squeakypigs
Forum Founder
1 Recommended Food Proportions
2 General Diet Advice
3 List of Edible Veg, Herbs and Fruit
- High vitamin C foods
- Low vitamin C foods
4 Edible Wild Forage
5 Not Recommended and Dangerous Foods
- Unsuitable for a diet
- Questionable foods (lack of information)
6 Exotic Fruit and Vegetables
- Asian fruit and vegetables
- Other fruit and vegetables
7 References
1 Recommended Food Proportions
- Fresh water daily, preferably filtered in hard water areas.
- Unlimited meadow, orchard or timothy hay - should make at least three quarters of the daily food intake.
- 1 cup of mixed veggies per pig per day (ca. 50g)
- Good quality pellets (no dry mixes or mueslis):
Ca. 2 tablespoons (ca. 30g) for youngsters up to 4 months (quick growth phase), then reduced to 1 tablespoon for fully grown adults over 12-15 months old per guinea pig per day.
2 General Important Diet Advice
Please consider sprinkle feeding or making your piggies work for their veg and pellets and turn feeding time into enrichment time. And please note that 'one bowl full' literally means one small bowl full.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
It is vital for long term gut and dental health that guinea pigs are encouraged to eat as much hay and fresh growing grass (dog pee free and whenever available) in between because they have evolved as a species on nutritious grass fibrea and their body is fully designed for it. Veg and pellets together only replace the supplementary role of wild forage in their original diet and should not be available at all times; ideally you serve only enough to be eaten in one go.
Also be aware that not every edible vegetable, fresh herb or fruit is equally healthy and should be part of a regular diet. In fact, some of the most commonly fed foods can be life-shortening and illness promoting if fed on a daily basis. Feeding carrot to a guinea is like feeding a block of chocolate to a human every day!
There is a huge difference between between 'edible' and 'recommended for a daily diet'. Most foods come with pros and cons - for instance, the majority in veg high in vitamin C is also either high in calcium and/or oxalates or in sugar (fruit), both of which can contribute to the formation of bladder stones or promote cases of sudden severe bloat.
In reality, our recommended diet is one huge balancing act and compromise where each item has been considered in conjunction with any others in order to avoid long term harmful imbalances.
This guide here focuses on the actual menu list and diet as a whole.
3 List of Edible Veg, Herbs and Fruit
HIGH Vitamin C foods
Guinea pig pellets (no dry mixes/mueslis) with stabilized vitamin C:
- alfalfa based for youngsters up to max. 4 months, pregnant & nursing sows, slim or sick pigs;
- timothy based for healthy, grown, chubby pigs
- Fresh growing grass (must be dog pee free and unsprayed)
- Parsley - curly or plain (high in calcium)
- Coriander / Cilantro / Chinese Parsley
- Celery leaves
- Collard greens (USA) - Spring greens (UK)
- Mustard greens / Leaf Mustard
- Water Cress
- Garden Cress
- Swiss Chard, Red Chard
- Beet greens
- Spinach (feed in moderation, linked to formation of kidney & bladder stones)
- Carrot tops / leaves
- Mangetout snow peas, pea Shoots (not dried)
- Dandelion greens
- Grass - wheat, winter rye (grown in pots from seed)
- Kale and Cavolo Nero - curly or plain
- Broccoli, Broccolini (stems are liked better than flowers)
- Broccoli Rabe / Rabe / Rapini
- Cauliflower / Broccoflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Savoy, white/green and red Cabbage
- Kohlrabi leaves
- Bell or Sweet Peppers - any colour (not hot or chile)
All fruit (inlcuding tomato) counting together no more than once or twice a week to prevent potentially fatal lip sores (cheilitis) caused by the acidity in these foods.
