are my guinea pigs overweight?

[guineapig9]

Hi I have 2 female guinea pigs, one is the mother (grey) and the other is the daughter and I have a feeling one may be overweight. The grey weighs 1.35kg and the ginger (daughter) weighs 1.22kg. But I'm quite sure the ginger one is fine it's more the grey one I am thinking about. Here are some pictures.

 

[GuineaPigsPipPumpandJG]

What/how much do you feed them?

 

[guineapig9]

What/how much do you feed them?

They get a big bowl of grass in the morning with a few bits of sliced cucumber, pepper etc. They have that at night too. Also, they have unlimited hay all day and a bowl of pellets.

 

[GuineaPigsPipPumpandJG]

Do they get a lot of floor time/outdoor run time?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Heft is the best gauge of whether they are a good size for themselves not weight - a piggy can weigh 1500g and be healthy and to another 900g is healthy.
Put your hand around their body and if you can feel a nice layer of fat over the ribs but still feel the ribs, then they are a good size for themselves. If you can’t feel ribs at all, then there could be an issue with their weight. But you must not do anything to change their diet without consulting a vet

Pellets will greatly contribute to weight gain and ultimately ill health if they are overfed them.
Each piggy should have a diet of unlimited hay, one cup of a variety of veg including leafy veg, and a strictly limited portion of just one tablespoon of pellets per day. A bowl filled with pellets is likely to be too much - with the pellets I use one tablespoon amounts to just 6 grams of pellets or around 15 pellets

 

[guineapig9]

Do they get a lot of floor time/outdoor run time?

I try to get them out as much as possible but they just stay in their house and huddle together no matter how long but as soon as I put them back into their cage they start going out and around so they don't really.

Also, these guinea pigs were rescued and when I got them the grey one was already more or less in this condition but the ginger one was a baby so I could have it the entire time and the ginger one is fine at the moment.

Heft is the best gauge of whether they are a good size for themselves not weight - a piggy can weigh 1500g and be healthy and to another 900g is healthy.
Put your hand around their body and if you can feel a nice layer of fat over the ribs but still feel the ribs, then they are a good size for themselves. If you can’t feel ribs at all, then there could be an issue with their weight. But you must not do anything to change their diet without consulting a vet

Pellets will greatly contribute to weight gain and ultimately ill health if they are overfed them.
Each piggy should have a diet of unlimited hay, one cup of a variety of veg including leafy veg, and a strictly limited portion of just one tablespoon of pellets per day. A bowl filled with pellets is likely to be too much - with the pellets I use one tablespoon amounts to just 6 grams of pellets or around 15 pellets

Thanks, I will now limit their pellets as I just leave the bowl in all day as I was told somewhere that they need the pellets with them at all times. And I can't really feel the ribs that well but only just so I will see if this makes a difference.

 

[Siikibam]

Even if it doesn’t make a difference, they shouldn’t have access to pellets all the time. They’re the junk food of piggy world. How old are they roughly?

 

[Piggies&buns]

pellets are not important in their diet at all, I regard them as piggy junk food. My two get just half an hour to eat their pellets and then anything they’ve not eaten gets removed and they don’t get anymore until the next day. Hay is the only food they require constant access to.

Piggies will naturally be nervous in a new area so its quite normal for them to hide to start off with when you let them out. they feel safe within their cage so are more comfortable to move around in there. Do you let them out within your house or in a run outside?

 

[Siikibam]

pellets are not important in their diet at all, I regard them as piggy junk food. My two get just half an hour to eat their pellets and then anything they’ve not eaten gets removed and they don’t get anymore until the next day. Hay is the only food they require constant access to.

Piggies will naturally be nervous in a new area so its quite normal for them to hide to start off with when you let them out. they feel safe within their cage so are more comfortable to move around in there. Do you let them out within your house or in a run outside?

