Feed unlimited amounts of hay and 18 cup of pellets per day as well. Guinea pig food list food they can eat and food they. Dangerous food for guinea pigs guinea pigs diet care. Highquality guinea pig food, timothy hay and limited amounts of vegetables and fruits. The effects of diet on anatomy, physiology and health in the guinea. In the beginning, owners just need to follow some guidelines and test out different treats when their pet first arrives. Require 30 to 50 mg of vitamin c daily from highquality food, vitamin supplements or fruits and vegetables high in vitamin c. Your guinea pig is a herbivore, which means he eats only plant material. A guinea pig that has a rough hair coat, is off his food, has diarrhea, is reluctant to walk, seems painful, has swollen feet or joints, or has hemorrhages and ulcers on its gums or skin, is likely to be deficient in vitamin c. Remember that although you may view a particular food as a tasty treat, this same food if given to your guinea pigs could be extremely dangerous. Health problems in guinea pigs vca animal hospital. Infants, young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and the infirm or elderly are at greater risk of infections and should use caution when in contact with the guinea pig or its habitat. Read below to learn what to feed your guinea pig, as well as other.
There are some foods that are bad for your guinea pig and others that are actually poisonous and must be avoided completely. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Special diets services ssd sds special diet services. Today, you can find many different brands of food on the market. Guinea pigs diet and care recommendations general information the guinea pig cavia porcellus was first domesticated in 2000 bc for food by mountain tribes in the andean region of south america. Shopping list for needed supplies guinea pig pellets food bowl wood chews water bottle vitamin c supplement appropriate sized cage pine shavings or appropriate litter no cedar timothy hay guinea pig treats book. M 1007 maple avenue lisle, il 60532 630 7371281 guinea pigs, also known as cavies, are friendly rodents from south america that cavia porcellus were domesticated between 500 and a.
Grass hay should be the highfiber cornerstone of every guinea pig s diet. Carter, bvetmed 12930 ne 125h way, ste b, kirkland, wa 98034 ph. Guinea pig lab diet by purina animal nutrition southern. Guinea pig diet is formulated using the unique and innovative concept of constant nutrition, paired with the selection of highest quality ingredients to assure minimal inherent biological variation in longterm studies. Keep your guinea pigs home clean and wash your hands before and after handling your guinea pig, or cleaning her home.
I just got two guinea pigs for christmas, and im not sure that im doing the best with their diet, as far as greens and vegetables go. Guinea pig diet 5025 description guinea pig diet is ormulated to maintain reproduction, lactation, growth and maintenance of guinea pigs. Guinea pigs naturally eat a diet of grasses, plants, vegetables and crops, which can be difficult to replicate at home. The guinea pig is a native of peru, brazil, and argentina that was domesticated by the inca indians.
Hi, i just need to clear some things up with myself. See if separation from other household pets is not an issue, an opentopped enclosure will allow you to pet and interact with your cavy more easily. See more ideas about guinea pigs, guinea pig care and pet guinea pigs. Lab supply is proud to provide a number of great laboratory diets for guinea pigs from labdiet. Since replacing the hay in your guinea pigs habitat can encourage picky eating, we recommend changing it only when soiled. Never leave a guinea pig unattended in the presence of a dog, cat, ferret or any other predatory animal size. Further research to quantify nutrient requirements and to identify sources of variation in nutrient requirements of the guinea pig is needed. The keys to a good diet for your guinea pigs are to use a. Fresh fruit and vegetables feed at least one cup of fresh vegetables per guinea pig daily. Caring for your guinea pig diet housing greensborough vet. Did you know that the cause of a number of health problems in rabbits and guinea pigs is due to a wrong diet. Ideally a nutritional analysis of a nonpellet based diet will ensure there are no vitamin nor mineral deficiencies.
