Laura-CCC4
14-10-09, 12:18 PM
The Importance of Weight Checks
…and Am I Overfeeding my Guinea Pigs?
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/cavycareforum/14guineaandupturnedbowl.jpg
Weight Checks
Why do I need to weigh my guinea pigs?
Keeping track of the weight of your piggies is useful not only to yourself, so you can see what is a normal weight for your guineas, but also to your vet. When diagnosing an illness, it can significantly help a vet if he sees the amount of weight lost and over what period of time it has occurred.
“Feeling” the condition of your piggies is still important as some guineas slim down without actually losing weight - a common development as they start to head towards their senior years. But knowing how your piggies “feel” is too unreliable, it doesn’t tell you how much weight has been lost, which will not help your vet and will not give you an accurate view of the overall health of your animals.
How often should I weigh them?
Weekly weight checks is ideal, especially with young guineas who are still growing and with pregnant sows who need close monitoring.
It is fine to weigh once every two weeks, but no less often than this as there would be little point in tracking the weight; fluctuations would not be monitored as effectively and a sudden drop in weight perhaps not spotted soon enough.
Guinea pigs who are ill, especially ones who are refusing to eat, should be weighed daily. If the guinea is continuing to lose weight each day, it usually suggests that the food intake is still too low and you need to increase the amount of syringe-feeding you are doing (a guideline amount, for an adult guinea pig who is not eating himself at all, is at least 60ml per day).
What is a healthy weight for guinea pigs? Is it possible that my guinea is overweight? What if the weight is not exactly the same each week?
Most guinea pigs reach their adult weight at 9-12 months. Their weight should stabilise, although it is normal for another notable gain to occur a few months later. As with every other species, including humans, some are naturally very large while others are far more dainty and petite. The generally accepted weight range is 2lb to 4lb, or 900g - 1800g, although some piggies may be perfectly healthy and slightly outside these margins. As long as the piggies are eating well, healthy and can move around normally, you should not need to fret about the size of them.
“Obesity” Problems
Very few piggies are actually overweight or obese. It is normal for guineas to have quite a large double-chin (known as a dewlap - see photo below). The main suggestions that a guinea may be a little heavier than he should be is a lethargic lifestyle (typically only moving to get some food, and then shuffling back to his favourite sleeping spot!) and if there is a lot of excess fat/flab around the abdomen and around the tops of the legs. If a piggie is unable to move freely and normally due to his weight, then he does need his food intake altering slightly.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/cavycareforum/MeghanChin.jpg
If you suspect your guinea pig is overweight, do not put him on a “diet” - the only things you should need to do are cut down on the dry food, switch to a higher quality, hay-based plain pellet (if you’ve not already), and increase the exercise. One way to encourage exercise is to spread the daily servings of fresh veggies all around the exercise area, so the piggie has to move around a wide area to find his favourite foods. Lots of toys - blankets, tunnels, balls, newspaper tents, soft toys - will also encourage a guinea pig tot ake an interest in his surroundings. An absolute minimum of 1 hour exercise time should be offered every day to overweight piggies - although as with all guineas, the smaller the cage the more time they should have to run around on the floor/in a large exercise pen.
Weight Fluctuations
It is not often that you will have identical readings every week, especially if you are weighing in grams. Some small differences between readings is normal; a fluctuation of up to 2oz / 60g is typically okay.
In terms of expected weight gain, as a general guide:
Young piggies will gain an average of 1oz / 30g per week.
Pregnant sows will gain an average of 2oz / 60g per week.
The weight gain in pregnant sows does vary hugely depending on the age of the sow and the size of her expected litter, so do be sure to monitor the guinea for other signs of pregnancy if you do suspect she is “in pig”.
What do I use to weigh my piggies?
Normal kitchen scales work just fine, as long as they give an accurate reading. Many people find the scales with bowls that sit on top to be ideal, but as long as the pig can fit on the scales, almost any type should be fine!
Mechanical and digital scales are both useful, it is down to personal choice - and what you have available!
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/cavycareforum/WeighElijah.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
Am I overfeeding my Guinea Pigs?
What do guinea pigs need to eat?
There are four main aspects of a guinea pigs diet:
- Hay;
- Dry food;
- Fresh fruits and vegetables;
- Water.
The most essential is hay; this should make up at least 80% of the diet.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the next in order of importance, also essential but only making up around 15% of the diet. Dry food is really of very low importance, only 5% of the overall diet, although it does have benefits if a good quality feed is offered.
When should I give them hay? How much do they need? Can I overfeed hay?
Hay must be available at all times, and it’s best to give them a lot more than you are expecting them to eat! Hay is vital to keep the digestion running smoothly, and to promote healthy dental wear, as well as preventing boredom.
