Good pet store treats for Guinea pigs?

[Vanessa_bee29]

When I go to my local pet store, theres always a large selection of treats for Guinea pigs. I usually stick to the oxbox treats but I like to get new things for my pig to try. What other treats would you recommend?

 

[poggle]

I'm not sure where you are so I couldn't recommend anything specific, but honestly - we don't buy any at all, except maybe the odd carrot cottage.

We give big piles of hay. Fill old paper bags with hay. Fill old toilet/kitchen rolls with hay. Make houses/tunnels out of old cardboard boxes... and fill them with hay. Pigs love hay and don't need much else for fun!

I do also scatter-feed their veg and sprinkle pellets on top of the hay; depending on where you are there are commercially available forage mixes you could scatter over hay as well.

 

[Wiebke]

When I go to my local pet store, theres always a large selection of treats for Guinea pigs. I usually stick to the oxbox treats but I like to get new things for my pig to try. What other treats would you recommend?

Rather than investing in expensive treats (which actually have to count as part of their veg and pellet allowance which together with any treat replace the supplementary role of wild forage in the mainly grass/hay fibre based diet they have evolved on), concentrate on making feeding time fun and encourage natural foraging behaviours and making them work for her normal dinner. It is both healthier and more stimulating for your piggies - and you, too, when you can't help giggling watching them.

Different hays and the occasional small portion of speciality hay is a healthier way to enrich the 75-80% of their daily food intake and to make their 'daily bread' a bit more interesting as well without it counting towards the veg/pellet/treat allowance.

Keep in mind that a modicum of preferably green veg with some occasional fresh herbs, one 1 tablespoon per piggy per day and any additional treats should not make more than a fifth to a quarter of what a piggy eats in a day. Since calcium doesn't evaporate, any dried treats are somewhat higher in calcium, so while they are good enrichment they should be used in moderation.
Pet store treats are generally highly processed and very often contain ingredients that should be avoided. A bit of dried forage plants sprinkled over their hay every now and then is a healthy way of treating. Especially if you provide some soft hay to burrow in or serve speciality hay in a toilet roll coardboard inners (if you have a very greedy piggy whose head could get stuck, just cut lengthwise through the cardboard. Also cut any handles of brown paper bags you can use for enrichment purposes.

A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[Claire W]

My piggies enjoy fresh herbs as a treat, dry forage scattered around their cage which provides enrichment for them and a variety of different hays stuffed in to empty toilet roll tubes. Mine enjoy Timothy hay with dandelion and marigold as an example. To be honest, most pet shop treats aren’t suitable and are just a gimmick to make money

 

[Engel]

A variety of veggies scattered around the cage normally goes down well with my lot. Also a different hay (normally orchard or oat) in paper bags or cardboard tubes/boxes.

 

[Merab]

Priscilla thinks a piece of cucumber is the best treat ever.
A handful of herbs.
A paper bag full of hay - this is a real favourite here.
A toilet roll stuffed with hay.
Scattered forage.
Tunnels.
A hay cube, hay house or carrot cottage
All are treats mine enjoy.

 

[Vanessa_bee29]

Rather than investing in expensive treats (which actually have to count as part of their veg and pellet allowance which together with any treat replace the supplementary role of wild forage in the mainly grass/hay fibre based diet they have evolved on), concentrate on making feeding time fun and encourage natural foraging behaviours and making them work for her normal dinner. It is both healthier and more stimulating for your piggies - and you, too, when you can't help giggling watching them.

Different hays and the occasional small portion of speciality hay is a healthier way to enrich the 75-80% of their daily food intake and to make their 'daily bread' a bit more interesting as well without it counting towards the veg/pellet/treat allowance.

Keep in mind that a modicum of preferably green veg with some occasional fresh herbs, one 1 tablespoon per piggy per day and any additional treats should not make more than a fifth to a quarter of what a piggy eats in a day. Since calcium doesn't evaporate, any dried treats are somewhat higher in calcium, so while they are good enrichment they should be used in moderation.
Pet store treats are generally highly processed and very often contain ingredients that should be avoided. A bit of dried forage plants sprinkled over their hay every now and then is a healthy way of treating. Especially if you provide some soft hay to burrow in or serve speciality hay in a toilet roll coardboard inners (if you have a very greedy piggy whose head could get stuck, just cut lengthwise through the cardboard. Also cut any handles of brown paper bags you can use for enrichment purposes.

A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

I like to scatter his food around his cage or on top of his house so he explores a bit. And I have tried the toilet paper tube with my pigs and they’re never interested by it.

 

[Vanessa_bee29]

My piggies enjoy fresh herbs as a treat, dry forage scattered around their cage which provides enrichment for them and a variety of different hays stuffed in to empty toilet roll tubes. Mine enjoy Timothy hay with dandelion and marigold as an example. To be honest, most pet shop treats aren’t suitable and are just a gimmick to make money

I agree that pet store treats aren’t good, which is why I only use oxbox because they don’t upset my pig. I have actually tried dandelion and he spit it out lol he doesn’t like anything bitter

 

[Free Ranger]

Mine like a Carrot Cottage but the Hay Cube is really popular here:

Hay cube is filled with hay - they eat it and eat the holes bigger and then push their way in like a four-poster bed. I empty out the old hay and refill with fresh. If it gets wet with pee I just turn it upside down so they last a long time. One pig actually hangs her butt out the back and toilets outside, she's that fond of it.
They do like to try different types of hay too.
Some of the pet shop treats do look interesting but when you look at the ingredients there usually something that makes me worry - last time everything seemed OK but the last thing listed was 'vegan binder' and that could mean anything... I don't want to add anything crazy onto the diet and I was actually more worried about sugar being in it than anything else in case it upset the stomach.
My pigs are indoor and like a bit of fresh grass more than anything else. If they don't get grass regularly it's important to start with just a little at a time so the guts can get used to it. Not from the roadsides - and not where dogs have peed because it's toxic for piggies. And at the minute not frozen!

 

[Vanessa_bee29]

Mine like a Carrot Cottage but the Hay Cube is really popular here:

Hay cube is filled with hay - they eat it and eat the holes bigger and then push their way in like a four-poster bed. I empty out the old hay and refill with fresh. If it gets wet with pee I just turn it upside down so they last a long time. One pig actually hangs her butt out the back and toilets outside, she's that fond of it.
They do like to try different types of hay too.
Some of the pet shop treats do look interesting but when you look at the ingredients there usually something that makes me worry - last time everything seemed OK but the last thing listed was 'vegan binder' and that could mean anything... I don't want to add anything crazy onto the diet and I was actually more worried about sugar being in it than anything else in case it upset the stomach.
My pigs are indoor and like a bit of fresh grass more than anything else. If they don't get grass regularly it's important to start with just a little at a time so the guts can get used to it. Not from the roadsides - and not where dogs have peed because it's toxic for piggies. And at the minute not frozen!

The hay cube looks interesting I’ll have to try it. Thanks!