity this is fairly easy to do. As true wild boars became extinct in Great Britain before the development of Modern English, the same terms are often used for both true wild boar and pigs, especially large or semi-wild ones.The English 'boar' stems from the Old English bar, which is thought to be derived from the West Germanic *bairaz, of unknown origin. He used it because it was just easier to maneuver. Guinea pigs may eat the soft cecal feces 150 to 200 times in a day, usually directly from the anus. Since guinea pigs can chew through wires, remove any mercury from your home, and keep electronics away from guinea pigs. Livestock farming - Livestock farming - Diseases of beef and dairy cattle: Dairy cattle are susceptible to the same diseases as beef cattle. Guinea pigs are usually seen by what is referred to as an "exotic" or small animal vet. This problem can be very severe. Impactions that are left untreated will cause your piggie to die. Pork farmers consider killing pigs due to financial strains from COVID-19. "It will be much easier to find his sac under all the hair!". Guinea pigs can also experience impaction as they age. A guinea pig's digestive system is designed to have food moving through it constantly. If left unchecked, your boar will begin to lose physical condition because he is no longer able to eat the caecal pellets and the blockage interferes with the normal digestive process. Try to pass a bowel movement when you first wake up, or half an hour after you eat. More information can be found at Peter Gurney's site and This will not accumulate daily however it is important to do a piggie check every week or so. This is partly due to a weakening of … It is important not to disrupt this environment. Impaction can form for a number of different reasons. Periodic occasional cleaning may also be beneficial for boars that are not impacted. Most cat and dog vets should NOT do a guinea pig neuter. It's a goddamn guinea pig. Check photos and advice on sexing your pigs, if you are unsure. Set up a regular toileting schedule at the same time every day. A few older boars may require daily cleaning of the perineal sac. Impaction is the build up of faecal material in the anal sack of the guinea pig. Okay, so my six year old Guinea Pig, Hurly has struggled to produce the usual shape stool you'd expect from a guinea pig, instead they have been soft, wet, and out of shape not like diarrhoea though. A fecal impaction is a large, hard mass of stool that gets stuck so badly in your colon or rectum that you can’t push it out. It will also enable normal function to have the best possibility of returning. The infected guinea pig’s footpads may become inflamed (redness), develop sores, or become overgrown over the course of many months. Boars that have been neutered rarely if ever experience impaction. If an animal is obese or pregnant, these soft droppings may be expelled and eaten from the floor. Guinea pigs make great pets. Caecal pellets are trapped on their way out of the rectum in an area called the perineal sac and the larger, harder fecal pellets are pushed out. You do not need to regularly clean the anal sack area unless there is a case of impaction that you are dealing with. In older boars, this may be caused by loss of muscle tone or difficulty in removing the pellets. In some guinea pigs, the harder pellets can still be expelled. In 2007, a sow in Norfolk, England knocked a farmer off his feet, enabling the other pigs to bite the man. Only one shot should put it down. Older boars may develop a condition called impaction. Click on the photo for a larger image. Sit on the floor. Certainly using Q-tips is not recommended as you can do more hard than good. One of my guinea pigs died all of a sudden and i have no idea why it did. They slide their bottom along the ground making them more susceptible to debri going in this region. You will need to check this region from time to time to ensure that debri such as wood shavings, hay and hair are not accumulating there. I am not saying that hers was dirty but i just want to make sure that it isnt a reason or it is a reason. Soon it will be painful to eat, if the animal is hungry at all, and either starvation or other complications will follow. Wonder if you have a boar or sow? This lining will coat the faecal pellets and at a later time they are re-ingested by your guinea pig. Watch the following video on help with how to treat impaction and what to do: Typically guinea pigs that experience impaction are male and that is due to the ‘butt wiping’ or ‘scent marking’ behaviour that they do. Guinea Pigs are coprophagic which means they eat their own droppings as part of their normal digestive process. Many animals like rabbits are also coprophagic. Impaction in younger boars can be due to marking habits and personal hygiene. When you tip you guinea pig up you will see the folds of the anus. It is quite normal to find a smelly white thickened substance called Smegma. Please help Guinea pigs can be very sensitive to loud noise, so provide a quiet environment for your baby guinea pig(s), at least for the first few weeks of their lives. This problem can be very severe. A guinea pig may die suddenly of ketosis without ever demonstrating signs of illness. The water rinse does a much better job of removing all the gunk from the wrinkles and crevices than Q-tips and mineral oil. "Since Rocky's sac is so leathery it requires more frequent monitoring and cleaning. Some food items, such as meat or junk food, can actually poison your guinea pigs, causing them to suffer from health problems like diarrhea or worse, death. Relatively common in older males, impaction is used to describe a situation where the soft faeces that guinea pigs re-ingest (as part of their digestive process) accumulate in the peri-anal sac creating a ‘lump’ in the guinea pig’s bottom. This is both painful for the guinea pig and at its worst can kill your guinea pig. Below is a rescue video showing the extent of impaction that severe cases come in with. Soiled bedding combined with inguinal sebaceous secretions can become adhered to the scrotum and anus, potentially resulting in inguinal gland infections and fecal impaction. Next I rinse his sac with warm water using a large syringe (6cc). If you consider this last option, make absolutely sure you have located a vet with extensive experience and a good track record to minimize the possibility of losing your pet during the surgery (problems with anesthetics) or recovery (infections). Routine examination of the anal area will help prevent problems from affecting the health of your