Weight Loss Hyperthyroid and slowing or reversing weight loss

[furrytaters]

My 4 year-old guinea pig Lola was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in December and is on medication to treat it. Her follow-up thyroid values were much improved, but still above normal on a 6-week follow-up. The veterinarian has increased the dose of her medication in hopes that her values continue to come down.

The main problem I am facing now is that she is continuing to lose weight rapidly. She has always been on the larger side for a female (around 950g) and she is now down into the 670g range losing around 10-20g per week. She is still eating her normal diet of unlimited hay and pellets and I see her eat frequently. She also loves her daily veggies and occasional fruit pieces. I have tried supplementing her diet with critical care to help her weight recovery, but she shows no interest in it at all. Does anyone have suggestions about other foods/supplements/tactics to help weight gain or at least slow the weight loss?

Other details about Lola: she is spayed and lives with an intact male who is a very chunky boi, so the weight gain methods have to be targeted (i.e. I take her out of the cage and give her a snack on her own or leave her in the cage and remove her cage mate so he doesn't also partake in the weight-gain foods)

 

[4boipigs]

Have you tried Emeraid or Sherwood Recovery?

 

[bpatters]

Emeraid is very similar to Oxbow's Critical Care. I dislike, extremely, the fact that Sherwood will not allow you to see a list of the ingredients in their SARx products, and for that reason alone, would avoid them.

The continued weight loss suggests to me that the treatment for hyperthyroid needs to be tweaked, somehow. I'm not sure what can be done for guinea pigs in that case, but weight loss is definitely a sign of hyperthyroidism.

If you can get that stabilized, you might be able to get the pig to slowly gain weight. But it's probably impossible unless the thyroid problem gets straightened out. Just be aware that adult guinea pigs do gain weight very slowly, if at all, so don't get discouraged and try to push a lot of high calorie foods.

 

[Anawilliam850]

I'm sorry to hear about Lola's weight loss. It sounds like you're already doing a lot of the right things by offering her a healthy diet of hay, pellets, and fresh veggies and trying to supplement her diet with critical care. Here are a few additional suggestions that may help:

1. Offer high-calorie snacks: In addition to her normal diet, you could offer Lola small, high-calorie snacks throughout the day. Good options might include fresh fruits like bananas, apples, or grapes, or small pieces of avocado or sweet potato. Just be careful not to overdo it with the treats, as too much sugar or fat can be unhealthy for guinea pigs.
2. Provide fresh grass: If you have access to fresh, untreated grass, you could try offering some to Lola. Guinea pigs love to graze, and fresh grass can be a good source of nutrients and calories.
3. Try different types of hay: If Lola isn't eating enough hay, you could try offering her different types to see if she has a preference. Timothy hay is a good choice for most guinea pigs, but you could also try orchard grass or meadow hay to see if she likes them better.
4. Consider adding a vitamin supplement: If Lola is still not gaining weight despite her improved thyroid values, it's possible that she's not absorbing enough nutrients from her food. You could try adding a vitamin C supplement to her water or food to see if that helps. Just be sure to choose a supplement specifically formulated for guinea pigs, as some human supplements can be harmful to them.
5. Offer multiple feeding stations: If Lola's cage mate is eating all of her food, you could try setting up multiple feeding stations to ensure that she gets enough to eat. You could also try feeding them separately for a period of time to ensure that Lola is getting all of the food she needs.

I hope these suggestions are helpful. It's important to continue to work with your veterinarian to monitor Lola's weight loss and ensure that her hyperthyroidism is being properly managed.