How Important Is Weekly Weighing?

[Sian25]

Okay so this is quite personal but I'm an open person. I'm currently getting professional help to try and control my OCD and anxiety. Most of my illness revolves around obsessing over the health of people I care about - my pets, family, work (I'm a carer for elderly people but currently been off work sick for a few months).

Anyway I saw my therapist today and she is insisting that routinely weighing the guinea pigs is part of my OCD. I have tried to tell her that it's something that has to be done and that most good guinea pig owners weigh their pigs at least once a week. As part of my rehabilitation she wants me not to weigh them.. Now I admit that in the past I did weigh the guinea pigs around 5 times every day and I would add the weights together to get a daily average and keep a weight diary (which obviously is not normal) but recently I've only been weighing around twice a week. I could possibly aim to weigh them once a week but the therapist wants me to completely stop.

Just wondering how important it is to be weighing healthy guinea pigs each week?

 

[gizzy]

hi, weekly weighing wont do any halm, l find the best way to tell if there is anythink wrong is by the feel of the pig
if you get to know the feel then you sould be able to pick up on any weigh loss or any other isues


ln the old days a pig that had lost weight was refared to as feeling "light" (just a usles bit of imformation lol

 

[Wiebke]

Okay so this is quite personal but I'm an open person. I'm currently getting professional help to try and control my OCD and anxiety. Most of my illness revolves around obsessing over the health of people I care about - my pets, family, work (I'm a carer for elderly people but currently been off work sick for a few months).

Anyway I saw my therapist today and she is insisting that routinely weighing the guinea pigs is part of my OCD. I have tried to tell her that it's something that has to be done and that most good guinea pig owners weigh their pigs at least once a week. As part of my rehabilitation she wants me not to weigh them.. Now I admit that in the past I did weigh the guinea pigs around 5 times every day and I would add the weights together to get a daily average and keep a weight diary (which obviously is not normal) but recently I've only been weighing around twice a week. I could possibly aim to weigh them once a week but the therapist wants me to completely stop.

Just wondering how important it is to be weighing healthy guinea pigs each week?

You may find the information in the link below helpful. Weighing once weekly is basically part of a weekly health check where you look at your piggy's bits and weight to notice any gradually developing issues. Weighing and checking more often is not necessary for any healthy guinea pigs.

If weighing regularly has become an obsession, then it may be a good idea to stop for a while in order to break you off it or at least only do so once every fortnight. I would discuss it with your therapist.

Any weight chances below 50g do not need to be investigated and any larger short-term changes you tend to notice anyway when you handle your piggies on a daily or near daily basis, as they usually show up as loss of appetite/changed eating behaviour or signs of pain/acute illness.

Guinea pig body quirks

 

[MerryPip]

Normally we would say weekly weighing is a good thing as it gives and idea of a guinea pig's body condition and general health but I think in this case you need to balance the need for weighing with your need to micro manage these things.... Hopefully with the link Wiebke provided you can come to a compromise with your therapist which works for you but also keeps your piggies in good health. Remember that your ability to keep them healthy is very much related to you keeping you healthy too! If you don't weigh them as regularly for a period of time, to break yourself of the habit, it's unlikely to cause a massive issue. Either that or get someone else to weigh them instead so their weight is still regularly monitored but it's not your direct responsibility. They could even not share the results with you if that helped you hand over some of your control of it..

If I am honest my piggies don't get weighed regularly, more like every two weeks and definitely before I take them to boarding and when they return (for my peace of mind - I totally trust the people who care for them there). And I still notice when things aren't right. If I have a concern in between times I might weight them an extra time. I am more careful with the pigs that have a dental issue or known health problem as they need monitored more carefully.

I am sure you can find a solution that works for you and your piggies. Well done you for trying to find a way to manage your anxiety about this. x

 

[flintstones]

I agree with @MerryPip although I do weigh my pig's it isn't regularly. Perhaps every fortnight, I like the idea of giving someone else the responsibility that way the pig's are still weighed and you don't have to worry.