Amazing digestive results using Sherwood Pellets

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skinnypigs1
Supporter in '12

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:10 am


Hey everyone,

I switched all 9 of my guinea pigs onto Sherwoood pet health pellets and have to share the awesome findings we have had so far. The pellets have no soy, wheat, byproducts, molasses or fillers like other brands.

1. All pigs who had weird poops or bad poops are normal and perfect looking

2. The unaltered male cages have way less smell

3. My chronic digestive upset pig Bullseye is successfully off Cisapride. He used to be on that twice a day every day for 3.5 years. I tried to take him off it before and it was always unsuccessful in less than 12 hrs. His stomach would stop, backed up and poop everyone once we got him going again. He is pooping perfect now and has normal stomach movement on his own.

4. My chronic bloat and sludge piggy Pecan depuffed in just a day after the switch where before it was a daily battle of the bulge. Gas drops and cisapride daily only to still look bloaty and now she is medication free. I do find she can only tolerate small portions of veggies as well but no more puffed up pig and discomfort. Her sludge has so far not been back in 2 weeks where before was a few times a week of very bad sludge that has caused bleeding and uti's. Deposits she has currently are white chalk powder vs her creamy coloured grit.

5. All pigs eat half as much as before and eat more hay. A pair takes 12 hours to finish 1/8th of a cup, before they would wolf down 1/4 cup in a few hours and want more. They are satisfied with less and no more scarfing it down.

I had to share. Perhaps think how ingredients could be bothering your pigs, I never considered before that their pellets played such a huge roll in their overall health. Soy and wheat are known allergens, hard to digest, can ferment in the stomach. Molasses can cause bad bacteria to form. Why not pay for good ingredients and natural protein vs having them fill up on unnecessary fillers.

kailaeve1271

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 12:08 pm


I have never seen these pellets before. Are they available at a pet store (here in America where I live) or can I order them online? I’d love to make a switch. My pigs are very

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skinnypigs1
Supporter in '12

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 12:34 pm


They have a website and are from the US. You can also find them on Amazon and for fellow Canadians you can find them at Hop Online (online store).

kailaeve1271

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 12:38 pm


Okay! Thank you! I’ll definitely will be trying them when I get low on Oxbow Pellets

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 12:50 pm


A word of caution here. The primary ingredient in these pellets is alfalfa. I realize the Sherwood guy says that that's ok, but he cites absolutely NO research to back that up. And I wouldn't conclude that these pellets are better than a low calcium version until they've been used long enough to know whether or not they're implicated in bladder stones.

Anecdotal stories are fine, but they're not solid evidence.

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skinnypigs1
Supporter in '12

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:05 pm


Well aware of the alfalfa. Have had pigs get stones on the other 2 top brands always talked about so clearly low calcium diets are not everything. I am simply sharing my experience. The pigs eat half the amount, so higher in calcium sure but half the amount so kind of levels out a bit there. One ingredients is a urine acidifier as well in the pellets and I see Pecan drinking more, so I am willing to give it a shot. She was 2 seconds from a stone prior and we were at our wits end for her bloat.

ValeriesZoo

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:19 pm


I am also giving these pellets a try with good results. This is after much discussion with other volunteers and our vets at Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue. I was having similar issues with 2 of my pigs having daily bloat issues that required meds all of the time. That has completely improved on the sherwood pellets. I actually freaked out at first when I saw that alfalfa was one of the main ingredients and said no way will I try these. Then as I said there was much discussion so I decided to give them a try. I have also had stone pigs and pigs with sludge on the other brands. I am still in the trial phase and keeping track of results. I absolutely love the fact that these have no soy, wheat, molasses, fillers etc. Whatever happens I do not see myself going back to pellets that do have all of those ingredients, as the tummy issues we were having before are not something I want to go back to. I’ll stop these if I see sludge or evidence of stones etc. Like everyone else I’m just trying to do whats best for these guys.

kailaeve1271

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:29 pm


My guinea pigs personally have had issues with bladder sludge, bladder stones, calcium deposits (ALL the time) and digestion issues. They are on oxbow pellets, orchard grass hay, a low calciun diet and urinary support tabs. I think I will try these pellets and also the tablets they have for urinary problems with their sample packs and see if it helps my pigs. I will be glad to let everyone know my findings as well throughout the process. They seem very promising

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 3:27 pm


A note on Skinnypig's observations - she says they are eating half the pellets they used to eat. This may be part of what is helping their health.

It would be helpful to have a breakdown of ingredients here. Alfalfa, though it does have lots of calcium, is also a high protein food which may have a positive effect on health.

If they do not add any other calcium at all, this might offset the negatives for this product.

Guinea Pig Papa

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 3:27 pm


If I may ask, @skinnypigs1, where do you purchase these pellets from? I'm located in the same province as you, I would at least like a sample bag to try with my elderly boar Sly. He also has chronic tummy issues and soft stool, and I'd like to try them with him.

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skinnypigs1
Supporter in '12

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 3:50 pm


Lynx when Pecan was put on way less of our other pellets while dealing with bloat and sludge there was no difference. She was cut back but it made zero difference. Now she eats more of the Sherwood than her cut back amount of the other pellets and is not bloated and so far not producing sludge, poops are so much better. I don't feel the amount is it at all, but the ingredients. Bullseye back on the other pellets while working things out it didn't matter if he had half a portion or a full portion, was always the same result for his gi health being a mess.

They have a pie chart of ingredients. Half Timothy hay, half alfalfa hay, small section safflower and small section flax, then the minerals/vitamins.

I get my stuff from Hop Online, online shop in Calgary. That is the only place I have found for Canada thus far.

Guinea Pig Papa

Post   » Tue Feb 27, 2018 3:57 pm


Thank you, @skinnypigs1. I actually went straight to Sherwood Pet Health and ordered a sample bag from them to try for Sly. Shipping was free, although the sample bag was $9 Canadian. Small price to pay if they work for him. Sly also has malocclusion issues and has trouble maintaining weight because of that. Perhaps this will help him as well.

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