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Weight And Worry In An Older Pig

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ESeidel

Junior Guinea Pig
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Advice needed because I'm becoming obsessed with my older pig's weight and don't know what to expect as she ages. Rosie is 7 1/2 almost eight years old. She's always been a picky eater but when she likes it she eats a lot! She's always eaten a lot of fresh greens and veggies. Gradually she has cut back on the fresh food she wants to eat. I try to entice her with the best, fresh stuff and she eats some but not like she used to! She seems to be eating much more hay and pellets and still eats a vitamin c tab everyday. She drinks, poops, pees...although her pooping has changed a bit gradually-a bit softer (still formed and not runny at all), and she tends to not clean herself as well as she used to so she often has a dirty bottom, I think because she is not as active so she lays in one place for a while and poos and pees and it gets soft and messes up her bum. Anyway, she's been gradually loosing weight. Sometimes in up a bit but then it always seems to go down. I'm obsessed with her eating and weight! I weigh her all the time and fret all day if its down! Feeding her critical care is so traumatic for her as she hates it! Is it normal for older pigs to loss weight. She seems happy. I'm just trying to come to terms that this might be the beginning of the end :(
 
ESeidel said:
Advice needed because I'm becoming obsessed with my older pig's weight and don't know what to expect as she ages. Rosie is 7 1/2 almost eight years old. She's always been a picky eater but when she likes it she eats a lot! She's always eaten a lot of fresh greens and veggies. Gradually she has cut back on the fresh food she wants to eat. I try to entice her with the best, fresh stuff and she eats some but not like she used to! She seems to be eating much more hay and pellets and still eats a vitamin c tab everyday. She drinks, poops, pees...although her pooping has changed a bit gradually-a bit softer (still formed and not runny at all), and she tends to not clean herself as well as she used to so she often has a dirty bottom, I think because she is not as active so she lays in one place for a while and poos and pees and it gets soft and messes up her bum. Anyway, she's been gradually loosing weight. Sometimes in up a bit but then it always seems to go down. I'm obsessed with her eating and weight! I weigh her all the time and fret all day if its down! Feeding her critical care is so traumatic for her as she hates it! Is it normal for older pigs to loss weight. She seems happy. I'm just trying to come to terms that this might be the beginning of the end :(
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Hi! Please have your girl vet checked. While a gradual weight loss is normal, a change in food groups is usually a sign of a problem (often a pain/discomfort issue) somewhere (from back teeth to arthritis to internal growths etc). Don't overlook the possibility that there can be an underlying medical problem when you look for old age related changes!

Hay should make around 80% of the daily food intake, but you cannot control that and it is often the first food group that is dropped if there is an issue. If your girl is then eating more fresh food instead of dry food, this can lead to soft poos.

Replace or mix the Critical Care powder with mushed up pellets and try that. You need to prep the syringe tip as shown in our guide to let fibre through: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
 
Wiebke said:
Hi! Please have your girl vet checked. While a gradual weight loss is normal, a change in food groups is usually a sign of a problem (often a pain/discomfort issue) somewhere (from back teeth to arthritis to internal growths etc). Don't overlook the possibility that there can be an underlying medical problem when you look for old age related changes!

Hay should make around 80% of the daily food intake, but you cannot control that and it is often the first food group that is dropped if there is an issue. If your girl is then eating more fresh food instead of dry food, this can lead to soft poos.

Replace or mix the Critical Care powder with mushed up pellets and try that. You need to prep the syringe tip as shown in our guide to let fibre through: Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
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She's eating lots of hay and pellets, just not as much fresh. I take her to the vet pretty regularly. I've had her teeth done not too long ago and no other problems were found then. I do think she probably has some arthritis as she just doesn't move around as much as she used to. It's just that the vet is traumatic for her and my family always thinks i'm overreacting because I take her to the vet often. Can these all just be signs of old age? 7 1/2-8 is pretty old for a piggy, right?
 
It is always a worry with elderly piggies isnt it. Have you tried offering fresh grass to supplement the hay and nuggets?

I have this problem with one of my golden oldies. I've also started giving her glucosamine with chondroitin and have seen some improvement in her mobility so it might worth having a look into them for your piggy
 
funnehmare said:
It is always a worry with elderly piggies isnt it. Have you tried offering fresh grass to supplement the hay and nuggets?

I have this problem with one of my golden oldies. I've also started giving her glucosamine with chondroitin and have seen some improvement in her mobility so it might worth having a look into them for your piggy
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they make that for piggies!? we give it to our dog!
 
We gave glucosamine to our dog, it really helped. You two must be great piggy slaves, to have got yours to that fine age. I think you can never go to the vet to often, it doesn't stress mine but then mine are 18moths to 2yrs old.
 
Tiamolly123 said:
We gave glucosamine to our dog, it really helped. You two must be great piggy slaves, to have got yours to that fine age. I think you can never go to the vet to often, it doesn't stress mine but then mine are 18moths to 2yrs old.
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LOL! I'm an excellent piggy slave! We've had Rosie since she was 3 months old and she has me wrapped around her paw! I think I'm just at the point that I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing by her and don't want to prolong a life that's ready to end-I know that sounds morbid but I hate taking her to the vet because it upsets her so. I only want to if it's really necessary and sometimes I just don't know! She's losing weight but she's pooping, peeing, drinking, she's just not eating as much as she used to.
 
ESeidel said:
they make that for piggies!? we give it to our dog!
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glucosamine is also for humans and it works... and yes, it is for piggies, too. When a pet or a human becomes so old I think some supplement is necessary for reducing general inflammation which is normal at that age...
 
rome_italy said:
glucosamine is also for humans and it works... and yes, it is for piggies, too. When a pet or a human becomes so old I think some supplement is necessary for reducing general inflammation which is normal at that age...
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Where do I get it for pigs?
 
ESeidel said:
Where do I get it for pigs?
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I don't know... there is someone here who is giving this supplement to her piggie, but I don't remember her nick... try to google "glucosamine guinea pigs"; there are a lot of people who use it; I guess it is a supplement by Oxbow, but I am not sure. I am sure there are different brands, just like vit C: I use Cebion for newborns and not the tablets made by Oxbow... You only need to know the dose and for this you can ask a vet. Glucosamine is good for joints, arthritis and similar issues.
 
? Is a pigs digestive system caberbale of dealing with animal proteins?
 
Ditto the above. Cystease, Cystophan and other supplements which are used for cystitis and bladder issues contain glucosamine so it's almost common to give glucosamine to pigs these days.
 
I use vegetarian Glucosamine Hydrochloride from Holland and Barrett (large tablets which you can crush to a powder and mix with water) . It has helped a bladder /kidney issue piggie and an aging arthritic piggie. Definitely worth a try.
 
How do you know the dosage? Because these are all for people, right? I'm in the US and have found some vegetarian shellfish free forms but I'm not sure how I would dose that.
 
125mg in normals but there has been forum members use up to 250mg per day.

If her poops have changed and she's struggling to clean herself if may be worth a vet visit. Then they can suggest the best dosage to try.
 
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