Treacle isn't gaining weight

[Naomi]

I bought Treacle home when she was about 12wks old and weighing 675g. That was on 16th nov, she has since gone down to 650g and stayed there! I'm not limiting her pellets or anything and she never runs out of either pellets or hay but I'm getting worried that she's now 4 and half months old and not gained anything yet? Could this just be because she was a fairly hefty size at 12weeks and she's just levelling off to a normal size now or should I be doing something else to help her gain?

[bunchesofjoy]

This is probably a dumb question, but are you sure she was 12 weeks? I was told my boys were 3 years old, and my vet guessed 6 months, and they're growing like weeds.

Sorry, I didn't read your intro, so maybe you do know for sure.

[Naomi]

Well I guess I don't know for sure but I got her from pets at home and they normally sell them around 10-14 weeks, I know pet shops aren't the most reliable but this store is pretty good.

[bunchesofjoy]

Do they do adoptions, too, or just purchases? Mine were surrendered by someone, but were still at the store. My vet said mine had baby feet and they were brand new. This is going to sound stupid probably, but do their feet look new?

[bunchesofjoy]

You may want to just check with a vet. My vet also does vaccination clinics where she does a quick exam for cheaper. There's also some nutrition stuff that is supposed to help animals gain weight, but I have no idea what's it's called.

[Naomi]

They do have a separate adoption section but I do believe her age is fairly accurate and yes I know what you mean-she does look like a young pig should, besides if she were older than they said I would expect her to be bigger by now.

[bunchesofjoy]

Ya, I'm sorry. That was my only possible input. I hope she gets better.

[Orlaith]

The first question I'd ask is if her initial weight was accurate. I've done it myself where I haven't blanked the scales properly and ended up thinking a pig was heavier than he or she was and then panicking when a load of weight seemingly dropped off them a week later! In your case it would make it seem like her weight is level when actually she has gained weight.

I wouldn't count 25g as a loss, to be honest, as it's typical to allow for a daily fluctuation of about 30g to allow for differences in food eaten and pooped out day to day. I would expect for her to have gained weight in the six weeks you've had her, though. However, for her age her weight is fine and so long as she doesn't start to look thin then I wouldn't worry too much.

Some pigs are naturally smaller than others. I've had a few adult pigs weigh in at 850g-900g at their fully grown size, so if she's going to be a petite lady then she has a few months to go to reach this. If you're worried about her weight then you could supplement her by adding a few porridge oats to her pellets, or giving her foods like beets, which will help to build her up.

Keep a weight journal for the next month or two. Only weigh her once a week as you'll drive yourself mad! You might see a slow creep upwards.

The bottom line is not to get too hung up on the numbers, particularly if she is well in herself, eating with a good appetite, happy, bright-eyed and pooping and peeing without any problems. That's more important than worrying about her size.

[Naomi]

Thanks Orlaith, I guess I have no way of knowing if the original weight was off but she looks good in herself and her weight this week is 700g so she has now gained a little bit, I'll keep monitoring her but here's hoping she'll keep gaining now she's started.

[Orlaith]

Fingers crossed!