Guinea pigs are herbivores by nature and spend most of their time foraging for food in the wild. Therefore, their diet should consist primarily of high quality pellets with occasional fresh vegetables and fruit added for variety.
Your cat should primarily eat leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, red or green leaf lettuce, turnip greens, cabbage, kale and parsley for their daily vegetable needs; other options can include carrots, zucchini and tomatoes.
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Hay
Guinea Pigs spend much of their time outdoors foraging for tasty grasses and leafy greens to consume, which they enjoy under supervision and with their guardians as part of their diet in the form of 3rd cut Timothy Hay or Orchard Grass (with lower calcium content).
Timothy hay and fresh grasses should only be provided to your guinea pig as part of their daily food consumption, to maintain optimal health. Other healthy options to include in their daily food plan should include Romaine lettuce, red or green leaf lettuce, mustard or turnip greens, kale cabbage and cilantro as well as carrots zucchini tomato once or twice every week.
Avoid alfalfa or clover hay due to their high calories, fat, and calcium levels, which may contribute to obesity, abnormal bone and tooth development, abscesses and more. A lack of vitamin C is potentially fatal to guinea pigs so be sure to provide plenty of orange slices, green peppers and broccoli as well as parsley as foods rich in this vital nutrient.
Vegetables
Guinea pigs don’t produce vitamin C themselves, so it is vital that you provide them with fresh fruits and vegetables each day to boost their intake. Leafy greens such as romaine lettuces (red and green leaf), mustard or turnip greens, kale and chard should make up most of their daily vegetable consumption – these contain vitamins C and K as well as folate acid potassium calcium as well as foraging for nutrients like red deadnettle mallow cleavers among other options can all supplementing their nutrition needs!
Other vegetable options to offer your guinea pig include green bell peppers, broccoli and parsley; however, these should only be given sparingly due to their high amounts of sugar which could contribute to dental and obesity issues. Furthermore, avoid giving foods high in oxalate or phosphorus content as this can cause bladder stones.
Fruit
Guinea pigs are herbivores and require roughage (fiberous plant-based foods), vegetables and hay-based diets such as Timothy or Orchard Hay for at least 80% of their daily nutrition needs. Alfalfa Hay may provide added calcium for young guinea pigs who still have growing bones.
Your guinea pig should receive plenty of leafy green vegetables such as romaine lettuce, red and green leaf lettuces, mustard or turnip greens, kale, cilantro and parsley as these contain essential vitamins that are easy to digest.
Additionally, carrots, tomato, zucchini and raw sweet potato are excellent guinea pig vegetables, all rich in vitamin C. Dandelions can also make a nutritious addition, just make sure that they have been thoroughly washed to remove toxic pips before feeding! By including various kinds of veggies in their diet you are making sure that all their needs are being met.
Treats
Guinea Pigs in the wild spend much of their time foraging for food such as grasses and nutritious plants; therefore it should be offered regularly in small doses.
Leafy green vegetables should be included as part of a guinea pig’s daily diet to provide essential micronutrients, protein and calcium as well as a source of Vitamin C. Safe options for feeding include bell peppers (red are especially beloved), Romaine lettuce, carrot tops, radish and beet greens, endive mustard greens turnip greens and cabbage – to name but a few!
Other treats you could provide your guinea pig with are fruit tree twigs that they love to chew on to help maintain a short set of teeth. Some also enjoy nibbling on fresh orange or kiwi fruit as treats; just be aware of their high sugar content which could cause intestinal upset if fed too often! To ensure their nutrition needs are being met properly, supplementing their diet with quality pellets like Burgess Excel is recommended as part of their regular feeding regime.
