Diet
Nutrition
Pet Store Treats
The majority of treats from pet stores is unhealthy for your guinea pig. Many lead to diabetes, dental and digestive problems from high levels of sugar. Some treat sticks have nuts that are choking hazards to cavies.
The best treat you can give to your piggies is fresh veggies and the occasional fruit chunk.
Forages
There are many plants that guinea pigs can eat. Make sure you wash the plant before feeding. If the plants come from pesticide and chemical free areas, you are able to use them. Also, make sure that dogs and cats haven't urinated or defecated the area. Here is a list of plants that your piggy can eat. Any other plant may not be edible, so ask before feeding.
Grass (common grasses are edible, avoid ornamental grasses), cat grass/wheat grass is also popular and can be grown in pots or containers.
Clover
Dandelion - pick leaves, stems, flowers (even root is OK)
Anise
Blackberry leaves - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
Calendula - leaves and flowers
Caraway
Chamomile
Chickweed
Coriander
Cowberry - berries, leaves in moderation
Cow Parsley
Dog Rose - ripe fruits
Duckweed - aquatic
Field Violet / Wild Pansy
Lemon Mint / Melissa
Miner's Lettuce
Peppermint
Plantain
Raspberry leaves - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
Spearmint
Silverweed
Vetch
Yarrow
Whortleberry / Heidelberry - berries, leaves in moderation
Wild Chamomile
Wild Strawberry - berries and leaves
Fresh Food
Many vegetables are edible for a cavy. Celery should only be served in small pieces, because there are loose stems that are a choking hazard for your piggy. Here is (yet another) list for fresh veggies and fruits that are edible for your piggy. (Never feed them broccoli because it gives them gas.)
Romain Lettuce (NEVER Iceberg)
Peppers (NEVER Chili peppers)
Oranges
Apples
Parsley
Carrots
Blueberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Squash
Raspberries
(much more veggies and fruits to come!)
Hay
Why it's Vital
ALWAYS make sure your cavy has hay in it's cage (Timothy hay). Alfalfa is for pregnant sows and piggies under 4 months. Mix them for the pregnant sows and babies, too!
Pet Store Treats
The majority of treats from pet stores is unhealthy for your guinea pig. Many lead to diabetes, dental and digestive problems from high levels of sugar. Some treat sticks have nuts that are choking hazards to cavies.
The best treat you can give to your piggies is fresh veggies and the occasional fruit chunk.
Forages
There are many plants that guinea pigs can eat. Make sure you wash the plant before feeding. If the plants come from pesticide and chemical free areas, you are able to use them. Also, make sure that dogs and cats haven't urinated or defecated the area. Here is a list of plants that your piggy can eat. Any other plant may not be edible, so ask before feeding.
Grass (common grasses are edible, avoid ornamental grasses), cat grass/wheat grass is also popular and can be grown in pots or containers.
Clover
Dandelion - pick leaves, stems, flowers (even root is OK)
Anise
Blackberry leaves - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
Calendula - leaves and flowers
Caraway
Chamomile
Chickweed
Coriander
Cowberry - berries, leaves in moderation
Cow Parsley
Dog Rose - ripe fruits
Duckweed - aquatic
Field Violet / Wild Pansy
Lemon Mint / Melissa
Miner's Lettuce
Peppermint
Plantain
Raspberry leaves - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
Spearmint
Silverweed
Vetch
Yarrow
Whortleberry / Heidelberry - berries, leaves in moderation
Wild Chamomile
Wild Strawberry - berries and leaves
Fresh Food
Many vegetables are edible for a cavy. Celery should only be served in small pieces, because there are loose stems that are a choking hazard for your piggy. Here is (yet another) list for fresh veggies and fruits that are edible for your piggy. (Never feed them broccoli because it gives them gas.)
Romain Lettuce (NEVER Iceberg)
Peppers (NEVER Chili peppers)
Oranges
Apples
Parsley
Carrots
Blueberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Squash
Raspberries
(much more veggies and fruits to come!)
Hay
Why it's Vital
ALWAYS make sure your cavy has hay in it's cage (Timothy hay). Alfalfa is for pregnant sows and piggies under 4 months. Mix them for the pregnant sows and babies, too!
"One of the most important items in the guinea pig diet is grass hay, which should be fed in unlimited quantities to both adults and baby guinea pigs. It is important to provide an unlimited source of hay because pellets do not provide enough long fiber to keep their intestines in good working order. The long fibers stimulate muscle contraction of the intestines to improve and maintain gut motility (to prevent gastrointestinal obstruction).
