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Weight loss

H

HumberHen

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 9, 2026
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Location
Lincolnshire
My three year old piggy has lost weight very gradually. We discovered a cyst which the vet drained and he is coming to the end of antibiotics and the cyst has all but gone. He is still losing weight and eating but it is tiring for him. I have bought some critical care to boost him up as the vet didn't suggest anything other than antibiotics. Will the critical care be ok for Jim. Thank you
 
Hi there he has lost about 200g over 12 weeks. He wasn't in my care first off so can't be exact. No painkillers given but I do have some for another piggy with arthritis. Vet seems to know a lot asked to finish antibiotics over the next two days before reviewing
 
I have got some critical care but because he can still feed himself he won't take it even disguised in mint leaves. Can I syringe feed him or will it be too much of a choking hazard?
 
Is he still losing weight each day?
If he is losing weight then he needs to be syringe fed to stop the weight loss.
If they are losing weight but will eat critical care willingly then it can be put in a bowl for them to eat themselves but it doesn’t sound like he will do that.
It’s not necessarily because he is still eating that he is refusing the critical care, they can refuse it simply because they don’t like the flavour of it - you then have to try other flavours or even a different recovery feed product entirely.

Done properly, syringe feeding won’t cause choking. They can only take around 0.3ml in their mouth at a time so syringe a tiny amount, let him swallow before offering more.

I’ve added a guide below

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m sorry Jim is losing weight.

Good luck with the syringe feeding. It can take a couple of days for you and Jim to get confident with it.
 
Thank you
He has decided to try some supreme select pellets this morning and a little hay along with a treat of mint. He has finished his antibiotics now. His weight has not gone down for 2 days. I have read up on the syringe feeding and will try it tonight if his weight dips again. Just hoping that the nasty infected cyst on his back has been the cause of his troubles and there's nothing else going on
 
If his weight has been stable then he has likely started to eat enough. Remember weight checks should be done first thing each morning for accuracy

Hopefully he will start to feel better now
 
I have just tried some critical care mashed with banana, water and mint and managed to get about 5 gm down from a tiny spoon. I will try a little more later. Many thanks for your support
 
Hi again just weighed the boy and he has maintained the same weight for four days. Although he is eating independently should I up his critical care even more? Assuming there is nothing else going on with him will it take him a while to increase weight? He has been losing over roughly 12 weeks before I got him. Thank you
 
If his weight is stable then he is eating enough and you don’t need to increase syringe feeds. Critical care syringe feeds are about stabilizing and stopping weight loss.
Weight gain takes many weeks and generally only starts to occur post-illness. Weight gain happens by them regaining full appetite and eating plenty of hay independently.

Do note that weight checks are most accurate when taken first thing in the morning. If you weigh at night you do run the risk of just weighing a full stomach.
 
Hello again
Jim has maintained his weight for a week but dipped 40g unexpectedly yesterday. He had been very active. I have looked up piggy vets and found Ellie in Wirkswirth this is a two hour drive each way for us. I am booking an online chat if she has a slot soon. Does anyone know of any piggy vets East Coast Lincolnshire/Yorkshire?
Thank you
 
Was the 40g drop yesterday mornings weight check or this morning? (ie he didn’t eat enough yesterday so weighed less this morning)
If 40g drop was yesterday, what did this morning weight check show?
How many ml of syringe feed is he getting per day?

If he maintained for a week and then dropped 40g, it is actually still within the 50g fluctuation allowance so technically not of concern yet (except if he dropped again this morning)
 
It was yesterday's check. Same slightly lower weight today
He is having critical care as a paste with banana and mint about 15-30g total a day in three feeds
He really enjoys it but I can't get him to eat more than this in a day. He is avidly eating fresh grass and herbs. His poo looks normal and I saw him eat some this morning. He's never eaten that much hay I have got some different types to tempt him. My thoughts gave come back round to his back teeth. The cyst on his back has gone now so maybe a coincidence? Thank you
 
They can need in excess of 60ml per day (even up to 100ml per day) to keep weight stable or if they are eating enough hay then a few small top up feeds can be enough.
If his weight continuously drops then he needs more syringe feed
 
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