Guinea pig weight loss

Question
We have two guinea pigs, one of which has been losing weight over the past few months. She appears to have a good appetite and is always first in the food dish before her sister. They have plenty of vegitables,spend most warm days in a run on the lawn where they tend to eat the grass.
Can you please give any idea why she has lost almost a third of her body weight.

        MAny Thanks


            John R

Answer
Hi John,

There are several reasons for weight loss in a guinea pig, and any dramatic change in weight is a cause for concern, so please take her to a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet ASAP. If she seemes generally healthy, then hopefully you have caught whatever it is early.

What is their diet like? Guinea pigs cannot survive on grass and veggies alone. A diet that contains lots of fresh veg is of course wonderful for them, but too much grass can cause diarrhoea. Hay is very important; a guinea pig needs to eat a guinea-pig-sized amount of hay per day in order to fully digest its food. And a dried mix (such as Gerty Guinea Pig) is a very useful supplment to make sure they get all the vitamins and minerals they need.

Good luck and if you have any other questions, just ask!

Jenny.