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Sudden Weight Loss

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pumpkinpie

Hi. I have a female pig ho is approx. 4 1/2 years old. She lost her older companion in July and I introduced 3 new females 09/08/09. When I weighed them 15/08 she weighed 870gms. 31/08 she had gone up to 942! A neutered male was introduced 28/08. This weekend, 06/09 she had dropped to 927 and when I got her out today (08/09) she has dropped another 13gms and is down to 914. I have an appointment at the vets for 8:30am tomorrow but does anyone have any ideas as to possible causes? I would not be concerned given that she still weighs more now than she did in August, but I can actually feel the weight loss IYKWIM? She feels thinner than she used to. In herself she seems fine. Eating and drinking normally and moving around the hutch and run freely.

TIA

Sarah
 
Should also have said this piggy had her teeth checked just before the new pigs arrived and I was told they were fine. No sharp edges or overly long teeth.
 
Hi Sarah
I personally wouldn't be alarmed by her weight loss as the total loss is 28g/1oz. My piggies weights can fluctuate a 1-2oz loss in a 2wk period then they gain it back the following 2 wks & it's not unusual for older piggies to lose weight. However, if she continues to lose weight i'd be concerned :)
 
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I agree with Niki - I weigh all my piggies weekly & usually find one week they have lost weight only to put it on & gain the next week. I would just monitor the situation xx
 
Ditto to the above comments. My piggies weight can fluctuate by an ounce or so. If she seems fine otherwise and is still eating then I'm sure she will be ok..
 
If it gives you peace of mind then a vet check could be useful, but I do feel that, especially at four years old, the weight and condition of her will gradually start to decrease even though she is otherwise well. Keep an eye on her, make sure that she is still being allowed access to the food whenever she wants, and just keep tracking her weight routinely. :)
 
Only worry, if this trend keeps going on!

Make sure that she has proper access to food or gets fed away from the others, if necessary. However, if her poo is normal and not smaller than usual, I would not worry - with a new boy, her life has suddenly become a lot more active than it was before!
 
Just thought I would update you. Mouse saw the vet today and she has a mild infection in her eye. She has always had a watery eye and when the vet saw her previously she just thought it was due to hay dust/spores. It has never really bothered Mouse and we just bathe it with salt water if it gets bad. Anyway, when the vet washed Mouse's mouth out (full of grass!) to look at her teeth, all this milky white stuff came out of her eye. The vet now thinks Mouse may have a tooth root pressing on her tear duct. She has given us some antibiotic drops to treat the infection and a quote of £200 to have her in and hopefully fix the problem (GA, xrays, dental work, tear duct flush). Does this sound like a reasonable amount for this work? I trust my vet but if anyone else knows of a vet in Northumberland / Tyne and Wear where I could get a quote I would be interested to know.

Thanks

Sarah
 
The milky white stuff is perfectly normal; they naturally secrete this fluid when they are "washing their faces."

I would get a 2nd opinion esp. as the watery eye doesn't bother her & she's not lost condition nor her appetite :)
 
The vet said the liquid should be clear and not white? Now I am confused!:{
 
pumpkinpie said:
The vet said the liquid should be clear and not white? Now I am confused!:{
Click to expand...

I would think most ppl on here will have seen a milky white fluid at some point in the corner of the eye/eye rim of their piggy after the piggy has "cleaned itself" & i can assure you it is perfectly normal :)

This is an excerpt from Guinea Lynx

Eye Discharge
Normal Cavies excrete a milky white liquid which lubricates their eyes and is used to help them clean their faces. After the eye fills up with the white fluid, the cavy will then take their front paws and make washing motions. This may happen several times per day although you may never even notice. VC Richardson describes a "milky ocular discharge" as "a normal fluid which is released from the eye as part of the grooming process."
 
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To be honest, I would not get a second opinion and I would ignore the first opinion.
Tooth root pressing on the tear duct...........How interesting.
General anaesthetic, dental work. Please let us know what the vet intends to do as regards the dental work.
 
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