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Ideal Weight?

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SkyexXx

SkyexXx

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Hi i am just looking for some advice on an ideal guinea pig weight and dieting tips.I have two girls both 3years old. Twix looks to be a a good weight but Biscuit is getting rather big. I've cut down there intake of food by 10g each but don't know how radically i can minimise there diet without risking other issues. Any ideas?
 
Here are our recommendations for a balanced diet (including pellet amounts for different ages): http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/

You can check whether a piggy is a good weight for its size by checking the rib cage. if you can just feel the ribs, a piggy is a good weight; it you can feel all the bones, a piggy is underweight. If you can't feel the ribs at all, it is overweight. We also recommend to weigh your piggies once weekly at the same time, as it is a good way of detecting developing health problems early on.

Piggies are at their peak of life at 2-3 years old and are often at their fattest if they have a tendency to pile on weight, but no longer exercise as much. Cutting down on pellets is the best way of regulating the weight.
 
Piggies vary a lot in weight too. I have only got boars but have had piggies from dinky Donald at 900g to Big H at1500g in weight and everything in between. It's about knowing what's normal for your piggy and making sure it's a stable weight and not regularly increasing or decreasing. Small fluctuations are normal and caused by empty/full bladders and how much they've been eating just before you weigh them.
 
Thank you everyone. Advice is very helpful. And i can definately feel there ribs okay its just Biscuit has some size of belly! Always has been bigger than Twix but when she's lying flat out it's shocking! Don't know how she gets it!
 
SkyexXx said:
Thank you everyone. Advice is very helpful. And i can definately feel there ribs okay its just Biscuit has some size of belly! Always has been bigger than Twix but when she's lying flat out it's shocking! Don't know how she gets it!
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How much does she weigh? That is the best indicator.
 
1150g however i have just been reading through that veg list and i think its too much calcium. I didnt realise how much of their veg was calcium rich! :S
 
That weight is fine. Do you feed just a small amount of pellets? Pellets cause weight gain.
 
Yeah the pellets are the main thing i cut down on! they get about 30g a day each. Packet recommends 40g. Gonna pay alot more attention to the calcium intake now! As it not just bloating that will cause. :/
 
You may like to try the I.c diet. Here is what I feed my pigs. They get it per piggy twice a day. It is a diet designed to prevent cystitis. Since I switched to vitakraft emotion pellets and the ic diet I rarely have calcium deposits.
1 piece green pepper.
1 piece cucumber
1 sprig of dill or coriander
1 slice of spring green
2 pieces celery
 
Thabk tou piggy fan! :) thank god i found out before any harm was done! just did not think! they may get upset about the spinach cut down now! :) there mad for that stuff! :) Speaking of which... they are both telling me its time for food! My jeans are gonna be in shreds soon with there chewing! lol
 
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