weekly weight change...how much is ok?

[biscandmatt]

the last two times i weighed chesney he was 1125g, but today he is 1150g. how much can the weight change from week to week without being anything to worry about? i know if he was losing weight that would be a concern but he has only put on 25g. maisie is the same weight as last week.

also, does this weight seem ok for chesney? he is a chunky piggy. he's 2years approx.

maisie is 1025g. is this an ok weight? she is about 8 months.

 

[Laura-CCC4]

Some weight fluctuation is normal. A weight gain or loss of 1-2oz (28 - 56g) is usually perfectly normal. A loss of 3oz (85g) or more can be considered a concern.

One point to remember is to weigh them at the same time each week e.g. around 10am on a Saturday before giving them veggies. Some fluctuations are just down to their recent food intake!

 

[alcesterpigs]

Whilst a slight weekly variation is normal/acceptable, you are looking for the trend in the weekly weigh-in session. A loss of 30gm/1ounce every week for 3 weeks is a clear indicator of potential problems, or indeed a weight loss of 60gm/2ounces in one week warrants further investigation.

 

[MemberX]

I go by the rule of 1-2oz being ok 3oz go on alert 4oz get a check up with a vet. I don't worry about any kind of weight gain. I had Lyra who gained 125g in a week! But then steadily mantained that weight for a while! She was recovering from mites though.

 

[biscandmatt]

that's interesting, because ches and maisie have had mites and their weight is increasing now they have cleared up.

ches was 1125g the first few weeks, then he went up to 1150g, and now he has gone up to 1250g in two weeks!

maisie has gone from 1025g to 1100g in the same time.

i have been giving them more veg than i did at the start, unlimited hay and pellets, but it can only be the pellets that's put all the weight on can't it?

should i be concerned or not? because they have recently both had mites. should i cut down the pellets?

 

[alcesterpigs]

No. When they have reached their "proper" weight the weight will level off.

 

[biscandmatt]

i'm wondering when chesney's weight is going to level off, as he went from 1250g and is now 1262g! not as much of a gain as previous weeks but still a gain! he's a podge! x)

 

[Wiebke]

He's a perfectly good weight for a boy; so don't worry.

Most people, as well as piggies, don't put up weight nicely bit by bit, they have growth spurts. It comes in jumps and starts. He'll settle when he has reached his ideal weight! Same goes after an illness.

My boar is a similar weight to yours, and he manages to look downright pudgy around his hips! He is, however, an active and happy guinea pig, and has been steady for over a year of adulthood, so there's nothing wrong with him.

Maisie looks like she's going to be a big girl; guinea pigs usually reach their adult size at about 15 months, so she still has some growing to do. Girls can be up to 1400g, or i some cases even more. Worry only if she feels VERY flabby and not firm when you hold her (compared to her mate).

 

[biscandmatt]

thanks.

looks like i have two 'chunkies' then!

maisie is still 1100g but chesney has gone up again to 1275g now!

i think maisie will get even bigger. i'm quite glad as i thought she looked quite long and thin when she arrived, and she definitely looks better with some extra weight on her.

 

[biscandmatt]

hmmm... well chesney is now 1325g! he isn't stopping! he is quite lazy though, although he does popcorn quite alot.

maisie is up to 1125g now.

ches is so podgy, especially round his bum and hips!

 

[Wiebke]

As long as guinea pigs have enough room to move around and "exercise", they are rarely overweight, but some manage to look massive!

 

[biscandmatt]

he definitely looks massive! i love chunky pigs though! x)

 

[biscandmatt]

hmmmmmmm..... went to the vets with ches and maisie and she said that chesney does need to lose some weight. he is 1400g now but she said that would be ok, if he wasn't such a small pig. he is small framed and not very long. so she thinks he needs his dry food cutting down a little bit, and more exercise if possible.

he's quite lazy though. he popcorns but doesn't really run. maisie sprints round!

he was approx 2 years old when we got him and his weight then was 1025g, which should have been his adult weight at that age shouldn't it?

i'm moving their floor time to the bedroom as they can have a really big space to hop round then, although he doesn't tend to run around that much. but worth a try.

they can't stay in the bedroom all the time though as they wouldn't have that much interaction then. want them in the lounge with the rest of us! but i can take them up there for their floor time, and then back down for the rest of the time. should be good and i think they will love having the extra space.

bit upset about ches being too fat though. feel like i've let him down a bit. but at least i know now.

 

[alcesterpigs]

They should be fully grown at about 12 months. However, if they have not been given enough to eat previously, then the weight will increase, at whatever age, once they are given a sufficient quantity of food.
1400gm is not heavy for a boar of his age.

