Guinea Pig Feeding
Guinea pigs are herbivorous animals. Regarding Guinea pig feeding, you should opt for foods that contain high fiber, calcium, and protein in it. They don’t like variation and changes in their food.
Guinea Pigs lack the quality of producing Vitamin C on their own. This leads to a deficiency of this vitamin in their body. It also results in a lack of immunity to fight diseases. Guinea pigs diet should include adequate quantity of Vitamin C in its diet. If they are not supplied with adequate quantities, they are prone to many diseases. You can also opt for giving them supplements of Vitamin C. Deficiency of Vitamin C may cause death of these pigs. Hence, it is very important to include the right amount of vitamin supplements in their diet.
There are varieties of foodstuffs available in the market that can be used to feed a guinea pig. Opt for food items that have a good proportion of Vitamin C content in it. There is another option that can be opted for which is to feed them with pellets that are available in market.
The diet of Guinea pig should include fruits and fresh vegetables. It should include leafy vegetables such as spinach and parsley. The food supplied to Guinea Pigs should be fresh and thoroughly washed. Check for the preferences of the Guinea pig and feed them accordingly. Changes in the food habits can be adopted slowly. They are to be fed twice in a day. The most suitable time for Guinea pig feeding them is in the morning and the evening.
The food items that are to be avoided while Guinea Pig feeding have been enlisted below: Food items that have high starch content and take a lot of time for digestion should be avoided. Items that are to be avoided include:
- Potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Meadow
- Broccoli
- Ragwort
- Pasture
- Food with high sugar content and preservatives or chemicals
- Items that have nuts and dried fruits in it
- Dairy products and human foods such as cakes, sweets, and chocolates
- Rodent pellets
- Stale food, vegetables, and fruits
- Grasses sprayed with pesticides
Food items that can be included while Guinea pig feeding include the following : Food items that have high nutritional value and supplement the right amount of Vitamin C have to be included in the diet. Vegetables and fruits should be cut into smaller pieces and given.
- Carrot Tops
- Bananas
- Clover leaves
- Hay
- Apples
- Alfalfa
- Tomatoes
The utensils and water containers must be thoroughly cleaned everyday. The containers should be rechecked everyday and also restocked accordingly. Fresh supply of water should be supplied to the pigs. You could also opt for giving them treats once a while with their favorite food or purchasing it from the market.
Imbalanced diet would result in many disorders and deficiency which at times may be fatal. The food habits that are initially formed by Guinea pigs are difficult to change. They won’t adopt the food changes easily. Avoid overfeeding them as it may cause various diseases in them. The diet of guinea pig should not include a large amount of leafy vegetables. It would result in diarrhea.
So, we have to be careful about the food given to them in the initial stages. If you are determined to change the diet of the guinea pig, then gradually mix or change the diet by increasing and decreasing the proportion of its content.
During Guinea Pig feeding all the above mentioned tips should be considered. There are many restrictions and guidelines to be adopted. All these are to be strictly followed while Guinea pig feeding. Thus, it would help them to survive and live a healthy life.
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