- Tomato (greens are poisonous)
- Tamarillo (leaves poisonous)
- Orange
- Tangerine / Mandarin
- Grapefruit
- Lemon, Lime (home-grown best, otherwise feed cautiously)
- Currants - yellow, red or black (leaves also edible)
- Gooseberries
- Strawberries
- Kiwi Fruit
- Mango
- Guava
- Feijoa / Pineapple Guava
- Papaya / Paw Paw / Tree Melon
- Persimmon - american or oriental
- Rosehip
- Cantaloupe and Honeydew melon (don't come under the fruit rule)
LOW Vitamin C foods
- Hay - timothy, meadow, alpine and others (must always be available)
- Alfalfa - green or dried (high calcium & calories - only for youngsters up to 4 months, pregnant & nursing sows)
- Romaine Lettuce
- Lettuces - red, green, butter, Boston and other (avoid iceberg)
- Arugula / Rocket / Roquette / Rucola
- Green Endive
- Belgian Endive
- Radicchio / Italian Chicory
- Treviso Radicchio
- Salad mix (without iceburg lettuce)
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Anise
- Basil
- Dill
- Mint
- Thyme
- Celery stalks (cut into small pieces)
- Corn on the cob (strings, leaves & stalks are edible too)
- Bean Sprouts
- Green Beans in pods / String Beans (not dried)
- Carrots (feed in moderation, vit A in carrots said to cause liver problems)
- Yam / Sweet Potato (high in vit A? - leaves edible)
- Beets
- Celery Root / Celeriac
- Kohlrabi bulbs
- Radishes (if mild)
- Turnip
- Parsnip
- raw beetroot
- Rutabaga (aka Swede)
- Parsley root
- Cucumber (fresh only, not pickled)
- Squash - acorn, banana, butterhorn, spagetti, and others (feed in moderation)
- Courgette / Zucchini
- Pumpkin and marrows - the same parts and varieties that are edible for humans
- Pineapple - fresh (sores around lips & mouth can develop)
- Apple (avoid seeds; if too tart, sores around lips & mouth can develop)
- Crabapple
- Pear
- Asian Pear
- Plum, Prune (dried high in sugar - as treat only)
- Nectarine
- Apricot
- Peach
- Cherries (remove pits)
- Cranberries (whole fruit, not concentrate or juice)
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Bilberries
- Blueberries
- Watermelon (can cause diarrhea - high water content)
- Banana (feed in great moderation - can cause constipation)
- Passion Fruit / Granadilla
- Grapes (in moderation, high in sugar)
- Figs (dried high in sugar - as treat only)
- Dates (dried high in sugar)
4 EDIBLE Wild Forage
Please make sure you know what you are picking! Be sure to pick from places free of contaminants such as pesticides, exhaust fumes or animal urine; pick plants that are healthy looking, without insect damage, fungus spots, breakage, or wilting.
More information on forage: Wild UK forage for guinea pigs
- Grass (common grasses are edible, avoid ornamental grasses with sharp edges)
- Clover (Trifolium repens or Trifolium pratense)
- Dandelion (Teraxacum officinale) - pick leaves, stems, flowers (even root OK)
- Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
- Blackberry leaves (Rubus plicatus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - leaves and flowers
- Caraway (Carum carvi)
- Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
- Chickweed (Stellaria media)
- Cleavers / Stickyweed / Goosegrass / Bedstraw (Galium aparine)
- Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
- Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaeae) - berries, leaves in moderation
- Cow Parsley (Anthiscus sylvestris)
- Dog Rose (Rosa canina) - ripe fruits
- Duckweed (Lemna minor) - aquatic
- Fennel (Foeniculum capillaceum)
- Field Violet / Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)
- Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
- Lemon Mint / Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
- Linden / Lime Tree (Tilia cordata or Tilia platyphyllos) - flowers with pale yellow leaflets
- Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
- Pepermint (Mentha piperita)
- Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata)
- Raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
- Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
- Silverweed (Potentilla anserina)
- Vetch (Vicia x)
- Yarrow (Achllea millefolium)
- Whortleberry / Heidelberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) - berries, leaves in moderation
- Wild Chamomile (Matricaria chammomilla)
- Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) - berries and leaves
2 General Diet Advice
3 List of Edible Veg, Herbs and Fruit
- High vitamin C foods
- Low vitamin C foods
4 Edible Wild Forage
5 Not Recommended and Dangerous Foods
- Unsuitable for a diet
- Questionable foods (lack of information)
6 Exotic Fruit and Vegetables
- Asian fruit and vegetables
- Other fruit and vegetables
7 References
1 Recommended Food Proportions
- Fresh water daily, preferably filtered in hard water areas.
