Weight Loss Older Pig

[hoofeneo]

Originally I had 2 male guinea pigs (Patchie and Brownie) who were at least 3-4 years old. Brownie suddenly died in November at the vets where it was thought something had ruptured internally, leaving Patchie on his own.

I now have a new pigmate for Patchie named Sparky who is approximately 1-1.5 years old.

There is a marked difference in muscle mass between Patchie and Sparky with Patchie being bonier over the hips and when taken to the vets, it was mentioned that Patchie only had slight inflammation on one front leg from arthritis so he didnt need any Metacam at the moment. Apart from that Simon thought Patchie was fine.

He still eats fine and runs around occasionally with Sparky although he obviously sleeps a lot more. He also seems to be at the water bottle more than Sparky but not sure whether he drinks more or just plays with the bottle.

Do I need to be worried that Patchie has gradually been losing weight ie. 1.23kg on the 16th Dec to 1.16kg yesterday. Before Brownie died, Patchie was about 1.3kg.

 

[lauralucy]

I have found that as the piggies get older they do tend to lose weight.

Phoebe when she was 2/3 was almost 1200g she now weighs 890g and is 6 she still eats a lot so I'm not worried.

if he has increased his drinking and is nt just playing with the bottle that may be a cause for concern. i have found with mine as they are indoors and the heating is on that they are drinking more, but i'd rather they were warm and drinking more then cold and drinking less.

 

[Wiebke]

A gradual weight loss in older guinea pigs is normal; they become bonier, especially around the hip bones and spine. Patch is still a good overall weight.

I would however recommend that you give pellets and veg in smaller portions that can be eaten in one 2-3 times a day in a bowl each that is spaced at least a body length away, to prevent food hogging. If you are really worried, you can offer Patch mushed up pellets by spoon once daily. If he is not getting enough food, he will go on eating past the excitement of the first time or two. Otherwise he is going to lose interest pretty quickly.

 

[hoofeneo]

Ok. Have tried the pellet spoon trick and he didnt really seem interested which is good.
The weighings this week have been consistent so maybe it is just the cold.

 

[Freela]

I do find that my pigs got bonier and lighter through the hip and shoulders after age 5 or so and definitely looked and felt like older pigs. This is down to loss of muscle mass with age and can be a normal part of aging. If you're concerned I would keep an eye on his weight weekly, though. Weight loss due to aging should stabilize and reach a new normal level and then hold around there. If weight loss in continually trending downward, I would see a vet to try and see if there is a secondary reason other than just age.