It’s quite normal for guinea pigs to poop so much. It can sometimes even go to 100 droppings a day! Cavies have a predictable lifestyle— they mostly hide in their cage all day long. And when they are not hiding, they are either eating or sleeping. So, if your guinea pig spends most of her time eating, your pet would excrete more often. So don’t panic if your guinea pig poops so much. What is important is; feed your pet a diet composing primarily of hay and supplemented with pellets, vegetables, and fruits.
How Many Times Do Guinea Pigs Poop In A Day?
It’s a fact that guinea pigs poop so much because they eat a lot. Therefore, your pet may excrete as many times as she eats. There’s no specific number of times for cavies to poop a day. It all depends on how often you feed them and the quantity of their food. If they eat a large portion of food in a day, they will poo as many times as you can count. It can even reach 100 times a day.
It’s quite normal for guinea pigs to poop so much. It can sometimes even go to 100 droppings a day! There are many factors that can affect their pooping patterns and quantity. The most common among them are exercise, age, diet, and weight.
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How Much Poop Is Normal For A Guinea Pig?
The quantity of cavy’s feces is dependent on the fiber they eat, how old they are, and more. An agile and mobile guinea pig produces as much as 100-150 poop pellet every day. However, if the poop pellet for your guinea pig is 50 or less, she might be suffering from a disease known as stasis. When a cavy suffers from stasis, they eat less and poop less. Some causes of stasis are dental problems, general pain, dehydration, or sudden change in diet. Although the amount of a guinea pig’s poop varies, an average healthy guinea pig poops so much.
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Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Poop? Why?
Yes, guinea pigs eat their poop. Cavies belong to a group of animals called Coprophages. These are animals that eat their droppings, and they do this to reduce nutrient deficiency. It may seem disgusting. But understand that your pet needs to pass out the undigested food and reprocess it to stay healthy. Remember: Cavies feed on pellets, hays, and vegetables. These high-fiber foods don’t break down easily. Even when passed out as feces, they still contain some nutrients not yet broken down in the digestive system.
Guinea pigs have two types of poop; fecal and cecal poop. Cavies tend to eat the latter. Four Paws International explains that the cecal poop comes from a part of their stomach named the cecum. Cavies eat the excreta from the cecum to break them down one more time and easily access the nutrient. The excretion is rarely seen because cavies eat them directly from their anus. Caecal poop is nutritionally beneficial for cavies; It is a source of vitamin B and vitamin K. Besides, it boosts their metabolism and aids their digestive system. Although different, this process is similar to regurgitation in ruminant animals.
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How Often Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Poop?
Guinea pigs poop a lot, so they eat their poops as often as they eliminate. If a guinea pig poops 150 times a day, for instance, there is a tendency that it will eat its poop 150 times. The bottom line is: the more your cavy eats, the more it poops, and consequently, the more it eats the poop.
How Do I Make My Guinea Pig Poop Less?
Less food equals less poop. When guinea pigs eat less, they poop less. However, the digestive system of cavies is designed for food to go through constantly. It might be tricky to reduce the quantity of food they eat and how often they eat. However, when they feed more on veggies such as carrots, they poop less.
The PETMD advises cavy owners to refrain from feeding their pets excess carrots. This is because carrot is a source of carbohydrate for guinea pigs, and it contains excess sugar. Sugar promotes the growth of gas-producing bacteria in the intestinal tract of cavies. Moreover, it can disrupt their intestinal system, make them poop less often, and lose weight.
Bottom line, you should not try and feed your guinea less, or more carrots, or any other specific diet. let nature be what it should be and it’s totally ok for your guinea pig to poop as much as needed, and as disgusting as it sounds she can even eat her poop.
You should not try and feed your guinea less, or more carrots, or any other specific diet. let nature be what it should be and it’s totally ok for your guinea pig to poop as much as needed, and as disgusting as it sounds she can even eat her poop
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Can I Toilet Train My Guinea Pig?
Yes, you can toilet train your guinea pig. But, training them requires a lot of effort, time, and understanding. Guinea pig poops wherever they find themselves. However, you can train them to use a litter box instead of eliminating their urine or poop improperly. Cavies are conscious of where they eliminate, because their poop or urine may attract predators. So, they tend to go to dark places to eliminate. Make sure you study them and place the litter box in that location.
Nevertheless, you must understand that your pets might forget to use the litter box. To ensure they remember, mix the litter with fresh beddings and a little old bedding. That will make the litter smell familiar. You can also reward them when they use the litter box. That serves as an incentive to encourage them to use the litter box next time. Some pets are easily litter trained but bear in mind that it takes longer for others to stop improper elimination. So, don’t get frustrated if it takes longer for your pet to learn how to use the litter box.
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Final thoughts
In summary, the reason why your guinea pig poops so much is most likely because it eats a lot. Besides, there is no specific number of times in a day that your guinea pig poops. But your pets will poop as many times as you feed them. If you ever find your guinea pig eating its poop, it’s quite normal. But the type of poop they eat is rarely seen because they eat it directly from their anus. This type of poop is called the caecal and contains vitamins B and K that aid metabolism and digestion.
You can toilet train your pet even though it takes dedication and understanding. Some guinea pigs are easily toilet trained, while some don’t even learn at all. To encourage your guinea pigs to use the litter box often, you can reward them with treats, place their litter box in dark places. Poop eating is normal and nutritional for cavies, so don’t fret if your pets indulge in the habit.
