Feeding your guinea pig isn’t as easy as you may think

Pet owners planning to take guinea pigs as their pets should have ample knowledge of the food that they eat. In this article, I will offer information that will guide pet owners in choosing the right food for their pets.

The guinea pig mainly feeds on grass, specifically timothy hay, and supplements its diet by corography or the eating of its own feces. However, it does not consume all its feces and only chooses the special soft pellets called cecotropes, which recycle vitamin B, bacteria and fiber. Another popular choice for the guinea pig is alfalfa, but owners should be cautious because a lot of organizations claimed that when consumed in large amounts, alfalfa could lead to obesity.

Pet owners should also know that a guinea pig is a strict vegan and it is brand loyal, which means that it sticks to the first brand that it has been introduced to. Additionally, it states that an adult guinea pig is a fickle eater especially when it comes to fresh vegetables or fruits.

When planning to introduce this diet to the pet, pet owners should know that it could stop eating and will choose to starve rather than accept new food types.

Research shows that vitamin C is important for guinea pig and the ways to supply it with the nutrient is by feeding it with raw fruits and vegetables including broccoli, carrot, apple, spinach and cabbage or by dietary supplements. Recommended healthy diets for guinea pigs should include a balance of magnesium,calcium, potassium and the right amounts of vitamins A, E, and D. It also warns about imbalanced diets because of its role in the development of muscular dystrophy, vitamin deficiencies and metastatic calcification in the guinea pig.

In terms of the frequency of feeding the pet, it is suggested that a constant supply of hay or pellets should be given because the guinea pig tends to feed continuously. Moreover, the golden rule when feeding the guinea pig is that every thing should be given in moderation. Read the rest of this entry

You need quality feed in his Guinea Pig Hutch

Feeding your guinea pig isn’t difficult. You can buy premade commercial guinea pig food in your pet shop and this should be provided in a dedicated feeding bowl in the guinea pig hutch at all times. However there are some other things you should feed your guinea pig as well.

Hay is a big part of the guinea pigs diet, and many people will use hay both as a lining for the floor of the guinea pig hutch as well as the floor of the sleeping area, and as there is hay in the cage already the guinea pigs will eat that.

However guinea pigs also like green leafy vegetables, (although you should avoid cabbage and lettuce as these can cause diarrhoea). They will also happily eat fruit and root vegetables like carrots, though it is better not to feed these in large quantities.

A guinea pig needs plenty of roughage in the diet which gets them chewing which helps wear down their teeth, otherwise the teeth can grow and cause dental problems.

Good vegetables to feed are the leaves of broccoli celery brussels sprouts and spinach and Asian greens. Read the rest of this entry