Impaction in Guinea Pigs


Image copyright www.piggillett.com and used with their permission

Image copyright www.piggillett.com and used with their permission.

Relatively common in older males. 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 partly due to a weakening of the muscles but is worsened by a low fibre diet.

Vitamin E, found in wheatgerm, is helpful in strengthening muscles long term but the guinea pig will probably still need your help to remove the lump in the short to medium term.

Lay the guinea on a towel, on your lap or the crook of your arm depending how confident you are with him and apply a few drops of edible vegetable oil or aloe vera gel as lubrication to loosen the lump. If done regularly the lump will pop out with a little gentle pressure but if it has built up unnoticed you may need to gently lever it out with a cotton bud.

If the guinea pig wants to eat the lump then let him as it is a rich source of B Vitamins and predigested protein. Boars that are regularly impacted should be giving toasted wheatgerm as a source of B vitamins and vitamin E plus a good probiotic. They may eat the soft droppings of a cage mate so if you see them begging at a companion's rear end you'll know why!

Sticky Bottom in Rabbits

Rabbits produce two types of droppings, the hard waste pellets and soft, moist pellets containing part digested food, B complex vitamins and good gut bacteria which they eat direct from the anus as part of their digestive process.

Sometimes these 'squidgy' droppings become matted into the fur around the anus. This is common in rabbits and long haired guinea pigs. In boars it may be a result of impaction. In rabbits common causes are being overweight and not being able to reach that far. Large dewlaps (the fatty fold under the chin of some rabbits) can also prevent rabbits reaching their bottoms and the dewlap may need to be removed surgically.

The best solution is to avoid obesity and feed plenty of good long forage such as hay and grass.

See also Fly Strike

EXTERNAL LINKS

"My rabbit always has caecal droppings stuck to her bottom. What could be wrong?"

"Caecotrophs are dark, smelly, shiny soft droppings that rabbits eat as they emerge from the anus, so many owners rarely see them. It’s normal to find caecotrophs occasionally, but if you frequently find them either in the litter tray, on the floor or on the rabbit, something is wrong. " Linda Dykes MBBS (Hons) article for the Rabbit Welfare Fund



Other Problems

URINE SCALD occurs through obesity, poor hygiene or as a secondary problem from arthritis, paralysis, bladder sludge, untreated cystitis or other condition.  The distinctive smell of urine, discolouration, baldness and red skin make urine scald very obvious.  The main condition causing the urine scald must be treated, whether that is with antibiotics in the case of infection or diet if the animal is overweight.  Treatment of the urine scald itself is gentle bottom baths in warm water with a little mild soap and then rinsing and drying before applying a nappy rash cream such as zinc oxide, Miconazole or even according to some sources Preparation H.

Urinary incontinence in rabbits can be a result of central nervous system damage caused by Encephalitizoon cuniculi, commonly known just as E cuniculi.  If your rabbit shows other symptoms of CNS damage such as head tilt, hind limb weakness, fits or loss of balance, you should ask your vet to do a blood test for the disease.

FUR RINGS can occur in male chinchillas preventing them from retracting their penis. Over amorous male chinchillas may in fact have a fur ring.  These can occur under the sheath and should be removed by a vet.  A similar condition happens in male guinea pigs occasionally but is usually fixed by bathing in warm water.

Care must be taken to avoid Fly Strike in animals with urine scald or sticky bottom.

Rabbit Urine Scald by Dana M Krempels PhD, University of Miami 

Guinea Pig Urine Scald at Guinea Lynx