Plz Help - Underweight And Off Pellets

[Foamy963]

we have 5 guinea pigs . We are concerned rusty the brown and white one is alittle under weight and lately have had little appitite for the pellets but loves the hay . Darien the other one is 2 pounds 12 oz and he to has had little appitite for the pellets but loves hay should i be concerned

 

[Wiebke]

we have 5 guinea pigs . We are concerned rusty the brown and white one is alittle under weight and lately have had little appitite for the pellets but loves the hay . Darien the other one is 2 pounds 12 oz and he to has had little appitite for the pellets but loves hay should i be concerned

Hi and welcome

Guinea pigs can go off their pellets; you can try to mix in another brand and see whether that catches their interest. if not then I would start looking for medical reasons if it is connected with a weight loss, especially dental or pain issues.

Please switch from weighing weekly to weighing daily at the same time in the feeding cycle (i.e before their dinner or breakfast) with any guinea pig you are worried about. Please make a vet appointment if the weight loss exceeds 50g (2 oz) and see a vet promptly if the weight loss is 100g or more (3 oz).

Start offering syringe feed and water promptly to support your guinea pig until and during any medical treatment if there is a major loss of appetite/weight.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Recommended vets in Guinea Lynx Records :: Topic - Veterinarians: Pennsylvania

We would like to ask you to please use grams on this forum, as we have members from all over the world. US metric pounds and UK imperial pounds are not the same. The difference especially in the guinea pig weight range can lead to confusion and wrong advice being given.

 

[Foamy963]

Ty so very much for the advice .

 

[EmilyK]

pellets aren't a essential piece in a guinea pig's diet, as they wouldnt be having that in the wild instead different forage and flowers. it's completely fine if they don't eat it or if pellets aren't in their diet. some pellets are actually really bad for pigs as they can absorb up the water inside the pig and just 1tbs of all pellet brands reduce your pigs intake by upto 30%! hay is essential, i would worry if they went off hay bc hay makes up 75-80% of a pig's diet. they should be eating 10% of the body weight in veg DAILY. dnt give too many greens tho because it can cause bloat.
to test and make sure your pellets are ok for your guinea pig, you can boil a tbs or so of water and put it in a bowl. get 1/8 cup of your pig's pellets and put that into the water, if the pellets absorb the water they are not good for your pigs. if they break down then they are fine.
Hope This Helped!

 

[EmilyK]

Hi and welcome

Guinea pigs can go off their pellets; you can try to mix in another brand and see whether that catches their interest. if not then I would start looking for medical reasons if it is connected with a weight loss, especially dental or pain issues.

Please switch from weighing weekly to weighing daily at the same time in the feeding cycle (i.e before their dinner or breakfast) with any guinea pig you are worried about. Please make a vet appointment if the weight loss exceeds 50g (2 oz) and see a vet promptly if the weight loss is 100g or more (3 oz).

Start offering syringe feed and water promptly to support your guinea pig until and during any medical treatment if there is a major loss of appetite/weight.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Recommended vets in Guinea Lynx Records :: Topic - Veterinarians: Pennsylvania

We would like to ask you to please use grams on this forum, as we have members from all over the world. US metric pounds and UK imperial pounds are not the same. The difference especially in the guinea pig weight range can lead to confusion and wrong advice being given.

hi, guinea pigs actually do not need pellets in their diet, so it's fine. for more info go check out Pets Palace TV - Wix Website

 

[Foamy963]

Ty for the website they are doing much better all at full weight we have been working around the clock to do so including kids

 

[VickiA]

@EmilyK welcome to the forum. Thank you for the link to the website you have referred to. This is a website created by an individual who hosts YouTube channels. Her qualifications are not stated.

There are a vast number of materials available on the internet, not all of which are reliable sources of information. There are numerous sites with conflicting information on the very same issues. This can make it very difficult for new or inexperienced guinea pig keepers to find the best advice and information.
It is unclear where the research on the website you refer to has been conducted, in what circumstances and whether it or its findings are verified or veterinary approved. Obviously you and all members are free to consult any website you may wish, but please be aware that the content of any site may not be accurate.

Here on the forum the advice and guidance we provide is based upon best practice and our experience of many years of keeping guinea pigs. This forum has specialist Health and Illness Advisors who are recognised for their particular experience in providing advice and information specific to guinea pigs. We have a wealth of specific resources which have been thoroughly researched and approved before being put onto the forum. Where appropriate we refer to recognised websites with materials that have been fully researched and that are considered to be authoritative. Please could we ask that you allow advice and guidance to be provided by our Health and Illness advisors without contradiction. Thank you.

 

[Red Star]

*late* My eldest piggy Agent Nibbles did the same thing, lost some weight and stopped eating his pellets for several days. Changing the brand of pellets did the trick--now he's obsessed with pellets, and almost doesn't eat enough hay, haha.. Hopefully you found a solution already, I know I'm a week or two late!