Losing Weight, Plus Other Things?

[Sophieismyguineapig]

My six year old agouti, Sophie has been losing quite a bit of weight. I haven't properly weighed her, but her spine is showing and she's not as chubby as she once was. She's eating great, but she stays at her bottle almost constantly. She's also quite recently started with soft stool. The lady I adopted her from said for me to cut all veg/fruits, so I did and it improved greatly, but when I started re-introducing them the same thing is happening all over. At one point (before the soft stool started) she actually had gained weight back on, but then lost it about a month later. She doesn't seem to be in pain, and like I said, she's eating great. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Sarah and Sophie

 

[Wiebke]

My six year old agouti, Sophie has been losing quite a bit of weight. I haven't properly weighed her, but her spine is showing and she's not as chubby as she once was. She's eating great, but she stays at her bottle almost constantly. She's also quite recently started with soft stool. The lady I adopted her from said for me to cut all veg/fruits, so I did and it improved greatly, but when I started re-introducing them the same thing is happening all over. At one point (before the soft stool started) she actually had gained weight back on, but then lost it about a month later. She doesn't seem to be in pain, and like I said, she's eating great. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Sarah and Sophie

Please have her checked by a vet, as you should with any weight loss, especially when the spine is showing and the digestion is iffy. Please keep her on a high fibre/ideally grain-free diet for the time being and if necessary, top her up with syringe feed. Introduce veg only one at a time once you have stabilised her to see which ones and how much causes problems. Weigh her daily at the same point in the feeding cycle to monitor her food intake.

Older guinea pig can naturally lose some weight and have more prominent bones. They can also have a more tender digestion, but you need to make sure that you are not overlooking anything vital that is causing the weight loss and the digestive issues. These can also be caused by a pain problem.

 

[Freela]

Diarrhea especially is worth a vet visit, and weight loss should be checked out in case there is an underlying problem.

How old is Sophie? I know in my elderly pigs, somewhere around 5.5 years or so it seemed like keeping weight on was a problem. They stabilized at a lower weight and definitely felt bonier around the shoulders and hips, in spite of eating normally. My vet did say that, as animals age, muscle mass is lost to the aging process. Muscle weighs more than fat and also provides a lot of padding around the bonier areas, which explains why some elderly pigs look and feel thinner/bonier than pigs in their prime. If she's getting on in years, it may be a natural factor of aging, but it still should be checked out by a vet to be sure.

 

[Freela]

Diarrhea especially is worth a vet visit, and weight loss should be checked out in case there is an underlying problem.

At age six, age may be a factor. I know in my elderly pigs, somewhere around 5.5 years or so it seemed like keeping weight on was a problem. They stabilized at a lower weight and definitely felt bonier around the shoulders and hips, in spite of eating normally. My vet did say that, as animals age, muscle mass is lost to the aging process. Muscle weighs more than fat and also provides a lot of padding around the bonier areas, which explains why some elderly pigs look and feel thinner/bonier than pigs in their prime. If she's getting on in years, it may be a natural factor of aging, but it still should be checked out by a vet to be sure.

 

[Sophieismyguineapig]

Ahh, thank you for all the help! Sophie is getting up there in age, and I have her an appointment with the vet. I would've sooner, but we've had a couple rounds of snow! Thanks again!