How do I get my guinea pig to lose weight?

[Joscelyn]

The vet said she's obese and I've tried everything! Shes lost some but everytime I board off a side of the cage, she breaks through. I have 3 guinea pigs, so I'm now only putting 2 bowls of pellets in the cage and unlimited timothy hay. They also get veggies at night which I've limited as well. Is that okay? Do you have any other tips? I also have a kitchen scale I use to weigh her.

 

[Siikibam]

Pellets shouldn’t be available all the time. They only need a tablespoon a day each. How much does she weigh and how old is she? Do you weigh her weekly and have you felt her heft? You shouldn’t board off off part of the cage, they need the space.

 

[Hannah_xx]

Pellets shouldn’t be available all the time. They only need a tablespoon a day each. How much does she weigh and how old is she? Do you weigh her weekly and have you felt her heft? You shouldn’t board off off part of the cage, they need the space.

Please let us know what she weighs

 

[Claire W]

I agree with the above advise. How much does she weigh? Piggies come in all different shapes and sizes. They also only need a tablespoon of pellets per day per piggy

 

[Wiebke]

The vet said she's obese and I've tried everything! Shes lost some but everytime I board off a side of the cage, she breaks through. I have 3 guinea pigs, so I'm now only putting 2 bowls of pellets in the cage and unlimited timothy hay. They also get veggies at night which I've limited as well. Is that okay? Do you have any other tips? I also have a kitchen scale I use to weigh her.

Hi!

1 tablespoon (15 ml) of pellets per piggy per is plenty. Pellets and high sugary veg like carrots or sweetcorn are where most calories come from in a piggy diet. Regular exercise is the other side - and that cannot be easy in piggies that are not used to moving a lot/

Please take the time to read our weight guide. It has chapters with lots of practical tips on overweight, how to turn feeding time into enrichment and especially exercise time and about the treat trap.
It also shows you how you work out whether a piggy is overweight or not for its size.
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

Our diet guide with a sample veg diet will help you to switch to a long term sustainable healthy diet.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets