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Weight loss

JandfpiggiesUK

JandfpiggiesUK

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 21, 2019
Messages
263
Reaction score
404
Points
380
Location
North East UK
Hi everyone. Once again I’m really sorry to keep posting on here.

Last week I started weighing my guinea pig Jaffa more often as he was on his second week of zithromax & I wanted to keep an eye on his weight.

Monday he weighed in at 1.281kg113699
I then weighed him again Thursday at the same time. ) He weighed in at 1.221kg.
113700
I was sure he lost 60g, I’m not the best at maths but in a few days surely that’s not normal?

I’ve booked him in for a health check to get his weight looked at and to discuss with a vet nurse to see if there’s something wrong.

He’s fine in himself, pooping and peeing normally & is eating well too.

Am I worrying for no reason?
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Hi everyone. Once again I’m really sorry to keep posting on here.

Last week I started weighing my guinea pig Jaffa more often as he was on his second week of zithromax & I wanted to keep an eye on his weight.

Monday he weighed in at 1.281kgView attachment 113699
I then weighed him again Thursday at the same time. ) He weighed in at 1.221kg.
View attachment 113700
I was sure he lost 60g, I’m not the best at maths but in a few days surely that’s not normal?

I’ve booked him in for a health check to get his weight looked at and to discuss with a vet nurse to see if there’s something wrong.

He’s fine in himself, pooping and peeing normally & is eating well too.

Am I worrying for no reason?
Click to expand...

No it is concerning, keep an eye on his drinking too, has there been any alterations in his diet/cage?
 
Eviolus- said:
No it is concerning, keep an eye on his drinking too, has there been any alterations in his diet/cage?
Click to expand...
He’s drinking the same amount as usual. He did get a new cage last weekend, not sure if that makes a difference. He’s also been eating the same too.
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
He’s drinking the same amount as usual. He did get a new cage last weekend, not sure if that makes a difference. He’s also been eating the same too.
Click to expand...

Usually if it's the cage making them lose weight it's more obvious but it could add to it, what was he on zithromax for?
 
I would imagine it is a side effect of the anti biotic, how long has he been on the Zithromax for and how long is left of the course? Is he eating okay?
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Hi everyone. Once again I’m really sorry to keep posting on here.

Last week I started weighing my guinea pig Jaffa more often as he was on his second week of zithromax & I wanted to keep an eye on his weight.

Monday he weighed in at 1.281kgView attachment 113699
I then weighed him again Thursday at the same time. ) He weighed in at 1.221kg.
View attachment 113700
I was sure he lost 60g, I’m not the best at maths but in a few days surely that’s not normal?

I’ve booked him in for a health check to get his weight looked at and to discuss with a vet nurse to see if there’s something wrong.

He’s fine in himself, pooping and peeing normally & is eating well too.

Am I worrying for no reason?
Click to expand...

No, 60g is a notable weight loss where you need to go on alter. Please be aware that over 80% of the daily food intake is hay, which you cannot control by eye and also that the poos reflect the food intake from 1-2 days before.

I would recommend to start offering top-up syringe feed but at this stage not yet to force it. Your boy is a very good weight so the weight loss is in no way dangerous. Are you giving the zithromax once daily or twice daily? If you are giving it once, I would recommend to split it up and give half the dose 12 hours apart.
That did make the difference between not eating at all and requiring only top-up feed for 6 year old Hafren, who required two rounds of zithromax in order to save her eye; I made the change with the approval of the treating vet.

Plenty of fibreplex and poo soup also helped me getting her through it as an eye removal op at that age is very much on the risky side. She did get through it and passed away from old age with both eyes intact a year later.

If weight loss continues or your boy is losing his appetite completely, you can always contact your treating vet and ask to speak to them. But your boy has thankfully a nice bolster of weight; if it is overweight, then it has the tendency to come off more quickly and dramatically, though.
All the best!
 
sport_billy said:
I would imagine it is a side effect of the anti biotic, how long has he been on the Zithromax for and how long is left of the course? Is he eating okay?
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He’s finished the antibiotics now. I stopped giving them on Friday, as recommended by the vet. He had a two week course and throughout the course gained weight. Yes he’s eating fine.
 
