Guinea pigs are natural foragers, and require plenty of roughage in their diet to help wear down their constantly expanding teeth, keep their gastrointestinal system healthy, and avoid serious dental issues.
Make an effort to provide three servings of leafy green vegetables each day, along with occasional treats like kiwi fruit, strawberries and citrus for extra Vitamin C in their diets.
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1. Hay
Hay is an essential part of guinea pig’s diet and helps them maintain health with its high fibre content and cleaning ability, not to mention helping prevent dental disease. Guinea pigs enjoy playing in it, chewing it up, sleeping on it – all contributing factors in keeping them satisfied!
When selecting hay for your Guinea pigs, ensure it is of high quality, fresh, and free from pests and mold. Guinea pigs can quickly become sick if fed moldy or dusty hay; thus it should smell sweet with an earthy undertone; not too abundant in calcium as this could lead to issues with their bladder stones and urination issues.
Western Timothy Hay, which can be found at most pet stores and country feed stores or farms, makes an excellent choice. It contains just the right balance of stems, flowers and seed heads to provide a tasty variety that is nutritionally suitable for small herbivorous mammals.
2. Grass
Guinea pigs spend much of their time outdoors foraging for fiber, vitamins and minerals from grass grazing – adding some fresh grass into your pet’s diet can provide them with something fresh to chew on! It will also add variety to their day.
Start small when introducing fresh grass to your pet, as too much can lead to soft poo and stomach upsets. Let your pet enjoy short sessions of 5 minutes multiple times daily until he or she becomes used to it.
Guinea Pigs can enjoy several types of grass, such as wheatgrass, barley, oat, rye, corn millet and plain grass. You can easily grow your own fresh grass using a seed starter tray and soil. Simply mist daily so it doesn’t dry out; even better would be having your guinea pig fertilize it by dropping off their waste-soaked droppings!
3. Leafy Green Vegetables
Green vegetables provide vital micronutrients and antioxidants, making them the foundation of a guinea pig’s daily food regimen. Kale, chard, spinach, cilantro, and parsley should form the majority of their diet; cucumbers also provide plenty of water to stay hydrated during hot periods; cabbage is another good choice as it provides calcium, iron, magnesium – however too much may lead to digestive issues!
Also recommend feeding your guinea pig dill, parsley, carrots and peppers occasionally as these have higher amounts of sugar and starch than other leafy veggies. Vitamin C is especially essential since guinea pigs cannot produce their own; provide your pet with leafy greens plus small portions of vitamin C-rich fruits or veggies each day as fresh food can quickly spoil.
4. Fruit
High-fiber foods can help your guinea pig to reduce soft stools and drop weight more effectively, as well as support their teeth health and digestive systems by stimulating gut bacteria.
Add fresh fruits and vegetables to their diet can provide essential nutrition. Some tasty fruits that provide essential nourishment include strawberries (remove seeds), melons, oranges and citrus fruit such as satsumas, tangerines and clementines. It is important to wash all produce prior to feeding them to your guinea pig as this will remove any pesticides or chemicals present on its skin or surface that could harm its health.
Your guinea pig should receive a balanced diet consisting of pellets, hay, fresh leafy green vegetables and fruits to ensure they enjoy long, happy lives. Avoid pet store pellet mixes that contain fillers such as sugars or seeds as these could harm their health; instead provide Timothy-based pellets, high quality hay bales, fresh vegetables and fruits in suspension bottles as well as water at all times in suspension bottles for best results.
