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Weight Loss Reassurance / Guidance

Guineapigfeet

Guineapigfeet

Adult Guinea Pig
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BB has lost weight. Not a huge huge amount but it's made me feel a bit wobbly. Today she weighs 907g. Last week she weighed 920g. Before that I didn't weigh for three weeks for various reasons and she was 950g on the previous last weigh in. The week before that and for several months previously she has been around about 930g.

Should I be worried or is the 950 likely to be an anomaly!

Both of the others are stable. The only thing I can think of is that I've been trying to cut down pellets as I normally free feed them. Could she just be loosing weight as she normal eats too many pellets?

She is currently out on the lawn scoffing! No change in her behaviour, input or output!
 
A good 30g could be the difference of a full or empty bladder. It has been known for a pig to have a 50g change in weight during a day.

I really wouldn't worry at the moment. When you weigh her try to do it in the same place, at the same time of day. That should limit a full or empty stomach.

Keep an eye on her weight and if she continues to drop it'd be worth a vet visit.
 
I agree , a good wee and poo could acount for 30 g
Just keep an eye to her and if she continues to loose weight see your vet
 
If you are concerned start weighing more regularly and make sure you are in the same point of the feeding cycle (either right before or right after feeding). Mine get weighed weekly after their cage clean and while I'm cleaning they free roam the kitchen and have their veggies scattered so I know mine are always post feeding
 
Yes, I always weigh at the same time each week and that 'stage' would be just after I get in work work during the week.
Weighing more regularly is a balance between keeping track of her and not worrying myself to illness at every tiny movement!
 
Guineapigfeet said:
Yes, I always weigh at the same time each week and that 'stage' would be just after I get in work work during the week.
Weighing more regularly is a balance between keeping track of her and not worrying myself to illness at every tiny movement!
Click to expand...

Yes you can go overboard with these things. I have added an extra mid week weigh in for a piggy before when I've been worried something might be wrong but mostly because I tend to weigh on a Sunday so if I think a vets visit might be needed a Weds or Thurs weigh in gives me a couple of days to get an appointment without waiting for the following week
 
decided to weigh each evening when I get home from work to fit in with normal weekend weighing of weighing several hours after the last veg feed.

Monday - 911g. No loss - Happy me.
 
How old is she because my older ones seem to be losing weight too?
 
also one of my piggie, the one who eats like a wolf, sometimes has a lower weight, for example today is 30g less than last week. But this is not her first time... I don't know the reason, because her diet is always the same and she eats even more than her "sister". I suspect it is linked with the pellets, especially if they contain cereals which have a "sponge" action and absorb water when they are into the gut. The same happens to us humans; when I cut off all the cereals (for healthy reasons) I lost two sizes in few days and I started worrying a lot because I am even a cancer survivor and my doctor sent me immediately to have some scan.
I know that a diet cereal free changes the weight at the beginning; then the weight stabilises. Of course I cannot be sure, but your piggie would start showing some bad signal now. Read the label of the pellets: if there are flours, molassas, cereals, gluten, also in minimal amount that is the reason. (my piggies last week were fed by my daughter who gave them lots of pellets)
 
No (significant) loss this evening either - 905g would still rather see it go the other way!
 
919g today :-) they got a big pile of grass after, that I'd loving cut from my sopping wet lawn, in the pissing rain!
 
Guineapigfeet said:
919g today :-) they got a big pile of grass after, that I'd loving cut from my sopping wet lawn, in the pissing rain!
Click to expand...
grass is a very nutricious food for them, much more than most vegs. Also my ex underweight sow gained her weight only eating grass. She is still slim, but the vet is satisfied and her weight is not bloating, but "meet" and muscles.
 
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