Particularly if you give their hay on the floor to use as bedding, it’s a good idea to make sure you keep a handful in a hay rack raised off the floor; even if they ignore the rack, the idea is that if they soil the hay on the ground they still have the option of some clean hay to eat.
Overfeeding hay is not generally possible. Guinea pigs are typically pretty good at eating what they need. If a piggie is favouring hay to the point where veggies are being refused or ignored (it does not matter if the dry feed is barely touched), then it is something of a problem - you will need to keep the guinea away from hay while you offer the veggies, as piggies do need the nutrients and vitamins provided in their fresh veg.
What if they empty the dry food bowl? Should I top it up right away? Can I overfeed dry food?
Young guineas, and pregnant sows, should generally be allowed to eat as much dry food as they wish - provided their intake of dry food is not affecting their interest in their hay and veggies.
For adult guinea pigs, or those older than 6-9 months, the best way to tackle this is to give them less each time you fill the bowl. Give them half of what you would normally give them, and then give them the rest later in the day. Try not to top up the bowl as soon as they empty it!
Remember dry food is not particularly important in the diet. If they run out of dry food a few hours before it‘s time to refill the bowls, they will not be as affected as they might try to make you think!! Make sure they have plenty of hay; this is what they will turn to when they realise they aren’t getting more dry food.
You can overfeed dry food, and it becomes a problem both when the pig is suffering excess weight gain, and when the piggies are refusing hay or fresh fruits and veggies. One way to prevent the pigs indulging too much in dry food is to offer a high quality, hay-based plain pellet. These are usually quite filling so your guineas will be less inclined to “pig out” on them!
They keep wheeking at me and biting the bars, wanting more fresh fruit/veggies - is it ok to keep giving in and letting them have treats throughout the day? Can I overfeed fruit and veg?
Again, try not to give in to their demands! If they are very demanding piggies, you should find that putting together a small salad twice daily will help.
You can overfeed fruit and veg; in particular too much fruit, too many leafy greens and too many watery veggies (such as cucumber and melon) can lead to diarrhoea. Variety and moderation are key - small amounts of lots of different things work better than lots of a few things. To help achieve a healthy, balanced variety have a look at another of the Reference threads:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37030
If your piggies do pester you for treats in between their main salads and hay/dry food top-ups, it’s worth buying in a few different types of hay to give them on the occasions they are determined to wear down your resolve!!
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/cavycareforum/WillaCute.jpg
…and Am I Overfeeding my Guinea Pigs?
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/cavycareforum/14guineaandupturnedbowl.jpg
Weight Checks
Why do I need to weigh my guinea pigs?
Keeping track of the weight of your piggies is useful not only to yourself, so you can see what is a normal weight for your guineas, but also to your vet. When diagnosing an illness, it can significantly help a vet if he sees the amount of weight lost and over what period of time it has occurred.
“Feeling” the condition of your piggies is still important as some guineas slim down without actually losing weight - a common development as they start to head towards their senior years. But knowing how your piggies “feel” is too unreliable, it doesn’t tell you how much weight has been lost, which will not help your vet and will not give you an accurate view of the overall health of your animals.
How often should I weigh them?
Weekly weight checks is ideal, especially with young guineas who are still growing and with pregnant sows who need close monitoring.
It is fine to weigh once every two weeks, but no less often than this as there would be little point in tracking the weight; fluctuations would not be monitored as effectively and a sudden drop in weight perhaps not spotted soon enough.
Guinea pigs who are ill, especially ones who are refusing to eat, should be weighed daily. If the guinea is continuing to lose weight each day, it usually suggests that the food intake is still too low and you need to increase the amount of syringe-feeding you are doing (a guideline amount, for an adult guinea pig who is not eating himself at all, is at least 60ml per day).
What is a healthy weight for guinea pigs? Is it possible that my guinea is overweight? What if the weight is not exactly the same each week?
Most guinea pigs reach their adult weight at 9-12 months. Their weight should stabilise, although it is normal for another notable gain to occur a few months later. As with every other species, including humans, some are naturally very large while others are far more dainty and petite. The generally accepted weight range is 2lb to 4lb, or 900g - 1800g, although some piggies may be perfectly healthy and slightly outside these margins. As long as the piggies are eating well, healthy and can move around normally, you should not need to fret about the size of them.
