Excessive poop eating? about Hairballie

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Princess Aurora

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:06 am


I've just spot cleaned the cage and I found several ''out of shape'' poops.

Now a few minutes later, I looked back to see if the piggies were allright, and I saw this:

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Hairballie seemt to be spending more time than used to in, if I'm noy wrong, eating her poops, so I was just wondering if I should worry for this or not.

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I've just weighted her and she is 1007 grams. Four days ago she was 1020 grams. :-( Should I worry for this? is this yet another ups and downs on her weigh? Am I perhaps feeding her something that is making her poop these out of shape, soft poops?

Thanks in advance for any inputs about this.

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dgarriques
Got Pigs?

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:57 am


I have no advice but I hope she is ok.

She does look not please in the pictures.

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becksters
Two Time Supporter

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:15 am


Generally that pointy out of shape signals dehydration. I would try getting extra water in her and see if it helps any and if it doesn't then think about the next step.

Is her eating, activity etc all fine?

13g is only about a 1/2 an oz so I wouldn't say that's a significant change. (There are 28 g to an oz. approx.). Continue to weigh her and chart the trend though.

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snowflakey
E's Moriarity

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:18 am


Good to notice that - when my pigs weren't feeling their best, they'd get poops like that, usually when antibiotics or otherwise under the weather. The weight loss is of concern as well. Keep an eye out, and if you can weigh her at the same time every day to see how she's doing, that would be good. See if you can find a symptom beyond general "blah" that you can discuss with the vet.

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Princess Aurora

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:31 am


Thanks for your replies, everyone :-D

Well, she hardly drinks water from the bottles, which is strange, as when she was a baby she was the one who discovered how the bottles worked and she used to drink loads of water then.

All of a sudden tho, she stopped drinking water untill nowadays, I often wonder if it's because of the bottles or what. I've seen other people who give water to their pigs through just a simple pot, I tried that once with the pigs but they weren't that impressed by it. On the passed warm days I even put several ice cubes on a towel to see if they would come up with licking them or something, but nothing either :-(

Any ideas of how to encourage her and the rest to drink more water? should I switch to other kind of bottles or other sistem to provide water to them?

Besides this, she behaves normally like the nutty happy piggie she is. She eats her hay, her veggies, her pellets normally, popcorns here and there, sniffs around, bothers Poofy, etc. Just like she always behaves, but I just noticed this and I thought I better ask to you all.

So far, I'll keep on weighing her to see any changes and I'll keep you all posted ;-)

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Lucky34100

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:01 am


Some pigs seem to be really particular about their water bottles. Maybe you changed something without really realizing it. Putting it even one square on a grid over might be enough to upset her. Once I filled up my bottles with tap water because my filter was empty and they simply would not drink it.

You can always wet down her veggies to get more water in her.

I thought I read somewhere that pointy poos can mean gas.

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becksters
Two Time Supporter

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:19 am


It can mean a few things, but I always hear dehydration is the first thing to try and "treat" for.

I always serve the girls their veggies wet, I wash the lettuce and then don't dry it, just rip it up as is, it's a good way to get more water into them. My girls are not big drinkers either and I always worry so I do that and on occasion if they will sit for it I will syringe them some water. Might be something to think about doing and see if it helps.

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Princess Aurora

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:25 am


True, I haven't though about the syringe option, thanks becksters ;-)

I do the same with the veggies, I wash them and wet them so they can have some water trough them.

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Feylin

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:52 am


You can put a bit of apple juice or cranberry juice in the water to make it a tasty treat. Just a bit though- you don't want to sugar it up. I do this when pigs are sick and I'm syringing them water.

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Princess Aurora

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:54 am


Oh! that's a good idea Feylin, thanks :-D

I'll do so, hopefully the smell of the few drops of juice from the inside of the bottle, will get the piggies to lick :-D

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becksters
Two Time Supporter

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:05 am


Haha, if that works and you take the juice away later I can only imagine how grumpy it's going to make Hairballie! ;)

"Hey Mom! What the heck?! Where's the juice!?" *chatter chatter chatter* haha!

I hope that's all it is and it clears up with some more fluids!

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Princess Aurora

Post   » Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:08 am


Oh yeah! haha! grumpy little spoiled piggie ^^

I'll try it later today or tomorrow and I'll let you all know ;-)

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