What Guinea Pig Food Should I Give to My Cavies?

Cavies are herbivores which means they only eatTomatoes
fruits and vegetables and pellets. Guinea Pig food from3.6mg
any Pet Shop is also good for them for their GuineaNo more than a quarter
Pig diet. Just because cavies eat anything they find orFruits can be great as Guinea Pig food although only
are given, DOESN'T mean it is good for feedinggive in little quantity as too much can cause scabbing
Guinea Pigs.around their mouth.
When feeding them vegetables, either bought or
foraged, this must be- Apples and Pears - Without seeds
- Melon - Without seeds
- Unfrozen- Grapes - Seedless
- Clean- Bananas - Including skins
- Free from contamination (crop spraying, animal- Oranges - In segments with skins on
droppings, exhaust fumes, etc)- Cherries - Remove stones first
- Mildew-freeDo not give them peaches and plums, as they are too
The following vegetables are enjoyed by Guinea Pigsacidic and causes mouth scabs.
and Vitamin C information and how much to give toGuinea Pig Nuggets My piggies love eating the Guinea
your Guinea Pig per day;Pig food that consists of nuggets from Pet At Home,
Beetrootonce I thought I would change the nuggets to
1.4mgWoodlands Food and Forage. when I did this, I found
Few chopped pieces, leaves are poisonousthat they would only touch the nuggets and hays in it,
Broccolibut left the alfafa pellets, so I switched back to the
25mgnuggets again.
A handfulBe aware, feeding them with just a bag of Guinea Pig
Cabbagefood is not good enough for Guinea Pig diet as they
10.2mgneed to eat fruits and vegetables as they are good
Couple leavessource of Vitamin C. When a bag of Guinea Pig food
Carrotsis opened, it takes up to ninety days for the Vitamin C
1.7mgto decrease in strength. Do NOT use other food
A chopped handfulmixes such as Hamster mixes, as peanuts and
Cauliflower Leavessunflower seeds aren't suitable for Guinea Pigs
24.7mgRabbit pellet mixes contain anti-coccidiosis medication
Couple leaves(ACS) and is toxic for cavies.
CeleryHay is a MUST
0.9mgI'll repeat this... Hay is a must! The Piggies eat very
A handfullarge quantities every day and it helps them to have a
Cucumberhealthy digestion system. They will nibble hay
0.8mgconstantly as this is necessary to keep their teeth
1 and half inch, chopped in halfgrinded down, preventing it to grow too long.
Green Leaf LettuceYou can purchase a good quality hay from either a
5mgfarmer or pet shop. It is essential that you check that it
3 or 4 Leavesis hay and NOT straw as they are used for as
Green Peppersbedding and provide no nutritional value.
22.5mgTimothy Hay Fresh Herbage Alfafa hay are usually
Chop few strips, without seedsused to feed baby cavies or pregnant sow as it is high
Parsnipsin protein, calcium, and carbohydrates. Fully grown pigs
4.8mgdo not benefit from them as they are prone to stones
Few chopped piecesor illness due to alfafa being too rich in calcium.
Pea PodsFor my piggies, I get Timothy Hay Excel Herbage as
16.8mgthey love to eat it and if I try to give them an
Empty pods with ends chopped offalternative, they'll ignore it completely (fussy pigs yes I
Red Peppersknow!!!). Since Timothy Hay's pricey, I only use it for
35.8mgtheir hay rack, and buy a cheaper big bag of normal
Chop few strips, without seedshay for their bedding.
Red Leaf LettuceDandelions are their favourite plant, can be found in
1mgany garden as they are wild plants, give a handful
Couple leavesevery day with hay.
Romaine LettuceAnd finally, last but not least - Water!
6.7mgWater bottle in cage Water must be available to the
Couple leavespigs at ALL times with Guinea Pig food.
Runner BeansAlways clean and flush out the bottle of old stale
4.6mgcut into strips, cut off ends and remove beanswater before refilling.
(poisonous)They have a nasty habit of blowing left-over food
Spinachfrom their mouth into the water sprout and making the
7.9mgwater dirty.
Few leavesOver time algae will build up inside the bottle so use a
Sprout Tops and Stalksbottle brush to clean the inside.
74.8mgIf you do not have a brush, I have heard of an
A handful, no sproutsalternative that to put 1cm of water in the bottle and a
Swedespoonful of dry rice and then shake the bottle and
5.9mgpour out into a strainer.
Not too much as high in Vitamin CDo not use water bowl, pigs will use them as a toilet or
Sweetcorntips the bowl over, soaking the cage floor.
1.9mgI hope this page has helped you to understand what
A cob in half, including leavesGuinea Pig Food is good for them and what's not.