Eating Habits

[Senna & Porridge]

I'm a new user of this website and a new pig owner, closing in on 6 months. I have two pigs, one is about 10 months and the other is roughly 15 months, they are both females. The 15 month old has a big appetite, and is not very picky, but today she ate about 2/3 of her food as oppose to eagerly finishing everything. I am a little concerned about this and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Do you weigh her routinely each week?
Is she losing any weight?

Hay makes up three quarters of what they eat in a day. That can’t be gauged by eye hence the importance of the routine lifelong weekly weight checks. If hay intake reduces you quickly see it on the scales and then need to step in with daily weight checks, syringe feeding if more than 50g is lost and seeing vet.
Veg and pellets are more supplementary so not eating them is less of a concern provided hay intake remains good and their weight remains stable. However suddenly not eating their veg can be an alert that their hay intake has already dropped (hay intake is usually the first thing that is reduced during a period of illness) particularly if you don’t do the routine weekly weight checks then it’s possible hay intake reduction has already gone unnoticed.


Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

Please switch from the usual life-long weekly weigh-in on your kitchen scales to weighing daily first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison.

If a guinea pig is not eating all the veg and pellets (which together with any treats only replace the supplementary role that wild forage used to have and should make together only about one fifth to one quarter of the daily food intake), you can be fairly sure that your piggy is already eating a lot less hay as well.
Since the daily hay intake makes over three quarters of what a guinea pig eats in a day and since you cannot control that by eye, it is crucial that you step up the weight monitoring so you know when to step in with support feeding and see a vet. Without it a piggy can quickly lose a lot more weight and you have a much harder battle for your piggy's life on your hands. Weighing first thing in the morning means that you weigh when the daily weight swing of ca. 30-40g is at its lowest so you have a clearer comparison. Normal cheap kitchen scales from a superstore or online will do for that purpose.

Here is more helpful information allow you to assess the situation better and to step in if and as soon as needed:
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)
Early Signs Of Illness

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

 

[weepweeps]

I hope your piggy is ok.

 

[Senna & Porridge]

Do you weigh her routinely each week?
Is she losing any weight?

Hay makes up three quarters of what they eat in a day. That can’t be gauged by eye hence the importance of the routine lifelong weekly weight checks. If hay intake reduces you quickly see it on the scales and then need to step in with daily weight checks, syringe feeding if more than 50g is lost and seeing vet.
Veg and pellets are more supplementary so not eating them is less of a concern provided hay intake remains good and their weight remains stable. However suddenly not eating their veg can be an alert that their hay intake has already dropped (hay intake is usually the first thing that is reduced during a period of illness) particularly if you don’t do the routine weekly weight checks then it’s possible hay intake reduction has already gone unnoticed.


Weight - Monitoring and Management

Thank you, we will start doing weekly checkups right away!

 

[Senna & Porridge]

Hi and welcome

Please switch from the usual life-long weekly weigh-in on your kitchen scales to weighing daily first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison.

If a guinea pig is not eating all the veg and pellets (which together with any treats only replace the supplementary role that wild forage used to have and should make together only about one fifth to one quarter of the daily food intake), you can be fairly sure that your piggy is already eating a lot less hay as well.
Since the daily hay intake makes over three quarters of what a guinea pig eats in a day and since you cannot control that by eye, it is crucial that you step up the weight monitoring so you know when to step in with support feeding and see a vet. Without it a piggy can quickly lose a lot more weight and you have a much harder battle for your piggy's life on your hands. Weighing first thing in the morning means that you weigh when the daily weight swing of ca. 30-40g is at its lowest so you have a clearer comparison. Normal cheap kitchen scales from a superstore or online will do for that purpose.

Here is more helpful information allow you to assess the situation better and to step in if and as soon as needed:
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)
Early Signs Of Illness

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

thank you soo much! I greatly appreciate all your advice!

 

[Senna & Porridge]

I hope your piggy is ok.

Thanks, me too