Chronic soft stools and Soy

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Sophiebaby613

Post   » Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:07 pm


One of my boars has had chronic soft stools for over a year. Here is a quick run through the diagnostic tests and medications he has gotten:
1) Trimebutine... No success
2) No vegetables for 10 days + slowly reintroducing one at a time... No luck. Soft stools were present during the veggie-free period.
3) Blood test... Everything is normal; glucose levels are normal
4) Fecal analysis...No parasites present; large amounts of fecal yeast present
5) Panacur once a day x5 days as a precaution, even though no parasites were found.
6) Baytril twice a day x14 days... Broad spectrum antibiotic for any infections that might be present.

During his course of dewormer and antibiotics, I was feeding him Sherwood Guinea Pig SARx Plus (similar to critical care) with crushed acidophilus tablet mixed in as a supplement. After a few days of taking his medications, and consistently feeding him the recovery food, his stools had finally firmed up for the first time.....ever. I thought it was the medication working because his stools stayed firm for a few days following.
Unfortunately, after a few days, the soft stools came back and remained the same for the rest of the treatment.
After connecting the dots, I realized that the soft stools seemed to have come back -coincidentally- after I stopped feeding him the recovery food (because his appetite went back to normal).
Note: I am still supplementing him with the acidophilus, so the soft stools didn't reoccur due to me stopping the probiotics.

I have a feeling that him being off him usual feed (Oxbow) and being primarily fed the Sherwood recovery food, had something to do with the change in his stools for those few days. After reading many threads on soy-related GI issues in pigs (on this website) and the improvements noted when feeding soy-free diets, I am now suspecting he might have a sensitivity to soy after all.

My only issue is that I am not convinced of the Sherwood guys claims regarding Alfalfa, and do not feel comfortable feeding an Alfalfa-based diet to my guinea pigs as a staple. I have searched all around the internet for a soy-free pelleted diet for guinea pigs that is available in Canada (other than Sherwood) and have not come across any. I thought I may have better luck on this website for any leads/suggestions for a new pelleted diet.

I appreciate any comments/suggestions that can help me in any way. Thank you!

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:19 pm


In that list of meds, I don't see anything that would treat the yeast that was found in the intestine. My next move would be to ask for a course of Flagyl (metronidazole).

If that clears it up, you can give him Oxbow pellets. I'm not at all convinced by all the claims made for Sherwood pellets, and wouldn't give them to my pigs.

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GrannyJu1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:59 am


If you can't find anything else that works, you can try Bio-Sponge by Platinum. I have a piggy who has had soft and messy poos for years, but the Bio-Sponge cleared it up. It's not cheap, but it will help your baby. You might have to give it to him daily for a week or two, but after the soft poos go away, it's only necessary to give it to him when/if they reappear, for a few days. Platinum is the only company that I know of that really works with you, and even checks back regularly to see how your piggy is doing.

Sophiebaby613

Post   » Thu Dec 13, 2018 1:22 pm


@Bpatters, I was actually going to ask the vet for some metronidazole next time I'm in, since the dewormer and antibiotics didn't seem to have effect. Like I said, I am not convinced of his claims either which is why I'm looking for an alternate soy-free diet that might be out there.

@GrannyJu1, this is not the first time bio sponge has been brought up to me. I asked my vet what she thought about it and she indicated that it could be a good option once we've tried out some medications. I have heard many good stories about soft stools clearing up after being given a bio-sponge, so I will be keeping this on top of my treatment list for my vet. Thank you!

Sophiebaby613

Post   » Tue Dec 25, 2018 3:35 pm


Update, the metronidazole did not work. We did a ten day course with no improvement. My next suggestion for the vet will be the biosponge.

I am still on the search for more information regarding the relation of soy with soft stools. If the biosponge does not work, I will be left with no more options other than a change of diet - any information is appreciated.

Sophiebaby613

Post   » Mon Jan 28, 2019 10:18 am


Update #2, we tried the Platinum Biosponge @ 0.25cc BID for a week, still no improvement. Unless someone has another medication to recommend, I think I'm going to have to switch the pellets. I really don't want to go down that path as I have three piggies to feed and the Sherwood pellets are hard to come by in my area, but I'm at a loss with this soft stool issue.

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