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Just a fat piggy?

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Estele

Estele

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Wanda, one of my ladies, is very very fat. She does enjoy her food but she is starting to look like a dinner plate. Harold was castrated a few weeks ago and I KNOW he hasnt been near her so unless they performed some amazing position through the bars of their cages theres no way she is pregnant. She has always been a bit on the tubby side.

Is this likely a result of a greedy piggy who likes her din-dins - if so how on earth do I put a piggy on a diet? She waits for her food by the door and heaven forbid someone crinkles a plastic bag within a mile radius of the house - she will hear it and expect greens! Does she need to go on a diet?

Or is it more likely to be a cyst or tumour or something? She is very alert, happy, obviously has a good appetite, poops well, very vocal when she wants attention - or food - and well, just seems like a really content little (ok ok big) girl. If its just her being greedy is it cruel to do nothing about her weight, or cruel to cut her food back?
 
hello how much does she weigh? thats a better indicater of if she is overweight :)
 
I do not have any scales at home, will borrow the postage scales from work tomorrow. She is massive compared to the others. If i didnt know better I would say she was pregnant at full term with at least 4! However I know she hasnt been with a boar although she is in a cage next to one. Ive been that paranoid about it Ive sat there holding her tummy waiting for kicks, but nothing! She has a pouch under her chin, piggie equivalent to a double chin? I feed all of them the same, they all have the same greens at the same time and the same amount of food, but she is like a giant compared to the others. Perhaps she takes after her human mummy and is 'big boned' lol
 
oh dear she sounds like my piggies rascal who seems to have got rather tubby lately but insists that he is meant to have a big belly!
weight her and you`ll have a better indication of if she is overweight
 
I have a walking "dinner plate" myself. Some piggies are just built that way and only develop their full figure as adults! Normal healthy adult weight can range from 800-1800g, although 900g-1400g seem to be about average for adult piggies. Because of the very quick meatbolism, guinea pigs are rarely obese. With sows, you cannot judge by the shape of her back end, but by how well bolstered her chest is.



Here is a thread that you may find helpful:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38805
 
I also have a walking dinner plate, bramble she was kinda forgotten about in the garden when i got her and she has made up for it ever since !:)):))
 
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