Guinea pigs are one of the most accessible small pets you can access. Not only are they extremely affordable, but they are very easy creatures to take care of. However, one thing might be gross about them: they eat their poop, so it leads to the question of why.

Avoiding the need to go on a long and winding answer, guinea pigs eat their own poop because they cannot chew the food they eat enough to manage to digest it properly. To that end, they produce caecotrophs, which look like poop but are slightly different.

Delving deeper into this entire process, we can understand that they do this essentially to get the maximum amount of protein and vitamins in their food and help avoid wasting anything. From a human perspective, this is incredibly disgusting, but from an animal’s point of view, it’s remarkable.

This article goes more in-depth on what happens when guinea pigs eat their feces, why they do it, and how many poops they eat in a day. Again, although we find it gross, it is normal for guinea pigs, so having more information might be helpful for those who do not understand it.

What Happens if Guinea Pigs Eat Their Own Poop?

 

As we’ve noted above, the guinea pig isn’t eating its poop; it’s eating caecotrophs. This is, for lack of a better word, a small pellet of concentrated vitamins, proteins, and other necessary nutrients that the guinea pig could not absorb upon its initial consumption properly.

After “re-eating” these pellets, the guinea pig will feel fuller and go about its business in a normal manner. Before we jump to any conclusions about how such a process would affect a human, rest assured: Your guinea pig will be perfectly fine indulging in this process, and it’s completely normal to observe, if a little disturbing for those with light stomachs.

 

Why Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Own Feces?

 

 

Guinea pigs eat their caecotrophs to fully absorb all the nutrients that would have normally been left behind in the food that they eat due to their inability to chew their food properly. This manner of digestion occurs primarily in foods that are jam-packed with essential nutrients that your hamster’s body tells it shouldn’t waste.

When your guinea pig produces caecotrophs, you may be urged to prevent them from eating it because it disgusts or disturbs you. Still, you must allow nature to run its course, as failure may agitate your guinea pig or cause it to feel as if its feeding time is being repeatedly interrupted.

 

How Many Poops Do Guinea Pigs Eat a Day?

 

As we’ve established, the guinea pigs are not eating poop, they are eating caecotrophs, and it is tough to assume how many they eat per day because it’s not based on an average quantitative value but more so on what foods they have eaten that are a bit too complicated for them to digest the first go around, so they must resort to creating caecotrophs in the first place.

If we had to assign a numeric value to this practice, it would be roughly around 150 to 200 poops per day, following the ideology that they needed to produce caecotrophs in the first place.

 

The Two Types of Guinea Pig Poop

 

The two individual times essential boil down to actual guinea pig feces, which is precisely what you think it is, and the latter being caecotrophs. If you were to inspect them closely, the caecotrophs do appear slightly different visually, but you definitely don’t need to get that close of a visual unless you are aiming to be a vet or endorsing some extreme morbid curiosity, of course.

While studying your guinea pigs’ bowel movements, it’s good to note the overall consistency to get a better gauge of their general health and how well their digestive tract is functioning.

If you observe any stool from your guinea pig that is runny, oddly colored or has red streaking, you may be wise to get your little ball of fluff to the veterinarian as soon as possible to have it evaluated. These can be innate signs of intestinal distress or even internal bleeding.

 

What Is the Poop Called That Guinea Pigs Eat?

 

The kind of poop that guinea pigs eat is called caecotrophs, and a well-rounded pelled will usually prevent them from producing this. Still, raw veggies are much more likely to cause thinness, as the foods themselves are often a little too complex for your guinea pig’s stomach to process fully during the first go-around.

Thankfully, your guinea pig has evolved throughout nature enough to not only know the limitations of its own body but also adapt to having a keen sense of when there is a “diamond hidden in the rough,” so to speak. Truly, a guinea pig’s ability to survive is fascinating, to say the least.

 

What Should You Do if Your Guinea Pig Isn’t Eating Its Caecotrophs?

 

While it may sound like a breath of fresh air (or maybe just one with a tic-tac) to hear that your guinea pig isn’t eating its caecotrophs, it may be cause for alarm, as this process is somewhat imperative for its survival.

Suppose you can properly identify caecotrophs and guarantee that your guinea pig is entirely missing this opportunity. In that case, you may want to get it to the vet because it may be experiencing issues and pain you aren’t unaware of.

Eating caecotrophs is one of your guinea pigs’ time-honed survival skills, and refusing to do so may indeed point to a larger, more dangerous problem.

 

Can Guinea Pigs Die From Eating Their Own Poop?

 

Guinea pigs will not die from eating their poop, primarily because they would not deign to eat their feces, and will typically only go for the caecotrophs, primarily due to them being able to differentiate between one being packed with essential vitamins and minerals and the other being waste.

Thankfully, animals have a better level of discernment than us in some places and won’t usually go out of their way to harm themselves. If you do notice your guinea pig eating its own feces, as always, a trip to the vet may be in order, as its senses may be off, and it could be sick.

 

Does Guinea Pig Poop Carry Disease?

 

Guinea pig poop itself doesn’t often carry disease, but it does have a lot of bacteria which can get you incredibly sick if you are constantly exposed to it or manage to get it into a wound or ingest it on accident (washing your hands after handling your pets is a very, very important practice for this reason).

If you suspect your guinea pig has diseases or some other malady, it may be wise to get it checked out by a vet prior to bringing it home initially. This is just good practice anytime you get a new pet because you’ll be able to get a running start on any issues that may crop up in the long run.

Final Thoughts

 

Guinea pigs are marvelous little creatures and fantastic pets, but some of their practices can be a little gross at times for those who don’t fully understand what they are witnessing. Rest assured, the process of eating caecotrophs is entirely natural and has been observed in many other creatures as well, like rabbits and hamsters, for example.