Are chewable sticks like Tiny Friends Farm okay to give often?

[lauryn1289]

I’ve had guinea pigs for nearly a decade so I feel silly even asking this! But my 2 boys Ollie and Eggs are separated in the same cage (both have 3x3 each) because Ollie’s way too aggressive but he’s also a CHRONIC bar biter because of it. He’s strong as an ox and he’s a happy little boy he’s not in any discomfort, he just genuinely has the personality of a small aggressive dog. I give the boys Tiny Friend Farm Stickles a lot because it keeps Ollie busy and not biting the bars as much so Eggs can get some peace and quiet. They don’t have access to these 24/7 of course, every couple weeks they get the sticks and it lasts them 4-5 days. Only just wondered are they actually unhealthy?

One of my boys died after a bladder stone surgery a few years back so I’m incredibly conscious of their diet. I never feed them anything with alfalfa either, their pellets are Versela Laga Cavia Complete

The ingredients in their favourite stickles are: Wheat flour, oats, flaked oats, wheat middlings, ground timothy hay (8%), sugar, dried dandelion (5%), soya oil, dried thyme (0.9%), dried basil (0.9%).

I know of course the timothy hay and dandelion are fine but the wheat and oats (and sugar I suppose) I’m not sure about? As far as I know oats are fine if you need a pig to gain weight but otherwise I’m not sure. Thanks if anyone has any opinions

 

[Piggies&buns]

Personally I wouldn’t give them. I tend to avoid all commercial pet shop treats as there are much healthier options.
It is wheat based and contains sugar - those things are the reason I wouldn’t use them.

Seeds - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

 

[lauryn1289]

Personally I wouldn’t give them. I tend to avoid all commercial pet shop treats as there are much healthier options.
It is wheat based and contains sugar - those things are the reason I wouldn’t use them.

Seeds - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Thank you! I buy their timothy and meadow hay from a local farm that also has fully hay/flower based treats like that for rabbits and pigs but they’re basically always out of stock as soon as I get around to picking up their hay They’re the only things that seem to distract Ollie from bar biting, Burgess has these huge logs of compacted hay that worked for a while but not long enough He won’t even chew his meadow hay house instead

 

[Queen of wands]

I weave card board and palm frond things between bars to discourage bar chewing seems to work they chew the stuff and not the bars they sit here together a lot