- Unlimited meadow, orchard or timothy hay - should make at least three quarters of the daily food intake.
- 1 cup of mixed veggies per pig per day (ca. 50g)
- Good quality pellets (no dry mixes or mueslis):
Ca. 2 tablespoons (ca. 30g) for youngsters up to 4 months (quick growth phase), then reduced to 1 tablespoon for fully grown adults over 12-15 months old per guinea pig per day.
2 General Important Diet Advice
Please consider sprinkle feeding or making your piggies work for their veg and pellets and turn feeding time into enrichment time. And please note that 'one bowl full' literally means one small bowl full.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
It is vital for long term gut and dental health that guinea pigs are encouraged to eat as much hay and fresh growing grass (dog pee free and whenever available) in between because they have evolved as a species on nutritious grass fibrea and their body is fully designed for it. Veg and pellets together only replace the supplementary role of wild forage in their original diet and should not be available at all times; ideally you serve only enough to be eaten in one go.
Also be aware that not every edible vegetable, fresh herb or fruit is equally healthy and should be part of a regular diet. In fact, some of the most commonly fed foods can be life-shortening and illness promoting if fed on a daily basis. Feeding carrot to a guinea is like feeding a block of chocolate to a human every day!
There is a huge difference between between 'edible' and 'recommended for a daily diet'. Most foods come with pros and cons - for instance, the majority in veg high in vitamin C is also either high in calcium and/or oxalates or in sugar (fruit), both of which can contribute to the formation of bladder stones or promote cases of sudden severe bloat.
In reality, our recommended diet is one huge balancing act and compromise where each item has been considered in conjunction with any others in order to avoid long term harmful imbalances.
This guide here focuses on the actual menu list and diet as a whole.
3 List of Edible Veg, Herbs and Fruit
HIGH Vitamin C foods
Guinea pig pellets (no dry mixes/mueslis) with stabilized vitamin C:
- alfalfa based for youngsters up to max. 4 months, pregnant & nursing sows, slim or sick pigs;
- timothy based for healthy, grown, chubby pigs
- Fresh growing grass (must be dog pee free and unsprayed)
- Parsley - curly or plain (high in calcium)
- Coriander / Cilantro / Chinese Parsley
- Celery leaves
- Collard greens (USA) - Spring greens (UK)
- Mustard greens / Leaf Mustard
- Water Cress
- Garden Cress
- Swiss Chard, Red Chard
- Beet greens
- Spinach (feed in moderation, linked to formation of kidney & bladder stones)
- Carrot tops / leaves
- Mangetout snow peas, pea Shoots (not dried)
- Dandelion greens
- Grass - wheat, winter rye (grown in pots from seed)
- Kale and Cavolo Nero - curly or plain
- Broccoli, Broccolini (stems are liked better than flowers)
- Broccoli Rabe / Rabe / Rapini
- Cauliflower / Broccoflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Savoy, white/green and red Cabbage
- Kohlrabi leaves
- Bell or Sweet Peppers - any colour (not hot or chile)
All fruit (inlcuding tomato) counting together no more than once or twice a week to prevent potentially fatal lip sores (cheilitis) caused by the acidity in these foods.
