It is not easy to take care of your cavy friend. Some things may just seem irritating, like cleaning your guinea pig’s poop all the time. While one may feel that his guinea pig poops so much, guinea pigs always exhibit unusual pooping behavior.
Any concerned guinea pig owner will like to know about the regular and irregular guinea pigs pooping behavior. Guinea pigs do not know how to handle the cleaning business. Tired of cleaning your guinea pigs’ poop all the time?
Read the article below to learn “Why do guinea pigs poop so much?”
Why do guinea pigs poop so much? (Causes)
While it may seem that your guinea pigs poop so much, it is normal for the guinea pigs to exhibit excessive pooping behavior. Many factors affect your guinea pigs’ pooping behavior. Guinea pigs can poop excessively because of the following reasons:
Health problems that cause excessive pooping behavior in guinea pigs include diarrhea. Diarrhea in guinea pigs can be caused by an unbalanced diet, harmful medicines, dental issues, harmful bacteria, fungal infections, stress, and Hyperthyroidism.
You will be surprised to know that your guinea pig can quickly eat and digest food. Usually, guinea pigs have an excellent digestion ability. You must be wondering, “Why your guinea pig can quickly digest food?”
Your guinea pigs need fast bowel movements to have a healthy life. Slow gut movements are not suitable for your guinea pigs. Guinea pigs can quickly digest whatever they eat because of fast intestinal action. Slow gut movements in guinea pigs can develop into “GI stasis.”
I am happy to know that, generally, guinea pigs do not overeat. Guinea pigs can overeat if you do not control the portions you serve to your guinea pigs. It is natural for your guinea pig to poop excessively if he eats more than usual.
As mentioned before, guinea pigs tend to have fast gut movements. So, guinea pigs who overeat can poop excessively.
Being grazers, guinea pigs keep on moving food through their guts. This explains your guinea pigs’ continuous grazing behavior. In other words, continuous grazing behavior in guinea pigs is a sign of good gut health.
Guinea pigs with good gut health tend to live longer than those with poor gut health. Your guinea pig can poop excessively because he is a healthy guinea pig.
A high fiber diet can affect your guinea pig’s pooping behavior. It is a general observation that guinea pigs who receive high fiber content in their diet can poop more than the other guinea pigs who eat food with a low-fiber content.
Dietary changes can cause excessive pooping behavior in guinea pigs. Suppose your guinea pig’s diet contains low-fiber foods, and you change your guinea pigs’ food suddenly. Now, your guinea pig is eating foods with a high-fiber value.
Your guinea pig is likely to poop more than usual. This excessive pooping behavior in your guinea pig was brought about by dietary changes.
If you suddenly change your guinea pig’s diet, know that guinea pigs need time to adjust to their new diet. So, it is normal for your guinea pig to poop excessively if you change his diet.
Guinea pigs who love veggies tend to poop more than those guinea pigs who do not eat veggies in their diet. Veggie-rich guinea pig food contains more fiber which accounts for the excessive pooping behavior.
How often do guinea pigs poop?
Guinea pigs can poop throughout the whole day. Some pet owners say their guinea pigs poop almost 14 hours daily. It is not easy to determine the exact number of times guinea pigs poop each day.
Your guinea pigs’ pooping behavior depends on different factors.
These are:
Young guinea pigs can poop more than old guinea pigs. Young guinea pigs tend to have fast gut movements than old guinea pigs. In guinea pigs, it is the job of their digestive system to digest food through active gut movements. But old guinea pigs tend to have slow gut movements.
It is not unnatural for old guinea pigs to poo lesser than young guinea pigs. There is a significant difference between the digestive activity of a young guinea pig and an old guinea pig. The digestive activity of an old guinea pig explains the slowed pooping behavior.
Your guinea pig’s health affects his pooping behavior. Young guinea pigs can poop excessively because they have healthy guts. Slowed gut movements in young guinea pigs can lead to GI stasis. GI stasis can kill your guinea pig.
Young guinea pigs tend to be more active than old guinea pigs. Your guinea pigs’ physical activity affects their pooping behaviors.
Exercise, playtime, or physical activity can make your guinea pig happy. A happy guinea pig is a healthy guinea pig. Young and healthy guinea pigs poop more than old and lazy guinea pigs.
Do guinea pigs poop a lot?
Given their biology, young guinea pigs poop a lot. Some pet owners who keep young guinea pigs say that they have to clean their guinea pigs’ poop at least 100 times a day. It is a general observation that guinea pigs keep on eating and pooping for at least 14 hours per day.
Healthy guinea pigs have fast gut movements. Fast gut movements result in excessive pooping behavior.
Next time, if your guinea pig poops too much, you should not be worried and keep a check on your guinea pig’s pooping behavior because you have to know whether it is a normal pooping behavior or not.
