Elderly pig needs to put on weight

[reefsharkdaddy]

Hey everyone!
I'm new to this forum but am looking to better the lives of my pigs!
In December of 2020, I adopted two four-year-old guinea pig sisters from my local animal shelter. I know it is normal for pigs to live from 4-8 years but one of the sisters I adopted (named Mildred) ended up having to be put down due to many health concerns that impacted her quality of life. Many were caused by both of the girls being very obese but to this day I still have the other sister (Phillis). She is doing amazing in my care and is still popcorning about even at the old age of 6. The only problem is that she is having trouble keeping weight on. She has access to hay 24/7 as well as pellets (even though she doesn't eat many of them). She gets plenty of fresh produce I grow for her and my other pigs every day and vitamin c treats. Right now she weighs 798 grams which according to google is normal but she just seems so much thinner than my other guineas. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Piggies&buns]

The number on the scales is not indicative of what is healthy for her body type, and also google cannot tell you what is normal for her. Piggies come in different shapes and sizes and the number on the scales for one piggy could be unhealthy for another piggy. There is no range in which a piggy should be.

Weight also does not depend on their breed and you can’t compare one piggy to another.

What is important to gauge whether she is a healthy size for herself is to check her heft - basically piggy BMI. If she has a nice layer of fat over her ribs but you can still just about feel ribs, then that is healthy. Not being able to feel ribs at all is overweight; feeling all the ribs with no fat covering is underweight.

The healthy diet is unlimited hay
One cup of veg per day
One tablespoon of pellets per day. Pellets are the least important part of the diet, if given too many they can cause them to not eat enough hay which can have serious health issue, and due to the high calcium content of pellets (even low calcium varieties) can lead to bladder related health issues. They need to be kept limited and piggies never overfed on them or left with constant access to them.

However, if at the weekly weight checks she is losing weight or she has had a gradual downward trend in her weight over a longer period, then it’s essential you step in with syringe feeding to replace the lost hay intake (piggies lose weight when their hay intake reduced) and ensure you feed enough to stop the weight loss, and see a vet to find out any health reasons why a piggy is not eating enough hay and consequently losing weight.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Weight - Monitoring and Management
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[reefsharkdaddy]

The number on the scales is not indicative of what is healthy for her body type, and also google cannot tell you what is normal for her. Piggies come in different shapes and sizes and the number on the scales for one piggy could be unhealthy for another piggy. There is no range in which a piggy should be.

Weight also does not depend on their breed and you can’t compare one piggy to another.

What is important to gauge to work out whether she is a healthy size for herself is to check her heft - basically piggy BMI. If she has a nice layer of fat over her ribs but you can still just about feel ribs, then that is healthy. Not being able to feel ribs at all is overweight; feeling all the ribs with no fat covering is underweight.

The healthy diet is unlimited hay
One cup of veg per day
One tablespoon of pellets per day. Pellets are the least important part of the diet, if given too many they can cause them to not eat enough hay which can have serious health issue, and due to the high calcium content of pellets (even low calcium varieties) can lead to bladder related health issues. They need to be kept limited and piggies never overfed on them or left with constant access to them.

However, if at the weekly weight checks she is losing weight or she has had a gradual downward trend in her weight over a longer period, then it’s essential you step in with syringe feeding to replace the lost hay intake (piggies lose weight when their hay intake reduced) and ensure you feed enough to stop the weight loss, and see a vet to find out any health reasons why a piggy is not eating enough hay and consequently losing weight.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Weight - Monitoring and Management
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Thanks for the reply I will definitely stop the 1/8 cup of pellets I normally give her and only give a tablespoon! According to what you've said she is a healthy weight which is good to know. The only time she ever went down a lot of weight was when she went on a vet-recommended plan because she came into the rescue I got her from very obese (1250 g) and couldn't feel her ribs at all.

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

It is not uncommon for elderly piggies, and other animals, to drop weight simply because their bodies become less efficient at absorbing neutrients. That said I would have her vet checked incase there is a specific cause which may be treatable. You could also try her with some different hays, leafy hay tends to be more palatable and calorific than stalky hay.