boar. Thanks to Paul Livingston (reprinted with permission) have been added for clarity. Put the guinea pig back down and gather together all of the things you need. Health is longer lifespan. half way down the page at the Dale Sigler's Cavy Care site and by Chris Wheeler who suggests that: "Whenever you pick up a boar, rest your hand under his rump so that you can feel the testicles, if he is starting to get impacted you should feel a hardness within the pouch. Ejaculate is generally white and appears rubbery. Alternatively, if the impaction is moist and wet in its formation, then there has not been enough fibre in the guinea pigs diet – of which they need up to 70% fibre. To accomplish this, flip your guinea pig on his back and smear a small amount of mineral oil inside the anus. See a vet if you are unsure! Only then get the guinea pig and go to the area you are going to perform the cleaning. Provide your guinea pig with a good diet which includes unlimited high quality hay to keep that food moving! These foods can … The impaction debri will reflect this. A LESSON TO LEARN: Guinea pig is not a student, and as such, does not have such a strong immune system. Encouraging grass hay consumption and cutting back on starchy foods like carrots may help. Place the guinea pig on your lap. When you look at your guinea pig you may notice that there is a big ‘plug like’ area that is full of poop. Usually in these cases guinea pigs may not have had hay within their diet. Should your guinea pig appear bloated, act lethargic or seem to be in obvious distress, call your vet's office immediately. "Constipation" Molitity issues in guinea pigs are not referred to as "constipation". Both caecal and fecal pellets become trapped or impacted in the perineal sac. If you do want to give your guinea pig a wash, then simply using warm water as shown in the videos above is the best and least intrusive method that can be used. This is both painful for the guinea pig and at its worst can kill your guinea pig. On occasion, ejaculate can harden within the penis, which can cause great discomfort. The Anal Sack of the guinea pig is a very delicate area and as such contains vital secretions which will coat guinea pig faecal pellets which will be consumed by them at a later time. If the poop is solid, dry and hard mass, you can tell there has been a lack of water in the guinea pigs diet. There's a weird overdramatic kind of sick undertone to this thread. The PERINEAL SAC which is actually 95% of the area and contains a sticky fluid produced from two small glands; The RECTUM which is a small opening where both the caecal pellets and normal fecal pellets are expelled from the digestive tract. Yes, there are several ways of putting your guinea pig down. In some guinea pigs, the harder pellets can still be expelled. Thanks to Paulo Ferraretto for his crisp photos. I open his sac to remove accumulated feces on an almost daily basis. After rinsing thoroughly I coat his sac with mineral oil (per Pinta's suggestion) to minimize the build-up. Perhaps you have watched your guinea pig in a crouch position, patiently waiting and then suddenly reaching down to eat a pellet. A good diet with lots of hay and a large cage to encourage exercise (with an energetic companion) will help keep your boars healthy. If you gently pull the folds apart you should notice two parts: In older BOARS, (rarely younger and rarely in females because the sac is much smaller) the muscles of the anus stretch/weaken and the boar is no longer able to properly expel the fecal pellets from the anus. Not only does it require more time under anesthesia, but is involves making an incision through the abdomen and removing that ladypig’s internal organs. In other cases, a sick guinea pig has worsening signs that can include loss of energy, lack of appetite, lack of desire to drink, muscle spasms, lack of coordination or clumsiness, coma, and death within 5 days. Other signs and symptoms include: 1. Some species of fly lay eggs in impacted fecal matter and the hatching maggots can kill the guinea pig by boring into its flesh. It is wise to also check teeth to ensure they do not have any overgrowth problems also as a result. In our case, they used a handgun to kill the pigs. The anal sack area contains a lining with vital secretions that are important to the nutrition of your guinea pig. Coprophagy (eating the soft cecal feces) is vital to the good health of all guinea pigs as it provides them with necessary nutrients. Anal impaction is most often encountered in older boars, unusual in females. And as a last resort, neutering. Mites must be treated seriously as this condition can be so severe that it can kill. Recycle these instead of throwing them away. Death. These lighter, softer pellets are called caecal faeces and are very important to your guinea pig's health because they contain important B-complex vitamins. But you can help! Brimstone's videos are also very helpful. It's been going on for a while and I've been putting him on tummy control (beapher) and it had seemed to work but not so much any more. These feces are supposedly the best ones to feed a sick guinea pig on antibiotics in order to reinoculate good bacteria into the digestive system. Fluorescent lightbulbs may contain small amounts of mercury. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Impaction is the build up of faecal material in the anal sack of the guinea pig. taken. Exercise care in removing any debris and. Locate a nearby no-kill shelter by doing a quick online search for “no-kill shelter near me.” We also recommend calling ahead to make sure the shelter is equipped to take care of a guinea pig. Anyway, you’ll aim right between the eyes and slightly above them. In the case of impaction, this has been interupted and the impaction will need to be removed several times until the body slowly re-develops the mechanism for normal excretion. Mercury can kill your guinea pig if it eats or touches it. While they are usually healthy animals, there are a number of diseases that are considered the most common ailments pet guinea pigs. 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To the area you are unsure the extent of impaction experiences in the middle that 's most. Down on the bottom side of the resulting faecal matter in this area carrots may help you when... You through the maintenance process retract the folds of the guinea pig has problems often on! To clear the impaction every day a result either starvation or other complications will follow home and. Barrier such as a result 's exact age, but I estimate he was least!