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Overweight Piggie

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GPluver

I have an overweight piggie... Cookie's belly is 13 and a half inches around and i KNOW thats not normal, plus he's 3lbs 4oz and he doesn't really even eat that much...his cage mate is normal sized and not overweight at all...i give them a little butter bowl ful of veggies in the morning and at night wich we've been doing ever since we've had our guinea pigs and they've all benn just fine (i have 4) and they always have hay and pellets in with them, but Cookie has just drastically gained weight over the past few months:...i really would like to put him on some sort of "piggie diet" if i can, but i dont want to have to start giving both him and Cutie (his cage mate) less food because i dont want Cutie to lose weight seeming how she's a perfect size...and i don't want to put him alone in a nother cage...He's not the pig to be put alone by himself, he gets very scared...Any suggestions?
I put some pics down below :red









 
I feed them carrots, broccoli, strawberries, and lettuce, thats pretty much it...and he gets alot of excersize flirting with his cage mate Cutie lol, he runs around and popcornes whenever he can:))
 
Umm I don't really no what to suggest unless you take one out of the cage at veggie time and give Cookie a smaller portion. When Connie is poorly, I have to feed her and Eliza seperate veggies as Connie eats at a slower pace when ill.
 
That's a normal weight for many pigs; weight alone is not enough to go on. He doesn't look overweight, just has some "love-handles". For some pigs, this is just the way they are.

The only way to "diet" a guinea pig is to limit the amount of dry feed they get, and if necessary switching them to a healthier alternative. (This means plain pellets if the dry feed is a mix ). More exercise - outside the cage - will also help tone a pig up a bit.

Do you weigh weekly?
 
No, but it wont hurt to start haha
And i was mad when every time i took a pic, the pic made him look skinnier, :)) i guess he's just good infront of the camera, plus i took those pics with my phone since it's easier to sent them to the computer...But when he's not infront of the camera he's so overweight, its sad, and he's super heavy 8...

And thats 1,474.18 grams.......................does that sound right? i just converted his weight in lbs to grams on the enternet...
 
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Thats so weird, whenever someone comes over to our house and see's the piggies, they always look at Cookie and say "oh my goodness thats a chubby little thing"...its pretty imbarrassing:red And he's always been our smallest pig but that just changed a few months ago:...now he's our biggest
 
:red I am also embarrased by Jeeves weight, although he is a chunky Rex. He weighs in at 1.5grams, the vet told me that she thought 1.2 was on the heavy side as she had had one in at that weight. I find it very difficult as he lives with 2 sows, they are a normal weight, but he just adores his food. They do get exercised and have a two tier hutch.
I will just have to put him on the treadmill:)):)):(|).
 
Haha our treadmill's in the same room as the pigs too, perfect! :))
Nawww i couldn't torture him that much :)
 
I wish that my sows were a little bigger. Connie never goes above 800g and Eliza is around the 900g mark. The problem is that when Connie has one of her infections, she always loses about 50g but it makes her look so skinny and you can feel her ribs :(
 
Small pigs, big pigs. Overweight, not very likely. Vedra reckons that pigs under 3lb are small pigs. Don't put him on a diet!
 
Oh goodness, my sows are 2lb 7oz (about 1,105g) and 2lb 3oz (about 992g)rolleyes
 
Most pigs average 2 and a half pounds, either just over or just under. Most of mine are around the 2lb 10oz mark. I do have two tinies, an adult who is barely 2lb; the other one is fairly young (6 mths) so has has the potential to reach 2 and a half pounds plus yet, but she is very petite in her features despite rapidly growing in size.

