Guinea pig eating but no weight gain?

[LittlePreciousP]

Hello again. I am here looking for answers. My female piggie has been eating and pooping like she always does. But I feel like she's not gaining any weight. I can easily feel her bones in her hips and near her butt and on her back. She doesn't seem ill. She runs and plays when she wants to. But She just isn't gaining any weight. Or if she is it's very slowly. I've also noticed that she has some white discharge coming from her privates. And it sometimes comes off onto her poops. I really don't know what it is.

 

[Lady Kelly]

How old is your piggy? Also do you weigh her with scales every week or are you going by feel alone?

 

[LittlePreciousP]

I don't weigh her on a scale yet. Haven't had the chance to get one. And some people say I really don't need one and i shouldn't waste the money. But since she seems to be not gaining any weight I'm going to get one. And I don't know exactly. Maybe like 2 months

 

[DM030819]

@LittlePreciousP It's impossible to have an accurate measure on weight just on feel alone. To be certain that she's not gaining weight you need scales. They're not expensive.

 

[PigglePuggle]

We bought Salter electronic kitchen scales from Amazon for £8.99 and they are very good, its worth the money just for the peace of mind that the piggies are ok. Has your little piggy had a vet check since you got her? A routine vet check to make sure she is well could also answer any worries you have.

 

[LittlePreciousP]

We bought Salter electronic kitchen scales from Amazon for £8.99 and they are very good, its worth the money just for the peace of mind that the piggies are ok. Has your little piggy had a vet check since you got her? A routine vet check to make sure she is well could also answer any worries you have.

Yes she has. They said she looked great and i was doing a wonderful job. It's just idk if I should be able to feel her back bones the way I can. You can't see them but if you hold her you can defiantly feel them.

 

[Reenie]

I would definitely buy or borrow scales and get an idea of her weight, but I think you also need a trip to the vet regarding the discharge. I don't have girl piggies, but I don't think that usually happens. I think I've seen @Wiebke say that mucus on their poops can mean that they're not eating enough though.

 

[LittlePreciousP]

I would definitely buy or borrow scales and get an idea of her weight, but I think you also need a trip to the vet regarding the discharge. I don't have girl piggies, but I don't think that usually happens. I think I've seen @Wiebke say that mucus on their poops can mean that they're not eating enough though.

She does eat, she eats all her veggies. But I have noticed her stop eating her hay but people have said that she probably just eats it on her own time or when I'm not around.

 

[Reenie]

It is possible that she is eating hay when you're not around. Have you noticed they hay going down? About 80% of her diet should be hay, so you should notice it disappearing if she's eating it.

 

[LittlePreciousP]

N

It is possible that she is eating hay when you're not around. Have you noticed they hay going down? About 80% of her diet should be hay, so you should notice it disappearing if she's eating it.

No i haven't actually. I mean idk she lays on it so I'm if she's eating it or it's just getting smushed together. And I can't use a hay rack because she won't eat from it

 

[Wiebke]

I don't weigh her on a scale yet. Haven't had the chance to get one. And some people say I really don't need one and i shouldn't waste the money. But since she seems to be not gaining any weight I'm going to get one. And I don't know exactly. Maybe like 2 months

Hi and welcome!

Cheap kitchen scales from a supermarket are perfectly adequate for the job at home. They do not need super-accurate to check whether a piggy is losing or gaining weight. But they are an important instrument in monitoring the health of our piggies and being able to step in and to see a vet before it is too late.

Whenever you have any worries, you switch from a weekly weigh-in as part of a regular health-check to a daily weigh-in at the same time. Step in with support feeding fibre and water if your piggy is losing more than 50g/2 oz and see a vet; the same with a very young guinea pig under 4-6 months hat is not putting on weight. If you guinea pig has lost more than 100g/3 oz, then you need to see a vet as soon as possible.
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Learning what is normal and what not in a guinea pig's body: Guinea pig body quirks
Early Signs Of Illness

Over 80% of the daily food intake should be unlimited hay. You cannot judge that by eye. Hay is also the food group that is most likely the first to be dropped when your piggy is unwell. Just seeing it nibble on some veg can be soo deceptive.
Guinea pigs cannot afford to wait for days if they are not eating properly; they rely on a regular food intake. their guts will slow down and then eventually close down if that doesn't happen.
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Please also make sure that your guinea pig is not too hot in any summer weather: Hot weather management and heat strokes

Please be aware that none of these measures can replace any necessary vet visit; we can only help with support care to make sure that your piggy sees a vet and is cared for as best as possible.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I don't weigh her on a scale yet. Haven't had the chance to get one. And some people say I really don't need one and i shouldn't waste the money. But since she seems to be not gaining any weight I'm going to get one. And I don't know exactly. Maybe like 2 months

Ah ok. In that case you can't say that she hasn't gained weight as you would not be able to tell the gradual weight gain of a youngster growing up from feeling them alone. I would invest in a cheap kitchen scale, mine were about £5. Weight loss is often the first sign of illness and can mean that any health problems get treated quicker. Mine get weighed once a week and one of my adult pigs gradually lost weight over a 1- 2 month period, never enough in one go to cause concerns but enough for me to know something wasn't right despite having no other symptoms of illness, turns out he had a UTI and is now gaining the weight he had lost.

 

[Freela]

I agree with everyone that a cheap kitchen scale might set your mind at ease. You don't have to spend a lot and it will give you a better sense than feel alone. Also bear in mind that, although youngsters should be growing, not every pig is destined to be on the large side. Right now I have two sows, one whose adult weight is just over 3 lbs and one who is 1.5 lbs. They are both adults (the big one is 3.5 years, the little one is 1.5.) They are both healthy. They are just built totally differently, and our larger one certainly packed on weight a lot faster as a baby than the littler one did!