Any High Fat Veggies Safe?

[PumpkinButt]

I'm Trying to get little Pumpkin chunky, (Fat) Because all of the Piggys I've had always have a lot of weight on them... And she's only 5 months old. But she's not filling in that much? Does anyone know some High fat veggies I can feed often that would hurt her?

 

[Tbag]

She's still growing at the moment so I wouldn't worry too much about her size just yet. Some pigs are generally smaller anyway. Weigh her every week at the same time to check she is steadily putting on weight.

Baby corn/corn on the cob are fairly high calorie and can be fed as a treat now and again.

 

[Wiebke]

Please do not aim for fat piggies; overweight can be a major risk for death during an operation and will shorten the lifespan. Birth weights in guinea pigs can vary between 40g-140g and adult weights can vary between 800g-1500g. That is an enormous range of healthy weights.

You can check whether your adult (over 15 months old) piggy has a good weight/size ratio by checking its "heft" around the rib cage. You should still be able to feel the ribs (otherwise your piggy is overweight) but they should not stick out (otherwise it is underweight). Young, still growing piggies have ribs that are more noticeable and they feel a bit skinnier. If you overfeed a baby, it will simply stop growing sooner and then grow fat, but it won't grow bigger.

Any young piggy will grow at its own pace on a good balanced diet and reach its own genetically determined ideal weigh and size. if you have got a small piggy, nothing you do can change that. Do not be tempted to overfeed; it won't work and you are not making her any healthier!
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/

 

[Freela]

Awww, she kind of looks like my Linney but with a crest on her head! Honestly, I think she is likely just fine. Being overweight is never a good goal, health-wise. She may just be on the smaller side naturally (I had one guinea pig who never hit the 2-lb mark in her life, ever! She was fine... she was just tiny, very dainty little paws, small bone structure in her face and head, etc.) I would just focus on feeding her healthy foods with good variety and let her grow at her own pace.

 

[Ruby Inferno]

As Wiebke has said in her helpful post, please don't try to fatten Pumpkin up.

What kind of home was she in before you rescued her? If the owners neglected her to the point of malnourishment, it is possible her growth is a little stunted because she was not fully grown, so she might never grow as big as she should. If this is the case then don't worry, this isn't your fault, it is only the fault of the terrible owners who previously had her.

If she was never malnourished, she could be just naturally petite. And even if she is not as chunky as other piggies, she is still absolutely adorable!

 

[afu]

I would just feed ad lib hay and pellets and fresh veggies each day, nothing special as the others say. I have 2 5 month old boars who are brothers and one is literally about double the size of the other. They have unlimited food at this point so it isn't that one hogs all the food, they are just different builds

 

[Sara412]

I was told to feed them parsnips in winter - tried last year but they all turned their noses up !

 

[Wiebke]

I was told to feed them parsnips in winter - tried last year but they all turned their noses up !

The vast majority of piggies is not keen on parsnip!