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Dieting: How Do You Know When Enough Is Enough?

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AbiS

AbiS

Adult Guinea Pig
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Toby and Barney have both been on a diet for the last 3 weeks. Toby has dropped from 1365g to 1328g and Barney has gone from 1485g to 1405g. I think they probably still have a bit to get off; I am able to feel hips and spine but not really feeling ribs. We have managed this by giving them unlimited hay, their usual amount of veg and reducing their nuggets. They were originally on 30g nuggets each per day and I have gradually got them down to 15g each per day. However they seem uncharacteristically starving today and wont leave us alone. They started wheeking for their tea an hour earlier them normal and even once they had eaten that they carried on chasing me around the kitchen. This is not normal for them. I think Toby is feeling it in particular. I just worry that I am making them diet more than I should and maybe I should increase their nuggets a little bit.

Would really appreciate some advice please x
 
Hmm I'm not sure. By touch your guys sound about right, if they truly are hungry though they should be eating their unlimited hay more than anything. The usual amount of nuggets for an adult pig is around 20g on average so possibly increase it up gradually to that and see how they go?
 
They sound ok. Maybe slowly increase the nuggets to 20g per day?
I'm sure someone else can shed some light.
 
I took the nugget amount from wiebke's sticky which said 10-20g per day. If they don't settle down soon I will give them some extra to get them to 20g each per day.
 
Oh @Flutterby you seem to have a echo or a parrot.. Either or.

Ambers been wheeking for her veg and second hay early too! Although maybe they just want your attention? Not necessarily food?
 
My adult girls get 20g per day and unlimited hay plus their veg in an evening. A couple are now starting diets by reducing the nuggets slightly and it's working.
 
AbiS said:
Toby and Barney have both been on a diet for the last 3 weeks. Toby has dropped from 1365g to 1328g and Barney has gone from 1485g to 1405g. I think they probably still have a bit to get off; I am able to feel hips and spine but not really feeling ribs. We have managed this by giving them unlimited hay, their usual amount of veg and reducing their nuggets. They were originally on 30g nuggets each per day and I have gradually got them down to 15g each per day. However they seem uncharacteristically starving today and wont leave us alone. They started wheeking for their tea an hour earlier them normal and even once they had eaten that they carried on chasing me around the kitchen. This is not normal for them. I think Toby is feeling it in particular. I just worry that I am making them diet more than I should and maybe I should increase their nuggets a little bit.

Would really appreciate some advice please x
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Just put them on our balanced diet, and things should eventually righten themselves. Guinea pig have got a fast metabolism.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...ng-ideal-weight-overweight-underweight.38805/
 
Some pigs are naturally bigger, my Ellie is about the same weight as your boys but all my others are smaller. Mine had a handful of pellets a day between them, which with it being Bunny or Vitakraft works out to about 5 pellets each as they are big.
 
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