• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here
  • Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

My Guineapig Only Weighs 500g And Decreasing

Status
Not open for further replies.
BeaHive45

BeaHive45

New Born Pup
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
Points
30
Location
Wales, UK
Hello there all guineapig forum users!
I'm asking for help today about my guineapig Mouse. She is a very old, smooth haired guineapig who has been with us and her cage mate Molly since she was a baby. Recently Molly died of old age and I did show mouse her body but she seemed disinterested. Since then I have been reading up a lot about how to cope with bereaved guineapigs and they said to monitor their weight closely. Much to my embarrassment I haven't ever kept a record of their weight but when I read this I did start. I began weighing her on the 8th of May, around two days after Molly died. She weighed 565g, and I have since found out that this is about a third of what it should be. Since then she has gradually lost weight until she weighed 489g when, miraculously the next day she had gained 24g! Since then she has kept this weight on and is still around 512g. I am very happy that her weight decline has plateaued however she is still very thin and you can feel her ribs. Obviously I am very worried about her but she seems her normal cheerful self and is still eating and drinking. She has constant access to grass in her run and I feed her both dry and fresh food every day. I have also given her a soft toy guineapig to keep her company which she seems very happy with. I don't know what I can do to make her gain weight again
Thanks in advance,
Bea
 
Hi! How old is Mouse actually?

Like with very old humans, old guinea pigs tend to lose weight and condition. they rarely put it back on. However, it would be worth having her checked over by a piggy savvy vet to see whether there is a medical reason for her weight loss. 500g is low even for an old guinea pig.

As we have got members from all over the world, we find it very helpful in being able to tailor any advice and recommendations to what is available and possible for you if you please added your country, state or (for the UK) your county or city. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. thank you!
 
Ok thanks for the advice - I'm a Welshie!
She is around 7 years old, a very old lady but she still moves around very well and can get up and down the ramp that connects her hutch to the grass below easily.
 
BeaHive45 said:
Ok thanks for the advice - I'm a Welshie!
She is around 7 years old, a very old lady but she still moves around very well and can get up and down the ramp that connects her hutch to the grass below easily.
Click to expand...

At that old age, a very low weight with normal activity and appetite is not unusual. Just keep an eye on her to see that it stays stable and see a vet if you are worried.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...ng-ideal-weight-overweight-underweight.38805/

PS: could you add Wales to your details? It makes it a bit easier in case we have to take vet access/experience/rescue access into account etc.
 
Weight loss usually goes hand in hand with some sort of illness, weather that be kidney disease or something else but it would be best to have her checked over by a vet as soon as you can as this is a very low weight for a guinea pig. My hyperthyroid sow who has always been small is currently 600g and she is extremely skinny so I can only imagine how small she is.

Hope you get some answers.
You may want to ensure she is somewhere warm as she won't be able to maintain her body heat so well with no body fat.

x
 
I'm really sorry for your loss and having this extra worry is the last thing you need :-(

When you say dried & fresh food I'm assuming there's also a constant supply of hay as well?
Personally if I was you I would see a vet if you can. In the mean time I woukd start
* weighting her daily to keep an eye on any increases & decreases in her weight ( she will go up & down slightly everyday but a decrease of more than 50g in a day is when I start worrking keep in mine a single wee can weight around 4g-6g)
* If you weigh her food to see how much she actually is eating could help when caring for her if something does turn out to be wrong with her.
* if possable have her indoors to help keep her walm as with such a low weight she will have difficulty keeping warm. You can also get beds that you can pop in heat up ( in a microwave or they can be filled with walter) so she can snuggle on a walm bed with fleeces to snuggle in

I hope everything is OK keep us informed on how she goes
 
Last edited:
Thanks for your kind words guys, losing Molly has been very hard but thankfully she didn't suffer, she was fine in the morning and then had died by the afternoon so she went quickly and peacefully.
Mouse's hutch is two storeys with the upper floor having a bedding area (that is filled with fresh hay) and then she always has a supply of dry food during the day. Down the ramp there is fresh grass and her water bottle (to encourage her to go downstairs) and she does eat all of these foods. Every other day (or if it is especially cold) I generally bring her inside in a cardboard box and feed her lettuce, carrots and celery. I also bought some guineapig treats and I am feeding her one a day. She has always been the quieter of the two but since Molly died she has been a lot more vocal, and always seems pleased to see me which makes me think that maybe she is just lonely?
I will keep you updated on any developments.
 
Is there any way you could keep her indoors permanently? I know it isn't always practical but it would help her regulate her temperature if she is that small and you will also be able to notice any subtle changes to her behaviour.
 
because of how well they hide discomfort and pain, i would still have her checked out by your exotics/guinea savvy vet. get them to check her movement and joints aswell incase they're now stiffer than they used to be.

i would also recommend bringing her to live inside where she will be warmer and so you can keep a closer eye on her. if she absolutely has to stay outside, then i would get her a hutch which is all on one level, and provide cosy fleece items aswell as her hay area, with even more warmth in colder weather. :)
 
Very sorry to say that Mouse passed away peacefully yesterday. I got her out of her hutch in the morning and she seemed very sleepy, and it knew instantly that something was up. She was just very quiet and cuddly, always wanting to hide inside my jumper or snuggle up in the hay rather than eating or squeaking away to me as she normally does. I held her in my arms or in my lap all day and she passed away that afternoon, peacefully and quietly. We cremated her that evening and I can at least be comforted by the fact that she can now be with Molly, by eachothers side was always where those two belonged.
Thanks for all your help and advice x
 
I'm so sorry to hear about Mouse, but she was a fabulous age and passed away feeling warm and loved. RIP little one x
 
I am very sorry for your loss.

RIP Molly and Mouse - reunited again
 
So sorry to hear little mouse has made the long trip over the rainbow bridge to be reunited with molly again popcorn free on the long green grass little one's.
Hope your doing OK during this very hard & painful time. HUGS
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top