How to Know What to Feed to Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs, sometimes called cavies, make great pets. They are affectionate, cute, and fairly easy to care for in captivity. They do have some distinct nutritional requirements, however, and failing to feed your guinea pig the right food will cause him to get sick. Guinea pigs who are not fed correctly can even die. Unfortunately, the commercial guinea pig pellets are not a sufficient diet for these cuddly pets. Here are some tips to help you choose the right food for your guinea pigs.

Things You'll Need

• Commercial guinea pig pellets
• Fresh hay
• Fresh vegetables
• Fresh fruits
• Vitamin C tablets

Instructions

1. Provide your guinea pigs with a sufficient amount of guinea pig pellet food. Adults need timothy hay based pellets, but these can be hard to find. Growing guinea pigs can eat the more common alfalfa pellets. They will eat around 1/8 cup per day, and these pets rarely overeat. Store commercial pellets in a cool, dark place in order to preserve the vitamin C in them. Avoid buying bulk because guinea pig food does not keep for months on end. Be sure to check the date on the food.

2. Add fresh hay to your guinea pig's diet. The habitat should always have some hay. Timothy hay or orchard grass are preferred for adults, but growing or breeding guinea pigs should have alfalfa hay, which has more calcium.

3. Offer your guinea pigs fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Leafy greens are an important source of nutrition for these animals. Fruits make a great treat. Kale, turnip greens, parsley, dandelion greens, spinach, carrots, apples, apricots, strawberries, oranges, grapes, cantaloupe, blueberries and romaine lettuce are all great fruits and vegetables to offer.

4. Supplement your guinea pig's diet with vitamin C tablets. Lack of vitamin C will cause an illness known as scurvy. They need 25 mg of vitamin C each day in addition to their regular food. Feeding them slightly more than this is not a problem, and you can buy 50 mg vitamin C guinea pig tablets at your local pet store.

Tips & Warnings

• Even though your guinea pigs are unlikely to overeat, you should still replace their food each day, as it can get rancid if left in the habitat too long.

• Limit the amount of cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage, broccoli, collard greens or cauliflower, that your guinea pigs eat. These can cause problems with their digestive tracts.

• Avoid starches, like potatoes, when feeding guinea pigs.