Guinea Pig Diet- the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
A Guineapigs diet
It is essential your guineapig gets fed the correct diet to ensure they are consuming all the vitamins and nutrients they need.
Dry food
Pellet food is far better for your guineapig than musli as it prevents them for selective feeding. With musli food Guineapigs usually leave the bits that have most fibre in so therefore you cannot keep check of how much they are consuming. Pellet food also minimises waste which also helps your pocket in the long run! All our guineapigs are fed on ‘Harringtons optimum guineapig food’.
Hay
Hay should make up 80% of a guineapigs diet meaning they need 24/7 access to it. There are lots of different hays available on the market. So which one is best for your guineapig? Guineapigs under six months still have growing to do which is why alfalfa hay is good for them as it is high in protein! Alfalfa hay should not be given to guineapigs over the age of six months.
Timothy or meadow hay is the most common hay given to guinepigs over 6 months. Our guineapigs are all fed on baled hay from a farm as we find it is much greener and cheaper than shop bought hay!
Fruit and vegetables
Like humans, guineapigs cannot produce their own vitamin C. Lack of vitmain C can lead to scurvy. Vegetables are a great source of vitamin C and should be fed daily alongside hay and pellets. Fruit on the other hand is very high in natural sugars which if over fed can lead to obesity or diabetes. I would recommend feeding fruit once every two weeks as a treat.
Here is a list of safe fruit and vegetables:
Key: Can be fed daily, can be fed 2-3 times a week, can be fed once a week or less.
Bell pepper
Asparagus
Raw beetroot
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage, savoy and red
Carrots
Coriander
Parsley
Cauliflower
Green beans
Little gem lettuce
Romaine lettuce
Pak choi
Cucumber
Raspberries
Raspberry leaves
Celery, remove tough fibres
Sweet potato
Chicory
Corn on the cob
Courgette
Tomato
Strawberries
Spinach
Curly kale
Parsnip
Pear
Mango
Melon
Unsafe foods:
Onion
Potato, raw
Avocado
Buttercups
Coconut
Any form of dairy
Iceburg lettuce
Nuts
Rhubarb
Tomato leaves
Runner beans
Vitamin C Supplements
There are lots of different vitamin supplements you can buy for your guinea pigs- from drops for their water, to vitamin blocks they can lick. The water drops may make your guinea pigs water taste different so may put them off drinking. In theory if your guinea pig is getting enough vegetables they shouldn’t be needing supplements!
Store bought treats
Most store bought treats are high in fat or sugar. As guinea pigs are lactose intolerant, anything with dairy in should be avoided (eg yoghurt drops). Toys and fruit are a great alternative to store bought treats; they keep your animal simulated and still provide them with sugar.
FRESH WATER MUST BE AVAILIBE 24/7 (either in a bottle, or a heavy ceramic bowl your guinea pigs can't tip over)!
