Guinea pigs have very different eating, sleeping, and excretion habits as compared to other animals. The patterns are further different for baby guinea pigs. Depending on their age, small size, weight, diet, and amount of activity, a baby guinea pig’s poop can vary significantly.
In this article, we will discuss a baby guinea pig’s pooping habits, what healthy poop looks like, and what you can do to ensure that your baby guinea pig doesn’t poop everywhere.
Let’s dive right in!
Do Baby Guinea Pigs Poop A Lot?
The fact that baby guinea pigs poop more as compared to other animals is very much real. Still, the frequency varies from guinea pig to guinea pig because of differences in age, dietary habits, weight, etc.
Many factors affect the quantity and pooping patterns of baby guinea pigs. If you feed your baby guinea pig frequently and in large quantities, it will poop more often. You must change the eating schedule of your pet to change this pooping habit.
Like most rodents, guinea pigs do not have specific times or patterns of pooping. They will poop all day long if they feel the urge to do so. Guinea pigs can also poop while eating or sleeping!
On average, a guinea pig poops around 100 droppings in a day, which means you might end cleaning its cage 3 to 4 times a day. The task sounds very time consuming, and you might want to invest in a handheld vacuum to help you clean up faster.
Pooping frequently is common in guinea pigs because they don’t only eat hay or vegetables but also eat anything else you provide. If your guinea pig is not pooping a lot, then that might be a cause of concern, and you should consult a vet.
Baby Guinea Pig Poop Guide
Like humans, guinea pigs can also suffer from digestion issues or changes in eating habits that may cause their poop to be different.
As a baby guinea pig owner, you must know what normal poop looks like and what other kinds of poops are there to ensure that your little pet is not suffering from any diseases or unhealthy habits.
1. Normal Poop
Healthy poop is oval-shaped and has a medium to dark brown color. It will have a normal consistency and will not be too dry or too runny. If your baby guinea pig’s stool matches this description, you have a completely healthy little pet, and there is nothing to worry about.
2. Small and Dry Poop
Small and dry poop is usually a sign of dehydration, which means your guinea pig is not drinking enough water. Make sure your pet’s water bowl is always clean and change the water often.
The guinea pig will be less likely to drink the water if it is contaminated. Include watery vegetables in your guinea pig’s diet like cucumbers, which will give your pet the nutrients it needs and keep them hydrated.
3. Tear Shaped Poop
This kind of poop indicates that your guinea pig is probably suffering from a gut problem. Guinea pigs always need plenty of hay for their gut to function properly.
Unlike humans, they constantly need to eat high fiber grass hay. As the owner, you must ensure that your baby guinea pig has an abundant supply of hay available at all times.
4. Clumped Poop
Clumped poop is usually a sign of aging rectal muscles. It could also mean a simple gut problem. You must give your baby guinea pig lots of water and hay and avoid feeding them grainy foods like granola, bread, seeds, or rice.
5. Green Poop
Green poop is called ‘cecal pellets,’ and your baby guinea pig is most likely to eat this up. This act is entirely normal as it is re-ingesting its own stool for nutritional health.
6. Smelly and Soggy Poop
This situation is most likely to occur when there is a nutritional or diet problem. In addition to giving your guinea pig lots of water and fresh grass hay, you must also give it around 1 cup of fresh veggies every day.
If it seems like your guinea pig has diarrhea, you must immediately take it to the vet as it can harm your pet’s life.
7. Bloody Poop
Your pet’s poop could be bloody because of a tear or inflammation in the anus or the intestinal tract. You must rush your baby guinea pig to the vet immediately in such a situation as it can cause a severe threat to your pig’s life.
Potty Training Your Baby Guinea Pig
Most animals are easy to potty train.
Dogs bark to let you know they want to poop so you can guide them to their litter box. Cats are well trained and voluntarily go to their litter boxes when they want to poop.
However, when we talk about rodents and guinea pigs, in particular, we see that the scenario is very different.
Baby guinea pigs do not have a voice with which they can communicate to their owners that they need to poop. They do their business in the same place where they eat, sleep, and play.
Since they do not have a voice, it becomes very harder to potty train them, but with the right amount of effort and understanding, you can train your baby guinea pig to poop in its small little box only.
Because of their inability to escape predators, guinea pigs have natural instincts to be easily frightened. Hence, they prefer to do their business in the dark and in the shadows.
It would help if you started by placing a litter box in a dark area of the cage. Keeping a small lamp around the rest of the cage will make the litter box area look dark, and your guinea pig will go there only to poop.
You should consider placing the food that you are giving your baby guinea pig in the same dark space where you put the litter box because they love to poop where they eat.
By doing these small things, you will create a perfectly safe environment for your baby guinea pig and will no longer worry about your pet pooping all over the cage.
Conclusion: Baby Guinea Pig Poop
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Baby guinea pigs are the perfect little companions. They are small, social, furry, and as cute as they can get.
Knowing and taking care of your baby guinea pig’s eating and pooping habits will help you ensure that it leads to a healthy lifestyle and does not suffer from any dangerous diseases.
Your baby guinea pig’s poop will be healthy if your actions towards your dear pet reflect its needs for healthy life survival.
Why Does My Baby Guinea Pig Poop on Me? Guinea pigs usually have a high metabolism, which makes them poop very frequently. If you are holding your dear little pet in your hands and it has to poop, it will poop regardless of where it is, even in your hand.
Is It Normal for Guinea Pigs to Eat Their Own Poop? Guinea pigs excrete two types of poop: hard poop and cecal pellets. The cecal pellets are usually softer and greenish in color. They contain a lot of nutrients for your baby guinea pig. Hence, it is entirely reasonable for your baby guinea pig to eat this poop again.