Pig losing weight but still eating like a horse

[BandoRoberts]

My female guinea pig luna at 2 years old is starting to lose a bit of weight and I don't know if I should be concerned. Her and her sister honey at 7 months old are eating well however luna has gone from 1048g down to 1010g in a week and honey has stayed the same. I know its big for a girl and she could do with some weight loss but we haven't tried controlling her food and she's losing weight anyways. No recent changes to her diet, no new cage mates, she's still top pig and she dominates the hay tray. What do?

 

[Wiebke]

My female guinea pig luna at 2 years old is starting to lose a bit of weight and I don't know if I should be concerned. Her and her sister honey at 7 months old are eating well however luna has gone from 1048g down to 1010g in a week and honey has stayed the same. I know its big for a girl and she could do with some weight loss but we haven't tried controlling her food and she's losing weight anyways. No recent changes to her diet, no new cage mates, she's still top pig and she dominates the hay tray. What do?

Hi and welcome

For the time being, keep an eye on her. See a vet if the weight drops below noticeably below a kilo. We don't talk of weight loss below 50g as the difference between a full and empty belly is about 30-40g.

1000g is very good adult weight I always get compliments from my piggy savvy vets for, so nothing to worry about that.

Please read our updated weight monitoring and management guide. It tells you how to check the weight by scales and by checking for the 'heft', the individual size/weight ratio as the weight range in guinea pigs is so wide at any age. You may find the information helpful.
Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[JandfpiggiesUK]

I recently had this problem. My guinea pig Jaffa would only eat a small amount of vegetables and would eat loads of hay. He lost about 60g within a few days. I took him to the vet and they said he was fine. I'd definitely recommend booking a vet visit if you're worried. Its the best way of putting your mind at rest even if there isn't a problem x

 

[Wiebke]

I recently had this problem. My guinea pig Jaffa would only eat a small amount of vegetables and would eat loads of hay. He lost about 60g within a few days. I took him to the vet and they said he was fine. I'd definitely recommend booking a vet visit if you're worried. Its the best way of putting your mind at rest even if there isn't a problem x

Guinea pigs that eat a higher percentage of hay (which should be over 80% of the daily food intake) are losing a bit of weight, which is actually good as it is fat from too much rich veg.
My current piggies are lighter than those a decade ago, but because they haven't got any overweight they generally live a year or two longer compared with the previous generation. I have more piggies now that reach the higher end of the average life span of 5-7 years (or even go beyond) than the generation that got more pellets and veg and mostly died age 5.
Diet can really make a big difference! I also don't have any bladder stone problems anymore.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets