Guinea pig weight

[Olaysha]

Hii everyone!
Do Guinea pigs eat less as they get older?

My baby girl is 5 years old but I’ve noticed she’s been eating less hay these last couple of months (2-3 months) than she used to. Overall, her hay seems to be eaten less than before. Here’s what I’ve noticed.

- She’s still chewing hay properly and eating Timothy so I don’t think it’s a teeth issue..
- She’s still got a big appetite for veggies and snacks - that hasn’t changed
- her poop is healthy looking, but smaller (probably bc of the reduced fibre?)
- she’s relaxing more during the times I used to see her grazing. When I go to pet her during these times, she makes happy noises and gets more comfy, so I don’t think she’s in a bad mood, or depressed (she usually pushes me away if she’s not in the mood to be bothered)
- I feel like she’s gotten skinnier. She doesn’t have as big of a belly as she used to. But I also don’t feel as much muscle as I used to on her either.
- it’s also summer so I know she’d have lost her winter coat but could the heat make her less hungry?
- I dont see her doing zoomies anymore

I’m considering feeding her critical care as a dietary supplement more often. I usually just feed her in a bowl from a spoon and she loves it.
I was also thinking of changing her pellets because she really enjoyed a sample from a different brand. But Oxbrow has the lowest lucerne/alfafa hay content so I worry about the other brands agitating her bladder cystitis. She’s been good for a while with her current diet.

I would really appreciate any thoughts or anyone’s previous experiences. I don’t know if I’m overthinking it, but my baby has always been so good-driven that it’s worrying me when she’s not grazing as much as she used to.

 

[Piggies&buns]

As they age their systems can become less efficient at extracting nutrients. They can lose muscle tone and drop weight but then maintain at a new lower normal weight.

She should not be eating less hay and usually if they do it is because of an issue somewhere, it can be arthritis for example and a daily painkiller is all that’s needed to perk them up.

Make sure you are weighing her more regularly (weekly is routine but daily when you have health concerns) so you can monitor her more closely.
Do top her up with critical care to ensure she is getting enough fibre and isn’t losing weight

I would suggest a vet check just to rule out anything obvious

I hope she is ok

Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection
Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

 

[GuineaDobbin]

I second the above.

We have had several peegs who benefited enormously from a long-term, low dose of painkillers from about 5 years onwards. Sometimes they just need a little something to keep them pottling like they used to.