POOP!

Question
I just got a guinea pig today and he won't stop pooping...is he eating to much, diarhhea, or just nerves...should i take him to a vet?  Also since the Timothy hay helps bowel movements, should we not feed him as much as we are now?  Lastly, do you use a bowl for pellets or one of the gravity bins and if you use a bowl, should you leave it inside the cage all day?
Thanks a lot


Answer
Shannon --

Guinea pigs do poop a lot.  It's much more frequent than other house pets.  Don't worry, as long as its solid and he doesn't appear to be losing a lot of weight, its okay.  I would be sure you're not feeding him too much Timothy (or any other treats, for that matter, since guinea pigs can become overweight fast.

As for the feeding container, I use bowls.  However, I do use the heavy ceramic type, as they can easily tip over a plastic bowl, and you will waste a lot of food.  I leave it in the cage, full of food.  I recommend allowing guinea pigs to "graze" (eat a little bit very frequently).  Gravity bins are okay, too, but I found that my guinea pigs can disconnect them from the cage door and I'd have food all over the floor every morning.

Hope this information is helpful.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me.  Good luck!

Lorena