Guinea Pigs’ health depends heavily on a regular supply of hay, as it provides roughage to their teeth and digestive system. Be wary of commercial treats as these often contain sugar and fat which could contribute to obesity as well as other issues.
Guinea pigs need plenty of vitamin C in their diet, which is found in vegetables and fruits. When offering new foods gradually to your guinea pig, to prevent stomach upsets.
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Timothy Hay
Guinea pigs should receive unlimited Timothy hay daily to aid with digestion and limit tooth development. Fresh, soft hay should always be provided – anything other than this could pose serious health concerns for your pet!
Some guineas may prefer meadow, orchard grass or bluegrass hay as an additional form of forage and fun. Similar to timothy hay but featuring flower heads and leaves instead of just flower heads. Stuff it into enrichment items like Treasure Barrel for additional daily enrichment and foraging fun! Oat hay should only be fed occasionally due to its high calcium content which could potentially cause bladder stones in adult guineas.
Avoid feeding your guinea pig seeds, nuts, popcorn, crackers or any other treats high in sugar and fiber content; fresh fruits such as oranges, broccoli, carrots or cucumbers make excellent treats once or twice every week.
Fresh Vegetables
At various points during the day, feed your guinea pigs fresh vegetables and herbs such as rocket, dandelion leaves, kale and chard as part of their daily food supply. Other excellent choices may include mint parsley basil coriander rosemary sage as options.
Be careful when giving broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage as these contain high levels of calcium or oxalates which may cause digestive discomfort for guinea pigs. Carrots, sweet potatoes and carrot tops can be offered instead; other root vegetables that should be included include turnips, radicchio and endive; while squash (such as butternut squash) offers great sources of vitamins A and C.
Your guinea pigs will also appreciate a varied diet of fresh fruit. However, take care to remove all seeds and pip prior to feeding your pets their meals.
Fruit
Guinea pigs require about one cup of fresh vegetables daily in addition to their daily feeding of Timothy Hay. Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, red and green lettuce varieties as well as herbs like parsley and cilantro should make up most of this daily portion; carrots cucumbers off-vine tomatoes carrots cucumbers cucumbers squash sweet potatoes sweet potatoes radish tops broccoli endive cabbage spinach sweet potatoes squash sweet potatoes sweet potatoes radish tops are all nutritious choices that ensure your guinea pig receives all necessary vitamins and minerals from her daily meal! But avoid vegetables high in oxalates like rhubarb as these contain too much sugar which could cause obesity as well as digestive issues in your pet pig.
Guinea Pigs spend much of their time outdoors foraging for grass and herb plants to graze upon, so in order to encourage their natural foraging behavior hay should make up at least 75% of their diet and be used as part of an effective dental health regime. By choosing appropriate hay varieties it can also help wear down teeth over time while preventing serious dental issues from developing.
Treats
Although many pet store treats contain sugar, starch and other unhealthy ingredients that may contribute to obesity, digestive issues and other serious health concerns for their pet, there are still a few available. One such example would be Oxbow Simple Rewards Oven Baked with Apple & Banana Small Animal Treats.
Guinea pigs delight in snacking on alfalfa cubes, carrot tops and apples as a nutritious treat, providing their immune systems with essential vitamin C sources. But these snacks should only be provided occasionally since too much sugar could lead to obesity in their systems.
Your guinea pig should also enjoy eating an assortment of fresh vegetables and herbs, such as romaine lettuce, red or green leaf lettuce, cilantro, beet greens, turnip greens, collard greens, Swiss chard, dandelion greens and kale. Furthermore, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini summer squashes (without their husk and silk) as well as fresh berries such as blackberries strawberries blueberries kiwis are great treats to offer your pet!