 

[Glynis]

From past experience i'd never put a piggie on a diet.......this is only my opinion tho.
If he's eating hay, pellets and veggies and drinking and looks happy.......i'd let Ches be himself, perhaps he's just going to be a chunky piggy x)x)x)

Every piggie is different with our boys Sully was the one who sat around and didn't do much chasing, Duke was the one who ran around like crazy, Sully was the biggest by a bit more than 100g.
With my girls Velvet is happy to walk around and play but Onyx popcorns all the time, that does set off Velvet tho........
so you see they're all different, so don't worry love

 

[biscandmatt]

is it not heavy even though he is only small?

he shared a cage with his two brothers so i guess there was three of them eating the food, and he was the one that got shoved about and then eventually bullied badly, so maybe he wasn't getting his fair share?

and then he lived alone here for the first month because he had been neutered at the rescue so he didn't have to compete for food.

he seems to have the weight mainly on his hips though, not his stomach really.

i don't want to diet him as such, i thought maybe the best thing to do would just be to try and increase his exercise by giving them a larger space and then maisie will sprint round more, and this usually encourages him aswell. more exercise can only be a good thing anyway.

does this sound ok?

now they have their cage which is 5ft x 2ft 4, but they get floor time and the space they have is quite a bit bigger than the cage.

 

[biscandmatt]

forgot to say - yes, he is a fantastic hay eater, and loves all veg he has tried! and eats pellets aswell, not loads though really. he runs round if maisie does, but mainly he just likes to chill out in his hay, his favourite thing ever is burrowing in the hay! x)

 

[Glynis]

Yes encourage him to run around a bit more........perhaps you could also hide some of his dinner in the cage? that way he has to move around to hunt it out
Honestly love i just wouldn't diet a piggie, they're best off having a little bit of extra weight on cause if they get sick they can drop it off so quickly, and it's mighty hard trying to get it back on again!

Don't worry he sounds healthy i'd not worry about him at all, bless him i love it when they burrow under their hay or blankies and snoooooze away x)

 

[biscandmatt]

Yes encourage him to run around a bit more........perhaps you could also hide some of his dinner in the cage? that way he has to move around to hunt it out
Honestly love i just wouldn't diet a piggie, they're best off having a little bit of extra weight on cause if they get sick they can drop it off so quickly, and it's mighty hard trying to get it back on again!

Don't worry he sounds healthy i'd not worry about him at all, bless him i love it when they burrow under their hay or blankies and snoooooze away x)

i do this with some herbs at night, scatter them around and they love hunting them out! they get really excited. x)

he really loves his hay! x)

i don't feel comfortable limiting their food really. especially because he might just eat it anyway and leave maisie less.

i think more exercise is the way to go. and they both are really happy pigs. x)

 

[Glynis]

Go and look in the food section, you'll see a great thread by Laura (CCC4) she describes the foods and their nutritional value.........i find this helps for keeping a variety of veggies for the girls

Do they like to play piggie train? x) it's so cute when they follow each other around nose to butt |)

 

[biscandmatt]

Go and look in the food section, you'll see a great thread by Laura (CCC4) she describes the foods and their nutritional value.........i find this helps for keeping a variety of veggies for the girls

Do they like to play piggie train? x) it's so cute when they follow each other around nose to butt |)

yeh, maisie follows ches around, then pretends not to like him when he tries to romance her!

laura did me a plan specially for ches and maisie and it's great. i have it stuck to the kitchen cupboard! (i harrass laura all the time with questions! )

i'm lucky that they will eat anything so i've been able to give a nice variety.

 

[biscandmatt]

right, i know i keep going on about chesneys weight, but he has gone even bigger lately and i really think he is too fat. i've put some pics of him when he arrived and the few weeks after, and then some from the last few days. tell me what you think.

when he arrived, at 1025g

weeks later, getting bigger

and now, at 1462g

these last two pics shock me, i think he looks massive because he is so short. i don't want him to have any health problems. he is quite lazy, he just doesn't want to run around alot, even in a big space.

