Download - Feacal Impaction in Guinea Pigs - The Unusual Pet Vets...the rectum. This collection of faeces then ‘dilates’ this area causing more faeces to accumulate in this area. The impacted

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FAECALIMPACTIONINGUINEAPIGSFaecalimpactionisaconditionseenmostcommonlyinentiremaleguineapigsafter2-3yearsofage.Theexactreasonforitsoccurrenceisunknown,butitisthoughtthattheincreasedsizeofthetesticlesandfatdepositinthescrotalsacpreventsfaecesfromfallingoutoftherectum.Thiscollectionoffaecesthen‘dilates’thisareacausingmorefaecestoaccumulateinthisarea.

Theimpactedfaecesbeginstobreakdownandtheodourcanbesignificant.Normalfaecescanalsobeseenfromguineapigswiththiscondition.

Affectedguineapigscanshownosignsatallinsomecaseshowevermostshowsymptomsofstrainingtodefecateoranunusualodour.

Whatcanwedoaboutthiscondition?

Theoldsayingofpreventionisbetterthanacureholdstrueforthiscondition.Castration,ideallyatayoungage,helpstopreventthisconditionfromoccurring.Castrationaftertheconditionhasoccurredmaypreventitfromgettingworsebutgenerallywillnotalterthedilatedpocket.

Regularmanualcleaningofthispocketisoftenthebesttreatmentinolderboars(maleguineapigs).Cleaningtwicedailytoonceaweekisrequireddependingontheseverityofthecondition.