Following on from this, do they have constant access to hay? You said a bowl of grass but I assume that’s on top of hay? Also, below is a feeding guide. Coriander is another good source of vitamin c.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[guineapig9]

pellets are not important in their diet at all, I regard them as piggy junk food. My two get just half an hour to eat their pellets and then anything they’ve not eaten gets removed and they don’t get anymore until the next day. Hay is the only food they require constant access to.

Piggies will naturally be nervous in a new area so its quite normal for them to hide to start off with when you let them out. they feel safe within their cage so are more comfortable to move around in there. Do you let them out within your house or in a run outside?

Both. I have set up the run indoors and outdoors and both times they seem to just stay inside their shelter and they don't come out even when I leave them alone for long periods of time, so I just stopped after multiple attempts because they seemed much happier in their cage.

Following on from this, do they have constant access to hay? You said a bowl of grass but I assume that’s on top of hay? Also, below is a feeding guide. Coriander is another good source of vitamin c.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Yes they have unlimited hay.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Both. I have set up the run indoors and outdoors and both times they seem to just stay inside their shelter and they don't come out even when I leave them alone for long periods of time, so I just stopped after multiple attempts because they seemed much happier in their cage.


Yes they have unlimited hay.

It’s about feeling secure within their space. Make sure you put their familiar hides in their runs - both indoors and outdoors. Covering their run with blanket will help them feel safe. It may take time for them to realise they are safe, vut definitely don’t give up! Also, piggies are most active in the morning and evening so that can be the best times to give them their daily exercise. My two are out in their run now but they are mostly just resting and eating hay , come 5pm onwards, they will perk up and come for a run around!

 

[guineapig9]

This is their current space:

It’s about feeling secure within their space. Make sure you put their familiar hides in their runs - both indoors and outdoors. Covering their run with blanket will help them feel safe. It may take time for them to realise they are safe, vut definitely don’t give up! Also, piggies are most active in the morning and evening so that can be the best times to give them their daily exercise. My two are out in their run now but they are mostly just resting and eating hay , come 5pm onwards, they will perk up and come for a run around!

Ok so maybe you think if I keep trying the run eventually they will start to come out into it? I really would like to give them as much room as possible but just gave up thinking they didn't like it.

 

[Piggies&buns]

What is the measurements of their cage?
There isn’t a lot for them to do - piggies usually like running through lots of tunnels and boxes, having large hay piles to play in etc

Yes, give them time to feel secure in there!

 

[guineapig9]

What is the measurements of their cage?
There isn’t a lot for them to do - piggies usually like running through lots of tunnels and boxes, having large hay piles to play in etc

Yes, give them time to feel secure in there!

They have a few things but I normally take them out in the mornings so if they want lots of space they can have it. The cage is 148cm x 68cm.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Definitely give them lots of tunnels, hides, hay piles etc when they are in their run. Open space can make them feel vulnerable as prey animals and having things to run in and through, food being hidden in hay piles etc so they can forage can really help them to be active and exercising as well as occupied

Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[guineapig9]

Definitely give them lots of tunnels, hides, hay piles etc when they are in their run. Open space can make them feel vulnerable as prey animals and having things to run in and through, food being hidden in hay piles etc so they can forage can really help them to be active and exercising as well as occupied

Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

Thanks, I will certainly get some new things to get them more active, put them in the run daily and remove the pellets. Thanks

 

[Siikibam]

Also add in another hide in their cage. Two of everything and lots more hay.

They will hopefully get used to floor time slowly.

 

[Seven7]

pellets are not important in their diet at all, I regard them as piggy junk food. My two get just half an hour to eat their pellets and then anything they’ve not eaten gets removed and they don’t get anymore until the next day. Hay is the only food they require constant access to.

Piggies will naturally be nervous in a new area so its quite normal for them to hide to start off with when you let them out. they feel safe within their cage so are more comfortable to move around in there. Do you let them out within your house or in a run outside?

Thank you. This is so good to hear.
I cut down pellets considerably because my boy Finn and Lara get veggies three times a day, which translates to around a cup and a half of veggies per day per piggy. So they get pellets as an occasional treat rather than an everyday meal.
Mine also get endless supply of Oxbow hay.