How much poop is normal for a guinea pig?
A detailed guinea pig poop chart can help explain the normal guinea pigs’ pooping behavior. Some guinea pig owners keep a check on their guinea pigs’ pooping behavior.
A detailed guinea pig poop chart can help pet owners avoid undesirable situations. Any good guinea pig poop chart takes into account your guinea pigs’ age and physical activity.
It illustrates different forms of guinea pigs’ poop and tells you which ones indicate trouble for your cavy friend.
How do I stop my guinea pig from pooping so much?
You should know that it is normal for guinea pigs to poop excessively. If you feel that your guinea pig is pooping all the time, then you should do nothing to stop your guinea pigs from pooping.
Guinea pigs with gastrointestinal issues can poop less than other guinea pigs. You should check the texture, color, and smell of your guinea pigs’ poop. You can know whether your guinea pig is suffering from any disease through the texture, color, and smell of your guinea pig’s poop.
Your guinea pig may not poop excessively if you stop feeding him fresh food and water. Guinea pigs who drink more water can poop more than those who do not drink enough water.
Some pet owners limit the exercise of their guinea pigs to stop their excessive pooping behavior. We do not recommend that you stop giving fresh food and water to your guinea pigs or that you limit the exercise of your guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs need fresh food, water, and enough exercise to stay healthy. Limiting any of these things adversely affects your guinea pigs’ pooping behavior and their health. It happens because of the following reasons:
- Fresh food provides fiber that is needed to produce an excessive amount of poop in guinea pigs.
- Hydrated guinea pigs poop more than dehydrated guinea pigs.
- Exercise eases the gut movements of your guinea pigs.
I am afraid that your guinea pigs can die if you try to stop the intake of fresh food and water in guinea pigs. Just admit that your guinea pigs can poop all the time, and you should do nothing to stop this excessive pooping behavior.
Types of guinea pigs poop
Good pet owners keep a check on their guinea pig’s poop. There are seven different types of guinea pigs’ poop.
Dry, Small Poop
Guinea pigs can have dry, small poop when they do not get enough water in their food. A dehydrated guinea pig is a lazy guinea pig. Dehydrated guinea pigs not only have dry, small poop but can also suffer from fever or may lose their appetite.
You can handle the dehydration in guinea pigs by taking these simple measures:
- Keep a water bottle ready for your guinea pig.
- Make sure that your guinea pig drinks water from the water bottle.
- Make sure that your guinea pig is drinking enough amount of water.
Dry, Tear-Shaped Poop
Guinea pigs with gut problems can have dry, tear-shaped poop. Guinea pigs can have dry, tear-shaped poop when they do not get the required amount of fiber in their diet. Hay can be a source of fiber in your guinea pigs’ diet.
If your guinea pig has a dry, tear-shaped poop, it may mean that your guinea is suffering from a gastrointestinal or dental issue. I always keep hay for my rare pets. Hay solves the fiber deficiency problem in my guinea pigs’ diet.
Providing neat and clean hay to your guinea pigs is always a good idea. We do not recommend providing soiled hay to your guinea pigs.
Clumped Poop
Clumped poop is a symptom of a gut issue or aged rectal muscles in guinea pigs. There are two ways to handle clumped poop issue in guinea pigs. These are hydration and sufficient fiber in your guinea pig’s diet.
If your guinea pig has clumped poop, you have to make sure that your guinea has clean water, suitable levels of fiber, and vegetables in his diet. Clumped poop also reflects that your guinea pig is not pooping in a regular manner. Your guinea pig will be uncomfortable while pooping.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to handle clumped poop problems in guinea pigs. If your guinea pig tries to poop and nothing happens, it means your guinea suffers from constipation. Your guinea pig should not have constipation for more than 24 hours.
If your guinea pig keeps having clumped poop or constipation for more than 24 hours, you need to contact a vet familiar with the problems of rare pets, especially guinea pigs. Apart from consulting a guinea pig vet, I use coconut oil and cotton to treat the clumped poop problem in my rare pets.
I apply the coconut oil using cotton on my guinea pigs’ booty. I also supply loads of fiber and water to my constipated guinea pig. I provide diluted, unsweetened cranberry juice to my rare pets to encourage water drinking habits.
I do not provide unsweetened, diluted cranberry juice to my rare pets daily, and you should not give it to them regularly. Always clean your guinea pigs’ water bottle after feeding them unsweetened, diluted cranberry juice.
Another way to deal with constipation or clumped poop in guinea pigs is to encourage enough exercise. The provision of abundant fiber can also help treat constipation or clumped poop problems in guinea pigs.
Green Poop
Your guinea pigs can have green poop or cecal pellets. Green poop is not an indication of a medical issue in guinea pigs. A new pet owner will be surprised to know that guinea pigs like to eat green poop.
