Guinea Pig Diet
What do Guinea Pigs eat? What fresh fruit and vegetables should I be feeding my Guinea Pigs? Which is the best nutritious food for them? Find out the answers in this Diet care guide.
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Dietary Needs overviewGuinea Pigs need Vitamin C. This most commonly comes from fresh fruit and vegetables.
They always have to have fresh hay (preferably meadow hay) readily available to them at all times. Their dry food needs to be topped up once every morning (the amount you feed them should be clearly marked out on the packet of food) in a bowl that they can easily access at all times. They also need access to clean water in a proper watering bottle at all times. |
Fresh fruit and vegGuinea Pigs need to be fed fresh vegetables (for example carrot, apple, peppers, lettuce, etc...) twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
They should be fed fruit at least once a week, but not too often as fruits can get too acidic and sugary It should just be a large handful of vegetables (1 cup) per Guinea Pig a day (so half a cup in the morning, and half in the evening), and they should be placed on a clean surface in the cage, or hand fed to them (this will tame them and get them accustomed to you) For a whole list on safe and unsafe fruit and veg that you can and can't feed your Guinea Pigs, please click here. |
Reccommended Guinea Pig diet products:
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Dry foodGuinea Pigs dry food needs to be topped up once every morning (the exact amount you feed them should be clearly marked out on the packet of food) in a bowl that they can easily access at all times.
Once you choose a food plan (the kind of dry food you feed them) you should stick to it forever, because they will get accustomed to that kind of food and will not be able to change over from one food plan to another that easily. The dry food we reccommend here at Guiena Pig Care ONline is Excel Guinea Pig Tasty Nuggets, because they come in nuggets, and prevent selective feeding. They also have mint to aid digestion, and many vital nutrients. The dry food you buy should always be specifically made for Guinea Pigs, and should be in one kind of nuggets. If you buy your Guinea Pigs 'muesli' - type food (with lots of different pieces of food) this can encourage Selective Feeding, as the Guinea Pigs will pick out the parts they like and leave the ones they don't. Store the food in an airtight container, as the food can oxidise and loose their vital nutrients and vitamins. If your Guinea Pigs have not eaten their dry food for at least two days, seek medical advice. |
Meadow HayGuinea Pigs always need fresh grass hay readily available to them in unlimited quantities at all times. Hay is vital for them as the fibre is used by their digestive system to help them digest food. Guinea Pigs also love hay, as any observant owner will know.
If you have grass growing in your garden, feed them this as well as hay, as they love fresh grass (If you do feed them fresh grass from your lawn, ensure it contains no buttercups or daisies as these are harmful to Guinea Pigs) Even though they love to play in hay, the importance of hay in a Guinea Pig's diet cannot be stressed enough. Without it, they will die |
Clean WaterLike the hay, Guinea Pigs should have access to an unlimited amount of clean, fresh water at all times.
It should be available in a proper drinking bottle made for Guinea Pigs, and attached to their cage. It should be emptied, cleaned out (and washed) and refilled with clean, filtered water at least once a week Other pages in the 'Basic Care' section of The Guinea Pig GuidesCleaning Out
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