The diet of a guinea pig is not wildly complicated, but important to abide by! Less is more – there’s plenty of supplements, multivitamins and mineral wheels being sold to you that, with the right diet, are completely unnecessary, so stick to the standard nutritional advice and your guinea pigs will be happy as ever.
Diet
The best daily nutrition should consist of 85-90 percent hay and grass. In addition, approximately a tablespoon of grass-based pellets should be offered, with around a teacup amount of fresh greens.
Guinea pigs are true herbivores, who develop their food preferences early in life and stick to it. Any sudden changes made to their diet are not recommended, this includes food type, appearance, and presentation. They are fussy eaters and will refuse to eat if it’s too different.
As they are natural grazers, Hay is the staple of their diet. They need good-quality hay in abundance daily and can also eat fresh grass too (however lawn mower clipping should be avoided as they can be harmful to them). I’d recommend ‘Timothy Hay’ – a type of hay that is low in calcium and protein, whilst being high in fibre, which is particularly advantageous for small animal’s digestive systems. Timothy hay has a sweet grass aroma and is green in colour.
Pellets should be fed daily also, particularly grass based pellets, as they are a good source of Vitamin C. Make sure to monitor consumption, to avoid overfeeding, and be aware that certain conditions (growing, nursing, or pregnancy) may require more pellets daily.
In conjunction with hay and pellets, vegetables (fresh leafy greens especially) are great to feed your guinea pigs, particularly those high in vitamin C such as bell peppers, tomatoes, and spring greens. Other fresh vegetables that are suitable for their diet include beetroot, carrot tops, cauliflower leaves and stalks, celery leaves, courgette, green beans, parsnips, lettuce (not iceberg), Bok choy, and swiss chard. Vegetables that should be fed in moderation only include Asparagus, broccoli, kale, spinach, cabbage, and parsley. They can also digest certain herbs such as basil, coriander, dill, mint oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Any fruit fed should be limited, as high sugar content is dangerous for their intestinal tract.
Feeding behaviour
Guinea pigs don’t have specific feeding times, they eat often throughout the day and night, so make sure there is always food on offer. They’re also fussy eaters, so any changes to the diet should be introduced slowly and gradually. Choosing and maintaining the correct feeding bowl shouldn’t be dismissed also – Guinea pigs often lean on the bowl whilst eating and kick their bedding and droppings into the bowl, so try and get a heavy ceramic bowl, and regularly clean it out. Make sure to monitor the amount they eat and their dropping, as these are great indicators of health!
A unique source of nutrients!
Something a first-time pet owner may find alarming and peculiar is the particularly unique eating habit of guinea pigs. It is true that they eat their own droppings! In-fact, these droppings are essential to their diet, providing a great source of nutrients.
There are two types of guinea pig droppings, the ‘caecotrophs’, aka soft, sticky pellets, and hard, dry pellets. Caecotrophs are the kind that they directly eat, immediately after passing them (so you shouldn’t see them very often. The hard dry pellets are the result of your guinea pig eating their caecotroph and pooping it out again – they do not eat these kinds.
Vitamin C & digestive danger
Vitamin C is a crucial requirement for their diet. It’s critical in preventing scurvy, aiding normal development and maintenance of the skin, joint, and mucosal surfaces, as well as healing. Without it, Guinea pigs are prone to diseases, infections and skin problems. A deficiency in Vitamin C would appear as a rough hair coat, lack of appetite, diarrhoea, reluctance to move, swollen feet and joints, haemorrhages, and ulcers on gums/skin.
A common health issue seen in guinea pigs is bladder stones, so reducing or eliminating foods high in oxalates, such as spinach, parsley, and strawberries, can provide benefit to ones that develop calcium oxalate stones. Guinea pigs can also develop dental diseases without the proper diet; they’re teeth are always growing, however regularly eating hay helps wear them down sufficiently.
Toxic foods to avoid include citrus fruits, daffodils, foxgloves and poppies. If your guinea pigs run loose in your garden, be aware of these plants.
