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overweight piggy?

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Spishkey

Spishkey

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i took in two boars this morning, sadly the owner was no longer allowed to keep animals in her rented home (she'd had them for over 3 years, then her landlord decides its no longer allowed! she was heartbroken)
they must be the most loved piggies ive seen, her car was FULL of their belongings (toys, treats, numerous large cages so they can 'have a change' now and then!
they are called bob and bruno, very sweet things, but Bob is huge....i mean really fat (he has numerous 'spare tyres' and his belly drags a bot when he walks)
so...i would like to get Bob a bit slimmer, at least so he can move a bit easier (and for his healths sake!)
any advice on putting a piggy on a diet??
 
He sounds REALLY overweight!

Cut out any pellets from their diet and scatter or hang the veg so that they have to move around to get to it! Don't give any starchy veg like sweetcorn.

Best of luck - it won't be a quick process.
 
just weighed him (had to use my scales as he wouldnt fit on the kitchen ones) he is just shy of 2 kgs
what is a normal piggys weight? 2kgs seems an awful lot?

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2 kg he sounds like a gaint!
I didnt think guins over ate perhaps he has other problems
are you sure 2 kg?

what breed is he?
venice
 
no idea what breed..but i can just hold him with two hands, he's more like a large rabbit than a guinea pig, shall get someone to hold him while i take a pic after, so you can see him size wise compared to a person! the scales said 2kg but with it being a scale for measuring weight i think its +/- a hundred grams, not totally accurate but it means hes either 1.8/1.9kg or 2.1/2.2kg!
 
Overweight guinea pigs are rare, but they can happen when somebody constantly overfeeds piggies and regularly gives them things like oats/oatbran and other starchy food.

Yours looks to be one of those cases. 1800g is usually considered to be the top end of normal weight in piggies - and even that is rarely reached!
 
is it possible it could happen with too many treats? she'd been giving them a pack per day between them of treat type things.......! (now has enough piggy treats to last her 14 piggys many years!)
 
they are called (roughly translated) fruity treats, they look like those bars you can get in pets at home (2 in a pack), theres also choco drops(choclate for pets?? they be going in the bin!) packs of dried raisins, some sort of dried herb things?
 
No wonder is he overweight - many treats have all the bad things that are not good for piggies! I.e. honey/sugar/yoghurt (for sugars); proteins and starch.

I think that you may find that he will lose weight just by not giving him those treats!
 
The fruity treat bar things probably has seeds on? That's very likely to be what has fattened him up so much! Choco drops are also no good, as you said. 2kg really is quite a weight bless him, I thought my Dexter was heavy at 1500g. :))

Natural raisins are ok for pigs but only as a once in a while treat, and only a few at a time. Dried herbs are usually one of the better choices of treat for guineas.
 
thanks for all the advice so far! so the herby treats are for keeps and the rest...hide!
poor thing, you cant even see his feet, they are under there somewhere! i had a suspicion that perhaps it was a pregnant sow but he wont let me touch his 'bits' to check? he squealed a sound ive never heard a piggy do before and thrashed around like crazy..i think he's sore down there but how do i keep him calm to look properely? my arm looks like i was attacked by a tiger with the scratch marks!
 
Spishkey said:
thanks for all the advice so far! so the herby treats are for keeps and the rest...hide!
poor thing, you cant even see his feet, they are under there somewhere! i had a suspicion that perhaps it was a pregnant sow but he wont let me touch his 'bits' to check? he squealed a sound ive never heard a piggy do before and thrashed around like crazy..i think he's sore down there but how do i keep him calm to look properely? my arm looks like i was attacked by a tiger with the scratch marks!
Click to expand...

He is a big boy! I wonder if he has some soreness from urine perhaps as he is dragging his body on the ground! Maybe try to wrap him in a towel to calm him so you can have a look.
 
or put in him a sock ??

never done it just a suggestion that the tube of the sock will hold he tight

venice

another thought whats his water intake like
if its lots could he be diabetic?
 
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