guinnie pigs

Question
what is best food and treets


Answer
Hi Andrew,

A guinea pig's basic diet should consist of plenty of hay and fresh vegetables, supplemented by a dried mix and a small amount of treats. They also need a constant supply of fresh water from a bottle attached to their cage; not in a dish. This will ensure that your piggies are happy and healthy!

It is important to get your piggies into a routine; otherwise they will beg for food every time they see you. I change their water and feed mine fresh vegetables when I get up in the mornings, give them some more fresh vegetables at around 6pm, and then give them some hay and dried mix when I go to bed. I try not to give them too many treats; just when I am leaving the house in the mornings, or if I need to bribe them to get them out of their cage.

I'll talk about vegetables first. The all-time piggy favourite is carrots. Half a standard-sized carrot per piggy is the right sort of portion. They also enjoy peppers; though some are fussy about the different colours! Again, half (or a third if it's a big one) a pepper is a good amount per piggy, and make sure you remove the stalk and all the seeds. Cucumber is another favourite; about a quarter of one per piggy. Celery is an aqquired taste, but it's good to get your piggies to like it as it's a natural diuretic; one stick per piggy, but ALWAYS cut it up small, or your piggies could choke on the 'threads' than run up the stick. Brocolli, dark cabbage, and the outer leaves of cauliflowes are also devoured happily. It is important to feed your piggies brocolli and carrots, as both are high in vitamin C. Some guinea pigs also enjoy fruit, though only feed them a maximum of two portions per week or they could get mouth ulcers; apples, pears and seedless grapes are usually the most popular. Guinea pigs prefer crunchy food, so bananas, strawberries and other squishy fruits are not likely to be enjoyed. Fresh parsley (remove the long stalks, just give them a bit of stalk and the leaves) is also enjoyed by most piggies, and contains natural medicinal qualities so it's a good idea to work this into their diet. Whatever you feed them, make sure you give it a good rinse under the cold tap to remove any dirt, and residue of pesticides. The general rule is that if you wouldn't eat it, you shouldn't give it to your piggies. They trust you to feed them what's good for them, and if you give them wilted leaves or rotten vegetables they'll get nasty stomach upsets. Do not feed your guinea pigs lettuce, and they should only have 1-2 spinach leaves per week. Never ever feed a guinea pig anything that comes from a bulb; it's best just to stick to things I've mentioned.

Hay is essential to a guinea pig's diet, as they need it in order to correctly digest their other food. Guinea pigs eat hay in vast quantities, and some owners like to attach a hay rack (a small version of the kind horses have in their stables) to the inside of their guinea pigs' hutch or cage, so that they can help themselves whenever they want some. I've found that if I do this my piggies eat it constantly and get rather porky, so I prefer to just give it to them in the evenings; a guinea-pig sized portion per pig. I like the idea that what they don't eat, they'll snuggle up in to go to sleep.

Most owners also feed their guinea pigs a dried mix, though this should not be used as an alternative to fresh food. I sprinkle a small handful into my piggy's hay at night. This stimulates them as they need to burrow around to find it; the dried mix contains extra vitamin C and they eat it with great enthusiasm. You don't mention where you live, but here in the UK the best dried food is called "Gerty Guinea Pig" and is available at all good pet shops and supermarkets. It is important that you feed your piggies a dried mix that is made especially for guinea pigs, as rabbits and chincillas have different dietary requirements and their mixes will not be good for your piggies.

Guinea pig treats are slightly controversial as most brands are full of rubbish and will not be good for your guinea pigs, a bit like giving small children sweets with lots of E-numbers in. A guinea pig will appreciate a grape, a sprig of parsley, or a slice of their favourite vegetable much more than any of these treats. You could also try feeding them some of their dried mix by hand. Here in the UK, there's a brilliant range called "Naturals". My boys go crazy for the carrotys, and they also make high-quality hay from timothy grass and with added herbs so you can treat your piggies to that every now and again. Some companies also make dried mix in a large stick form; I leave one of these in my piggy's cage if I'm going to be late giving them their evening feed of fresh veg, so they have something to nibble on if they get hungry and something to stop them getting bored, too. Watch out for any that come on a plastic stick as your piggies will eat this too if you leave it in their cage once they've nibbled all the food off. I find some sticks contain honey; this makes the seeds get stuck in your piggies' teeth which will cause them discomfort. The best, I think, are made by Johnsons, and I believe these are available in most countries.

Enjoy seeing what your piggies' favourite foods are, and if you have any other questions ... just ask!

Best wishes,
Jenny.