Candy - weightloss

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:20 pm


https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewt ... 006#995006

Candy, a senior abby sow, came in here from the shelter 2 days ago. She looked to be in relatively good condition, although very thin at 1lb 15.1 ounces.

She eats and drinks well, output is good.

Each day she loses a small amount of weight - not significant, but concerning. Today, she's down to 1lb 14.6 ounces.

I've never had a pig come in here and lose weight.

I doubt it's her molars - she can chow down a baby carrot in no time without dropping any bits.

I've put some CC in her cage today, but I don't think food consumption is her problem.

I'm not inclined yet to put her through the stress of a vet visit, blood draw, xrays, etc, but I don't have a particularly good feeling about this.

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PiggieMamma
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:25 pm


Mum, I'm sorry to hear. You're always the expert I turn to in these situations, so I'm not sure my 'advice' will be much help.

Could it possibly be the stress of the whole ordeal causing Candy to lose weight?

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:35 pm


She was thin on the first day I saw her in the shelter.

I was hoping it was an inadequate diet or that her friend was eating everything. But I'm betting something else is going on.

And, of course, I have absolutely no idea how old she is, except that I think she's up there in years.

HollyT
Get on your bike.

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:40 pm


I really think you need to let pigs get themselves settled. One ounce is not concerning. You are probably just a worried mom because you love her.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:42 pm


I hope I'm just being neurotic!

HollyT
Get on your bike.

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:45 pm


A few more ounces over the course of a couple weeks would be something to investigate. It's good to watch her though. I think we tend to jump to conclusions and start handfeeding and all that too soon which doesn't do the pig any good. You know? Just my opinion.

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rshevin

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:00 pm


Smudgie lost small amounts of weight for the first 3-5 days he was with me. I was eventually able to get him to gain by whetting his appetite with small volumes of critical care, about 5mL. He loved his CC and would suck it out of the syringe but giving him less than he wanted encouraged eating pellets on his own.

How does she feel around the spine, ribs, hips, and other joints?

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:05 pm


She feels like a bag of bones - poor baby.

I hadn't planned on handfeeding her - I just put some CC in her cage, along with her hay and pellets.

She's a snuggle bunny too, and absolutely adorable! [/quote]

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rshevin

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:29 pm


Poor sweetie. I hope she just needs some TLC from the Mumsie. I know hand feeding is a last resort. I hope she porks up soon. It's so funny when they do. Smudgie had this big tummy but the rest of him was still so pokey and boney. It took a few more weeks for everything to distribute out.

HollyT
Get on your bike.

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:19 pm


Snuggle bunny, eh?

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Wilbursmom

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:10 pm


Getting frantic about 0.5 ounces is so the kind of thing I would do, so I can understand where you're coming from getting worried.

I'm just theorizing, but I know for humans our bodies go into famine mode when we aren't getting enough food, and we hold onto weight. Perhaps now that food is plentiful her body is coming out of famine mode and not holding onto every bit of weight causing her to have greater output and a small dip in her weight before her weight starts to go up? I hope I'm making sense.


Good luck with her! Just being in a loving environment is so important for them.

Talishan
You can quote me

Post   » Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:12 pm


Ditto HollyT, rshevin and Wilbursmom. 0.5 oz is about 14 grams. She's lost about 7 grams a day. I wouldn't worry about it just yet. I would expect some fluctuation as malnourished as she is. You want her to gain, but you don't want her to gain too much too fast. That's happened to some of ours, and they end up uncomfortable until everything evens and distributes out.

mmmm~~~~~~~sheisnotaheartpig~~~~~~~mmmm
mmmm~~~~~~~sheisnotaheartpig~~~~~~~mmmm
mmmm~~~~~~~sheisnotaheartpig~~~~~~~mmmm

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