average/healthy weight for piggies?

[jenniferanneharris]

I know this has probs been answered already so sorr, but i have been meaning to post this for a while as i have read a few article's with different with different answers here.
I have 2 girls, both totally different shapes and weights.

Honor is on average about 1000-1030grams..she is quite "portly" :red but is a good size i think:p.... But Haven my other guinea pig is much smaller, she is quite long and slim, ever since i got Haven ( in December 2012), she has always been about the 700-730 gram mark. Is this normal? She eats/drinks fine, eats about as much as Honor, but is just small. Shes approx 3.5 possibly 4 years old now.
Honor and Haven live separately as they wont get on (and are both waiting to get a friend each), so i can see she eats well... i just wanted re assurance she is a healthy weight? Vet says she is fine, just a smaller piggie than Haven.

 

[klee]

I know this has probs been answered already so sorr, but i have been meaning to post this for a while as i have read a few article's with different with different answers here.
I have 2 girls, both totally different shapes and weights.

Honor is on average about 1000-1030grams..she is quite "portly" :red but is a good size i think:p.... But Haven my other guinea pig is much smaller, she is quite long and slim, ever since i got Haven ( in December 2012), she has always been about the 700-730 gram mark. Is this normal? She eats/drinks fine, eats about as much as Honor, but is just small. Shes approx 3.5 possibly 4 years old now.
Honor and Haven live separately as they wont get on (and are both waiting to get a friend each), so i can see she eats well... i just wanted re assurance she is a healthy weight? Vet says she is fine, just a smaller piggie than Haven.

3 of my girls are between 1.1-1.3kg, they are all the sane breed and are quite chunky. Rosie who is 7, is around the 800g mark but she does seem to drop round winter- she has been as low as 740g last year.
Has her weight remained stable since you have had her? There hasn't been any gradual weight losses at all?
You nay find if she settles down with a friend she will eat more and may increase her weight due to the competition over food etc.

 

[jenniferanneharris]

3 of my girls are between 1.1-1.3kg, they are all the sane breed and are quite chunky. Rosie who is 7, is around the 800g mark but she does seem to drop round winter- she has been as low as 740g last year.
Has her weight remained stable since you have had her? There hasn't been any gradual weight losses at all?
You nay find if she settles down with a friend she will eat more and may increase her weight due to the competition over food etc.

Just realised i made a typo with the weights .....:{:{ Not been feeling well today and just noticed i typed 700-730... i meant she tends to stay between on average between 750-80 grams.... mallethead,....really sorry. Gosh 700grams i would be worried :x Feel really embarrassed

Thanks, Haven is naturally very small and slim, its been pretty steady since i have had her, a few drops and gains over the time, but on average she tends to stay about 750-780grams... Last weigh in she was 778grams last week,...due to weigh her again tomorrow after clean out, but one week she is one weight, the next week she is a bit smaller, then bigger again..lol. I guess i just worry as they have been alone for a while now (my local rescue is due to get some neutered boars soon apparently), and i worry about her getting depressed (as well as Honor). I think today where i have not felt well myself i went in panic mode mallethead Again so sorry. As i say she is 778grams at the moment aprox. Just wanted to be reassured she is an "ok" weight... feeling quite silly now...

 

[klee]

Rosie is very similar with weight fluctuations, it may be that Haven is naturally small. Whereas Rosie doesn't look small as she is so fluffy, she is very slight under her fluff.
If she is only fluctuating a small amount I would try not to worry too much, like i say if she continues to drop weight and not gain then I would get her seen by a vet.
Weights also differ upon when you weigh them, before food after food, full bladder/empty bladder and this can be a difference of 30g.
Like i said having a friend you may see a slight increase in weight as she will probably eat more.

 

[jenniferanneharris]

Thanks, i am continuing to weigh her weekly (well both weekly) and as you say if she drops and doesn't gain it back (or drops alot) she will go strait to vet... I think its also because i work funny hours i tend to weigh 1 week morning, another afternoon, another evening lol. Have recently been trying to weigh at week-ends in the evenings before dinner when i do a full cage clean (although not always practical)... Cant wait to get them a friend each...maybe then i will stop feeling so down and guilty all the time. Although in themselfs they are so happy and eat loads, but i know they will be much happier with a friend each. Thanks for your help klee

 

[bubble&squeak4ever]

If she hasn't lost any weight and doesn't feel skinny I would say she sounds a healthy weight to me. As Klee said, she might put on weight when there is competition for food. My little Squeak is 4 years old and she weighs around 800g, she's always been a small piggy too!

 

[jenniferanneharris]

Thanks bubble&squeak4ever, nope she dosnt feel "skinny", not boney or anything- just always been small and slender. I think its just in comparison to Honor who is much "rounder" .

 

[Wiebke]

Honour is a very good normal weight for a sow. Haven seems to be what is called a "runt" (they sometimes happen in large litters from overbred sows) - a piggy that was very small when born and has stopped growing early. I would not worry as long as she is feeling right in herself (i.e. no ribs or spine to be felt); that is simply the way she is and she can lead a perfectly happy, fulfilled life.