Right now, I would keep an eye on the weight and see whether it stabilises again or not. In the second case, please contact your vet again.
Follow the tips and recommendations in our weight management guide.
 
Wiebke said:
Right now, I would keep an eye on the weight and see whether it stabilises again or not. In the second case, please contact your vet again.
Follow the tips and recommendations in our weight management guide.
Click to expand...
Thanks I will do. I’ve been giving him more of his favourite veggies to get him to eat more & a couple of pea flakes here and there. He loves the taste of oxbow critical care so I’m sure he’ll enjoy being syringe fed.
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Thanks I will do. I’ve been giving him more of his favourite veggies to get him to eat more & a couple of pea flakes here and there. He loves the taste of oxbow critical care so I’m sure he’ll enjoy being syringe fed.
Click to expand...

Don't overdo the veg, though, as it doesn't replace the fibre and silica of hay (which is as instrumental in grinding down the back teeth as keeping the guts balanced). It can lead to overfermentation and digestive problems in the longer term.
It is much better having recovery formula at home for this case or in an emergency, feed mushed up pellets until your formula arrives.
First Aid Kit: Easily available non-medication support products for an emergency
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links
 
I’m going to start and weigh him twice a day.

Just popped him on the scales and he’s gone down to 1.214g. What do I do?
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
I’m going to start and weigh him twice a day.

Just popped him on the scales and he’s gone down to 1.214g. What do I do?
Click to expand...

Have you read about the weight band issues in our weight guide that come into play the more often you weigh?

Otherwise make a vet appointment for regular opening hours and start top up syringe feeding with mushed up pellets and a cut-off syringe tip as shown in the syringe feeding guide to allow the fibre to pass through.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

PLEASE take the time to read the various links I have given you. There is a LOT of very helpful, practical and precise 'how to' advice in there that cannot be packed into just two sentences but that will guide you do what is needed correctly.
 
Update-

Anxiety got the better of me. He’s got an appointment with a nurse to be weighed to check for sure if he’s lost weight. Anything to mention?
 
Hi. Just got back from the vets. The nurse wasn't concerned about his weight due to the fact he is still 1.2kg. I'm not happy, she didn't take into consideration the last digits in his weight. She checked his teeth and also listened to his stomach and said he was perfectly fine. However this wasn't the vet that I normally get the guinea pigs in to see as the preferred vet is currently on holiday. I'll monitor his weight daily and weigh twice a day.

Another issue I have is that when Jaffa was sat on the vet table I saw a tiny piece of hay in the corner of his eye (tearduct), i tried removing it gently with my thumb. Now that I'm home I've had another look and its gone?!

Could he have blinked and it fell out? Or could it have gotten lodged into his eye.
I was going to ask the nurse to remove it however I got distracted as she was talking to me.
 
Hi!

Just take a deep breath and PLEASE do not weigh more than once daily or preferably ask another person to do the daily weighing for you.
You are not changing anything by weighing more often; all you achieve is making your anxiety rocket sky high from all the stessing out.

The nurse is right in that the weight loss is nowhere near the danger zone and that there is nothing obvious worn with him. If the weight loss continues over the next few days, please book a vet appointment.

Follow the tips in my previous posts.

It is likely that the piece of hay has been either washed out (which generally happens with very small bits) or has disappeared under a lid if it is a bit bigger. As long as it is soft, it should not cause any problems in the second case. ;)
 
I’d say the piece of hay was smaller than a grain of rice. I saw the full size of it before he jumped straight back into his carrier at the vets. I’m going to weigh him once a day at the same time just to keep a check on him. He’s fine in himself, all be it eating a little less than normal but he’s eating loads of hay & drinking well.

Thank you for your help. @Wiebke
 
On my previous post I mentioned that my guinea pig Jaffa had lost weight 60g to be precise. Since then I have been weighing him daily at the same time. His weight stabilised however he started dropping weight.

He went from 1.281kg to 1.221kg. I weighed him this morning and he weighed 1105kg. I weighed him differently however this morning as I didn’t place him inside a box like I’d normally do. He weighed 1221kg when placed inside the box despite the fact I set the scales to zero after placing the box on. Without the box he weighed less.