- Tomato (greens are poisonous)
- Tamarillo (leaves poisonous)
- Orange
- Tangerine / Mandarin
- Grapefruit
- Lemon, Lime (home-grown best, otherwise feed cautiously)
- Currants - yellow, red or black (leaves also edible)
- Gooseberries
- Strawberries
- Kiwi Fruit
- Mango
- Guava
- Feijoa / Pineapple Guava
- Papaya / Paw Paw / Tree Melon
- Persimmon - american or oriental
- Rosehip
- Cantaloupe and Honeydew melon (don't come under the fruit rule)
LOW Vitamin C foods
- Hay - timothy, meadow, alpine and others (must always be available)
- Alfalfa - green or dried (high calcium & calories - only for youngsters up to 4 months, pregnant & nursing sows)
- Romaine Lettuce
- Lettuces - red, green, butter, Boston and other (avoid iceberg)
- Arugula / Rocket / Roquette / Rucola
- Green Endive
- Belgian Endive
- Radicchio / Italian Chicory
- Treviso Radicchio
- Salad mix (without iceburg lettuce)
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Anise
- Basil
- Dill
- Mint
- Thyme
- Celery stalks (cut into small pieces)
- Corn on the cob (strings, leaves & stalks are edible too)
- Bean Sprouts
- Green Beans in pods / String Beans (not dried)
- Carrots (feed in moderation, vit A in carrots said to cause liver problems)
- Yam / Sweet Potato (high in vit A? - leaves edible)
- Beets
- Celery Root / Celeriac
- Kohlrabi bulbs
- Radishes (if mild)
- Turnip
- Parsnip
- raw beetroot
- Rutabaga (aka Swede)
- Parsley root
- Cucumber (fresh only, not pickled)
- Squash - acorn, banana, butterhorn, spagetti, and others (feed in moderation)
- Courgette / Zucchini
- Pumpkin and marrows - the same parts and varieties that are edible for humans
- Pineapple - fresh (sores around lips & mouth can develop)
- Apple (avoid seeds; if too tart, sores around lips & mouth can develop)
- Crabapple
- Pear
- Asian Pear
- Plum, Prune (dried high in sugar - as treat only)
- Nectarine
- Apricot
- Peach
- Cherries (remove pits)
- Cranberries (whole fruit, not concentrate or juice)
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Bilberries
- Blueberries
- Watermelon (can cause diarrhea - high water content)
- Banana (feed in great moderation - can cause constipation)
- Passion Fruit / Granadilla
- Grapes (in moderation, high in sugar)
- Figs (dried high in sugar - as treat only)
- Dates (dried high in sugar)
4 EDIBLE Wild Forage
Please make sure you know what you are picking! Be sure to pick from places free of contaminants such as pesticides, exhaust fumes or animal urine; pick plants that are healthy looking, without insect damage, fungus spots, breakage, or wilting.
More information on forage: Wild UK forage for guinea pigs
- Grass (common grasses are edible, avoid ornamental grasses with sharp edges)
- Clover (Trifolium repens or Trifolium pratense)
- Dandelion (Teraxacum officinale) - pick leaves, stems, flowers (even root OK)
- Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
- Blackberry leaves (Rubus plicatus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - leaves and flowers
- Caraway (Carum carvi)
- Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
- Chickweed (Stellaria media)
- Cleavers / Stickyweed / Goosegrass / Bedstraw (Galium aparine)
- Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
- Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaeae) - berries, leaves in moderation
- Cow Parsley (Anthiscus sylvestris)
- Dog Rose (Rosa canina) - ripe fruits
- Duckweed (Lemna minor) - aquatic
- Fennel (Foeniculum capillaceum)
- Field Violet / Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)
- Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
- Lemon Mint / Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
- Linden / Lime Tree (Tilia cordata or Tilia platyphyllos) - flowers with pale yellow leaflets
- Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
- Pepermint (Mentha piperita)
- Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata)
- Raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
- Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
- Silverweed (Potentilla anserina)
- Vetch (Vicia x)
- Yarrow (Achllea millefolium)
- Whortleberry / Heidelberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) - berries, leaves in moderation
- Wild Chamomile (Matricaria chammomilla)
- Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) - berries and leaves