Storing the diet in a well ventilated area, in a refrigerated storeroom, will prolong the stability of the vitamin and general quality of the diet. The keys to a good diet for your guinea pigs are to use a wide range of vegetables and a bit of fruit. Learn what foods are safe for your guinea pig to keep them happy and healthy throughout their lives. Your friends piggies diet should be heavy on the dark green veggies and very light on the fruit. Guinea pig food list food they can eat and food they should not. What do guinea pigs eat and what is the best guinea pig diet for your pets. Guinea pigs are herbivores, so their diet should be one based on highquality guinea pig hay, pelleted guinea pig food and limited amounts of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. Bare in mind that pellets are better nutrition but bore the living st out of them, and a mix is more enjoyable. You should give something much higher in mineral content and vitamin for your guinea pig. Whether its pellets, grass hay, daily greens, or the occasional fruit snack, it may often seem like your guinea pig is born to eat and create magic beans. If you dont know that a vegetable is safe to feed, dont feed it. A guinea pig s diet consisting of high timothy hay is rather healthy for them.
The daily vitamin c requirement for an adult guinea pig is around 2025mg and up to 3040mg in pregnant guinea pigs. What healthy guinea pigs should be eating biobubble pets. An imbalance in nutrition can cause chronic diarrhea, obesity and diseases of the heart, liver or kidneys. Guinea pig care sheet always wash your hands after handling your guinea pig or its housing to help maintain sanitary conditions. The diet of the guinea pig should be made up of fresh fruits, vegetables, commercialized pellets and timothy hay.
The following handout gives you some advice on how to care for your guinea pig. Jessi shares that nutrition is one of the most important things for animals in captivity, including common pets. Yesterday i gave them carrots and lettuce, and today i gave them celery. Heres a video on guinea pig diet featuring all my piggies. They continue to be a food source in ecuador, peru, and bolivia. Online community of guinea pig owners the homepage of guinea pig owners with a. This is paired with the selec tion of highest quality ingredients to assure minimal inherent. Vegetables and herbs are an important aspect of any guinea pig diet. Moreover vitamin c degrades in commercial guinea pig food after 90 days. Having a solid routine in place can help you provide your guinea pig all the basics for care. Pellets containing alfalfa contain a large of calcium alfalfa is calciumrich. Kenneth welle, an exotic pet veterinarian at the university of illinois veterinary teaching hospital in urbana, has advice on housing and feeding your guinea pig.
Dangerous guinea pig food list unsafe foods the guinea. Making sure you feed a well balanced diet and your guinea pigs get. Long term balanced general and special needs guinea pig. Keep fruits and vegetables low in calcium, low in oxalic acids.
A diet based on only hay or pellets cannot be sustainable for any guinea pig in the long run. Timothy hay is the best hay to feed, although other grass hays are acceptable. Labdiet is highly trusted among many animal facilities and it is definitely a brand that you can trust in your lab. You need to feed your guinea pigs some good quality guinea pig nuggets make sure you follow the guidelines on the packet as to how much to feed them on a daily basis. Guinea pigs require a balanced diet of hay, pellets, vegetables, and fruit.
Benefits fortified with 300mg per kg of ascorbyl polyphosphate, a stable and readily available form of vitamin c which will not require supplementation during the full shelflife of. The nutritional requirements for guinea pigs used for breeding and scientific research is very different than the needs for our house pet guinea pig. Provide twice daily an assortment of foods 4 or 5 types such as carrots, peas. Although individual needs will depend on your pets age, lifestyle and state of health, here are the most important factors you should consider. The abovementioned guinea pig diet can be supplemented with other guinea pig food as well. A diet containing a large amount of calcium can cause stones to form in a guinea pig. Some products we recommend may be in short supply due to covid19 lockdown. Well, these were some of the interesting facts about guinea pigs. Many of the diseases guinea pigs get, occur as a direct result of poor housing and feeding. Guinea pig diet list diet plans tips dietandhealths. In order to assure adequate levels of vitamin c, guinea pig diets are very often supplemented either by.
