Please note that it is normal for guinea pigs to eat their soft, nitrogen-rich faeces that are derived from their caecum after they pass them coprophagy. This does not indicate any kind of dietary deficiency or abnormality and guinea pigs should be allowed to do this. Guinea pigs should not be fed Lucerne alfalfa or Clover hay, as these are too high in protein and calcium.
The hay that you feed should be available 24 hours a day and of good quality; dry, sweet smelling, and not contain any mold, mildew or fungus. This is paramount in providing a complete diet and encourages the guinea pigs to chew for long periods of time. This chewing helps to wear down their continuously growing teeth and is very important in maintaining dental and gastrointestinal health. Some examples of these include dark leafed lettuce varieties such as rocket, dandelion greens, snow peas, and herbs such as marjoram, borage, marigold, nasturtium, rosemary, parsley, coriander, basil, and dill.
Other foods that are good to fed guinea pigs a few times a week include broccoli, cabbage, endive, carrot tops, Brussels sprouts, kale, silver beet, mint, and fruits such as apples but with no seeds , mango, and papaya. Provide your guinea pigs with a dietary source of Vitamin C because like humans , guinea pigs cannot synthesise Vitamin C from other food substances.
Vitamin C rich foods such as leafy green veggies and capsicums green, orange, and red should be fed to your guinea pigs daily. Foods like carrots, kiwifruit, berries, and pineapple are also great as a source of Vitamin C and a tasty treat for your guinea pigs but only feed them a few times a week, not every day, as these foods have quite a high sugar content.
Make sure that you source grass, herbs, fruits, and vegetables that have not been sprayed by any chemicals, as these could harm your guinea pigs. Guinea pigs 6 months or less or pregnant or nursing may be fed pellets with some alfalfa. Guinea pigs over 6 months should be fed timothy pellets. Pellets containing alfalfa contain a large of calcium alfalfa is calcium-rich. Guinea pigs 6 months or less need the extra calcium for development; guinea pigs over 6 months don't. Guinea pigs over 6 months, therefore, should be fed timothy pellets to reduce the likelihood of a stone forming.
Pellets fed to guinea pigs of any age should be free from "junk" like nuts, seeds, etc. Pet stores sell many treats for guinea pigs. The honey sticks, seed sticks, yogurt drops, gummy vitamin C chews, and other sweet treats sold at pet stores aren't good for guinea pigs.
They contain too much sugar and too many calories. Don't provide them. If you want to provide a treat, any of the Oxbow Simple Rewards are fine when provided in moderation.
Oxbow Simple Rewards contain no added sugar or fattening ingredients like seeds and nuts. Vitamin C is important to the health of guinea pigs. Guinea pigs unfortunately do not make their own vitamin C and rely on getting it from their diet. The pellets, vegetables, and fruits guinea pigs consume contain vitamin C. It is a good idea to provide guinea pigs with supplemental vitamin C, especially older guinea pigs who often don't absorb nutrients as well and sick guinea pigs who need the vitamin C for recovery.
Vitamin C supplements: Hyland Baby tab: They are a soft quick-dissolve tab with a nice lemon flavor that most guinea pigs like. They need to go right in the mouth so you need a cooperative guinea pig. One tablet per guinea pig. Liquid C: Not the kind from the pet store but the kind from the human health food store. It is administered orally by a syringe. Some people are concerned about the sweetener. The sweetener covers up the bitter taste of vitamin C.
Without it, you likely wouldn't get your guinea pigs to take liquid C. Administration of liquid C gets your guinea pigs used to taking liquids by oral syringe, which makes future administration of medicines easier it won't be a new, scary thing.
As a quick and easy reference, we have put together the following charts to compare calcium and vitamin C concentrations in our recommended veggies to control or monitor intake of these nutrients source: USDA Food Composition Database. How can I prevent bladder sludge in my guinea pig? What are the best kind of treats for guinea pigs? How can I make sure that my guinea pig's teeth stay healthy? Back to Blog Home.
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