Weight loss with age

[MWpiggies]

Hi everyone! Eddie is almost 7 now and I decided to weigh him for the first time in almost a year (he’s been healthy so I didn’t see a reason) and he’s at 940 grams, while last year his weight was around 990, and in the years before he was between 1,150 - 990. Is this weight loss in the past year normal for his age? He has had no sicknesses and still has energy, appetite, and looks good. Thanks for the help!
Below is pics of Eddie enjoying raspberry leaves

 

[Freela]

In my experience, older pigs will lose muscle mass and this results in decreased weight. They will feel bonier when you pat them across the shoulders and hips. They lose that 'solid' feeling of padding over the bones that muscle gives them. This is normal and part of aging... what you want to look out for is sudden weight decrease or gradual weight loss over time. If he's stabilized at this new lighter weight this is likely his new normal as he gets older, if you continue to see his weight decrease week after week after week, that's something for a vet to check out.

Hope this helps!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree with @Freela.

To further add, Weight checks should be done every week as routine throughout their whole life, even when they are healthy.
The weight checks are the only way to gauge hay intake and given hay is 75-80% of food intake and it cannot be gauged by eye, even a small reduction in hay intake can cause quite a bit of weight loss but not necessarily that which you would notice just by looking at a piggy. Sometimes weight loss (and we mean as little as 50g) can be the only warning sign and sometimes symptom of an illness in the early stages. 50g of loss is when you step in with syringe feeding.
By the time they looked visibly thinner, significant weight loss would have occurred and it may be too late for medical interventions to help.

Do weigh him weekly now and monitor whether he is now maintaining at a new lower normal due to age, or whether weight loss is continuing thus requiring daily weight checks, syringe feeding and vet assistance.

Weight-monitoring-and-management
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone! Eddie is almost 7 now and I decided to weigh him for the first time in almost a year (he’s been healthy so I didn’t see a reason) and he’s at 940 grams, while last year his weight was around 990, and in the years before he was between 1,150 - 990. Is this weight loss in the past year normal for his age? He has had no sicknesses and still has energy, appetite, and looks good. Thanks for the help!
Below is pics of Eddie enjoying raspberry leaves

Hi

A slow gradual weight loss is normal in old age; the same as with human oldies.

Eddie's overall weight is still good. He should not feel too bony around the ribcage (that comes with the real oldies who are just skin and bones but can hang on sometimes for a surprising length of time) although his hips and spine should be a more noticeable by now.

Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support (helps you to check the BMI and put any weight loss into an individual perspective)