Chewing hay is also important. Like rabbits, the molars in guinea pigs are constantly growing and must be ground down by chewing. Constant chewing on hay promotes healthy and normal wear on their molars. Treats and chew sticks are not efficient at wearing the teeth.
Alfalfa hay is rich in protein and calcium, but when combined with pellets it doesn’t have the proper ratio of calcium and phosphorus. This can lead to improper gastrointestinal motility, such as diarrhea. It also may predispose certain guinea pigs to calcium oxalate bladder or kidney stones.Timothy hay is a better choice and is becoming more readily available. It’s important to keep your guinea pig sleek, so cut down on the amount of protein and calorie-rich pellets while feeding timothy hay."
-Dr. Curt Nakamura
Timothy hay found in pet stores is more expensive and less healthy than a farm's. If you must by from a pet store, get the greenest hay possible. Also, if you have a lot of guinea pigs and can store some hay, buy a bale from a farm! It's cheaper than pet store hay. The most the barrel will cost is $20 and that is for 200 pounds of hay! Timothy 2nd-cut is perferred over Timothy 1st cut. First-cut will still have seed heads on the hay, while second-cut is softer and greener.
According to Oxbow:
Timothy hay found in pet stores is more expensive and less healthy than a farm's. If you must by from a pet store, get the greenest hay possible. Also, if you have a lot of guinea pigs and can store some hay, buy a bale from a farm! It's cheaper than pet store hay. The most the barrel will cost is $20 and that is for 200 pounds of hay! Timothy 2nd-cut is perferred over Timothy 1st cut. First-cut will still have seed heads on the hay, while second-cut is softer and greener.
According to Oxbow:
"The first cutting is harvested in mid summer and is more mature, containing a higher stem to leaf ratio and is coarser in texture. It is actually healthier as it is higher in fiber and lower in protein than a second cutting timothy. But many small animals do not find it as appetizing.
The second cutting Timothy is an immature cutting of hay and therefore contains a higher leaf to stem ratio. It is harvested in the late fall and is very soft and palatable to small animals. It is our leafiest hay and our most popular hay."
If you use hay for the top layer of bedding, make sure to change it frequently. Hay doesn't absorb urine, so it will start to get moldy! Hay can be stored for many months, so just make sure it has air to breath. Keep it in a dry place and it shouldn't be in plastic. A wooden/cardboard box is recommended.
A Cool Coroplast Hayrack for Three
(I got the instructions from Guinea Pig Zone)
While hay is the most important ingredient in a guinea pig's diet, it is also the messiest. It can present challenges for cleanup, especially if you use fleece for bedding. With fleece bedding, the less hay you have strewn around the cage the easier it is to cleanup.
I made this hay rack/box from leftover coroplast. It is 30 inches wide, 9 inches deep at the top, 2 inches deep at the bottom, and 11 inches tall.
The litter boxes are veggie baskets and tubs. This has worked out very well for us and our guinea pigs. I put wood pellets on the bottom tub, put the basket in place and add hay. You could use carefresh or other bedding. It keeps hay and poop separated from the litter. It's so easy to clean. I just take each basket out, dump it and wipe then add some hay. The basket/tub is 10 x 13 inches each -- a perfect size for each pig. You'll need to improvise on finding some bins that work for you. I found mine at a chinese grocery. You could try a dollar store or kitchen supply store. You could also use cardboard boxes and just toss them when soiled.
This is my 2nd one for this design. I made the first one with the big holes on the bottom, but they managed to get inside and pee all over. I had to throw that one away. So, this is the new, improved model and cavy-cleanup tested. The hay bin sits on top of their individual tubs, so the tubs do not tip.
Notice that the 3-cavy version is wider than 2 grids! So, if you have a 2x4 GRID-sized cage, for example, you would need to mount this hay rack on the long side. Just shorten the template as needed for a 2-cavy or 1-cavy sized hay rack.
This style of hay bin has the advantage of safety over grid hay racks, especially when you have small guinea pigs. Also, it's a bit easier for the guinea pigs to get to the hay, which is important, while still keeping the cage fairly neat.
Step 1: This is the tricky part ... just dealing with the template and the measurements. Remember, measure twice so you only have to cut once.
Score the lines on one side. Carefully cut the window holes out using an exacto knife or sharp blade.
Here is a link to a PDF version of this image so that you can print out the template for better review.
Step 2: Fold the back up with scored side on the outside.
