Guinea Pig Needs to Go on a Diet?

[Bookworm92]

Hi, I'm new here and I'm looking for some advice

I have two male guinea pigs called Freddie and Jack. They are just over a year old.

I had their nails clipped at the vets this morning and the nurse said Jack is looking a bit porky and to cut down on his food.

I'm just wondering what the best diet for him would be? He's not an active guinea pig (never has been). He prefers to sit (!). Also how can I put him on a diet and it not affect Freddie (who is very active and a fine weight)

Thanks,

Sophie

 

[Siikibam]

How much do you give them in terms of pellets? As they can be quite...’fattening’ in larger amounts. And what veg do you feed them?

There’s a feeding guide. I can’t link to it at the moment but you should be able to find it if you do a search.

Also did she weigh them, or commented just on sight? There’s a guide to knowing whether your piggie is at a good weight - by feel.

 

[Betsy]

What's more important is the heft of a piggie. When you feel round your piggie's rib cage, can you still feel the ribs with a small layer of fat on them? If so your piggie is a good weight, if not they are overweight.

Here is the link for you

The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, I'm new here and I'm looking for some advice

I have two male guinea pigs called Freddie and Jack. They are just over a year old.

I had their nails clipped at the vets this morning and the nurse said Jack is looking a bit porky and to cut down on his food.

I'm just wondering what the best diet for him would be? He's not an active guinea pig (never has been). He prefers to sit (!). Also how can I put him on a diet and it not affect Freddie (who is very active and a fine weight)

Thanks,

Sophie

Hi!

Please only feed 1 tablespoon of pellets per piggy per day and have a look at our recommended sample diet picture. Feeding too much pellets and veg instead of unlimited hay (which should make over 80% of they daily food intake) is a very common mistake.
It is the silica in the hay, which keeps the crucial back teeth ground down and the hay which keeps the guts happy, as that is what guinea pigs have evolved on. The more hay your boys eat, the greater their chance of a health and longer life; it can really make a difference!

How you can figure out whether your boys are a good individual weight/size ratio by feeling around the ribcage ('heft') is explained in our weighing guide while you can find long term diet recommendations in out diet guide, which is looking at all aspects. Guinea pig sizes and the appropriate weight can vary enormously on an individual basis. Feeling for the heft means that you can just any sized piggy at any age as to whether its weight is right or not.
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Please be aware that veterinary literature is based on breeder piggies; pet piggies are often a bit larger and heavier but they should still not be overweight. With regular run time and a good diet, any overweight should come down on its own as guinea pigs have a very quick metabolism.

 

[Bookworm92]

Thanks for all your help

 

[PembsGP]

So pleased you asked this question. My son's piggies are now 3 years old and Isabelle, the ginger one, is very portly. Not just by sight but also by weight. And she's forever expanding. All she enjoys doing it sitting and eating. Put her in a run or give her floor time and she just sits there. She is sedentary. We've even tried enticing her to follow a piece of coriander, which is her favourite food, to get her moving but after reaching for it twice she can't be bothered. She is otherwise fit and healthy. She just likes strokes, cuddles and eating. They have fresh grass every day and a few veggies. Neither of them will eat pellets so have museli style food but selectively eat it. I'll reduce the museli and grass and see how she gets on. How successful was Jack's diet?

 

[Roclibrarian]

My vet told me mine were a bit on the porky side (my words not hers). I now scatter feed a small handful of pellets and also their veg. It gets them moving a bit more and slows their eating down.
I also change their cage round a bit each day as they can't help exploring and therefore exercising a bit more.
They both lost a bit of weigh and are now at a lower stable weight.
Still lazy and greedy though lol

 

[eileen]

ive found that feeding grainless pellets has allowed my piggies to gain there optimum weight !