Is anything wrong?

[Dwarfpotato]

I adopted Cookie a week and a half ago. He's living alongside Tico so she can get used to him before I try bonding them. I noticed yesterday that he didn't seem to be eating as much hay as usual. Quite often he was picking bits up, then putting them down and choosing another. I weighed him and he was 1100g. I've only weighed him once before and it was 1200g, but I don't know if I accidentally weighed him wrong and got a wrong number?

His appetite seems fine. He seems to be a bit of a picky eater and doesn't like my nuggets (I've asked the rescue what brand he's used to) or the stalky bits of lettuce. He's still eating everything I give him, including the seed heads out of the hay. He just doesn't seem interested in hay. I gave him a little bit of critical care last night and he happily ate it, and this morning his weight is the same as last night and there are plenty of poops around the cage. He spends a lot of his time stomping up and down the divider and rumblestrutting at Tico, although in the last two days she's started rumbling back.

Because I've only had him for a week I don't know what's normal for him. The last few days it's been quite chilly here - could he just be lethargic because it's cold? The room is consistently above 17. I don't want to go to the vet with no symptoms except a feeling, but I'm so anxious I've lost my appetite.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s always hard when you have new piggies and you don’t know what is their normal.
I would start weighing him every day (at the same time each day) so you can more closely monitor his hay intake and get a better idea of whether he may have in fact lost 100g in the past week (if so, then stepping in is important). It may be due to the stress of a move and settling in, but If there is anything concerning in the daily weight checks then definitely see a vet.

 

[Wiebke]

A move to a new environment can cause weight loss; in this case, it should stabilise and go back up again.
Different hay, pellets, veg and a different environment can all contribute. The recent cold nights can also have played a role.

Please switch from weighing once weekly to weighing daily at the same time in the feeding cycle for closer observation. Be aware that the more often you weigh, the more the weight will jump around as it swings in a ca. 30-40g band over the course of 24 hours. Weighing either before a meal or always after it is best for a more stable comparison. I prefer to weigh before the breakfast feed when the weight is at its lowest in the swing and then adjust any support accordingly.

If the weight continues to go down, then please see a vet for a check.

 

[Dwarfpotato]

I will keep weighing him daily, but it's reassuring to know there might be a benign reason. He was a very nervous boy when he arrived and he didn't come out of his box at all until I covered the whole run with a blanket. I have given him a fleece blanket and a snugglesafe and he seems to have perked up a bit now? He's eating hay but still ignoring the nuggets.

Here's the obligatory pig tax. This is a rescue photo because I haven't got any good ones yet. He's so gorgeous!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Don’t worry about not eating the nuggets - they aren’t desperately important

 

[Wiebke]

Don’t worry about not eating the nuggets - they aren’t desperately important

Pellets should only make about 5% of the daily food intake. Give him time to settle in and bond. You will see that the 'I want what you have' instinct that bonded piggies have will sort the problems out on their own...

 

[Dwarfpotato]

Pellets should only make about 5% of the daily food intake. Give him time to settle in and bond. You will see that the 'I want what you have' instinct that bonded piggies have will sort the problems out on their own...

I have observed the power of FOMO before now!

 

[Wiebke]

I have observed the power of FOMO before now!

Don't panic, he'll catch up again!