Underweight

[Bridabribri]

So my guinea pig Lucy is about 5 and a half almost 6 years old. Shes recently lost quite a bit of weight. You can feel all her bones and shes really light and its quite worry some. Shes eating fine and has a good appetite. She doesnt seem to be acting any diffrent either. I dont know what the problem could be.

 

[DM030819]

@Bridabribri How much weight has she lost?

I'd recommend taking her to the vet for further investigation as it could be a number of things, from arthritis to fungal issues to a dental problem.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

While a certain slow and gradual weight loss is normal in elderly guinea pigs, any sudden weight loss over 50g and any slow weight loss over 100g should be seen by a vet, ideally one that is as piggy savvy as you can afford.
We have got a recommended UK vet locator on the top bar, but can provide a link to recommended vets in some other countries if wished.

A sudden weight loss is often connected to a pain issue somewhere in the body or the inability to process food (from overgrown teeth to a delicate digestion in older piggies to failing organs). Overgrown back teeth, arthritis, kidney problems, ovarian cysts etc. can all cause a fairly quick weight loss and are not at all uncommon in older piggies.

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