As the population of guinea pigs used in research declined, the popularity of the guinea pig as a pet has soared. Read useful information about guinea pig diet and find out which vegetable and fruits are good for your pet and what can be toxic and cause problems. Clean, fresh, filtered, chlorinefree water, changed daily. Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame. Oxbow has provided this basic care guide to help you keep your pet guinea pig healthy and happy. The following guide will show you everything you need for a balanced guinea pig diet including what pellets to feed, fruits and vegetables that guinea pigs can eat, types of hay, and information on vitamin c supplements for your pigs. Better would be a whole romaine leaf for each pig torn into pieces, 14 tomato for each pig cut into bite size pieces, and two slices of green bell pepper or two sprigs of parsley for each pig. My first response, after looking at my two little guinea pig pups, would be they will eat anything you can see how cute they are in the video below. Guinea pig your guinea pig is a herbivore, which means he eats only plant material. The effects of diet on anatomy, physiology and health in the guinea pig. The fiber in hay helps meet the important digestive health needs of herbivores such as guinea pigs. Johnsondelaney, dvm guinea pigs are strict herbivores and need fiber to keep their gut moving.
It is necessary to supplement with vitamin c because a diet high in hay is actually low in vitamin c. Guinea pigs are herbivores, meaning they eat only grasses, vegetables and fruit. Like most parts of their diet is hay which is really important for them but at the same time, a good balance of other vitamins and minerals is equally important. Guinea pigs are easy to care for, but any pet needs a routine to thrive. Guinea pigs 6 months or less need the extra calcium for development. Special diets services guinea pig pelleted suitable species and applications guinea pigs for breeding and maintenance. Guinea pigs and primates cannot manufacture their own vitamin c. Guinea pigs over 6 months should be fed timothy pellets.
A guinea pig cage should have a solid floor covered in bedding rather than a wirebottom cage, which can cause problems if the guinea pig catches its toes on the wire. Heres the best diet and nutritional care for guinea pigs. The recommended diet for pet guinea pigs consists of fresh guinea pig pellets 18 to 20 percent crude protein and 10 to 16 percent fiber, an unlimited supply of high quality grass hay timothy. Keep fruits and vegetables low in calcium, low in oxalic acids and to aim for a good balance of calcium. With an insatiable diet comes the responsibility to learn what constitues a proper guinea pig diet. We provide an detailed list of food your guinea pigs really like and also a blacklist which food. For optimum health, grass hay should be the mainstay of you guinea pig s diet. The high fiber content of hay will help keep you guinea pig s digestive system normal. What healthy guinea pigs should be eating that petblog a guinea pigs diet is fairly simple. To reduce the likelihood of a stone forming, guinea pigs should be provided with unlimited mixed grass e. Pdf on jan 1, 2017, agata witkowska and others published the effects of diet on anatomy, physiology and health in the guinea pig find, read and cite all the. Housing and feeding your guinea pig veterinary medicine. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
Stones are painful and often require surgery to remove. Some guinea pig owners choose to instead feed a wider variety of hays and fresh food, forgoing pellets due to medical conditions like recurring bladder stones. What can i feed my guinea pig the guinea pig safe food. We provide an detailed list of food your guinea pigs really like and also a blacklist which food should not be provided to build up a proper diet.
My rabbit or guinea pig has special requirements what. It may make you overwhelming when choose your brand of food for the. Choosing guinea pig safe foods can be a bit of a challenge. If you have a pregnant or baby guinea pig, this will goes as well. Guinea pigs are herbivorous meaning they only eats plants and feed. For example, if your pig gets diarrhea, simply decrease their intake of plant matter while increasing their intake of hay, as it promotes a healthy digestive system. A daily recommended amount of a uniform, fortified food provides. As rightly pointed out, guinea pigs like humans, can not process their own vit c and need a daily dose of it. Im not sure what to give them tomorrow, as im trying to give thing in moderation, and i dont know every healthy green. The nutrient requirements listed in this chapter represent mean values that are thought to be representative but not necessarily sufficient in all circumstances. In this case you will need to look at feeding them a low calcium diet to prevent them getting bladder stones which can be very painful for them. Along with a healthy diet, proper care should be taken of their hygiene also. February 17, 2019 the below guinea pig dangerous foods list is a compilation of vegetables, fruits, and. A proper diet is the cornerstone of good health for any pet.
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