Weight Loss?

[PipSqueak20]

Hello,

I weighed my Pip yesterday and her weight was 1122g which is a loss of 53g from the previous week. I weighed her again today and her weight has gone down further to 1082g which is a loss of 40g. I’m really concerned at this point.

Just some things to note:

- She’s been off veg for a week due to her soft poo issues and I’ve been very slowly introducing veg back in.

- Her weight regularly fluctuates and her weight usually sits between 1145 and 1154.

- She does eat a lot of hay but perhaps it’s not enough.

- I give her an egg cup amount of pellets per day.

- I’ve been giving critical care (once to twice a day) due to her soft poos so I know she is getting enough fibre and vitamins.

- She is herself and doing what pigs usually do with no signs of pain or distress. She is rumble strutting a little more than usual so maybe she’s in heat or god forbid ovarian cysts. There’s no bloating currently that I can feel.

- Perhaps this UK heatwave is effecting her? ( she is currently in a cooler part of the house though)

- I’m taking her to the vets and I’ll see what they say

Any advice welcome

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes she has lost more the normal Fluctuation and is well into the territory of concern (anything more than 50g of loss is concerning and at 50g you switch to weighing daily).

Please step in with syringe feeding her a lot more than once or twice a day. She is losing weight because she is now definitely not eating enough hay.
You need to syringe at least 60ml of critical care per day but as much as is needed to keep her weight stable each day. Please ensure you have switched to daily weight checks so you can monitor closely.

If she is still having soft poops, please do not give any veg at all.

Also check your pellet quantity. An egg cup could well be too much. The recommended amount is no more than one tablespoon per day, a tablespoon being a specific measure so is accurate.

Definitely have her seen by the vet. Heat doesn’t help but it seems this may be predating the heat so there is likely something else going on.

I hope she is ok, let us know what the vet says

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

 

[PipSqueak20]

Yes she has lost more the normal Fluctuation and is well into the territory of concern (anything more than 50g of loss is concerning and at 50g you switch to weighing daily).

Please step in with syringe feeding her a lot more than once or twice a day. She is losing weight because she is now definitely not eating enough hay.
You need to syringe at least 60ml of critical care per day but as much as is needed to keep her weight stable each day. Please ensure you have switched to daily weight checks so you can monitor closely.

If she is still having soft poops, please do not give any veg at all.

Also check your pellet quantity. An egg cup could well be too much. The recommended amount is no more than one tablespoon per day, a tablespoon being a specific measure so is accurate.

Definitely have her seen by the vet. Heat doesn’t help but it seems this may be predating the heat so there is likely something else going on.

I hope she is ok, let us know what the vet says

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

I’ve been to the vet and she had an ultrasound and xray. Nothing has come back all her internal organs are good. She just mentioned that she seems to be a little gassy. No signs of ovarian cysts, bladder stones, kidney stones etc. she just mentioned that she had the smallest amount of sludge in her bladder but nothing to be concerned about (she exhibits no symptoms, no blood or calcium urine or pain when urinating). It’s just something to keep an eye on. Her teeth were checked and they are good as well.

I have to just give her some more fluids and critical in the mean time. She does take 20ml daily from the syringe as she loves the stuff. I’ll just up to the 60ml.

Overall the vet is not concerned at the moment. She is also sending off her xray and ultrasound pictures for a second opinion.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s good nothing was found but it leaves mystery weight loss which is well, a mystery!

All you can do at present is give plenty of syringe feed to stop further weight loss. A healthy piggy would eat the equivalent of 100ml per day so you will need to see how much adjustment you need to make on the syringe feeding to keep her stable.

I hope she is ok