Leo not Eating much Hay..

[Storm1974]

Leo seems to have really cut down on his hay intake lately and I'm a bit concerned as he has also lost around 50 grams of weight in a week and then when we weighed him yesterday, he had lost a further 17 grams! He seems absolutely fine in himself, but is a lot thinner than his brother and neighbour, though he has always been this way. His brother and neighbour Bramble both have orange and black fur colour and we have read that it is normal for that colour of pig to be heavier than others, but both of the other pigs are also almost always eating hay whereas Leo will only occasionally eat hay and prefers to eat pellets (they only have a small amount a day), veggies and either play with his pea flake ball, or chew on a cardboard box than to stuff his face with hay like the other two do!

We have checked his teeth and they do seem like they could be in danger of becoming overgrown which is a worry, although I think they're ok at the moment as he does seem to be eating normally, except for not eating enough hay! He does love seem to love grass more than hay though and always tucks in eagerly when I put fresh grass in, so should I just be giving him a lot more grass to make up for his smaller hay intake?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear that.

Please prepare to step in with syringe feeding and please see a vet. It’s impossible for an owner to check the teeth fully.
If he is smaller in weight anyway then he cant afford to lose as much as a bigger piggy can. 50g of loss is the point you need to start to weigh him daily, if the weight loss continues the following day or two then you need to step in.

There is something medical going on to cause him to reduce his hay intake (fur colour is not the reason why the others are bigger).
If his teeth are potentially causing issues then you need to get them checked and any issues dealt with before things get worse when it’s then harder to resolve and get back on the right track.
Even if it isn’t his teeth, then he does still need to see a vet as reduction in hay intake and weight loss is a warning sign something is wrong.

You absolutely can give him grass but you are unlikely to be able to get enough grass to replace his hay. A sudden large increase in grass may also risk causing tummy upsets.
He will need the fibre from critical care feeds to stop further weight loss.

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

I hope he is ok