Weight loss

[123deaka]

Hey, new to the group here but i wanted to see if anyone ether has experienced anything like this.
My piggy is an intact female roughly 5 1/2 years old starting to lose weight. On 9/27 at her vet visit she weighed 930g. She was given a shot of vitamin c and had her molars filled down in case that was an issue. As of yesterday she weighed 906g before eating her dinner and then 950g after. Her dinner consists mainly of timothy hay, with orchard and oat mixed in to try and entise her to eat. Fresh veggie, pellets and then a vitamin c cookie. Her poops haven't been consistent because she tends to not want to eat her hay unless I mix in pellets.
She still has energy about her but I'm worried her weight is going to keep dipping down. The vets hadn't found anything alarming when we went in and said she just might be slowing down with age.
Her sister weighs a consistent 950g throughout the day for reference

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

Weight should be taken just once a day and done first thing in the morning for the most accurate reference.

Her weight has only gone down 26g since 27 September - 930 to 906 - so is not actually considered weight loss. We don’t consider loss to be loss until it gets to 50g. Anything less than 50g is just within the realm of normal fluctuation.

Age is a factor - older piggies do tend to lose mass without there necessarily being a diagnosable health issue but also things like arthritis can have an impact

Were issues found with her molars or were they filed as a precaution? That would alarm me! Teeth should not be touched unless there is a diagnosed dental issue.

You say her poops aren’t consistent - in which way?
Ie are there less of them or are they soft or misshapen?
In the case of soft, then you would remove all veg to encourage higher fibre (hay) intake and allow the gut to settle.
Lack of quantity can mean the amount if hay intake is reducing and you would then see the weight loss hit higher levels (you’d then need to step in with syringe feeding).

You say she won’t eat hay unless you mix pellets in - are you ensuring you don’t over feed pellets and veg - ie pellets should be just one tablespoon per day and veg one cup per day

If she is reducing the amount of hay she is eating, her weight consistently down and she gets to and beyond 50g of loss then ensure you keep to daily weight checks and prepare to step in with syringe feeding. Then see if the vet can find a diagnosable issue.

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

Jun 20, 2024

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI
3 The...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Health & Illness

• 

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum

 

[123deaka]

Thank you for this!
Her stool has been soft and mishappen for a few days now. I'm currently trying to grow timothy grass inside to see if that stimulates her appetite too.
The vet said one molar on the bottom did look troublesome but she didn't believe it was the cause of her being under weight.

What would be an appropriate weight for her age you would say?

 

[Piggies&buns]

There is no weight to age amount. It comes down to checking her heft for determining whether she is a good size for herself (guides I linked in above explain).
Weight ie the number on the scales only tells you about food intake. As I say weight loss is only considered loss at 50g or more

If her poop is soft then please remove all fresh food (ie fresh grass and veg) from the diet for a few days to see if that settles her. If poop goes back to normal, leave her off veg for a further 24 hours. You can then slowly start to reintroduce veg. We recommend starting with a sprig of two of coriander as it is milder on the digestion. The next day add in a small amount of another type of veg and then build it up from there.