How to Design the Best Diet for Guinea Pigs
A properly balanced guinea pig diet is made up of a combination of hay, pellets, fruits and vegetables. The proper combination of these foods provides guinea pigs the balance of nutrition that they need for healthy development and reproduction.
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Instructions
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Proper Nutrition for Guinea Pigs
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Provide the appropriate hay on a continuous basis. Hay is vital in providing the proper nutrition to your guinea pig and should be constantly available to them. Hay serves a vital role in the guinea pigs' digestive system and helps to clean and grind their teeth.
There are two kinds of hay available: alfalfa, which is high in calcium, and timothy hay. Alfalfa is good for young or pregnant guinea pigs only. Full grown, non-pregnant guinea pigs would be at risk to develop bladder stones if they consumed such a high dosage of calcium on a regular basis.
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Provide a pellet mixture daily. Just like hay, guinea pig pellets are either alfalfa based or timothy based. Once more, alfalfa based pellets are only to be fed to young or pregnant guinea pigs, and timothy based pellets are better for full grown cavies.
Look for pellets that are formulated with Vitamin C. Avoid pellets that include animal products, nuts, seeds, corn products, rice, sweeteners, colorings or preservatives.
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Provide fruits one to two times per week. While fruits are high in sugar, it is important that they are not given to guinea pigs as often as other foods. Serve your guinea pig 1 to 2 tablespoons per 2 lbs. of body weight per serving.
Look for fruits that are high in calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin C. Because the list of fruits is so extensive, check the websites listed below to pick from the ones that are determined suitable. Be sure to check if the seeds need to be removed. Some seeds, such as apple seeds, are poisonous to guinea pigs.
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Provide three vegetable servings per day. Vegetables are pertinent in providing your cavy the proper balance of Vitamin C. Some of the best choices include parsley, kale, and spinach. As some of these vegetables will make your pig very gassy (such as broccoli) be sure to give your cavy only one serving of each type of vegetable per day.
Check the sites below to find the ones that are highest in Vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus. Also check the sites to learn which vegetables to avoid and for tips on how to introduce new foods to your guinea pig.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not top off the food bowl. Allow guinea pigs to reach the bottom of the feeding bowl before providing additional pellets.
Always check the following sites before introducing a new food to your guinea pig to ensure that it is safe and healthy for a guinea pig to ingest.
References
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