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Sick Weight Gain....

GuineaPigParty

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I have a 1 and a half year old female guinea pig named Isabelle and she has been gaining weight.

I am really strict about when and how much food my guinea pigs get everyday.

Her current weight is 1lb and 13oz

Whenever I pick her up her belly always seems to be full even before she eats.


She eats like a normal pig but she has been drinking a little more water lately.

All of my guinea pigs are female.
DSCN3210.jpg

This is Isabelle.


Is she sick?
 
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bpatters

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Weight gain almost never indicates sickness.

How much is she gaining? And how quickly?
 

foggycreekcavy

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Do you restrict hay?

She looks pretty small to me.
 

Princess_Piggie

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She doesn't look particularly large to me, and really what would be a worry was if she was losing weight, not gaining IMO. When you say you're very strict, is that limited to pellets and veg, or all food? Honestly all pigs have their own personal 'ideal' weight, you can follow guinealynx charts as a basic guide but don't take it as gospel, it's very pig-specific what's a good weight for that particular pig.
 

Lizzerbeast

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One of my piggies weighs 2.5lbs (completely healthy) and the other she weighs maybe 1.75 lbs if your really concerned you could have a vet check her out :) ImageUploadedByTapatalk1392277832.718378.jpg the fatty him self Bernard <3
 

pineapplepigs

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She seems a little under-weight to me... If she finishes her pellets try giving her a little ore she MAY be still hungry all piggies are different.
 

GuineaPigParty

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How much is she gaining? And how quickly?

She had been gaining at least 5 oz a day.

Do you restrict hay?

All of my GPs have unlimited hay and water.

When you say you're very strict, is that limited to pellets and veg, or all food?

My GPs get a 1/4 cup of pellets (Oxbow essentials ) and a 1/2 a cup of veggies in the morning and a 1/2 cup of veggies at night.
 

PiggieWigglies

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@GuineaPigParty it sounds like you are doing everything right, maybe she's gonna have a baby? She doesn't look big at all, she seems petite to me. All of my pigs were 3lbs. but they were boars :) heh
 

GuineaPigParty

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@GuineaPigParty it sounds like you are doing everything right, maybe she's gonna have a baby? She doesn't look big at all, she seems petite to me. All of my pigs were 3lbs. but they were boars :) heh

I hope not...


All of my pigs are female so I don't think that can happen......
 

bpatters

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Do you mean five grams or five ounces? Five ounces is nearly a third of a pound a day, and I've never heard of a pig, even a pregnant one, gaining that fast.

The only thing I can think of besides pregnancy that would make her gain that much is some sort of cyst or tumor.

I think you should line them up, turn them over, and make sure they're all the same sex.
 

GuineaPigParty

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I just checked all the pigs and they are all females.

This is her weight today... 1.12 her tummy is Packed and her voice is almost muffled.

Can is it possible that she is backed up on her digestion?
 

bpatters

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1.12 what? Pounds? Kilograms?

You never did say whether she was gaining ounces or grams. Makes a BIG difference.

If you think she may not be pooping, separate her from the other pigs for a while and see what happens. If you don't have a smaller cage, put a towel in the bottom of a big laundry basket, put some food in, and drape a towel over it. Leave her for a couple of hours and see what happens.

If she isn't pooping, or if her stomach is hard and sounds hollow when you thump on it, she'll need to see a vet immediately. Bloat is a very dangerous condition for a pig, and requires treatment ASAP.
 

GuineaPigParty

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Sorry about not labeling.

She is 1 pound and 12 ounces.

I am going to put her in the playpen and see what happens.
 

GuineaPigParty

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I think she may have bloat. She had pooped but only 2 times in the past 3 hours. She has been eating hay and drinking water.

Time to go to the vet or can I cure it with some little tummies?

I got that tip from this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOJO7whKy44
 
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MrWhistles

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I think using something like that would only work for mild cases. I don't think you have a mild case.
 

GuineaPigParty

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What do you think I can do help her?

(I am a little panicked right now. I don't want to lose her.)
 

bpatters

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There's some good help here: https://www.guinealynx.info/search_bloat.html

But if she's eating on her own, she's not likely bloated. Bloated pigs are usually in pain, and are sitting all puffed up. However, you can massage her tummy gently (better yet, use a vibrating pillow, or even the handle of an electric toothbrush). You can give her a little infant simethicone.

What you should NOT do, however, if she completely stops pooping, is to force feed her. There's gotta be something coming out the back end if you're going to force it in the front end. And if she isn't pooping after you've tried the massage and the simethicone, it's time for a good exotic vet.
 
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GuineaPigParty

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Okay thank you so much [MENTION=13820]bpatters[/MENTION] .

I will give you a update some time soon.
 

GuineaPigParty

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