Weight Loss Losing weight but eating and seems happy!

LexiandLily · Feb 5, 2014

Hi all - I have 2 girl piggys that have always seems quite happy and healthy - I weigh them every week just to keep track on there progress and make sure they are gaining weight until they reach their adult age - they are just under 9 months now so almost there!
when I weighed them on 22nd Jan Lily was 1025g, then I weighed her last wednesday and she was only 957, obviously I was concerned so I kept an eye on her, made sure I could see she was getting plenty food and water, which she was, I even got them some treats, Melon and sweetcorn which she loves. So you can imagine my surprise when I weighed her this morning to find she's now only 901g.
She seems absolutely fine, she's wheeking and did a little popcorn this morning when we put her veg in, and she is eating fine.
Does this seem ok for her age or should I be worried now?
She definitely seems happy, she still comes out to the cage when we sit on the floor and loves her chin tickled, it's not like she's acting any different.
I'm very confused.
Thanks in advance for any help!
PS - Lexi, her sister, is currently 1053g, she has fluctuated slightly since the beginning of Jan but nothing major and now seems to be roughly the same weight every week 1058g, 1060g and 1053g over the past 3 weeks.

PiggieWigglies · Feb 5, 2014

I would seperate them when they eat, it sounds like the sister is cheating her out of food. Put one pig in a laundry basket when you feed them so they don't have to fight over food. I'm converted it into lbs and oz and that's something to be worried of a bit. Guinea pigs hide their ailments until the last minute.

LexiandLily · Feb 5, 2014

I'll try that, but we are usually there when they get their veg and we can see Lily eating away, Lexi tends to pick our her food and run off to eat it, but lily just sits and munches at the bowl.

bpatters · Feb 5, 2014

I wouldn't try to fatten her up with sweet things -- guinea pigs aren't built to process sugar, and too much can actually cause her to lose weight rather than gain.

@PiggieWigglies' idea of separating her to give her more time to eat without having her food stolen is a good one. Try that for a while a see what happens. If she doesn't level out or start gaining, it's time for a vet visit. Intestinal, liver, and kidney problems can all cause weight loss. How old are they?

LexiandLily · Feb 5, 2014

what kind of sweet things do you mean? I only really give them veg, the melon is just the skin as I read its good for their teeth and the melon part if full of water. They are just under 9 months old

bpatters · Feb 5, 2014

Both melon and corn have a lot of sugar in them. Are you worried about her not getting enough water for some reason?

Sugar upsets the balance of bacteria in their intestinal tracts, and encourages the grown of harmful bacteria rather than the good kind. It's really better to strictly limit the amount of sugar they get to just occasional treats every so often.

If you're feeding fresh corn, you can feed the inner husks and the silks. Those are better for them than the corn itself.

LexiandLily · Feb 5, 2014

ok, thanks for the heads up - I never knew that. However I only just gave them melon and fresh corn after I noticed she'd lost weight. I'll stop now as it might be making the situation worse.

They are only ever treats, it's very rare we buy them to be honest, I just wanted to cheer her up haha

LexiandLily · Feb 5, 2014

What do you think would be best to feed them to help her gain weight but stay healthy? She has a good appetite so I'm not concerned that she won't eat what I give her, I'm just worried I'm giving her the wrong things.

bpatters · Feb 5, 2014

Well, I'd try feeding her separately from her sister for a while and see if her weight stabilizes. Weigh her every day or so (same time of day, preferably before breakfast) and record the weights. If she stops losing, you've found the cause. But it may take time for her to put the weight back on. Adult guinea pigs sometimes gain slowly after a loss.

LexiandLily · Feb 9, 2014

Update: she's deteriorated since my original post, we took her to the vets and he found slump in her stomach that must be very painful as she jumped and squeaked whenever he touched it. He wants to do an ultrasound on her to see what's going on but my worry is she's not gonna last long enough for the app, she's not eating much at all, she's still eating a little bit but hardly anything, no water. We are trying syringed food the vet gave us but it's stressing her out and she's spitting it out. She is also constipated and clearly in pain. We are taking her back in the morning as he wanted to see how she got on over the weekend. He gave her a vitamin injection and a water injection but it didn't boost her much.

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Weight Loss Losing weight but eating and seems happy!

LexiandLily

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