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One of my guinea pigs, Tizzy, needs to gain some weight. He isn't exactly skinny, but could definatly stand to have a little more fat! He gets a normal amout of food (if not more:rolleyes:), but he MOVES alot! Always has, and he's always been "fit", so he I'm sure it isn't that he's sick or anything. So, what can I do to make him gain some weight? :)
How much does he weigh? Smudge is a skinny guinea pig, and Patches is a bit pudgy. Any different changes of brands of food? Or a new environment, etc.? Changes can temporarily stop them from eating. Also, how old is he? Did you recently get him? Is he the only guinea pig? I'm sorry, this is a lot of questions but they help to figure out if he is a healthy weight. I give my pigs 1/2 a cup of pellets and enough timothy hay to feed their hunger, not that I'm saying you're giving them a bad amount of food, though. He may not need to gain weight at all, as he may be a very healthy weight. Male guinea pig's weight is usually around 2 to 2 1/2 lbs. So weigh him and basically monitor him to see if he is eating. :)
I'm not sure how much he weighs, and I don't have an acurate scale so I can't weigh him. But I can easily feel his bones (but not see them), and some knowlegable people have said that he is a bit underweight.
No new food, environment, or anything like that.
He is 4 years and 4 months old, I've had him since he was 10 weeks or so.
He has a cagemate, a 1 year 3 months old boar, they've lived together for about a year, without any problems.
The pigs get their foodbowl filled with pelletfood every day, about 1 cup of veggies, unlimited hay, and lots of treats. They also have a bowl of rolled oats out all the time that gets filled frequently.
Tizzy eats ALOT, that isn't the problem. In fact, he is a very greedy boy.
:D
Wow, I really don't know what to say. He seems healthy, but you can see his ribs. Soooo, I am guessing his metabolism is very fast. I guess you should just keep feedin' him!
Talk to a vet experienced with guinea pigs. If you don't want to take him in, just call. If they say that there should be nothing wrong with him, try giving him alfalfa hay sometimes. It has the extra fats that under weight, prenant, and baby piggies need.
I was also going to share the same advice that Chrissy did. I have a great "pocket pet vet," though I know some areas don't have one expereinced in treating small critters. Alfalfa hay is a great source of extra calories, but you don't want to feed him that as a steady hay diet. You might want to buy one of those little scales so that you can monitor his weight, just to make sure he's not losing!:)