I have a couple bordering on 3lb, and one - Dexter - who comes in at 3lb 8oz. Vedra was pretty surprised to pick Dexter up, he was 3lb by the time he was 10 months old, but he is a very solid chunky, not a chubby chunky, so it feels like you are lifting a brick. :))
 
Sunshine is my biggest pig 2lb 12oz and Eccles for his age (2 in September) is only 2lb. He eats the same as the others but its just how he is. He was diddy when we got him but very long! Like a ferret...lol

He also keeps himself trim by popcorning wildly when Pudsey rumbles at him! :)

They are all different I wouldn't diet a pig at that size, not huge at all really. Just a good weight. And also you want some 'meat' on them if they become ill. :)
 
Ohhh he has plenty of it :)) hahaha
Alright seems like everyones pigs weigh less though:... they say theirs are 2lbs and Cookie's a pound and 4 ounces more:{ and he's SOOOO heavy, i can't hold him properly anymore...he's a short and stout piggie
 
I don't think he's overweight as such; as others have said, there are big pigs and smaller ones. My three were all big piggies, but healthy and fine - and to me Cookie looks good, shiny fur, a nice healthy boy.
 
My piggies are growing at an insane rate! Both of them are sows: Hazel is about 2 lbs and is just about 6 months old. Coconut is only 1.5 lbs and about 7-8 months old (this is a guess, her DOB is unknown).

Coconut has seemed to settle with this rate but Hazel just keeps growing! This is my first time owning piggies, someone mentioned "minnies". Could I have two different types of breeds?

n508132192_2169940_3272016.jpg


Coconut is the Black and White... Hazel the brown

http://photos-h.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v1979/74/78/508132192/n508132192_2169943_7848283.jpg
 
Wow I have so much to learn! AM I meant to be weighing my pigs weekly? WHat do you guys weigh them on? Normal scales or kitchen scales or something? One of my pigs is definately smaller than the rest but seems to eat the same. He is weirdly the most dominant one too.
 
about 2 of our piggies weight 3. something. I do not overfeed mine either and they get enough exercise, though some do not even want to have a run round when they go in the runs anyway.
 
I weigh mine weekly the first indications of illness are weighed loss usually 1-2oz is usual 3oz go on alert 4oz whizz to a vet for a check up.

I use digital scales and a large pot. :)
 
Just from my few years of experiencing piggies and friends piggies i've seen so many 'sizes' of them.......i'd never put a piggie on a diet, this is my opinion only cause i feel if ever they get sick at least they've got body weight to fall back on.
We had a friend who's piggies were HUGE but they were bigger when they got them, their latest piggie is a real tich x) don't forget too if he's a long piggie he'll naturally be a bit bigger i'd think?
I think it's like us humans some are bigger boned and some are not.
As long as your piggie eats healthily e.g. hay, pellets, a few veg and lots of water.......there's nothing wrong :) and if they've not been ill why change now? awwwwwww he's just one big loveable character x)x)
 
I agree with S&T - weigh weekly. You can catch illness and track weight gain/loss much easier by weighing weekly. You get a better idea of what is normal for that pig if you do have such frequent records.
 
Hi,

I've just been reading the thread & looking at the pictures of your handsome pig. I had a pig, Aragon, he had exactly the same love handles as your piggy! He also had a double chin, but when weighted he wasn't overweight. I decided that he was just like his 'mum' (me!) - he has extra padding where there shouldn't be any! He was fit, healthy & liked eating!

Michele
 
My Boys Weight

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some advice, I had my 2 piggys bought for me about 4 weeks ago. They came from a pet shop as babys so I guess they were around 8- 10 weeks old? They eat well etc they are just super.. They are very good with being picked up once they know whats going on one of them Reilly is definately more dominant than the other Nummies, he waits his turn at the food bowls and likes to follow Reilly around at play time. nose to tail. what I really want to know is if they are growing properly.. I assume that 8-10 weeks was the age they were sold at although I was not there so couldn't ask the question :( I cannot find anywhere that can tell me what there weight should be .. Only what weight at an adult age. can anyone help me.. I have read how important it is to weigh your piggys which I am doing but I have nothing to compare it too !

Thanks

A
 
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