Our guinea pig is losing weight.....

[jociesmommy]

My daughter has 2 guinea pigs. Both boys, in the same cage. He recently lost her 1st GP. When she brought him down I had noticed he had lost weight and the day before he was pretty active. I noticed today that her only remaining guinea pig is losing weight too. Any ideas???

How long ago did the 1st piggie die? Very

My DD had two boars - one died in July (he was ill for 48 hours but even though we saw the vet, he died) the other GP was with us as we cuddled the ill boy (DD, myself and the 2 pigs sat on the bed )

The remaining boar (GP1) is now 3.3 yo.
We had a very hot summer, his brother died, we got a new male piglet a few days later (who he gets on really well with and made a huge difference to his wellbeing) and went to Small Animal Boarding when we were on holiday (piglet was about 12 weeks when they went on holiday)

He lost weight, he's slowly regaining a bit. But he feels 'middleaged'. A bit bony. A bit saggy. A bit jowly. A bit arthritic (though he did have a fall when he was younger too)
And our new boy is huge, solid and muscular so the difference is more stark.

They can go either way TBH. They can be bribeable and cossetted. Or they can go downhill.
Lots of attention, put him where he can chat to you . A radio when he's alone?
When our GP1 was alone he slept in my DD room in his cage, but it was too warm and stuffy for him to stay there , so he went out by day to the Pighouse. I was really for him alone all day.

Are you considering a new pig? How old is your boar?

We are not getting another GP. I think has lost some weight but he is acting and eating fine. He is my daughters room. Maybe I will try leaving a radio on during the day when we are gone. I gave him lettuce earlier and he ate the crap out of it.

Maybe I am just reading too much into it, I just dont want him to be sick and I also dont want my daughters heart to be broken again.

Thanks for my your help!

Hi, try him on slightly bulkier veg, good supply of hay and vit c rich pellets. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower leaves etc. tbh lettuce isn't great for guineas esp if trying to get weight on. my girls loved bread,cereals and banana skins... if he keeps losing condition maybe a vet check up needed? x

jocies my Abby boy was always very slightly built. I used to fatten him up for winter with beetroot (not leaves) and sweetcorn in the leaves.

GP1 is getting his fuller figure back with banana, sweetcorn and root veg.

GP3 doesn't need any help with fattening up .

You could maybe treat your piggie to some of those "poncey hay" bags - like Herbage/ Camomile / Dandelion. Not to lard about in though, a small pile to savour.

My boys don't do 'poncey' hay. I buy it every so often as a treat but they just lard in it and only eat the cheap stuff .

Scruffy is a much more daintily built pig than portly Smooth. I do have to make sure he gets his full share of veg as Smooth likes to eat more than his fair share and will happily hide his piece of veg and then eat Scruffy's.

Root veg will help bulk up. What about small amounts of fruit?

Fernie all my Abbys have been smaller than the Smooths. Except our original sow who had two litters (accidental litters my female GP wasn't )

Rex GP3 is more like a rabbit in size.....checks for tail. Nope.
Long ears. Nope.
Just a huge piggie.