Jaffa seems to be eating lots of hay and munching on his carrot house a lot, however he isn’t keen on vegetables at the moment. I’ve offered him some of his favourite veggies, some of which he has ate a small amount of other than that he seems more interested in hay. He’s so out of character. He popcorns and comes running for food but just isn’t interested in food that’s not hay.

I’ll no doubt book him in with the preferred vet for next week and see what she says. I’m worried about this weight loss though, it’s not consistent, he either maintains or drops.

He has been to see a vet nurse and she said he weighed 1.2kg which is the same as his previous weight when he last got checked out. Is it my scales?

I’ve been giving him some mushed pellets via a syringe and fine grind critical care mixed with all natural baby food (veggie purée) to try and make it more pallatable.

I am worried but I’m not making myself ill, I just want him to gain a few grams.

Any advice would be much appreciated thanks.
 
You need to weigh exactly the same each time in the same box with the scales zero’d. Daily weighing is key to monitor any loss at this stage.
Please weigh daily at same time in same box and record results.
I think you need to get him in to see your vet for a check over
 
sport_billy said:
You need to weigh exactly the same each time in the same box with the scales zero’d. Daily weighing is key to monitor any loss at this stage.
Please weigh daily at same time in same box and record results.
I think you need to get him in to see your vet for a check over
Click to expand...
I try and do that. I always set the scales to zero aswell. I’m sure it’s not my scales, I weigh my phone (an inanimate object) before weighing him to see if my scales are playing up and my phone always weighs the same. I keep Jaffa as still as possible which he’s very good at and he weighs different with and without the box. I’ve always used the same plastic storage box to weigh him in so do I go off that?

They’re just digital kitchen scales so maybe when he’s sat on them his body is too big to sit fully on them to get a weight.

I defo will get him in with a vet.
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
I try and do that. I always set the scales to zero aswell. I’m sure it’s not my scales, I weigh my phone (an inanimate object) before weighing him to see if my scales are playing up and my phone always weighs the same. I keep Jaffa as still as possible which he’s very good at and he weighs different with and without the box. I’ve always used the same plastic storage box to weigh him in so do I go off that?

They’re just digital kitchen scales so maybe when he’s sat on them his body is too big to sit fully on them to get a weight.

I defo will get him in with a vet.
Click to expand...

I agree with @sport_billy.

Could you find a bowl with a little foot that fits on the scales; this may give you a more consistent reading.
Please also be aware that if you weigh frequently, the weight is going up and down quite a bit depending on how full the tummy is or whether Jaffa has a full or empty bladder.

PS: Can you please keep any questions and updates to this one support thread? We answer lots of different threads in a day, never mind over the course of several days on top of our regular job, our own piggies and family life as we all moderatefor free in our free time.
Being able to refer back helps us refresh our memories and also keeps our specially monitored sections slimmer; it also ensures that you get better answers for your own specific situations and that we do not repeat the same advice over and over or give you conflicting advice if we forget or misremember the background.
You can set your own alert notifications via the 'watch' button at the start of your support thread. Thank you!
 
Wiebke said:
I agree with @sport_billy.

Could you find a bowl with a little foot that fits on the scales; this may give you a more consistent reading.
Please also be aware that if you weigh frequently, the weight is going up and down quite a bit depending on how full the tummy is or whether Jaffa has a full or empty bladder.

PS: Can you please keep any questions and updates to this one support thread? We answer lots of different threads in a day, never mind over the course of several days on top of our regular job, our own piggies and family life as we all moderatefor free in our free time.
Being able to refer back helps us refresh our memories and also keeps our specially monitored sections slimmer; it also ensures that you get better answers for your own specific situations and that we do not repeat the same advice over and over or give you conflicting advice if we forget or misremember the background.
You can set your own alert notifications via the 'watch' button at the start of your support thread. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Hi.

as mentioned before I weigh the same time everyday just with Jaffa. My other piggy fudge is gaining weight.

I thought I had kept the post in the same link. My apologies .
 
Hi again. Hoping this post is linked with my original post.

I weighed my piggy Jaffa this morning, same time as I did yesterday. In the box and without, he weighed the same.

He’s gained weight! I’m so happy. He’s gone up to 1237g.

CCA25E11-54A5-48C0-A55A-12199BCD649A.webp
 
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