How to fatten up piggies?

[Sweet Potato]

Hugo and Rufus have settled in well and everything seems to be OK other than that they're just a bit small. I've had a lot going on with my family at the moment so I've maybe not been as on it as I would usually be with new piggies but I am a little concerned. I'm not sure I have the mental energy right now to be call the vet panic mode anxious but I'm not too happy. They're 9 months old so I thought they might still have some growing to do but they're not growing. Hugo has been slowly dropping from about 950g to just under 900g over the past 8 weeks. Rufus was only 880g to start with and is now 840g. They have constant access to hay, have veggies daily, 1tbs of pellets per pig per day. So my question is what am I doing wrong? I didn't weigh them for the first couple of weeks while they settled in so I'm not sure if they lost weight in those weeks. I've tried adding a handful of reddigrass to the hay tray each time I refill and scattering forrage a couple of times a week. They've not been handled much over the last few weeks. They're happy and popcorning as normal. They are brothers so I suppose there could be something genetic just making them small pigs but that wouldn't explain why weight has dropped.

 

[Piggies&buns]

You aren’t doing anything wrong.

They should be gaining weight at their age and losing would mean you do need to keep a closer eye, daily checks etc.
You shouldn’t just fatten them up without first checking for any medical issues. If over the next few days/week, weight loss continues then seeing a vet would be a good idea.

Has anything changed in their circumstances?
Did the heat we had recently affect them?

 

[Sweet Potato]

You aren’t doing anything wrong.

They should be gaining weight at their age and losing would mean you do need to keep a closer eye, daily checks etc.
You shouldn’t just fatten them up without first checking for any medical issues. If over the next few days/week, weight loss continues then seeing a vet would be a good idea.

Has anything changed in their circumstances?
Did the heat we had recently affect them?

Our house stays pretty cool so I can't see that being a problem for them

 

[Wiebke]

Hugo and Rufus have settled in well and everything seems to be OK other than that they're just a bit small. I've had a lot going on with my family at the moment so I've maybe not been as on it as I would usually be with new piggies but I am a little concerned. I'm not sure I have the mental energy right now to be call the vet panic mode anxious but I'm not too happy. They're 9 months old so I thought they might still have some growing to do but they're not growing. Hugo has been slowly dropping from about 950g to just under 900g over the past 8 weeks. Rufus was only 880g to start with and is now 840g. They have constant access to hay, have veggies daily, 1tbs of pellets per pig per day. So my question is what am I doing wrong? I didn't weigh them for the first couple of weeks while they settled in so I'm not sure if they lost weight in those weeks. I've tried adding a handful of reddigrass to the hay tray each time I refill and scattering forrage a couple of times a week. They've not been handled much over the last few weeks. They're happy and popcorning as normal. They are brothers so I suppose there could be something genetic just making them small pigs but that wouldn't explain why weight has dropped.

Hi

This is just borderline weight loss and is about the difference between before and after a bigger veg meal. Please take a big breath.

If you have concerns, then please switch to weighing daily first thing in the morning for a more reliable day to day comparison since that is when the daily weight swing of ca. 30g is at its lowest. Have you checked whether the scales were actually properly even and the battery working fully? That can sometimes impact on the weight reading.

Your boys are now also at the age where they are no longer growing daily but in spits and spots. Please do not try to fatten them up; empty calories won't help if there is an underlying problem and will not make them healthier if there isnt. It is most likely connected to the sudden heat wave and will correct itself on its own. See a vet if the weight loss continues.

 

[Sweet Potato]

Hi

This is just borderline weight loss and is about the difference between before and after a bigger veg meal. Please take a big breath.

If you have concerns, then please switch to weighing daily first thing in the morning for a more reliable day to day comparison since that is when the daily weight swing of ca. 30g is at its lowest. Have you checked whether the scales were actually properly even and the battery working fully? That can sometimes impact on the weight reading.

Your boys are now also at the age where they are no longer growing daily but in spits and spots. Please do not try to fatten them up; empty calories won't help if there is an underlying problem and will not make them healthier if there isnt. It is most likely connected to the sudden heat wave and will correct itself on its own. See a vet if the weight loss continues.

Thankyou so much its not been a sudden weight loss just a slow trend over the whole time we've had them. Hopefully they're just getting ready for a big growth spirt.

The boys will be devastated that the answer is not more veggies

 

[Wiebke]

Thankyou so much its not been a sudden weight loss just a slow trend over the whole time we've had them. Hopefully they're just getting ready for a big growth spirt.

The boys will be devastated that the answer is not more veggies

You can shortly up the amount of pellets but if you see the same trend in several piggies, then it is usually an environmental or food issue rather than illness. It can be pretty tricky to figure out, though.
Irritants to Avoid Around Guinea Pigs

 

[Sweet Potato]

I know I posted about this ages ago and never really updated with a conclusion. I'm happy to declare today as fat day! The first weigh in day where both the boys crossed the 1000g mark. Hugo has been a little chunkier and has been beyond 1000g for a while now but today he was a massive 1075g and rufus is comfortably following him weighing in at a healthy 1011g. No more bony hips theyre both smooth round chonky boys. They've both been slowly gaining since we changed the hay from pets at home to happy hay and switched to doing slightly more regular hay tray cleans but I couldn't ever have imagined they'd get this big and they still seem to be gaining! The humans are celebrating by eating pizza and popcorn and celebrating our fatness too. The pigs are celebrating by eating of course. More pea Flakes dear sir.

 

[ScrufflesRules]

That's brilliant news- I'm sure they'd be welcomed over at Chonky pigs

 

[Wiebke]

I know I posted about this ages ago and never really updated with a conclusion. I'm happy to declare today as fat day! The first weigh in day where both the boys crossed the 1000g mark. Hugo has been a little chunkier and has been beyond 1000g for a while now but today he was a massive 1075g and rufus is comfortably following him weighing in at a healthy 1011g. No more bony hips theyre both smooth round chonky boys. They've both been slowly gaining since we changed the hay from pets at home to happy hay and switched to doing slightly more regular hay tray cleans but I couldn't ever have imagined they'd get this big and they still seem to be gaining! The humans are celebrating by eating pizza and popcorn and celebrating our fatness too. The pigs are celebrating by eating of course. More pea Flakes dear sir.
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Thank you for your lovely update!

A good normal diet always wins the life race. It builds up more slowly but it builds health from the inside out.

 

[fluffysal]

I think you'll need a bigger bowl on the scales soon

 

[Merab]

What stunning piggies.
Glad they’re doing so well

 

[Roselina]

Beautiful boys and looking healthy

 

[weepweeps]

They are gorgeous