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Gaining Weight

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piggymummy1896

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So my 3 nearly 4 year old guinea pig has a tumour. its benign so thats something at least! Shes had it for nearly 6 months and is doing okay. Shes amazed the vets by fighting this long. Shes on metacam to help with pain and anti inflammatorys and seems to be fine with that. Apart from a little bit of blood in her wee sometimes shes fine. However my question is this, shes started to loose a little weight. i am not overly concerned because she seems to do this whilst shes been ill and it tends to go back on after a bit. I think its just where shes having a bad day maybe and goes of her food for a bit. But i am wondering if anybody knows of any foods or recipies that are safe for piggles that can help them gain weight?! I have also got another piggy who shares a cage which i think is bullying her when it comes to food time as shes abit over weight so she will be seperated from my honey when some treats are given.

Any help will be greatly recieved! thank you!
x
 
Sorry to hear your piggy isn't doing too good. How much weight is she losing/has she lost? Fluctuations of around 30g or so can be the difference of full/empty tummies and bladders but anything over that is a cause for concern. You can try high calorie treats like baby corn/corn on the cob and banana, as well as feeding oats to boost her weight.

Where is her tumor? I'm presuming its inoperable?
 
The tumour is in her bladder and the vet feels he cannot safely remove it and it would just put her through alot of stress :( As hard as it is th hope is that she just passes away at home in her sleep when shes had enough. As for the moment - in her self she still will talk to me, and still eats and drinks although perhaps not as much and is running around. I dont know how much she has lost but id say its noticeable that shes lost abit but not overly so as my mum put it.

Oats? Are these okay to give guinea pigs? I have had mixed views over it. I am considering hand feeding already but she is still eating but maybe needs the calorie top up. Her sister is a bit of a bully and always seems to be gainin weight so i think maybe shes getting more than her share ! What hand feeds would you recommend? x
 
You can try fibreplex; it is quite expensive but the best source of fibre there is. In my experience, many piggies often like their pellets mushed up with boiled, cooled water as that is a taste they are familiar with. I would also recommend to give her a pinch of probiotic twice daily to prop up her guts.

Looking after a terminally ill piggy is a very bittersweet thing; a mixture of precious, sweet moments offset by the pain of the impending loss. But it can also be a very rewarding time where so much is packed into so little that time itself becomes immaterial.
 
Such a shame that you can't operate on her tumor :(
As Wiebke said you've got a very bittersweet road ahead of you but so far she sounds like shes doing great so I hope you have many more days left together!

I've given oats when experiencing illness related weight loss and had no adverse effects, it helped maintain Tango's weight when I was giving him palliative care and it was also a nice little treat for him to look forward to every day. He also really enjoyed fibreplex which did him a lot of good.

If you weigh you girl at the same sort of time once a week you can keep a better eye on her weight which will help give you a clearer idea of how shes doing.
 
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