*Guinea Pig Food*
Please try to stick to these suggestions if you want a
healthy, long-living guinea pig.
If you didn't already know this information, don't feel bad because you weren't
informed.
On the other hand, if you know this info already and choose to ignore it, you
are mistreating your guinea pig friend.
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Pellet Recommendations:
- Buy Pellets with Vitamin C
fortification
- Always check expiration date
- Store in a cool, dry, seals
bag (Ziplocs work!)
- Do NOT buy anything with
ANIMAL FAT in it, Guinea Pigs are herbivores and eat non-meat
products
- Recommendations have lowest
fat content.
- Oxbow Hay Products are
available at Pet stores and online pet stores (The Ferret Store
also)
- If you cannot purchase
the Oxbow Hay products, choose the simple Kaytee blend.
|
| Oxbow Hay Company's
Pellets for Young |
No animal fat, VERY
healthy. Vet Recommended |
$3-$16 (2-50 lbs.) |
Alfalfa Based |
| Oxbow Hay Company's
Pellets for Adults |
No animal fat, VERY
healthy. Vet Recommended |
$4-$21 (2-50 lbs.) |
Timothy Hay |
| Kaytee Pellets (no
seeds, etc.) |
Has animal fat, most
healthy non-specialized type |
$4-$10 (4 lbs.-10
lbs.) |
Grocery store, Pet store,
or
theferretstore.com |
| Other Pellet Types |
Has animal fat, other
dangerous items, not tasty |
$4-$6 (2-10 lbs. |
Pet store, Grocery store |
- What do I use? I used to use Kaytee,
but I have switched to Oxbow Hay Pellets for Adults.
- I have used almost every type of
Guinea Pig pellet out there before I knew the dangers of the other pellets.
My guinea pig will only eat Kaytee and Oxbow Hay now after trying Oxbow's.
Vitamin C Recommendations:
- Guinea Pigs need Vitamin C.
(About 10-25 milligrams a day supplemented with veggies, pellets)
- Do not buy rabbit food
and do not add Vitamin C tablets (for humans) in their
water/food.
- Guinea Pig Pellets are
fortified with Vitamin C most of the time.
- If you want to give them
Vitamin C, fresh fruits is a good option.
- Or, use the Oxbow Hay Company
created Vitamin C pellets.
|
- What do I use?
- I currently bought a jar of these
tablets.
- I have never used them myself, but a
local Guinea Pig shelter told me they were very good.
- I give my guinea pig fortified with
VitaC pellets and also 2-3 veggies a day. (about 1-2 inches of carrots, few
sprigs of parsley/cilantro, 1 small slice of tomato, etc.)
Hay Recommendations:
- Guinea Pigs eat Hay as meals,
not as snacks.
- Baby Guinea Pigs eat
Alfalfa Hay, Adults eat Timothy Hay.
- Why? Alfalfa has a lot of
minerals/calcium/protein that babies need but adults do not.
|
| American Pet Diner |
10 oz. to 25
lbs.($3.00-$18.99) |
Alfalfa: For Babies and Young Guinea Pigs |
| Oxbow Hay Company |
15 oz. to
40lbs.($4-$24) |
Alfalfa Nibbles: For Babies and Young Guinea Pigs |
| American Pet Diner |
10 oz. to 25
lbs.($3.55-19.99) |
Timothy Gold Hay: For Adult Guinea Pigs |
| Oxbow Hay Company |
15 oz. to
50lbs.($4.00-$28.99) |
Early Cut Western Timothy: For Adult Guinea Pigs |
- What do I use? Currently, I am using
the American Pet Diner: Timothy Gold Hay for my adult Guinea Pig.
- I used to use Oxbow Hay Company's
Early Cut Western Timothy.
- American Pet Diner is definitely much
softer, much nicer, greener that the Oxbow Hay.
- However, I just bought a bag of Oxbow
Hay because the shipping was a little cheaper.
- If you want to splurge a few extra
bucks, American Pet Diner seems much more superior.
"Snack" foods - [Veggies should be twice
Daily, fruits are more of a snack]:
- They don't need Yogies,
Sugary/Honey treats, Seed Treats, Salt Licks, Alfalfa treats, or anything commercialized!
- Hay Cakes work well -
Critter Berries by Oxbow,
Carrot
Treats by Oxbow, and
Hay
Cakes by Oxbow are all delicious treats.
- Fruits and Vegetables: Carrots,
Red-leaf Lettuce, Celery, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Bak Choi, Mustard Greens
(sometimes), Parsley, Cilantro, Green and Red Bell Peppers (nothing spicy!),
tiny slice of Fruits (Apple, Peach, Banana, Pear, Strawberry).
- Snack interests differ with each
Guinea Pig.
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