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Very different weight in 2 guinea pigs

The2Piggies

The2Piggies

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I have two female guinea pigs who live in the same cage and are very similar ages, about 1 1/2 years. We got them at the same time. However, when I weighed them one piggy was about 70 grams heavier, even though they get the same amount of food and seem to eat the same amount of hay each day. Not super worried, as the heavier piggy had always been a little bit larger, but she’s been getting heavier since winter started and the other guinea pig has stayed the same. Should I be doing anything differently?
 
i wouldn’t worry unless your piggy is behaving differently, or your other one isn’t eating. My two piggies have different weights too, because I think one of mine is a cuy!
 
How much weight has the heavier pig gained and in what time span?

Honestly weight differences between pigs can vary dramatically. Go down to Section 3 in the link below and check the heft of your piggy.

Weight - Monitoring and Management
 
It’s always worth weighing weekly to ensure there are no drastic changes, but as said above piggies do all vary in weight! My boys are a similar age one is 1.3kg and one 1.1kg they have pretty much always been 150-200g apart their whole lives!
 
Engel said:
How much weight has the heavier pig gained and in what time span?

Honestly weight differences between pigs can vary dramatically. Go down to Section 3 in the link below and check the heft of your piggy.

Weight - Monitoring and Management
Click to expand...
The heavier pig has gained about 20 grams since the start of this month, and a little less than 30 in the last 4-5 weeks.
 
rp1993 said:
It’s always worth weighing weekly to ensure there are no drastic changes, but as said above piggies do all vary in weight! My boys are a similar age one is 1.3kg and one 1.1kg they have pretty much always been 150-200g apart their whole lives!
Click to expand...
Good to know, thank you! The heavier pig has always been a little bit larger so maybe she’s just eating a little bit more now that it’s getting colder.
 
The2Piggies said:
The heavier pig has gained about 20 grams since the start of this month, and a little less than 30 in the last 4-5 weeks.
Click to expand...
Honestly that's nothing to worry about. They can gain 30g by having a full bladder.
 
They can definitely have very different adult sizes, just like people. As long as you are not seeing a weight decline or an inability of one piggie to eat because the other is guarding all the food, it's likely just a normal body difference.
 
My boys were different weights when I rescued them. Cappy has stayed around 1000g while Mokey was 977 around Thanksgiving and now weighs 1000g.

He gained weight as he was sicky with conjunctivitis or so the vet says.

Seems normal though.
 
The2Piggies said:
I have two female guinea pigs who live in the same cage and are very similar ages, about 1 1/2 years. We got them at the same time. However, when I weighed them one piggy was about 70 grams heavier, even though they get the same amount of food and seem to eat the same amount of hay each day. Not super worried, as the heavier piggy had always been a little bit larger, but she’s been getting heavier since winter started and the other guinea pig has stayed the same. Should I be doing anything differently?
Click to expand...

Hi!

I would not worry but start sprinkle feeding veg and pellets (which should be only 1 tablespoon per piggy per day) instead of serving in a bowl. This also encourages foraging behaviour and counts as enrichment.

The weight difference is very small when you consider that the difference between a full and empty bladder is 10g and the difference between a full and an empty tummy is 30-40g.
My litter sisters Nia and Nerys had a 500g difference of weight at the height of their lives. It was energetic small Nia who ran a large group while Nerys with her twisted thighbone concentrated on stuffing herself. Both sows lives lived a healthy life span with Nerys even celebrating her 8th birthday.

More information on all aspects of weight and weighing: Weight - Monitoring and Management
 
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