New pig owner

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PiggyBre

New Born Pup
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I got my first guinea pig today and I’m quite obsessed! The girl I got him from had clean water and stuff in his cage, but he is rather skinny and I can feel most of his joints/bones. I have only had him a few hours, but he is very active and eats/drinks well. My question is how can I fatten him up healthily, and could it be because she just wasn’t feeding him a proper diet? I only seen dry pellets there by his cage so I’m guessing that’s what he got daily.
 
How old is he? With younger pigs once they have access to unlimited hay, a small amount of pellets and some daily veg they will gain weight again normally. There is absolutely no need to purposely feed fattening foods which may cause other problems in the longer term. The only difference with some older pigs is that they may struggle to gain the weight again as older pigs can lose a little weight due to muscle loss etc
 
:wel: You’ve been given good advise above. Hopefully once he is on a ‘proper diet’ he will be back at his correct size. Have you weighed him at all since you got him? Make that a weekly ritual.

The other thing I would think about is getting him a friend as soon as possible. Piggies aren’t wired to be alone, they need a friend around 24/7. I’m afraid no amount of human interaction can replace that.
 
I quite agree with @Siikibam, a friend would defiantly be only for the better, they become so alive so quickly with another pig near them. In terms of fattening, I reckon the usual unlimited hay, 10 - 20g of healthy pellets (not a necessity), and 20 - 30g of veggies will work. Also grass is very tasty, just be careful where you get it. How old is he? How supposedly underweight?
 
PS pellets should be kept to a tablespoon per day and no more. Lots and lots of hay as PotatoPog has suggested. That should be their main diet. If he’s not had veg before then you’ll have to introduce them slowly. Start with coriander (cilantro) and bell pepper. Good sources of vitamin c. I’ll link in the feeding guide.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
 
Welcome!
I also was given Lara, abandoned by a friend who acknowledged to me that Lara never had veggies. This friend simply didn’t know guinea pigs ate veggies. She gets veggies three times a day, some pellets, and hay throughout the entire day. Mine always get Romain lettuce along with other veggies and herbs.

Lara lives next door to my boy Finn. Finn was supposed to have a boy roommate but seems happy to live next door to Lara and gets plenty of kisses and nose rubs through the cage bars.
 
PiggyBre said:
I got my first guinea pig today and I’m quite obsessed! The girl I got him from had clean water and stuff in his cage, but he is rather skinny and I can feel most of his joints/bones. I have only had him a few hours, but he is very active and eats/drinks well. My question is how can I fatten him up healthily, and could it be because she just wasn’t feeding him a proper diet? I only seen dry pellets there by his cage so I’m guessing that’s what he got daily.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Here is our diet guide. Please be aware that around 80% of the daily food intake should be hay, hay and more unlimited hay for good general health and a long life - a good diet can add 1-2 years to a life span!
About 50g (1 bowl full) of mixed veg and fresh herbs (a very little fruit should only ever be an occasional treat) and 1 tablespoon of pellets per day. The more junk filled pellets you feed, the last high fibre hay your piggy eats. Your boy will pick up quickly on a good diet.

Here is the link to our detailed diet guide that looks at all food groups and has got a sample diet picture: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

This guide and more information on diet is part of our comprehensive New Owners guide collection that is specifically addressing all the most often asked questions and problems that we are dealing with. You should find it very helpful; worth bookmarking and using it as a resource over the coming months! Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides


PS: I am moving your thread to our food section. Please use our various Care sections for any enquiries. They are often monitored by our most experienced members. The chat sections are just for that. ;)
 
Siikibam said:
PS pellets should be kept to a tablespoon per day and no more. Lots and lots of hay as PotatoPog has suggested. That should be their main diet. If he’s not had veg before then you’ll have to introduce them slowly. Start with coriander (cilantro) and bell pepper. Good sources of vitamin c. I’ll link in the feeding guide.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Click to expand...
I thought that 20 - 30g was a little too little veggies, and i do actually feed more, but if you consider that 80% of their diet is hay, and the average pig eats 90 - 100g (don't limit though!) of hay per day, than you are left with 10 - 30g for pellets and veggies. Am I doing math wrong? Probably :/ but I'm quite sure 50g of veggies can't fit there.

Also if he refuses to eat veggies try supplementing with liquid Vitamin C or at least pellets that have more than 700mg of vitamin C per kilo. But veggies are the best , try to find some that your boy likes.
 
I wouldn’t give vitamin c supplements unless he’s been diagnosed with a deficien. There is vitamin c in hay and grass, so stick to that.

The amount you feed daily isn’t about a total weight. I’ve never weighed the veg, I just eyeball it. Sometimes I feed more, sometimes less.

I would also get an experienced vet and take your piggy for a general health check.
 
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