“Obesity” Problems
Very few piggies are actually overweight or obese. It is normal for guineas to have quite a large double-chin (known as a dewlap - see photo below). The main suggestions that a guinea may be a little heavier than he should be is a lethargic lifestyle (typically only moving to get some food, and then shuffling back to his favourite sleeping spot!) and if there is a lot of excess fat/flab around the abdomen and around the tops of the legs. If a piggie is unable to move freely and normally due to his weight, then he does need his food intake altering slightly.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/cavycareforum/MeghanChin.jpg
If you suspect your guinea pig is overweight, do not put him on a “diet” - the only things you should need to do are cut down on the dry food, switch to a higher quality, hay-based plain pellet (if you’ve not already), and increase the exercise. One way to encourage exercise is to spread the daily servings of fresh veggies all around the exercise area, so the piggie has to move around a wide area to find his favourite foods. Lots of toys - blankets, tunnels, balls, newspaper tents, soft toys - will also encourage a guinea pig tot ake an interest in his surroundings. An absolute minimum of 1 hour exercise time should be offered every day to overweight piggies - although as with all guineas, the smaller the cage the more time they should have to run around on the floor/in a large exercise pen.
Weight Fluctuations
It is not often that you will have identical readings every week, especially if you are weighing in grams. Some small differences between readings is normal; a fluctuation of up to 2oz / 60g is typically okay.
In terms of expected weight gain, as a general guide:
Young piggies will gain an average of 1oz / 30g per week.
Pregnant sows will gain an average of 2oz / 60g per week.
The weight gain in pregnant sows does vary hugely depending on the age of the sow and the size of her expected litter, so do be sure to monitor the guinea for other signs of pregnancy if you do suspect she is “in pig”.
What do I use to weigh my piggies?
Normal kitchen scales work just fine, as long as they give an accurate reading. Many people find the scales with bowls that sit on top to be ideal, but as long as the pig can fit on the scales, almost any type should be fine!
Mechanical and digital scales are both useful, it is down to personal choice - and what you have available!
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/cavycareforum/WeighElijah.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
Am I overfeeding my Guinea Pigs?
What do guinea pigs need to eat?
There are four main aspects of a guinea pigs diet:
- Hay;
- Dry food;
- Fresh fruits and vegetables;
- Water.
The most essential is hay; this should make up at least 80% of the diet.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the next in order of importance, also essential but only making up around 15% of the diet. Dry food is really of very low importance, only 5% of the overall diet, although it does have benefits if a good quality feed is offered.
When should I give them hay? How much do they need? Can I overfeed hay?
Hay must be available at all times, and it’s best to give them a lot more than you are expecting them to eat! Hay is vital to keep the digestion running smoothly, and to promote healthy dental wear, as well as preventing boredom.
Particularly if you give their hay on the floor to use as bedding, it’s a good idea to make sure you keep a handful in a hay rack raised off the floor; even if they ignore the rack, the idea is that if they soil the hay on the ground they still have the option of some clean hay to eat.
Overfeeding hay is not generally possible. Guinea pigs are typically pretty good at eating what they need. If a piggie is favouring hay to the point where veggies are being refused or ignored (it does not matter if the dry feed is barely touched), then it is something of a problem - you will need to keep the guinea away from hay while you offer the veggies, as piggies do need the nutrients and vitamins provided in their fresh veg.
What if they empty the dry food bowl? Should I top it up right away? Can I overfeed dry food?
Young guineas, and pregnant sows, should generally be allowed to eat as much dry food as they wish - provided their intake of dry food is not affecting their interest in their hay and veggies.
For adult guinea pigs, or those older than 6-9 months, the best way to tackle this is to give them less each time you fill the bowl. Give them half of what you would normally give them, and then give them the rest later in the day. Try not to top up the bowl as soon as they empty it!
Remember dry food is not particularly important in the diet. If they run out of dry food a few hours before it‘s time to refill the bowls, they will not be as affected as they might try to make you think!! Make sure they have plenty of hay; this is what they will turn to when they realise they aren’t getting more dry food.
You can overfeed dry food, and it becomes a problem both when the pig is suffering excess weight gain, and when the piggies are refusing hay or fresh fruits and veggies. One way to prevent the pigs indulging too much in dry food is to offer a high quality, hay-based plain pellet. These are usually quite filling so your guineas will be less inclined to “pig out” on them!
They keep wheeking at me and biting the bars, wanting more fresh fruit/veggies - is it ok to keep giving in and letting them have treats throughout the day? Can I overfeed fruit and veg?
Again, try not to give in to their demands! If they are very demanding piggies, you should find that putting together a small salad twice daily will help.
You can overfeed fruit and veg; in particular too much fruit, too many leafy greens and too many watery veggies (such as cucumber and melon) can lead to diarrhoea. Variety and moderation are key - small amounts of lots of different things work better than lots of a few things. To help achieve a healthy, balanced variety have a look at another of the Reference threads:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37030
If your piggies do pester you for treats in between their main salads and hay/dry food top-ups, it’s worth buying in a few different types of hay to give them on the occasions they are determined to wear down your resolve!!
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/cavycareforum/WillaCute.jpg