Proper Male Piggie Weight

**Teslithia** · #1 06-23-07, 10:42 am

I think Mellow is fat, but I can't tell. We took him to the vet & they weighed him in pounds. For the life of me, I can't find a proper weight chat in pounds. I was googling things & it says males should weigh 1 pound 2 ounces, but that just doesn't sound right to me. Or maybe Mellow is just really chubby. He's about 9 months. What's a good weight range for him in pounds?

**Piggersrule** · #2 06-23-07, 11:04 am

What does your piggy weigh?

**Teslithia** · #3 06-23-07, 11:10 am

Vet said 4.2 pounds.

**TheMarti** · #4 06-23-07, 12:38 pm

Wow... I think that is a big piggy... 2 of mine are big and they only weigh 1 kg each (2.2 lbs). I don't know though... I'd have to see him too..

**Ly&Pigs** · #5 06-23-07, 01:32 pm

The larger cage, a proper diet and floor time should help him slim down. He's pretty hefty for a 9 month old.

Remember what I said in the other thread about pellet mixes causing obesity? If he's been on that mix or a similar one all his life, no wonder he's heavy. Make sure to get him plain pellets of high quality, like Oxbow Cavy Cuisine or KM's Timothy based pellet. He will need a variety of veggies and keep fruits to the bare minimum at this point. Like one small slice of apple or kiwi per week.

Give him lots of floor time to encourage exercise and exploration. Also finish the second level on the C&C and keep his food and hay upstairs along with a water bottle on each level. This makes him work a bit harder for his food and encourages exercise.

I don't know what his previous diet was like (before you got him) but I bet it contained low quality fattening pellet mixes and a lot of junky petstore treats.

**Teslithia** · #6 06-23-07, 02:00 pm

My money is a little tight now since I've bought him new food twice now already. Would it be ok if I kept him on the pellets I have now, which say they are enriched, but picked out the other stuff?

**Naomi** · #7 06-23-07, 04:23 pm

my Stitch weighs an even 3 pounds and is just over a year old, the vet told me he is at the high end of normal.

**envisionary333** · #8 06-23-07, 04:32 pm

You should buy some high quality pellets as soon as you possibly can, then throw out the other stuff. You can save a lot of money by ordering in bulk. Just make sure that you store the extra in a cool, dark, dry place (or keep it in the freezer) so that the Vitamin C won't degrade and the product stays fresh.

**Piggersrule** · #9 06-23-07, 07:45 pm

Four pounds is a bit much for even a male piggy. I don't have males so I am not all that familiar with what would be proper. I think males are usually around 3 lbs. I do have a female here that weighs in at 3 lbs but since she has been in with my other piggies, she has lost a bit of weight and is getting alot more excercise and she looks better.

**Jenni_Feathers** · #10 06-23-07, 09:08 pm

Both of my boys are just under 3ibs. How big is he size wise, like how long is he he may just be a large pig and fit rather than just fat.

**Ly&Pigs** · #11 06-23-07, 10:27 pm

Quote:

Would it be ok if I kept him on the pellets I have now, which say they are enriched, but picked out the other stuff?

What brand are they?

**Piggersrule** · #12 06-23-07, 10:51 pm

If you are picking out the other stuff than the food you are using isn't very good. Switching to pellets from either Oxbow or KM would be nutritionally healthier for him.

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**Teslithia** · #13 06-24-07, 09:58 pm

He's pretty long when he lays down. I would say about 8 inches long. I'm gonna try to take a trip to the store & see if they let me return the old food & buy Oxbow.

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