guinea pig diet
All About a Guinea Pig’s Diet
Here’s some info on guinea pig food and dietary concerns.
The best advice is usually simple and I am going to start with that. Feed your guinea pig twice per day but please try to make this more or less at the same time each day. A little variance is okay but try to aim for regularity.
Guinea pigs are herbivores and as such should never be given meat or dairy products. In addition a lot of commercial guinea pig food and treats are full of unnecessary empty calories and chemicals such as oils, animal byproducts, nuts, seeds, and sugars. In the wild guinea pigs would eat fruits, vegetables, weeds, grasses, and herbs.
In general you must avoid:
- Meat and dairy
- Corn
- Tomato leaves
- Potatoes (including peels)
- Raw beans
- Rhubarb
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Sunflower seeds
- Dried fruit
- Long stalks of celery (not digestible)
Do I need to buy a special kind of dry food? You can. One of the best brands is Oxbow. They have different formulations for adolescents and adults. In general you are looking for 20% protein, 16% fiber, and a good amount of vitamin C.
What you don’t need to buy: mineral wheels, salt licks, and Vitamin supplements you add to water. Your guinea pig does not need any of these products. Excess minerals can lead to kidney and bladder stones. Vitamin C supplements degrade extremely quickly in daylight and make water taste bad, further increasing your guinea pig’s chances in having urinary tract problems.
Focus on giving fresh vegetables at each meal (and remove any leftovers right away.) Hard vegetables will do wonders for keeping your guinea pig’s teeth in check and green leaves will provide the vitamin C your guinea pig really needs.
Hay! Hay is key both for digestion and tooth health. Timothy hay is the best choice and you can find this online, at pet stores, or farm supply stores.
Water
Make sure your guinea pig gets fresh water every day. Be sure to wash out the water bottle every night to prevent bacteria. Keep an eye on how much water your guinea pig is drinking. If it doesn’t appear to be much, consider adding a second water dish or even feeding your guinea pig by hand using a needless syringe.
