Losing weight

[Casidykorba]

My 4 year old Guinea pig is losing weight. She has always been a little over weight since I got her but the past few months she has been getting thinner. Today I noticed her trying to wheek but it was mostly silent. Her lungs and breathing sound okay and I don’t see any discharge from her nose. Any ideas!? :/

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry your girl is worrying you. When you say she is overweight, how much did she used to weigh at her peak? Guinea pigs on a hay diet are not likely to be overweight. Remember that they, like humans, can have a wide ranging weight. You can’t compare to another piggy and you also can’t go by the numbers on the scale alone.

She is losing weight because she’s not eating enough hay. So you have to step in and syringe feed her. You are aiming for 60ml+ in a 24 hour period (taking into account you need to rest at night). You can start with syringing and then in a bowl or on a spoon if she takes it well that way as well. If you don’t have any critical care then you can use mushed pellets in the meantime.

You will also have to switch to weighing her once daily (preferably in the morning) so you can adjust the top up accordingly.

I would also suggest you get her booked in with the vet to give her a check over and see if you can find out what is causing her weight loss.

I hope that they can find out what it is and that it’s something simple. All the best and do let us know how you get on.

Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

PS please can you also add your location (county/state or country) to your profile. It makes it easier as information can sometimes be tailored depending on where you are.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please switch from the lifelong routine weight checks and instead weigh her daily so you can monitor what is happening with her hay intake in each 24 hour period. If she is and has been losing weight, you must step in with syringe feeding to stabilise her weight and see a vet to get a diagnosis for the weight loss.

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Longer term, as Siikibam has said, piggies on a good diet (unlimited hay, one cup of veg, one tablespoon of pellets per day) are unlikely to be overweight. It’s their heft which is the indicator of what is healthy for themselves, not the number on the scales.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[Casidykorba]

I don’t have a vet in my area that will take or have knowledge of Guinea pigs. it’s happened over the past few months so it’s not too rapid. When I picked her up before she was my little blob and I couldn’t feel any bones. Now she is smaller and I can feel and see her hip bones. She is eating and acting like she did before. She gets lots of veggies and some fruit for treats. I'm concerned she didn’t make sound when she tried to wheet

 

[Piggies&buns]

If she is losing weight, then she is not eating as much hay as needed. Hay is 80% of their daily food intake and you cannot judge how much they are eating by eye. If hay intake drops, then they lose weight and you must step in and help.
I'm sorry you don’t have access to a vet, but there is a medical reason for her to be losing weight so seeing a vet is needed to find out why.

It’s essential you step in and syringe feed her a fibre rich recovery feed or mushed pellets to replace her reduced hay intake. The guide I linked in above explains how essential syringe feeding is if a piggy is not eating enough hay independently.

Please ensure you weigh her every day on normal kitchen scales. Weighing should be done every week as part of routine care, but it needs to be done daily when a piggy is unwell so you can be sure you are syringe feeding enough to stabilise and stop weight loss

Hay is the largest part of the diet, with veg being supplementary at one cup per pig per day.

Please do add your country to your profile so we can advise you more easily based on your location.

 

[Casidykorba]

If she is losing weight, then she is not eating as much hay as needed. Hay is 80% of their daily food intake and you cannot judge how much they are eating by eye. If hay intake drops, then they lose weight and you must step in and help.
I'm sorry you don’t have access to a vet, but there is a medical reason for her to be losing weight so seeing a vet is needed to find out why.

It’s essential you step in and syringe feed her a fibre rich recovery feed or mushed pellets to replace her reduced hay intake. The guide I linked in above explains how essential syringe feeding is if a piggy is not eating enough hay independently.

Please ensure you weigh her every day on normal kitchen scales. Weighing should be done every week as part of routine care, but it needs to be done daily when a piggy is unwell so you can be sure you are syringe feeding enough to stabilise and stop weight loss

Hay is the largest part of the diet, with veg being supplementary at one cup per pig per day.

Please do add your country to your profile so we can advise you more easily based on your location.

Thank you for the information. I will do my best to find a vet. I am moving to a more urban area next month and I’m sure they have one but I don’t want to weight that long. I added my location

 

[Piggies&buns]

This is the link to the Guinea Lynx New York vets listing - Veterinarians: New York - Guinea Lynx Records
You may have to travel as you are right, depending on what amount of weight she has lost, she probably cannot wait another month before seeing a vet.

While you are trying to find a vet, please do syringe feed her straight away (and regularly throughout the day) and weigh her daily. It’s so important this is done as if she doesn’t eat enough hay, then they can quickly end up in trouble

I hope she is ok