what can i feed to fatten up a piggy

[aurvandil]

my new pig is pretty skinny, has been since i got him, 890g and he’s an adult male, i don’t think he’s an unhealthy weight but i don’t like being able to feel his spine, ive heard oats are good to give but how? how much?

any tips would be greatly appreciated

 

[Bill & Ted]

A little dry Plain porridge oats can be given but my concern would be why is he so skinny? Is he older than you think? Old boars can become skinny with age especially around the back end. Is he is eating lots of hay which should be around 80% of his diet? Perhaps a vet check might put your mind at rest

 

[Siikibam]

Has he been staying around the same weight at his weekly check? Or has he been losing weight gradually? If it’s the latter then you need to have him checked over by a vet.

You have to be careful as well. Weight isn’t the best indicator of being thin, okay or fat. Some piggies generally stay small due to genetics and other factors.

Read the guide below on checking heft. You’re checking how much of his ribs you can feel.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[Piggies&buns]

I would not try to fatten him up without first checking with a vet and checking his heft. If his weight is stable and he is of good heft, he may be perfectly healthy as he is. Trying to fatten him up could cause him problems if there is not a need to do so.

Please check around his ribs to check his heft

Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[aurvandil]

hes a foster pig atm so i don’t have the control i would like

he’s been skinny since the day i picked him up from the shelter, weighed around 926g then, but he’s dropped to 890g now, frankly- the “guinea pig expert” at my local shelter is pretty rude and when i asked about taking him to the vets, then proceeded to tell me he’s not my pig

she just told me to cut out the nuggets and veggies, he eats all his hay, i see him eating a lot but he’s still so skinny

 

[aurvandil]

Has he been staying around the same weight at his weekly check? Or has he been losing weight gradually? If it’s the latter then you need to have him checked over by a vet.

You have to be careful as well. Weight isn’t the best indicator of being thin, okay or fat. Some piggies generally stay small due to genetics and other factors.

Read the guide below on checking heft. You’re checking how much of his ribs you can feel.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

roughly around 910-920 until i stopped the nuggets and veg, hence why he’s gone down a bit, i can feel just the general rib area, not individual ribs, but i can feel his pelvis bone and spine, i don’t think he’s older than they said he is, he looks young

 

[Wheekallweek]

I'd definitely give him his veg back, he needs it for the vitamin C. He can still have a small amount of nuggets too! What a strange thing to say to you
Plenty of tasty hay, maybe some dried forage to encourage him eat it and some dry plain porridge oats as @Bill & Ted has mentioned will help. If you can feel his spine I would think he's perhaps a bit under where he should be?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I would definitely not stop giving veg or nuggets - he certainly needs the veg in his diet.

His heft, from your description of how you feel his ribs, sounds perfect. That is what you are looking for - that his size is right for him. If you try to get him to put on weight beyond what his body actually needs then he’s going to become unhealthy.

If he is losing weight through reduced hay intake and a potential health issue then he does need a vet and it’s not right of the rescue to refuse your concerns.
But a weight drops you say are not within the concern area - he sounds to be maintaining quite nicely. 50g or more is the point at which it is considered weight loss, otherwise it is just normal fluctuation. If he continues to go downward over a sustained period of time (over several weeks), then that is different but I would not be concerned if he remains around 900g (if that is roughly his normal) give or take 25g either side of that.

 

[Ruth1]

hes a foster pig atm so i don’t have the control i would like

he’s been skinny since the day i picked him up from the shelter, weighed around 926g then, but he’s dropped to 890g now, frankly- the “guinea pig expert” at my local shelter is pretty rude and when i asked about taking him to the vets, then proceeded to tell me he’s not my pig

she just told me to cut out the nuggets and veggies, he eats all his hay, i see him eating a lot but he’s still so skinny

Not sure this is good advice, but how about taking him to the vet on the sly and seek forgiveness rather than permission! If this is bad advice - please ignore me!