Green poop is actually healthy for guinea pigs. Green poop provides a good amount of nutrients to guinea pigs. You may have heard about coprophagic pets. Coprophagic pets like to eat their own poop.
Next time, do not be alarmed when you notice your guinea pig eating his green poop because your guinea pig is coprophagic. It is healthy for your guinea pig to eat his own poop.
You may want to know about the nutrients in your guinea pigs’ green poop. Let me tell you that green poop is a fantastic source of proteins and fiber for your guinea pigs. It also contains beneficial bacteria for guinea pigs.
Smelly, Soft, Mushy Poop
Smelly, soft, mushy poop can be a symptom of a stomach issue or diet issue. Guinea pigs with diarrhea can have smelly, soft, mushy poop. Severe diarrhea can kill your guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs who have smelly, soft, mushy poop may also suffer from dehydration and a loss of appetite. Low body temperatures and smelly, soft, mushy poop in guinea pigs indicate severe diarrhea.
One way to handle smelly, soft, mushy poop issues in guinea pigs is to provide fiber to guinea pigs. You should provide the required levels of fiber to your guinea pigs.
If you know that your guinea pig is coprophagic and he needs fiber in his diet, you should not provide soiled hay to your guinea pig. I know that soiled hay contains fiber. Still, providing fiber soiled with urine and poop to your guinea pigs is not helpful.
Small amounts of vegetables are suitable for guinea pigs who have smelly, soft, mushy poop. Guinea pigs who receive sufficient fiber in their diet may not have smelly, soft, mushy poop.
Bloody Poop
Bloody poop is not a good sign in guinea pigs. Bloody poop indicates inflammation or any other gastrointestinal issue in guinea pigs. You should immediately consult your nearest vet when you see that your cavy friend has bloody poop.
Healthy Poop
If your cavy friend has medium to dark brown poop, it means that your guinea pig is healthy, and you should not be worried.
Guinea pigs can have oval-shaped poop. You should check the consistency of your guinea pig’s poop. Healthy guinea pigs always have poop with uniform consistency.
Check if your guinea pig’s poop breaks when he steps on it. Healthy poop does not break when your cavy friend steps on it. It does not mean that your guinea pig should have a dry poop. Dry poop is not suitable for your cavy. A poop with a grainy texture is OK, but smelly poop is not healthy poop.
Do Guinea Pigs Poop Everywhere?
Yes, guinea pigs have a way of pooping excessively. Do not worry if your cavy friend poops more than your other rare pets. It takes a loads of effort and time to prepare your cavies for an organized pooping behavior.
I do not expect my guinea pigs to have neat and clean pooping behavior. I clean up my guinea pigs’ poop all the time. I know it is not easy to clean the cage all the time, but I know that my cavies need to poop all the time to stay healthy.
If you are planning to adopt a guinea pig, you have to know about the following things:
Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Poop?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat their poop. It is perfectly normal for your cavy friend to eat his green poop. Cavies are actually Coprophagic in nature. It means that they can attain beneficial nutrients from their poop.
Guinea pigs who eat their green poop obtain a high amount of fiber they need to have a healthy gut.
Why Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Poop?
Guinea pigs eat their green poop because they are coprophagic in nature. They need a lot of fiber in their diet to remain healthy. Sometimes, it happens that they cannot absorb all the beneficial nutrients from their food.
Nutrients such as fiber move out of their digestive system and have green poop. Guinea pigs eat their green poop to absorb nutrients like fiber. Fiber keeps their digestive system healthy.
Is It Normal For Guinea Pigs To Eat Their Poop?
Yes, it is normal for guinea pigs to eat their poop. You should not stop your cavy friend from eating his own poop. I take care of my rare pets, so I know that guinea pigs are coprophagic in nature.
They like to eat their green poop. Green poop can be considered a valuable source of fiber for guinea pigs. As it happens, usually, guinea pigs cannot absorb all the fiber in their diet.
This unabsorbed fiber passes out of their digestive system, and you can see it in the form of green poop. Guinea pigs eat their green poop to reabsorb the unabsorbed fiber. Guinea pigs need fiber in their diet as it keeps them healthy.
GI Stasis is a life-threatening condition for guinea pigs. They eat their own green poop to survive.
Is Guinea Pig Poop Toxic?
Guinea pig poop is not toxic to guinea pigs, but it is not beneficial for humans. Guinea pigs can eat their own poop, and it is a healthy behavior for a guinea pig to eat his green poop.
As a pet owner, I know that my rare pets can exhibit unusual behavior. However, it is not unusual for a guinea pig to eat his own poop. Guinea pig poop contains valuable unabsorbed fiber for guinea pigs, so it is not toxic to guinea pigs.
Should I Let My Guinea Pig Eat Poop?
