Weight gain - too much, too fast?

[tihea]

Molly is our latest rescue, a real looker of a pig - http://www.tihea.com/mtstatic/log/oldlog/molly1.html - and by all means getting used to being picked up, loved, floor time, and hey even nail trimming isn´t too bad... But Molly, despite all that silky hair, is grossly underweight at 2 pounds (her weight the night we got her, Thursday) When you feel her sides, not only can you feel her hip bones, but also all her ribs stick out, far enough so that the skin is "sucked down" in between the ribs themselves.

A call to the vet wasn´t too helpful (a new vet, trying to find someone on Cape Cod in the summer is hidious!) and she is going in on Friday, other than that the vet just suggested upping her carb and fat intake. We´re feeding alfalfa, and added some yogart chips to her feed dish (of course she gets pellets and veggies daily as well) Seems to be working, as she is gaining just about 1/2 ounce every day since we got her - 2 pounds, 2 ounces today. And my question is - Is this weight gain too fast? I would be happier picking her up without feeling all those ribs, but i don´t want to stress her body too much by having her gain weight to quickly. Is there some weight loss that is common when a pig is rescued or is moved from one house to another?

[Lynx]

I would ditch the yogurt chips and be happier not doing extra carbs or fat. Guinea pigs do not eat fat, per se. I think if you give her lots of just plain healthy good food, she will put on weight naturally.

Unlimited alfalfa pellets
Unlimited hay
Fresh vegetables and perhaps a few fruits.

I´m guessing if her teeth are okay and she is hungry, she will put on the weight just fine.

[lisam]

I´m with Lynx. I would stick to the natural healthy foods. I don´t like the sugar in those yogurt chips.

[kleenmama]

How about some oats? I´ve found they work well with pigs who are thin. Just regular Quaker oats. I give about 2 tablespoons a day.