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Limiting Pellets And Weight Loss

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Sian25

Sian25

Adult Guinea Pig
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My two boars weighed just over 1100g last week and were leaving excess calcium marks on their fleece. I decided to limit their pellets (burgess excel with mint) to one egg cup per day per pig spread over 4 feedings. Since then I have been weighing them about 5 times a day to get an average weight each day. Each day they have both lost a few grams and since Monday one has lost 17g and the other has lost 23g. I've heard weight loss is not very good for guinea pigs but I also don't want to increase their pellets again because of the calcium issues. Obviously they have plenty of good quality hay and get their veg each day. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about the calcium marks unless they are showing signs of bladder issues. Calcium can come from the nuggets, but is also found in green leafy veg like kale and spinach and from drinking water if you live in a hard water area. The weight loss isn't significant at this stage and is understandable if you have reduced the nuggets. Weight loss of more than 50g in a week can be a sign of illness, so weekly weighing at the same time of day is a good thing to do to keep an eye on their health. If the chalky wee is worrying you, it's worth seeing the vet for a check up.
 
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