# River's weight?



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Not sure if this fits in diet and nutrition or health but I need some reassurance on River's weight. I weigh all the hogs weekly. Winter has skyrockted to 450 weeks shy of his 6 months birthday. Penny is holding stead at 420 and Rose is steadily lose some of that fat at 490 grams. 

River is my tiniest! She has now lost another 10 grams putting her at 374 gram as of this morning. She was 492 grams when I got her back in August. She was overweight but now I'm worried she is under weight. She runs all night, I have her on a high fat diet food with mealworms, superworms and wax worms (4 every night) and she is still losing weight. 

Her food is currently:

Fromm Kitten Gold - 34 protein and 20 fat
Natural Balance Veniso, Turkey and Lamo - 34 protein and 14 fat
Canidae Pure Ocean - 36 protein and 16 fat
Nature's Variety Rabbit Wet Cat food - 40 protein and 30 fat
Nature's Variety Raw Beef - 44 protein and 23 fat 

And she eats it! She gets 1 tsp of the raw and 1 tsp of the wet and then 1 and 1/2 tbsp of her dry food mix. She normally leaves a 1/2 tsp of food left over. 

Cage temp is good, lighting schedule is good, wheeling is good. I have attached a few pictures that I tried to get of her in the tub. She looks okay but she just feels so light. Maybe she is just a smaller hog than I first realized but my others are so huge compared that I worry.


----------



## ashleyyy (Sep 22, 2014)

She doesn't look to be concave or convex! She may just be small. What was her diet, exercise habits, etc like before you got her?


----------



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

I have no idea. She was with her breeder for almost a year. I think she was being held for possible breeding purposes but either they decided against it or she wasn't a good mother. The only thing I know is that she was Purina Pro Plan Indoor Cat before I got her and little while after.

I'm glad you don't think she looks skinny. I think I'm just comparing her to my other fatties. :grin:


----------



## ellisrks01 (Mar 25, 2014)

The pics are from kinda far away but I zoomed it a little. She looks ok to me too. 

She has obviously lost a good bit of weight in a few months, but maybe you just got her down to her healthy weight?(since you don't know what was going on at the breeders) She's on a great diet, hopefully the weight will start to stay steady. I hope so!. I know it's stressful weight watching hedgies, trust me.
Also she might just be more active living with you instead of the breeders. IdK that's just what pops in my head.

By the way does everyone like the Nature's Variety Raw Beef? I do the duck formula but haven't tried the beef yet, even though my guys are beef lovers.


----------



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Honestly, I was terrified to drop my phone in the water! But it was the only way I knew to get her to walk around! :lol:

I'm hoping she steadies out soon. I can't believe she is losing weight on such a high fat diet! It just blows my mind. 

Omg, they practically run to the bowl when I put in their cage. They adore their beef.


----------



## ellisrks01 (Mar 25, 2014)

DesireeM81 said:


> I'm hoping she steadies out soon. I can't believe she is losing weight on such a high fat diet! It just blows my mind.


Yah, that's what I don't get it's a pretty high fat diet for a adult hog, isn't she around 1and half or 2 years old?? I wish I had some good insight for you but I don't  sorry.


----------



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

She turned a year in August, so just under a year and a half.


----------



## ellisrks01 (Mar 25, 2014)

I just re-read your post. I guess she would be about a 1 1/2 years old if she sat at the breeders for almost a year.


----------



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Yeah her birthday is Sept 13th, she is a year and 3 months.


----------



## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

I wonder if it's because of the quality of the food is providing the nutrition, even though it's fairly high fat. Maybe she just has a fast metabolism. 
There's so much we don't know.

Drives you crazy doesn't it?


----------



## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

She looks fine to me. She might just be a smaller hog (I find everything under 500 grams small though :lol: )


----------



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

It is driving me crazy! I just worry about her losing weight on such a high diet. I've debated removing her wheel but that just seems cruel and she seems perfectly healthy. 

I remember when I first picked the girls up. Both girls were so overweight! They were the biggest hogs I had ever seen since both of my babies were still babies and these guys were chunky adults. :lol: Now, 400 plus grams seems really normal to me! 

Oh, I so want a bigger hog, that isn't over weight! I know everyone is into to tiny hedgehogs but I like the big guys. :-D


----------



## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

I love the bigger hogs too.  I've always had hogs over 500 grams, my biggest one is almost 1000 g (not an APH though) and I just love her size. 

I'm always afraid I will break the tiny ones... :lol:

It could be the change of food, for how long has she been on this new mix? If it's of better quality than the old one it could cause her to lose weight. I've had hogs lose weight after introducing better quality food (with the same fat %) until they stabilized at a healthy weight.


----------



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Well she was sick and on Hills AD for two months when I first got her. Before that, at the breeders she was on Purina Pro Plan Indoor Cat. She started eating on her own in October but that was my lower fat mix, I think it's been about three weeks or so on the higher fat diet. 

It's gonna be daily weigh in time now till I feel better about it. :roll:

Oh and Embla is the most awesome hedgehog! It's hard to believe our little guys have some of that in them huh?


----------



## ellisrks01 (Mar 25, 2014)

DesireeM81 said:


> Oh and Embla is the most awesome hedgehog!


^I agree! Im so jellous.

I also love big hogs. My friend is visting in England somewhere and left me a voicemail the other day saying her aunts dog picked up a hedgehog and it was about 3 times the size of mine. I wish I could see one in person and handle it. She said she wish she could smuggle it home for me:lol: but I'll be happy with pictures.


----------

