Little And Large

[Pig]

Hello all sorry if this is the wrong topic. I have two boars who I love dearly. One is smaller than the other at 1216 grams and one at 1426

Smaller pig is quite boney and I would like him to eat more as he is not into his pellets as much as fatty, who needs to loose some weight. The piggies live together however I need to encourage inverse eating habits. Any ideas?

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all sorry if this is the wrong topic. I have two boars who I love dearly. One is smaller than the other at 1216 grams and one at 1426

Smaller pig is quite boney and I would like him to eat more as he is not into his pellets as much as fatty, who needs to loose some weight. The piggies live together however I need to encourage inverse eating habits. Any ideas?

Hi! Even your smaller boy one is still a very good weight and the upper level of an average adult weight.

Please have a look at the two guides I have linked in. They tell you how to check whether your guinea pig is overweight or underweight and what you can do. Our diet guide also contains tips on how you can cut down on food hogging.
We do no longer recommend to feed loads of pellets; the mainstay of the diet should come from hay (80% or more) and veg (ca. 15%). Pellets should only make about 5% of a diet and are the most replaceable part. By concentrating on hay instead of pellets, you can boost longevity quite a bit as our long term owner members can tell you from their experiences over the years.

The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diet

If you are finding that you are dealing with a weight loss issue in your smaller piggy, please have him checked by a good vet.

 

[Pig]

Thank you so much. Will keep a daily tracker of the weights. Will they get all of their nutrients with only 5 percent pellets?

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much. Will keep a daily tracker of the weights. Will they get all of their nutrients with only 5 percent pellets?

Yes. They will actually get more nutrients without relying on pellets. Pellets were not introduced for a better animal diet back in the fifties, but a cheaper alternative to veg. They still contain lots of fillers when you look at the ingredients. Your guinea pigs will eat more hay without pellets, which means that their guts are healthier, they are not as liekly to be overweight and their crucial back teeth are ground down better by the silica in the hay - for which they have developed. Overall this means better health and a longer life.

There has been a big change and shift in the last few years as new research and insights have filtered through. My own guinea pigs have generally started to live 2-3 years longer now that I am feeding mainly hay and less pellets and veg.
Of my 2011 piggies, some from rather bad backgrounds, only one has already died (in May in the wake of a tricky incisor extraction (the tooth is nearly 2 inches long) which she didn't take well to). All the other seven that were born in that year are still with me, just as an example; I've had several other piggies that have lived as long as 8 years old in recent years. Earlier I was just glad when my piggies made it as far as 4-5 years!

 

[Reenie]

Yes. They will actually get more nutrients without relying on pellets. Pellets were not introduced for a better animal diet back in the fifties, but a cheaper alternative to veg. They still contain lots of fillers when you look at the ingredients. Your guinea pigs will eat more hay without pellets, which means that their guts are healthier, they are not as liekly to be overweight and their crucial back teeth are ground down better by the silica in the hay - for which they have developed. Overall this means better health and a longer life.

There has been a big change and shift in the last few years as new research and insights have filtered through. My own guinea pigs have generally started to live 2-3 years longer now that I am feeding mainly hay and less pellets and veg.
Of my 2011 piggies, some from rather bad backgrounds, only one has already died (in May in the wake of a tricky incisor extraction (the tooth is nearly 2 inches long) which she didn't take well to). All the other seven that were born in that year are still with me, just as an example; I've had several other piggies that have lived as long as 8 years old in recent years. Earlier I was just glad when my piggies made it as far as 4-5 years!

Really interesting statistics. Thanks.

To reassure the original poster, of my 5 piggies, only one is over 1000g, and he's 1005g. They start as small as 790g, although he still has a wee bit of growing to do. They follow the diet as described in the guidance referred to by @Wiebke and none has ever had any issues in the 8 months I've had them. Touch wood.

 

[Pig]

Thank you so much everyone this is very insightful. I spend a small fortune on really good Timothy hay. Should I be adding another type as well?

 

[Reenie]

Thank you so much everyone this is very insightful. I spend a small fortune on really good Timothy hay. Should I be adding another type as well?

Timothy hay is fine. You can add a bit of something else for a change if you want, but Timothy is a perfect choice and fine on it's own.

 

[Betsy]

My Dennis at his heaviest only weighs 975g. He is the runt of the litter and is very healthy. When I took him to the vet and the she weighed him, she wasn't worried about his weight and even said she thought he was quite big for a runt. As long as your piggies are having a healthy diet that's all you need to worry about.

 

[Pig]

Thank you for your comments its more a worry of weight loss than the weightitself and his bum feels boney!