Foods for weight gain

[Zorro1]

My guinea pig was recently unwell. Thankfully we have since fixed the issue but he has still lost a lot of weight and I'm wondering what foods I can give him to help build him back to a healthy weight.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hay, hay and more hay!

You can give a tablespoon of plain porridge oats as a high calorie boost but hay is still the most important and best way for him to regain his weight. Regaining weight will take quite a while though - they lose weight incredibly quickly but take a very long time to put it back on.

How much weight did he lose?

 

[Zorro1]

He's stayed at 1.2 kg for a while now, he used to be 1.3 -1.4 kg. It was sometime in February when he lost the 0.1 - 0.2 kg.

 

[Piggies&buns]

He is still a good weight so don’t worry too much. just feed him his normal diet with plenty of hay.
Also, the older a piggy is the less likely they are to regain lost weight following an illness and may never go back to their ‘original’ weight.

Check his heft. If it is still ok, then you don’t need to do anything to make him gain weight.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[Zorro1]

When I pat him he still feels a little skinny.
Luckily, I've found a hay he likes and he's just started eating a good amount of it. It probably just needs time.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Piggies&buns]

When I pat him he still feels a little skinny.
Luckily, I've found a hay he likes and he's just started eating a good amount of it. It probably just needs time.
Thanks for your help.

Check his heft to be sure - you need to put your hands around his rib cage and see how much of a fat layer you can feel. The weight management guide I linked in explains