 

[biscandmatt]

just been reading on the forum that they should have approx 50g pellets per pig per day, and the same with veg. i've weighed the pellets before and they never even eat 50g between both of them a day.

i just made a plate of veg, like i would give them at tea time, and it weighed just under 125g. and this is just tea time. they also have one small piece of veg when i get up and i feed little bits, really tiny bits, throughout the day. :red so this is probably why they are chunky. because it adds up to alot of extra food for the week, month etc.

at least i know now and can weight everything before.

i wanted to ask actually, if when i get up i prepare and weight all the veg they are allowed for the day, and then put it in the fridge for tea time later, will that be ok? i usually cut it all up at tea time.

thanks

 

[Laura-CCC4]

I do that, in fact I just made up dinner for my 12 at 7am and they won't get it until 7pm! It lasts fine, although the half hour I leave it at room temperature before feeding the herbs do wilt a little. The pigs don't care though, and it keeps fresh in the fridge.

I can see why you are concerned about Chesney's weight; he doesn't look obese, maybe a bit podgy. I know a lot of people will say they'd rather have chubby piggie than an underweight one, as it can be so hard to encourage weight gain after illness, so the heavier they are before the less worrying it is when they lose a bit of weight! My Dexter is my heaviest, at 1520g, although he had reached 1300g by the time he was 9 months old, so he is naturally large.

Forgive me if I have missed any points you have mentioned, I have only skimmed through the thread, but could you let me know:

- What dry food they are on;
- How much floor/exercise time they are given;
- How old Chesney is;
- How much weight he is gaining each week.

Is Maisie holding her weight okay, not losing any or stopped growing a little earlier than might be expected?

 

[biscandmatt]

I do that, in fact I just made up dinner for my 12 at 7am and they won't get it until 7pm! It lasts fine, although the half hour I leave it at room temperature before feeding the herbs do wilt a little. The pigs don't care though, and it keeps fresh in the fridge.

I can see why you are concerned about Chesney's weight; he doesn't look obese, maybe a bit podgy. I know a lot of people will say they'd rather have chubby piggie than an underweight one, as it can be so hard to encourage weight gain after illness, so the heavier they are before the less worrying it is when they lose a bit of weight! My Dexter is my heaviest, at 1520g, although he had reached 1300g by the time he was 9 months old, so he is naturally large.

Forgive me if I have missed any points you have mentioned, I have only skimmed through the thread, but could you let me know:

- What dry food they are on;
- How much floor/exercise time they are given;
- How old Chesney is;
- How much weight he is gaining each week.

Is Maisie holding her weight okay, not losing any or stopped growing a little earlier than might be expected?

hiya,

his previous owners said he has always been a very small pig.

they both have supa excel pellets, they don't eat loads of them, probably not even anywhere near 50g between them. i put about this in once a day and they are never fnished off 24hours later.

they have the trixie 150 cage which is approx 5ft x 2ft 1 ish. they also have floor time, a few hours usually (summer this was outside in the run and other times it is indoors in a big space) i have to say though, i know i wasn't giving them enough exercise, as i posted on here and people said they didn't need an extra run with that size cage, but i still put them in a larger space anyway a few times a week for a change of scene. now i have started to do this every day if possible for a few hours, although ches doesn't run around that much anyway! maisie does though!

chesney was a rescue, they said he was approx 2 years old so will be 2 and a half, maybe a bit more now. this is why i am sure i am doing something wrong because he has always been small apparantly, when he arrived here he was 1025g, but he had moved home twice and then been neutered and the stress may have made him slim down a bit. he also lived with two brothers, who then bullied him, then he was tried with two other boars who also bullied him. so he might have lost weight through stress so may not have always been 1025g.

he gained weight quite slowly at the start, then had like a growth spurt and then just gradually put on some. he lost 13g the other week though after more exercise. i carried on with the extra exercise the next week, weighed them at the same time, and he had put it all on again.

maisie was about 10 months when we got her so will be about 16 months now. she has gradually put on weight since she arrived, apart from when she had mites. she has actually lost 25g in the last week, but i think that is because of the extra exercise. she sprints round and is quite an active pig. big for a girl i think, at 1225g, but quite long and looks fine. she is always on the move though!

i think i over feed veg if anything. as i mentioned, i made some up last night and weighed it and it was 125g and then they get a piece in the morning and a few little bits throughout the day, which i shouldn't really do.

the vet nurse i saw when they went said he is over weight and i should cut down the dry food a little bit. but they don't even eat alot of that anyway. she said for a 'normal' boar, he would be an ok weight, but he is a small pig, and very short so he is a bit on the heavy side.

as i have said though, i have just started increasing the exercise time and trying to get the food amounts right.

i am still learning, but i feel really guilty because i have obviously got it wrong.

 

[biscandmatt]

just put them in the run for some exercise and time out of the cage. i've pushed the settee out of the way to make it even bigger (bf at work so won't moan about having no-where to sit )

means they can have a nice long day in the run, and so far they are ecstatic! even ches is popcorning and running round! x)

 

[Laura-CCC4]

Great to hear, I am sure they will love having a whole day to run and play!

