Weight variations

[LondonLady]

I'm not sure how much of a problem this is and would appreciate some advice please.
Is it normal for some guinea pigs weight to go up and down by quite a bit?
I've had Toffee and Biscuit for a year and a half and I weigh them Saturday mornings (always first thing in the morning before they have their veggies and pellets) No problems with Toffee at all, his weight stays around 1080-1090g - sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. But Biscuit really worries me because her weight varies tremendously for no apparent reason.

(Perhaps I should say here I'm a bit of a worrier and when I'd only had them a little while I panicked and took Biscuit to the vet because I thought she'd lost weight - and the vet said she was absolutely fine and had in fact gained a little bit since they first weighed her!)

So over the past 6 months her weight has varied between 1065g and 1014g (I mean up and down between those two weights, not a steady downward trend) Recently it's been towards the lower end but then when I weighed her yesterday she was only 983g - she's never been as low as that. Weighed her again this morning and she is now 998g, a gain of 15g. I'll keep weighing her for the next few days and see what happens, but have no idea if I should be worried or if I am just over reacting. In case it's relevant she's about 4yrs old now.

Any advice appreciated!

 

[Piggies&buns]

The fluctuation between the 1014-1065 seems fine as it hasn’t been completely downward but if she is now dropping lower (even if it isn’t a steady decline ie you do gets some ups as well) then it is definitely worth more closely monitoring

If she was 983 yesterday, what was she the week before?

Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[LondonLady]

The fluctuation between the 1014-1065 seems fine as it hasn’t been completely downward but if she is now dropping lower (even if it isn’t a steady decline ie you do gets some ups as well) then it is definitely worth more closely monitoring

If she was 983 yesterday, what was she the week before?

Weight - Monitoring and Management

She was 1025 a week ago.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Ok, so 42g down in a week. I would definitely be monitoring more closely and being prepared to step in if she continues to go down. Weight loss is 50g or more. Anything less than that is considered normal fluctuation, so between last week and yesterday is still within the limit but it does look like there may be downward trend if she has been closer to 1065 usually.

 

[LondonLady]

Ok thank you. I'll definitely keep a close eye on her.

 

[Wiebke]

Ok thank you. I'll definitely keep a close eye on her.

Hi!

I would consider having her vet checked if there is a definite slow downward trend in her weight and book an appointment for the coming week tomorrow.
50g down in a week means that I would switch from weighing weekly to weighing daily at the same time. Please be aware that the weight swings around 30-40g over the course of 24 hours, which is why I prefer to weigh first thing in the morning when the weight is lowest so I can then adjust the level of support feeding and care accordingly for the coming day.

Also feel around the ribcage whether she is feeling thinner than she should be ('heft' or checking the BMI). This link here explains how you do it and what to look for: Weight - Monitoring and Management

In case the weight loss is speeding up before she can be seen:
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Make sure that you take a weighing list with you to show your vet; data like this will help them.

 

[LondonLady]

Thank you, that's all very helpful. She certainly doesn't feel too thin to me. But anyway I'll see what her weight is tomorrow and if it hasn't gone up again I'll phone for a vet appointment. Thanks again.

 

[PigglePuggle]

If her weight is quite up and down regularly it may be worth asking the vet to check she doesnt have a fluid retention problem, check her heart and kidneys?
If spotted early this can be managed well with diuretics like furosemide/frusol.
It may not be this of course and she might be fine but our old rainbow bridge girl Jezzy floof had 50-80g per week weight fluctuations up and down for a couple of years, and a big flabby feeling but not painful tummy, before she had a scan and we found out the poor old girl was full of fluid.
Dont panic but worth asking the vet about- an ultrasound scan to check for fluid build up and look at the kidneys can often be done conscious and costs maybe £70 on top of the consultation fee, just to set your mind at rest.

 

[LondonLady]

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind.