weight

[sundayault]

Hi,
When i got my guinea pig Dwight, he was 2.8 pounds, pretty heavy for a guinea pig and I have been worried ever since. I have two so I give them each 1/3 cup of pelets in the morning and then in the evening and unlimited hay, fresh cup of veggies morning and evening (mostly celery and carrots). I feel like he gained a pound and it has only been about 2 weeks, should I be worried?

 

[Betsy]

Piggies should have only 1 tablespoon of pellets per piggy per day, unlimited hay and about a cupful of veg. I would cut down on the carrots and give them as an occasional treat as they are full of sugar and the equivalent of chocolate for us humans. They can have bell pepper every day as well as lettuce (NOT iceburg).

 

[Piggies&buns]

on a cup/tablespoon conversion, it looks like you are overfeeding pellets. as betsy has said they need just one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day, and one cup of veg per pig per day. if you want to give them pellets and veg twice per day then that’s fine but then each serving of pellets needs to be just half a tablespoon and then half a cup of veg at each serving. With the pellets I use - one tablespoon amounts to just 6 grams of pellets.
pellets are the least healthy part of the diet, contribute to unhealthy weight gain, excess calcium (which can lead to health issues such as bladder stones) and discourage them from eating enough hay. Opt for leafy veg and low calcium herbs herbs rather than high sugar veg such as carrots

the guide below explains further and gives a sample plate of veggies.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

Weight - Monitoring and Management

to add though, it’s easier if you can give your weights in kg. Ive converted 2.8lbs to kg and it looks like he is around 1.2kg which isn’t big for a guinea pig at all. 1.5kg is not abnormal for a boar.
how old is your piggy? Gaining 1lb (which is 450g) in two weeks is a lot though. Please ensure you weigh your piggy weekly.