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Need some advice

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PiggiePal

PiggiePal

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Hi everyone,

I'm so incredibly paranoid about my guinea pigs getting ill and it gets worse when i'm not too well ( is oanyone else the same?). Well I was holding Snowy last night and I noticed that she seems quite boney on her rear and I felt her sides and it felt like one of her ribs was sticking out. I've never felt this before but that's not to say it wasn't already like this. So I've become quite worried about her overnight...
She's a rescue who has had a couple of litters (i think as she was from a breeder) - would the fact that she has had babies mean that she's boney on the bum?
I watched her eat her food this morning and all seemed normal (apart from perhaps Jack taking the tasy treats first!)

I dont know whetehr to take her to the vets because i feel like i might be being a hyperchondriac going into the vets and saying that she feels strange... Its not like she's acting ill is it?

Anyone any suggestions?

Thanks Alyson x :-\
 
Know just what you mean i freak out too so don't worry you're not alone we all love our little furbabies and want the best for them.

I'm sure someone with experience on sows having had litters will help you real soon.

If you're ever concerned can't you call your vets for advice? I call mine frequently (boy are they patient) and they'll let you know. But there's always the gut feeling if you feel bad about a piggie go straight to the vets.

Good luck hopefully she's just having an off day. Do you weigh them regularly, i usually do weekly but at the moment Duke gets weighed daily so i can monitor his weight properly.

Take care Alyson, piggie kisses to Snowy :-*
 
Id say the same - if you are really worried, take her to the vets anyway, just for a routine check. even if only to calm you down a bit, i know how bad it feels to be worried about ones piggies..

in general, you should weigh them at least every other week, but really, it should be weekly.
only like that you can quickly pick up on health issues, piggies are very good at hiding their symptoms, but the weight will tell you most of the time.

for example with teeth problems - sometimes piggies go to the foodbowl, pick the food up, and you think they eat it. if you watch closely, they drop it again. they pretend to eat and you will probably only notice once they are very weak already - whereas with regular weighing, you will notice as soon as they have lost 100g!

they are great actors, those piggers.. :( How old is she roughly now, and how much is her weight?
 
Go to the vet. My darling Dr died through being too thin. The fact that you noticed it means she wasn't always like that, so something has changed. Please get it checked out.iIt will be worth it. Mine go for a full MOT a couple of times a year.
 
She's roughly 4 yrs old i think and I haven't weighed her today, I do weigh her fairly regularly, but not every week so I will compare weights with last time. Yes I will take her to the vets now, you're right Lucinda, if i haven't noticed it before it probably wasn't like that.
Thankyou all for your support and advice I'll keep you posted :)
Alyson x
 
some of my girls who have had babies are normally quite chunky after birth a common human problem, well I have had 5 pups of my own, but then theres lilac my little angel so laid back and relaxed a real sweetie but she has never ever gained weight despite her having 2 litters one intentional and one accidental, she has never ever gained weight and is so thin bless her but she eats non stop and has so far never been ill, shes almost 5 now, but if you are really worried take her for a check, you cant blame pregnancy on her weight under or over weight, generally I would say breeding pigs do tend to be thinner though lily daisy and rose were quite slim as was beauty and magic, I got all theses rescued from a breeder wonderful coats and health but never quite got any meat on them if you know what I mean,
go by your instincts, I do that all the time after years of keeping pigs I do have an inner sense about my piggys you will do so too, maybe its that thats making you so worried daft but true, good luck
 
Hi everyone,

Thankyou so much to everyone who has given me advice today about Snowy. I have weighed her this evening and she weighs exactly the same as she usually does 1.3kg. I have been watching her eating like Abnoba suggested and she's definately eating properly - no food coming out which is good. Also i've felt her again like I did last night and I can't feel whatever it was that i thought was her ribs sticking out... really odd actually! Maybe she just hadn't chewed something enough! ;D
I had got so worried that i had been texting my good friend jake and he'd rushed over to see her as he knows her quite well too and agreed that she seems fine (if a little dirty he said the cheeky **** its hard to keep a white pig clean! ;D)
So i'm going to keep my beady eye on her for now on but I don't think she needs the vets, of course if I suspect anything out of the ordinary at any time she will go straight to the vets.
Its so nice to have people who know and care about pigs here to talk to, i felt like my head was going to explode :o

I will keep you updated (and hopefully post some pigtures soon too!)

Alyson x :)
 
sometimes its just the way they are sitting...

when they are really stretched out they look so much thinner than when they sit normal, my piggies usually look like they have a bit of a tummy, a bit of flab at the side ;) but when they stretch out I think OMG whats happened.
Suppose its like bathing a cat - they look so skinny once the fluffy fur isnt there!

glad everything is alright with her :)
 
So glad to hear that things are OK.
Still keep an eye on Snowy it's better to be safe and that way you'll get to know her even better :)
Now Snowy don't you go worring your mummy so much, just eat your pellets and veggies and have lots of fun ;)
 
Glad everything is ok.

A little reminder to weigh our piggies never does me any harm. I learned this the hard way.
 
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