I think maybe a switch in pellets could be tried - if you can afford it, see if they will take to Oxbow Cavy Cuisine. It's based on hay, unlike Supa Excel, and I found my pigs ate far less of the Oxbow than any other pellet; presumably it was a bit more filling so they didn't need to eat much of it.

I do wonder if perhaps Ches was undernourished/underweight when you first got him, due to his past. Perhaps he didn't reach his full size when he was younger due to a poor diet and he's catching up now his diet is good and healthy...?

Maybe he is naturally a small pig, but even dainty pigs tend to stop gaining weight at 10-12 months or so. Veggies don't normally cause weight gain, although sweetcorn/babycorn can be quite fattening. Splitting the 125g of veggies up into two meals, and not feeding anything in between, might be a good next step. The best trick I found for encouraging a slightly overweight pig to tone up, is to spread the veggies entirely around the floor during floor time. They have to move about in order find their food...it worked a treat with Dexter when he started to tip the scales at nearly 1600g.

Maisie sounds just great, she sounds a lot like my Meghan who is also 1225g!

It is slightly puzzling as there are no clear reasons for Chesney's continued weight gain: his dry food is limited already (which is good), he gets some good hay and a nice varied fresh veggie diet, and he's getting plenty of opportunities for exercise.

As far as I can see, you are in no way at fault here and you have no reason whatsoever to feel guilty. You have dealt with the most common reasons of excess weight gain, which is more than many would even think to ask about. Chesney and Maisie live a privileged life, they are lucky to have found such a devoted, loving home and human! Please don't feel bad. *hugs*

 

[biscandmatt]

Great to hear, I am sure they will love having a whole day to run and play!

I think maybe a switch in pellets could be tried - if you can afford it, see if they will take to Oxbow Cavy Cuisine. It's based on hay, unlike Supa Excel, and I found my pigs ate far less of the Oxbow than any other pellet; presumably it was a bit more filling so they didn't need to eat much of it.

I do wonder if perhaps Ches was undernourished/underweight when you first got him, due to his past. Perhaps he didn't reach his full size when he was younger due to a poor diet and he's catching up now his diet is good and healthy...?

Maybe he is naturally a small pig, but even dainty pigs tend to stop gaining weight at 10-12 months or so. Veggies don't normally cause weight gain, although sweetcorn/babycorn can be quite fattening. Splitting the 125g of veggies up into two meals, and not feeding anything in between, might be a good next step. The best trick I found for encouraging a slightly overweight pig to tone up, is to spread the veggies entirely around the floor during floor time. They have to move about in order find their food...it worked a treat with Dexter when he started to tip the scales at nearly 1600g.

Maisie sounds just great, she sounds a lot like my Meghan who is also 1225g!

It is slightly puzzling as there are no clear reasons for Chesney's continued weight gain: his dry food is limited already (which is good), he gets some good hay and a nice varied fresh veggie diet, and he's getting plenty of opportunities for exercise.

As far as I can see, you are in no way at fault here and you have no reason whatsoever to feel guilty. You have dealt with the most common reasons of excess weight gain, which is more than many would even think to ask about. Chesney and Maisie live a privileged life, they are lucky to have found such a devoted, loving home and human! Please don't feel bad. *hugs*

aww, thank you. i am doing my best. can only keep asking and learning i guess.

i think i will make sure they go into the run everyday now for at least a good few hours and when they do i can give them their first lot of veggies for the day, and spread them around the run for them to find.

i have actually been thinking about the pellets because i am not a fan of excel really. my rabbits are on it aswell and i was thinking of taking them off it aswell. might try the oxbow cavy cuisine. i know alot of people use it and i think it is worth paying more for a better quality pellet.

yeh, i think maybe ches might have lost some weight with the stress of being unsettled maybe. so maybe isn't meant to be as low as 1025g, but also definitely not as high as he is now!

as i'm typing this he is popcorning and running round loads! they're so excited! bless them!

if i try all these things gradually he should slim down a bit. more exercise can never be a bad thing anyway!

thank you for your help again and i will let you know how he gets on toning those hips of his! x

 

[alcesterpigs]

Best advice I can think of is to give them a mixed diet and don't get too bothered about the quantity, you will soon tell how much they need and what they like.
This thread is becoming like the health section of a newspaper!!

 

[alcesterpigs]

Little pigs, big pigs, thin pigs. The time to be concerned is when they lose weight.