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Under Weight Piggy

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Netsasjack

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ive just adopted a a male on Sunday and he is under weight and very boney he was neutered last Thursday and the lady I got him from said he lost weight after the op is there anyway of helping him gain weight
 
Aw, bless him, xx. Weigh him every couple of days. I would suggest upping his portion of pellets for a little while. Fresh corn on the cob is quite fattening, but is quite high in sugar so don't overdo it! If his weight shows no improvement then a trip back to the vet is best. Plenty of good quality hay round the clock too, of course. Do hope he starts to pick up soon. If his appetite is good that is half the battle.
 
Please have him checked to make sure that he hasn't got any infection or abscess and that he is not in pain (a huge appetite killer) as you should promptly with any guinea pig that is not eating properly and losing more than 50g weight in a short time after an operation.
Here is our piggy savvy vet locator: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/
http://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html

Weigh him daily at the same time in the feeding cycle and please start topping him up with hand feed ASAP. Your care can really make all the difference! it can be very deceptive seeing a guinea pig nibble or chew on crud. It is most important that you keep the guts going. The more fibre you can get into him the better. Also make sure that he is hydrated.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/

As this comes under post-operation complications, I am moving your thread to our health & illness section.
 
Thanks for your help he's eating well now the pellets I was given as change over he was throwing around the cage and just eating what I'd mixed in so I've just given him them today along with extra kale carrot and apple, he really likes ready grass aswell so he's had extra of that too . He loves cuddling so I get to check he's healing well I was just worried i will start weighing him and if he loses any more weight I'll take him straight to my vet
 
Thanks for your help he's eating well now the pellets I was given as change over he was throwing around the cage and just eating what I'd mixed in so I've just given him them today along with extra kale carrot and apple, he really likes ready grass aswell so he's had extra of that too . He loves cuddling so I get to check he's healing well I was just worried i will start weighing him and if he loses any more weight I'll take him straight to my vet

Thank you for clarifying that he is eating.

Here is our guide for a good, balanced diet: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/

Please keep a close eye on your boy's bits. Abscesses and infections can happen up to half a year after the operation. Check him regularly for any swelling in the groin area and also see a vet asap if he suddenly loses his appetite/weight and/or looks lethargic/uninterested. It can take some weeks after a neutering operation to put on weight fully. The operation scars take about 10-14 days to knit together; until then I would recommend to weigh daily. I would strongly recommend that you always have got stuff for hand feeding, probiotics etc. at home as emergencies usually happen at the most inconvenient of times.

You will also have to wait a full 6 weeks before he is 100% safe to go with any girls. I have the unplanned daughter of a supposedly safe over five weeks post-op boar living with me, just to make that particular point. I have since heard of more cases that have happened as late as that, so my Tegan is not quite a one-off. There is a crucial difference between mostly safe and totally safe that many vets seem to be unaware of! I have yet to hear of a post 6 weeks pregnancy despite most good standard rescues now practicing a 6 weeks post-op wait. :(
 
He's in a cage at the side of the girls so when they started weeking for food today he joined in aswell which is good, thanks again for the help .
 
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