Yes, you should. While it may seem strange that your cute, little cavy friend is eating his own poop, you should never stop your guinea pigs from eating their own poop. Guinea pigs need a lot of fiber in their diet.
They need fiber because it keeps their digestive system healthy. You should know that guinea pigs have a unique, fast digestive system, and they eat their poop to keep their digestive system healthy and active.
You do not want your cavy friend to suffer from GI Stasis. GI Stasis is not a good condition. To survive, your guinea pigs need a fast, active, and unique digestive system. They can die if their digestive system does not work properly.
Guinea pigs can maintain a healthy gut system because they eat green poop. Guinea pigs obtain a good amount of nutrients from their own poop. Next time, do not worry if your guinea pigs eat their own poop.
What to do if guinea pigs eat their poop?
Do not be worried when you notice your guinea pigs eating their own poop. Guinea pigs have a unique digestive system, and they need loads of fiber in their diet. Guinea pigs cannot absorb all the fiber in their diet.
They eat their own poop to reabsorb essential nutrients in their diet. Guinea pigs obtain a lot of fiber after eating their own poop. You can provide a lot of fiber in your guinea pigs’ diet.
What triggers diarrhea in guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs can suffer from diarrhea due to a number of reasons. Your guinea pig’s poop can tell you whether your guinea pig has diarrhea or not.
Following are some common problems that cause diarrhea in guinea pigs:
Insufficient fiber in guinea pigs’ diet can trigger diarrhea. I feed loads of hay and water to my rare pets so that they may remain healthy.
It is vital for my rare pets to remain safe from environmental stress, insufficient fiber, high levels of sugar, and other diseases. You can diagnose diarrhea through your guinea pigs’ poop.
How to stop diarrhea in guinea pigs?
Vets use different methods to treat diarrhea in guinea pigs. These approaches depend on the severity of the disease in your guinea pigs. Some guinea pigs suffer from more than one condition or disease.
You have to know first whether your guinea pigs have diarrhea or not. Then you need to know about the ways to treat diarrhea in guinea pigs.
I check the poop of my rare pets as it tells me whether my guinea pigs have diarrhea or not. Once I notice that my guinea pigs have diarrhea, I immediately consult my vet. Your vet can confirm whether your guinea pigs have diarrhea or not.
Vets ask simple questions about your guinea pigs’ diet to know whether they have diarrhea or not. These questions are related to your guinea pigs’ diet, their environment, and medical history.
Guinea pigs with diarrhea need loads of fiber, vitamin C, electrolytes, and fluids in their diet. However, treating severe cases of diarrhea in guinea pigs may become complex.
You should follow the following measures to stop mild diarrhea in guinea pigs:
How to treat diarrhea in guinea pigs?
There are different methods to treat diarrhea in guinea pigs. Vets determine the severity of the disease to treat diarrhea in guinea pigs.
For instance, vets hospitalize guinea pigs with severe diarrhea and keep them under close observation for an unspecified period. But they do not use the same approach to treat mild cases of diarrhea in guinea pigs.
You can follow these simple measures to help treat guinea pigs with severe diarrhea:
Can Guinea Pigs Be Potty Trained?
Yes, guinea pigs can be potty trained. It is difficult to potty train your guinea pigs. Pet owners spend a lot of time and effort to potty train their guinea pigs.
You should just admit the fact that guinea pigs have a unique digestive system, and they poop everywhere all the time.
Guinea pigs poop so much when they play too much or eat too much. You need a lot of patience to potty train your guinea pigs. It is your responsibility to ensure the safety and health of your guinea pigs.
So, do not worry if your guinea pigs do not obey the commands. You will eventually notice the results of potty training in your guinea pigs.
How To Train Guinea Pigs To Poop In One Spot?
You can follow these simple steps to give potty training to your guinea pigs:
- Find suitable potty areas for your guinea pigs.
- Select good potty areas for your guinea pigs. A good potty area for guinea pigs is a dark potty area. It can be a corner in a dark room.
- Buy a suitable litter box for your guinea pigs.
- Set up the guinea pigs’ litter box in the potty area. Make sure that the litter box is stable and accessible for your guinea pigs.
- Provide food and water for your guinea pigs near the potty area. You do not wish to see your guinea pigs moving from one place to another for food.
Conclusion | Why Do Guinea Pigs Poop So Much?
Why Do Guinea Pigs Poop So Much? Guinea pigs are cute, adorable friends. They have a unique digestion system, so you have to be careful about their pooping behavior. Guinea pigs can poop excessively, everywhere, all the time.
So, you must to be patient while training your guinea pigs to poop in their pooping spot. Guinea pigs can eat their own poop; it does not mean they are sick. You have to take care of your guinea pigs so that they may remain safe and healthy.
