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Runt has become a fatty! Help..

Lymaine

Lymaine

Junior Guinea Pig
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Ok so I have two male pigs, same age, very well bonded (love each other to the point of obsession!) who lives together in a 6foot long c&c cage.

Freddie was a runt when we got him 3 years ago, 388g to Elvis’ 600g... now Freddie is just gaining weight constantly. Elvis has settled and in face his weight has not changed in a month (he is 1248g) but Freddie has gained another 50g in a month now taking him to 1328g! I can still feel his ribs but not as easily as Elvis’s. His front feet are visible but sometimes his back feet are not and I’m worried he’s getting a bit too fat! Any tips on how I can put him on a diet but not Elvis? I can’t feed them separate because they are so clingy with each other that they won’t eat without each other!
 
Lymaine said:
Ok so I have two male pigs, same age, very well bonded (love each other to the point of obsession!) who lives together in a 6foot long c&c cage.

Freddie was a runt when we got him 3 years ago, 388g to Elvis’ 600g... now Freddie is just gaining weight constantly. Elvis has settled and in face his weight has not changed in a month (he is 1248g) but Freddie has gained another 50g in a month now taking him to 1328g! I can still feel his ribs but not as easily as Elvis’s. His front feet are visible but sometimes his back feet are not and I’m worried he’s getting a bit too fat! Any tips on how I can put him on a diet but not Elvis? I can’t feed them separate because they are so clingy with each other that they won’t eat without each other!
Click to expand...

edit - I should add that they are both the same size now, I think Freddie took a bit longer to grow but now he is just as long as Elvis! 😂 anyway - they are also both active, happy, popcorn and run around a lot!
 
Check his heft. If you can feel his ribs but they have a still nice covering of fat then he is absolutely fine. please do not put your piggy on a diet without consulting a vet. Weight alone is not an indication of an overweight piggy - i have two boars who are coming up to 3 years old. One usually hovers around 1250-1280, the other around 1350-1370g

What you do need to do is check what you are feeding them
Do they have unlimited hay?
are their pellets kept strictly to one tablespoon per pig per day only? Overfeeding pellets will cause weight gain
is veg 50g per pig per day.

how much exercise and time out of their cage do they get?

this guide will help you
Weight - Monitoring and Management
 
Hi

You feel the BMI (or 'heft') of a guinea pig around the ribcage. If you can't feel the ribs, your piggy is overweight. Ideally you can feel the ribs. If you can feel every single rib standing out, your piggy is underweight.

For more advice checking the heft, measures you can take for overweight guinea pigs etc. please take the time to read our comprehensive Weight guide. You will find it very interesting and helpful: Weight - Monitoring and Management

If you are dealing with overweight, please keep an eye on the companion if they are losing weight slowly. You may also want to review your diet, especially the amount of pellets and the amount and quality of veg you are feeding. Some veg are more fattening than others.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
 
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