You will need to cut the 2 inches on either side of the long end piece on the bottom to allow the tabs to be folded up and the front back to be folded up as well.
Step 3: Fold in the back flaps.
Step 4: Fold up the bottom tab. You can secure the coroplast with some clear packing tape.
Step 5: Fold the front ends back over the back side and secure with packing tape.
Step 6: Secure the completed hay bin with binder clips to the cage grid wall and insert hay!
A Cool Coroplast Hayrack for Three
(I got the instructions from Guinea Pig Zone)
While hay is the most important ingredient in a guinea pig's diet, it is also the messiest. It can present challenges for cleanup, especially if you use fleece for bedding. With fleece bedding, the less hay you have strewn around the cage the easier it is to cleanup.
I made this hay rack/box from leftover coroplast. It is 30 inches wide, 9 inches deep at the top, 2 inches deep at the bottom, and 11 inches tall.
The litter boxes are veggie baskets and tubs. This has worked out very well for us and our guinea pigs. I put wood pellets on the bottom tub, put the basket in place and add hay. You could use carefresh or other bedding. It keeps hay and poop separated from the litter. It's so easy to clean. I just take each basket out, dump it and wipe then add some hay. The basket/tub is 10 x 13 inches each -- a perfect size for each pig. You'll need to improvise on finding some bins that work for you. I found mine at a chinese grocery. You could try a dollar store or kitchen supply store. You could also use cardboard boxes and just toss them when soiled.
This is my 2nd one for this design. I made the first one with the big holes on the bottom, but they managed to get inside and pee all over. I had to throw that one away. So, this is the new, improved model and cavy-cleanup tested. The hay bin sits on top of their individual tubs, so the tubs do not tip.
Notice that the 3-cavy version is wider than 2 grids! So, if you have a 2x4 GRID-sized cage, for example, you would need to mount this hay rack on the long side. Just shorten the template as needed for a 2-cavy or 1-cavy sized hay rack.
This style of hay bin has the advantage of safety over grid hay racks, especially when you have small guinea pigs. Also, it's a bit easier for the guinea pigs to get to the hay, which is important, while still keeping the cage fairly neat.
Step 1: This is the tricky part ... just dealing with the template and the measurements. Remember, measure twice so you only have to cut once.
Score the lines on one side. Carefully cut the window holes out using an exacto knife or sharp blade.
Here is a link to a PDF version of this image so that you can print out the template for better review.
Step 2: Fold the back up with scored side on the outside.
You will need to cut the 2 inches on either side of the long end piece on the bottom to allow the tabs to be folded up and the front back to be folded up as well.
Step 3: Fold in the back flaps.
Step 4: Fold up the bottom tab. You can secure the coroplast with some clear packing tape.
Step 5: Fold the front ends back over the back side and secure with packing tape.
Step 6: Secure the completed hay bin with binder clips to the cage grid wall and insert hay!
Pellets
Since pellets are another source of food besides hay, it is also important on which brand of pellets you get. I use Timothy hay pellets that I buy from either Petco or Petsmart. If you can find another way to get them besides pet stores, do so. I use a bowl that is heavy enough that it doesn't tip over, and I fill it half an inch with the pellets. Clean it when it's empty, then put more pellets in.
Hand-feeding
When you hand-feed your cavy, you and he/she are developing trust. At first, your piggy will most likely act shy, but be patient, and he/she will come to you and eat it. The more you do this, the less afraid your piggy will be. Make sure your fingers are at the short end, and most of the food you are giving is toward the piggy. If your guinea pig nips your fingers, don't worry. Your cavy is just trying to reach the rest of the food, or, he/she thinks that since your fingers smell like the food, you are the food.
Remember that guinea pigs are strict herbivores.
Since pellets are another source of food besides hay, it is also important on which brand of pellets you get. I use Timothy hay pellets that I buy from either Petco or Petsmart. If you can find another way to get them besides pet stores, do so. I use a bowl that is heavy enough that it doesn't tip over, and I fill it half an inch with the pellets. Clean it when it's empty, then put more pellets in.
Hand-feeding
When you hand-feed your cavy, you and he/she are developing trust. At first, your piggy will most likely act shy, but be patient, and he/she will come to you and eat it. The more you do this, the less afraid your piggy will be. Make sure your fingers are at the short end, and most of the food you are giving is toward the piggy. If your guinea pig nips your fingers, don't worry. Your cavy is just trying to reach the rest of the food, or, he/she thinks that since your fingers smell like the food, you are the food.
Remember that guinea pigs are strict herbivores.
