Dried veg for guinea pigs?

[Vilde]

Hey guys! Long time since i’ve posted here haha

Anyway, so my piggies have been having some digestive problems lately, and one of them (Kanel) had a very serious case of bloat and GI stasis about two weeks ago now. My vet recommended me to lay off on fruit and veg for a few weeks after, and as an animal health student i definitely agree. Since their digestion is still not back to normal i don’t plan on feeding veg for at least another two weeks.

I am slightly worried they might be missing out on certain nutrients, and because of this i was wondering if feedig small amounts of dried veg is an option? Obviously without added sugar. If so, what kinds / in which amounts?

 

[Claire W]

Hi, please don’t feed any dried fruits or veggies. You can if you like offer them a little dried forage. They should be getting enough nutrients from their hay and pellets

 

[Piggies&buns]

i would agree with Claire. Some dried forage leaves can help replace some nutrients, but the hay and pellets (which are fortified) should be bridging any gaps while they are not having veg.

 

[Vilde]

Is there a particular reason not to feed them? I’m of course not going to feed them if it’s unsafe, but it would be good to know why so that i can be more cautious.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Is there a particular reason not to feed them? I’m of course not going to feed them if it’s unsafe, but it would be good to know why so that i can be more cautious.

Safe fresh and dried forage is absolutely fine to feed. Some leaves are slightly higher in calcium (dandelions for example), some veg higher in sugar once dried but as long as you feed in moderation (which is why I feed a large variety of forages - so they can have something every day) then they are absolutely fine to give. As I say, I feed dried forages instead of pellets most days

 

[Vilde]

Okay, thanks

 

[YvonneBlue]

We feed very small amount of dried apple and dried carrot from Piggy Parcels as a treat but not as an everyday food. After all a lot of people on the forum give their piggies carrot cottages, the tops of which are covered in dried carrot.