Weight Loss Weight loss possibly due to one guinea pig hoarding food

Cherryblossom · Feb 3, 2013

Hi,
so my guinea pig Lily has lost 3 oz from the last time I weighed her. I was trying to pinpoint reasons as to why she might be losing weight, and it struck me that my other guinea pig Cocoa had always gotten more food than Lily because she's a faster eater and she's a bit more agressive when it comes to food. I've noticed she also steals food from Lily sometimes when I give them treats, but I've always just tried to prevent her from doing so by leading them to opposite sides of the cage. I'd always thought it wasn't that serious or big a deal, and this has always happened, but I'm thinking it could still be a possibility. Therefore, would it be okay if I separated them from now on when feeding them vegetables, treats, or pellets? My only concern is that Cocoa would lose weight and Lily would gain weight. Would there be any problems if I separated them?

Oh, and I know guinea lynx says 3 oz weight loss means to be on extreme red alert, so I plan on continuing to watch her closely and take her to a vet if her weight continues to decrease.

bpatters · Feb 3, 2013

Just pick Lily up and give her a few special veggie treats. Or put her in a box or laundry basket for a few minutes with some extra veggies. If you do that once a day, or maybe twice, that should be enough to take care of it.

MommyOfMany · Feb 3, 2013

Just try separate food bowls and see if that helps. If she still keeps hoarding from the other pig's bowl, try only separating them during food time. I think it would cause more problems to separate them permanently.

ThePiggiesGotMe · Feb 3, 2013

I am a newbie with pigs, but my two girls sound similar to yours. The older/bigger girl eats 2-3 times faster than the littler one. I now separate them every day for veggies and some hay after reading a horror story on a website about food bullying. It works well for them-just more inconvenient for me. As long as they do well, though, it's worth it. I can't speak to the weight loss per se-a vet visit would put your mind at ease, I know.

Cherryblossom · Feb 3, 2013

Oh, I'll try the separate food bowls, thanks! I meant I would separate them only during feeding times. They get along pretty well when they're not eating.

WillowFields · Feb 3, 2013

You could try adding another food bowl and set it on the opposite side of the cage. I by no means am an expert, nor did I read the whole three. Excuse me if this thread has already been resolved!

Cherryblossom · Feb 3, 2013

That's fine! I did try that just now, and it worked quite well. Now I'm just hoping that was the only reason her weight decreased.

Paula · Feb 3, 2013

It's possible that it's due to another pig hogging all the food, but unless they are new cagemates, I think it's unlikely and that there might be something else that's causing the weight loss - the first thing that comes to my mind is tooth issues, which sadly I've dealt with quite a bit. Especially if the loss of three ounces was at a week interval and not longer, I'd be on high alert for signs of illness.

foggycreekcavy · Feb 4, 2013

I agree with Paula. I would definitely consider there's something else going on.

Where People & Piggies Thrive

Newbie or Guinea Guru? Popcorn in!

Weight Loss Weight loss possibly due to one guinea pig hoarding food

Cherryblossom

Well-known Member

bpatters

Moderator

MommyOfMany

Cavy Star, Photo Contest Winner

ThePiggiesGotMe

Well-known Member

Cherryblossom

Well-known Member

WillowFields

Well-known Member

Cherryblossom

Well-known Member

Paula

Pigaholic Extraordinaire

foggycreekcavy

Moderator

Similar threads

Share this Page

Newest members

Online statistics

Key Resources

Members online