Weight Gir

[Adrianne89]

Hey guys I have not been on in a long time because Gir and I are doing great he is happy and healthy we had out first bath and I removed his second level from the C&C cage but I am working on something a little more stable and easier for me clean. I got him July of last year and was told he was around 6 weeks old he was a store bought Guinea pig, I know now not to buy from stores but any ways he is only 850grams and I am worried that is too small. He eats alot and I give him veggies every other day. he has fresh water and pellets and plenty of hay all of the time. Should I just expect him to be smaller because he was store bought?

 

[Cavi_lover1]

hi! guinea pigs are guinea pigs. So being store bought they are no different from any other cavy's. (except I would never buy from a pet store, mostly rescues for me) but he will get bigger just give it time. But you guinea baby needs vitamin C as they do not produce their own. I would recommend buying drops for the water. But make sure that they are fresh veggies and you wash them as they could be contaminated. DO NOT OVERFEED especially with fruits. I know for a treat my guinea babys love apple slices. But make sure they always have fresh hay. Timothy hay. Regular pellet food (fresh) and if you only have one cavy get another. Cavys are herd animals and can become depressed and lethargic if they do not have a play mate. But if you do get another guinea pig make sure that they are the same sex. what kind of veggies are you feeding him? my babys love carrots and celery. But use carrots sparingly.

 

[Pawesomepet]

Is he satin? Satins can have problems with bone development, I'm still learning about it since I have a satin, but I know they tend to be smaller sometimes because of this(!?)

 

[MochaAndMoo]

Is he satin? Satins can have problems with bone development, I'm still learning about it since I have a satin, but I know they tend to be smaller sometimes because of this(!?)

Incorrect. Satins, due to their coat, have a higher chance of developing Osteodystrophy (which is a metabolic disease causing them to not absorb calcium correctly). In absolutely no way does that link to having a smaller structure. My satin girl weighs over a kilo and is humongous.

Cavies from larger litters tend to be smaller. He could have also have been the "runt" of the litter. If you are feeding him correctly (1 cup of veggies a day, 1/6 of a cup of good quality pellets and unlimited long strand grass hay) I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Pawesomepet]

Ah thanks for that, that is why I put the ? At the end in hopes that someone would correct it if it was wrong! All I know is my satin male is very small way smaller than all the rest of mine and he's coming on a year and a half now.

 

[GoldieBrodiexx]

hi! guinea pigs are guinea pigs. So being store bought they are no different from any other cavy's. (except I would never buy from a pet store, mostly rescues for me) but he will get bigger just give it time. But you guinea baby needs vitamin C as they do not produce their own. I would recommend buying drops for the water. But make sure that they are fresh veggies and you wash them as they could be contaminated. DO NOT OVERFEED especially with fruits. I know for a treat my guinea babys love apple slices. But make sure they always have fresh hay. Timothy hay. Regular pellet food (fresh) and if you only have one cavy get another. Cavys are herd animals and can become depressed and lethargic if they do not have a play mate. But if you do get another guinea pig make sure that they are the same sex. what kind of veggies are you feeding him? my babys love carrots and celery. But use carrots sparingly.

Drops in the water are a big no-no. Here's a link to the Reference section saying why: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...drops-in-Water-or-can-I-put-Tang-in-the-water

Guinea pig pellets are fortified with vit C, that's why we can't feed them rabbit pellets. If your pig is getting a balanced diet of veggies, extra vitamin C is completely pointless.

 

[Adrianne89]

I don't feed him veggies every day because i can't afford to buy that much but I try to give him veggies often and I feed him Romain lettuce and green and red bell peppers a few carrots on occasion and as a treat I will get him snap beans because he loves them. he also either gets chunks of tomatoes or I feed him the cherry tomatoes. as of right now I need to go buy him some veggies because I am out. I am just concerned because he is already a year old and only 850 g.

 

[Adrianne89]

oh and I have vitamin c treat things I give him on occasion too because I was told the drops are bad

 

[MochaAndMoo]

I don't feed him veggies every day because i can't afford to buy that much but I try to give him veggies often and I feed him Romain lettuce and green and red bell peppers a few carrots on occasion and as a treat I will get him snap beans because he loves them. he also either gets chunks of tomatoes or I feed him the cherry tomatoes. as of right now I need to go buy him some veggies because I am out. I am just concerned because he is already a year old and only 850 g.

Guinea pigs need a cup of veggies a day. While hay is important for dental and digestive health, it doesn't supply your cavy with all of the essential vitamins it needs. You can get a head of romaine/red leaf lettuce for about $2 (Which for one pig, should last you about 3-5 days), bell pepper is about $1. If you can't spare a mere three dollars a week, then I don't think you will be able to pay for any emergency vet bills.
Guinea pigs (if eating the correct diet) should not need any vitamin C supplementation of any sort. https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List

 

[Adrianne89]

You are right about the 3 dollars... but I also have other expenses with him bedding is one and Ive been tight on money the past month but I usually do have veggies for him ... he doesn't eat a whole cup every day I put them in there and he doesn't finish them all.. But I will start being more vigilant about it because I want him to be healthy and happy. I only have a 2X3 cage and that is not good for more than one cavy so I haven't thought about getting another until I can expand his cage plus my husband says I don't have enough time for one much less two.