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How can you get a gp to put on weight?

auburnmare5

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Coco has always been on the smaller side, but as he is getting older, it is beginning to worry me a little bit.
What are some ways such as foods to give him, that will help him put on weight, and how can he keep it on?
It seems like everytimehe puts on weight, he seems to take it off in the same amount of time it took him to put it on.
 
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krittercrazy

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He is about 5 or 6 years old? Has he been to the vet to be checked out for any possible health problems? How has his food consumption been? How has his activity level been? Does he seem to move with pain, maybe athritic? Does he have a buddy to give him support or that harasses him?

As for what foods would help a guinea pig gain weight, I'm not sure. I would think that critical care might be helpful. Aren't red and yellow peppers a little higher in sugar content but otherwise good for their vit c content. While it might help Coco gain weight, I'm not sure if it would be good for him in other ways.
 

auburnmare5

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He is about 5 or 6 years old? Has he been to the vet to be checked out for any possible health problems? How has his food consumption been? How has his activity level been? Does he seem to move with pain, maybe athritic? Does he have a buddy to give him support or that harasses him?

As for what foods would help a guinea pig gain weight, I'm not sure. I would think that critical care might be helpful. Aren't red and yellow peppers a little higher in sugar content but otherwise good for their vit c content. While it might help Coco gain weight, I'm not sure if it would be good for him in other ways.

He will be five in December. His food consumption has been the same as normal, 1/4 cup a day. His activity level has been about normal, he just hasn't been out as much because of school getting started for me, etc... He runs around like a maniac when he is out, and popcorns frequently. So it looks like he has no trouble moving. He is a single pig so he is not harassed.

Thanks for your response!
 

Jennicat

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You need to take him to a vet and have a wellness visit done, not start feeding him more to try and make him fatter. A pig eating the same amount of food with the same energy level losing weight is a serious problem that should not be ignored or treated with a band-aid like feeding fattier foods.
 

auburnmare5

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I am trying to find a good vet in my area that is cavy savy but not really much luck so far.
Do the SPCAs do vet checks? All we have in my area that I know of are dogs and cats vets.
 

Fanch

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I didn't have a cavy savy vet, but the vets at our towns clinic were willing to look into them and their care and problems for me. I am very happy though, as a new vet came this year that IS cavy cavy, who will be doing my boys neutering later this month. maybe talk to the vets and see if they are willing to look into gps for you??/

Now, in the meantime, I just dealt with all this. My older male, Pumpkin, was 6 years and 3 months, but sadly passed away this past thursday. I noticed his weight going down about 6 months ago, and his over all body conition going down. The last months of his life(especially his last month), I was giving him unlimited hay (as you already should,) provided mushy pellets 24/7. Picked fresh grass for him, enough that it lasted over an hour, and lots of fresh veggies. I also fed him Critical Care 2 times a day the last week.
Now, I'm not trying to scare you with that Coco is going to die. I have another older girl, shes 5 and a bit, and she has gotten a bit skinner now. The vet says shes healthy, just aging.
So, until you can find a cavy vet, or one willing to become one, make sure you give him as much food as possible, and cater to him. With Pumpkin, he got soft pellets instead of hard ones, more food, etc.

Hope all turns out well and this is just Coco entering his senior years ( For Pumpkin and me, they were the best of our time together)

PS- an exotic vet gave me a recipe for Critical Care that they use for the guinea pigs at their clinic. If you want it, PM me and I would be willing to send it to you so you can make up some.
 

pigsforlife

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You need to weigh weekly also. How much does he weigh at the moment?
 

auburnmare5

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I am not sure as to how much he weighs, as I don't weigh him. My guess is about 1.5 lbs.
 

auburnmare5

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I didn't have a cavy savy vet, but the vets at our towns clinic were willing to look into them and their care and problems for me. I am very happy though, as a new vet came this year that IS cavy cavy, who will be doing my boys neutering later this month. maybe talk to the vets and see if they are willing to look into gps for you??/

Now, in the meantime, I just dealt with all this. My older male, Pumpkin, was 6 years and 3 months, but sadly passed away this past thursday. I noticed his weight going down about 6 months ago, and his over all body conition going down. The last months of his life(especially his last month), I was giving him unlimited hay (as you already should,) provided mushy pellets 24/7. Picked fresh grass for him, enough that it lasted over an hour, and lots of fresh veggies. I also fed him Critical Care 2 times a day the last week.
Now, I'm not trying to scare you with that Coco is going to die. I have another older girl, shes 5 and a bit, and she has gotten a bit skinner now. The vet says shes healthy, just aging.
So, until you can find a cavy vet, or one willing to become one, make sure you give him as much food as possible, and cater to him. With Pumpkin, he got soft pellets instead of hard ones, more food, etc.

Hope all turns out well and this is just Coco entering his senior years ( For Pumpkin and me, they were the best of our time together)

PS- an exotic vet gave me a recipe for Critical Care that they use for the guinea pigs at their clinic. If you want it, PM me and I would be willing to send it to you so you can make up some.

Do you think I should give him soft pellets as well? His water consumption and food consumption is normal (normal for him). He eats more hay now, ecause I have been filling the back of his cage with it. He is still active, runs outside, and eats grass.
Could it be that he is just aging? Isn't 5 considered getting older for a guines pig?
 

Fanch

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Yes, 5 is the senior year, and from my experience, they do seem to drop weight around this age. Nugget, my female, had her 5th birthday this spring and is smaller than she was, but still eats with gutso and runs around with her pal. Pumpkin started droping weight around 5 and a half. I do not know if this is normal, so hopefully some others with senors will pipe in and tell me right or wrong.

I do suggest that you look avidly for a vet, and as said in my last post, even someone willing to look into guniea pigs. As I've read with neutering, rabbits can be included in your vets experience.

I didn't pruchase a scale till almost a year ago, when I started to notice Pumpkin losing weight. Losing dramatic weight is a big thing, and the best way to tell if they are is weighing, gussing just doesn't cut it. I purchased one from Walmart for only $20, and now weight all my guys, young and old, once a week. I bet Target also would sell cheap scales.
 

pigsforlife

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You MUST weigh. Weighing is incredibly important.
 

Jennicat

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5 is considered senior for a guinea pig, but even senior animals don't typically lose weight out of nowhere, especially if their appetites and activity levels are the same. If they slow down and start sleeping more as opposed to their normal levels of activity, it would be less worrisome.

The fact that you're not even weighing him makes me extremely worried. By the time a guinea pig loses enough weight for you to tell by feel, it has lost a huge portion of it's body weight. They are supposed to see a vet if weight loss of 3oz or more occurs, but from personal experience 3 oz of weight loss is nearly impossible to detect just by picking up a guinea pig.

Hence the need for scales.
 
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