How to Feed Guinea Pigs Enough Vitamin C

Guinea pigs, like people, require Vitamin C in their diets - without it, they can become more susceptible to illness or even die. Although many guinea pig foods are fortified with Vitamin C, this vital nutrient breaks down quickly. For this reason, it is important to regularly feed guinea pigs a variety of foods rich in Vitamin C every day.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guinea pig
• Fresh Vegetables
• Fresh Fruit

1. Feed your guinea pigs about a cup each of fresh food every day, on top of unlimited hay and fortified guinea pig food.

2. Give mostly Vitamin C rich foods, like bell peppers. Red peppers have more Vitamin C than green peppers, but both are good. Kale and tomato are good sources as well.

3. Let your guinea pigs have fruit as a treat - make sure to give mostly vegetables, though! Strawberries, papaya and kiwi all have high Vitamin C content, as do oranges (and other citrus fruits).

4. Other foods that are rich in Vitamin C are rose hips, peas and potatoes. Berries, such as currants and raspberries, also have high Vitamin C content.

5. Crush up Vitamin C pellets to give to your pets if you are worried about them having inadequate nutrients. Only give Vitamin C - do not use a multivitamin tablet. You can sprinkle 25 mg per animal over their pellets, put it on their fresh foods, or dilute it with a small amount of water to give to them.

Tips & Warnings

• One of the best places to look for Vitamin C tablets in appropriate doses is in the child vitamin section of your local drugstore.
• Although broccoli and cabbage are good sources of Vitamin C, they should be fed sparingly as they are unhealthy for guinea pigs and can cause discomfort or illness