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Can sows eat less during heat

Gadzy

Gadzy

Junior Guinea Pig
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One of my sows was doing well and a good weight, last day or so during heat she has lost quite a bit, going to monitor over the weekend and see. It’s strange how that now she’s in heat she’s less interested in her hay? Rumbling around being a pain to the other one!
 
It can be a hormonal reaction. You say she has lost quite a bit - how much has she lost?
 
After greens she’s been around 1110, before around 1090’s and today before greens she was 1050. It’s the lowest I’ve seen her for a few weeks, but seems it’s dropped over night like she hasn’t eaten much? Diet is the same. She’s normally been 1095 ish before greens
 
Weights after she has been fed are not accurate - you’re just weighing a full tummy so there is no benefit in weighing after they’ve been fed.

So 1095 normally down to 1050 this morning - that’s a 45g drop so is still just within normal fluctuation/allowances.
Weigh her again tomorrow morning before she is fed and then compare to today.
 
That’s the thing, she has been 1090 solidly the last few days before the greens and today she was 1050. These were at similar times too
 
Gadzy said:
That’s the thing, she has been 1090 solidly the last few days before the greens and today she was 1050. These were at similar times too
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It’s not hugely concerning at this point but it is something to check again tomorrow . If she loses another 50-60g tomorrow (so 100g in 24-48 hours) then it becomes a concern
 
Thank you :) I’ll weigh her tomorrow morning same time. She’s having a good go at some hay and what I’m thinking was her cage mate was on heat the last day or so and it’s all calmer in there now! I think she was struggling to eat being pestered all the time etc. Next time I’ll separate? It’s just relentless sometimes when one’s chasing constantly etc
 
Gadzy said:
Thank you :) I’ll weigh her tomorrow morning same time. She’s having a good go at some hay and what I’m thinking was her cage mate was on heat the last day or so and it’s all calmer in there now! I think she was struggling to eat being pestered all the time etc. Next time I’ll separate? It’s just relentless sometimes when one’s chasing constantly etc
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No don’t separate them - you just let them get on with it. They come into season every 15-17 days - if you separate them whenever one is in season you could permanently damage their bond (not to mention the stress to you and them - you would constantly be having to put them in neutral territory to rebond) .

It’s normal for them to fluctuate from one week to the next which is why weight loss isn’t weight loss until it is 50g or more. Had you not been weighing daily, then they may well have gone down and back up again before the next weight weekly check and you wouldn’t have known.

Sows: Behaviour and Female Health Problems (including mounting and ovarian cysts)
 
Thanks for that, appreciate it :)… slightly off topic but didn’t want to bombard threads. What is classed as excessive drinking? Vet may want a pee sample. She drinks a lot after eating hay, they both drink with pellets, but isit normal to drink a bit after eating hay?
 
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