Piggie needs to gain weight

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Abi_nurse

Abi_nurse

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I wish i had been on here more often, I'm trying to enjoy the sunshine after shifts and not getting a chance to get on here. I hope all are well.

Just a small question, any advice on putting weight on piggies. Little 'rescue' Nutmeg, who has neurological problems is not gaining at all. Although not losing either. She wont get above 520g. Just hovering around the 510-515g mark and going nowwhere. Ive given her unlimited pellets, unlimited hay (obviously), i feed her veg, but she seems a bit picky, but I'm keeping on at it, to try and get her to eat some. Ive also supplimented a little Alfalfa hay in her hay rack to try and boost her up, but nothings working. Its been a good 3 or so weeks with no weight gain whatsoever. And I'm stumped. I will be taking her to work to get her teeth double checked by the vet this week but i just dont really know what else to do. I might make her up some critical care/mash down some pellets to see if she will munch this, but i also dont want to make teeth worse if they are bad. Shes so bright and happy at the moment, hops around like the little retard she is (no offence - i love her to bits but she really isnt all there upstairs), and i say it in a loving way.

Any thoughts?

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x
 
Pixie was like this...
She was 350g for nearly a year... She had no underlying medical problems...

Readigrass is high in calories but as I'm sure you aware of the calcium problems...
Oats as suggested is always a good idea...
If I have a starved pig come in I tend to feed them barley rings aswell... As they are high in calories...
x
 
SNAP i thought oats too.

you can feed the pearl barley to piggies once it's been prepared for barley water. However the barley can stick to their toofies......

WISHING LITTLE NUTMEG LOTS OF EATING AND GAINING WEIGHT VIBES XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
You can give oats, bran, cut back on the veg, so she fills up on the body building dry food, especially the watery veg as it contains little in the way of calories. Sweetcorn is a fattening veg, flaked peas too, use a high fat/protein pellet (I like Excel).

It may be that she will always be light - Esther, my wibbly, wobbly neuro pig, was around the 500g mark all her life, fit as a fiddle but just dinky.

HTH

Suzy x
 
My Molly took a long time to grow (she's my funny shaped little girl). Just had a look and at 6 months she was 503g. Another year on and she has slowly made it to 948g. She definitely developed at a much slower weight to my other piggies.
 
I was going to say corn-on-the-cob if she'll eat it.
Maybe she's just meant to be a small piggy, like some humans are naturally small. Is there such a thing as dwarfism in cavies?
She's so adorable x)
 
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