Importance of good nourishment

Good food nourishment is very important to your guinea pigs health and can make the difference between a healthy thriving or a sick pet.

Guinea pigs strictly are herbivores
and have a unique digestive system that is geared to eating plant foods. Giving your guinea pig other types of foods can make them sick, cause them to gain weight or diarrhea.

Food Pellets especially made for Guinea Pigs

There are special food pellets made for guinea pigs that provide high amounts of nutrient and when complimented with fresh foods make a good diet. When purchasing pelleted food consider:

• Protein, 8 percent content or higher
  Fiber, 16% content
  Contains Vitamin C,  preferable 1 gram per kilogram
  Buy a smaller monthly supply to retain freshness & nutritional content of the pellets
  Store in a sealed container to keep fresh

Timothy Hay is important

Part of guinea pigs diet is eating foods that contain roughage and  Timothy hay provides fibrous roughage.   By using a hay rack in your guinea pigs cage, allows your pet access to feed on. Give your guinea pig a fresh supply of daily hay When purchasing hay some tips to consider:

• hay is fresh, dry, smells sweet
  Contains as little dust as possible
  mold free
  pet supplies stock timothy hay, best nutritional choice
  avoid baled hay and hay cubes for horses

Fresh Green foods

A daily supply of a variety of fresh green foods are important for your guinea pigs health.  Fresh and washed!

Dark green plants provide vitamin C, which your guinea pig cannot produce in their body and by giving your pet fresh dark greens daily helps meets their nutritional requirements. Some FRESH dark greens include:

• dandelions
  carrot tops
  broccoli
  basil
  spinach
  artichokes
  romaine lettuce

Make sure the green are fresh and preferably organically grown is ideal. Avoid picking greens from gardens and fields unless your know for sure that the greens have not been sprayed with pesticides and chemicals, as this can effect your guinea pig.

Giving your guinea pig Treats

Fresh fruits are a wonderfully healthy treat for your guinea pig, when offered in small amounts. Almost any fruit can be offered, just remember to keep in in small amounts. Here are some healthy fruit choices:

• apples – no seeds
  orange
  strawberry
  pear
  peach
  tomato
  carrot (not a fruit but they do love them as a treat)

Foods to avoid feeding your guinea pig

• Avoid treats that contain sugar or salt
  Candy
  chocolate
  Processed foods of any kind
  Iceberg lettuce
  Cabbage
  Califlower
  Potato skins
  Shelled nuts or seeds
  Rubarb
  Meat or fish
  Alcohol
  Beans- kidney, lime, any type of raw bean (not meaning green beans)
  Corn kernals or popcorn
  Ice cream or any dairy product
  Hamster food, gerbil food or any other type of non guinea pig food

Access to Fresh water

Using a water bottle and sipper is a great way to provide your guinea pig with a fresh and clean water supply. Change the water supply daily and remember to wash out the bottle to avoid bacteria build up. Make sure the sipper is at an ideal height to provide easy access for your guinea pig.

The lowdown on the guinea pig self producing Cecotropes pellets

You might be asking, what the heck is Cecotropes pellets? Nature has provided a dietary supplement for the guinea pig in a soft form that is developed in their cecum. The cecum is part of their large intestines and it produces a soft pellet which has special nutrients that the guinea pig requires. This pellet is passed out the guinea pigs anus and often they will eat it right away.

This may seem shocking and very different to us, however this is a nutritional requirement for the guinea pig. Therefore if you see your guinea pig eating one, don’t be alarmed or try to stop them at this is quite natural and nutritional for your guinea pig.

Silkie Guinea Pig eating nutritional food