obese

[lovemypiggiee]

my guineapig lost his friend but has been doing really happy for the past few months, but now he looks a bit lonely and is very fat. he doesn’t move all day. does anyone know how to encourage him to walk more x he used to jump the stairs and run around the house but as i said now hes too fat to do that. he is like a big lazy sausage! we leave the tv on and he watches it happily but i think that’s why he doesn’t run around anymore. I'm not interested in getting any new piggies or giving him away since he would definitely get bullied x hes also 3!

 

[sport_billy]

What does he weigh?

 

[Piggies&buns]

The first thing is to check his heft - is he actually overweight? The guide below explains how to check heft
If he is, then look at his diet and see a vet. Make sure he has unlimited hay, one cup of veg and one tablespoon of pellets only per day
Then provide lots of enrichment. The reality is, a friend is the best form of enrichment he can be provided with. A lonely and bored piggy may well be less active.

Weight - Monitoring and Management
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[Stewybus]

At 3 years old I would definitely consider getting him a new friend of similar age. Solo boys over 2 in general are much easier to bond than solo girls.

At our rescue we do specialise in bonding piggies, mainly boys. We have successfully bonded 68 so far this year. Better to go to a rescue who do bonding sessions.

 

[Wiebke]

my guineapig lost his friend but has been doing really happy for the past few months, but now he looks a bit lonely and is very fat. he doesn’t move all day. does anyone know how to encourage him to walk more x he used to jump the stairs and run around the house but as i said now hes too fat to do that. he is like a big lazy sausage! we leave the tv on and he watches it happily but i think that’s why he doesn’t run around anymore. I'm not interested in getting any new piggies or giving him away since he would definitely get bullied x hes also 3!

Hi and welcome
Please read the information on overweight and obesity and practical tips on what you can do about it in this guide here. The guide also has a chapter with practical tips on how you can encourage adult piggies to move around more: Weight - Monitoring and Management

Guinea pigs on a healthy hay/grass based and not mainly veg and pellet based diet may get overweight due to lack of exercise and stimulation but they don't get obese; please review your diet and make any life prolonging and health promoting changes. Here is our comprehensive diet guide, which looks at diet as a whole and at all food groups in practical detail; a healthy hay based diet with only a modicum of preferably green veg and herbs and just 1 tablespoon of pellets can add 1-2 years to normal healthy life span: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

At three years of age, your boy is only halfway through the average healthy life span of 5-7 years. A very few guinea pigs live to 10 years or even beyond. Companionship is by far the best stimulant for activity since guinea pigs are social goup animals and not wired to be on their own; they rely on constant round the clock stimulation from their own kind even when they are unable to share a cage with another guinea pig.
Please read up on the practical advice for looking after single guinea pigs and how you can tell if they are understimulated or have transferred their social needs fully onto you.
The guide also offers a wider range of companionship options, like next door companionship with a similar aged single/bereaved piggy: Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities