Many guinea pig owners may be taken aback to see their pet chew on its own poop, which may seem disturbing; however, this is perfectly natural and an integral part of a guinea pig’s digestive process.
Guinea pigs produce soft, sticky pellets known as caecotrophs which they eat before passing back out as solid pellets in their waste. Any changes in their poop may indicate health problems and need medical treatment immediately.
Contents
What is coprophagy?
Guinea pigs must digest their hay and pellets twice in order to extract all of the nutrition from them. First their body makes caecotrophs which is redigested food from caecotrophs produced during step 1. After eating this caecotrophs form of their food source they then digest this further before producing regular dry poo.
If a guinea pig eats their own poop it should not cause alarm; they are simply being healthy! But if there is excessive wet or runny poop it could indicate something is amiss with their health.
Runny poop can be a telltale sign of impaction in older boars more so than sows (females). It occurs when muscles in their butts weaken over time and they have difficulty producing and expelling poop. A vet can help ease this condition and stop further complications from occurring; so if wet or runny poop is present on your pig immediately take it for vet inspection!
What are caecotrophs?
Guinea Pigs that we see eating their poop are eating caecotrophs (commonly known as cecal poops) directly from their anus rather than digested waste that has passed back through their gut. These caecotrophs (often called cecal poops) tend to be greener and much softer than regular guinea pig poo; you typically won’t find these greener pieces around their cage unless your guinea pig is sick or injured.
These special faeces contain more vitamin K, vitamin B and fiber than conventional waste poo, in addition to being packed full of other essential nutrients that support overall digestive health. Incorporating caecotrophs into our diets will ensure we stay in good health!
Normal guinea pigs typically produce up to 100 faecal pellets daily. When their numbers begin to decrease significantly it could be an indicator of health or diet problems such as reduced food intake, slower gut motility or dehydration; smaller poos may even indicate poor appetite.
Why do guinea pigs eat their poop?
As anyone can imagine, guinea pigs don’t just pass food through their digestive systems without actually eating all of it – instead they devour every nutrient possible to maximize energy, protein and vitamin extraction from their meals. This way they give their systems another opportunity to extract as much energy, protein and vitamins from each bite they take!
Though it may sound unusual, rabbits and hamsters also eat their own poop as part of an attempt to alleviate digestive strain from difficult grass or hay fibers and absorb more nutrients from food they have eaten.
Maintain the following in mind when handling guinea pig poop: it should always be brown and hard, with an oval shape. Any changes in colour or texture could signal health concerns that require immediate medical intervention from a qualified vet; blood in guinea pig poop could indicate tear or blockage issues that require prompt veterinary attention.
What should I do if my guinea pig eats its poop?
Seeing your guinea pig consume its own waste may seem strange to us humans, but this behavior known as coprophagy is essential to their health and should be seen as part of normal routine. These green pellets (commonly referred to as caecotrophs) contain essential vitamins and nutrients which were missed by their digestive systems during initial pass.
If your guinea pig has taken to leaving its caecotrophs on the cage floor rather than eating them, this could be an indicator that they’re depressed. This behavior is more common among pets who don’t receive enough social interaction; depression may also cause stereotypical behaviors like overgrooming and pacing.
If your guinea pig is showing symptoms of depression such as hiding in corners of their cage, not eating as usual or being unwilling to be touched, it is imperative that they visit a vet immediately!
