Got a picky piggie i think

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miranda2300

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hi guys
Every evening I give my piggies celery cucumber peper red or green and corrider getting ready to introduce spring greens any way roxy does not like the green pepper corrider and celery only red pepper and cumber also carrots but I no its a big no no for to many carrots
So have you guys got any idea I can introduce some vegetables that she might like that is her daily intake
 
The veg you are currently offering are a good selection.

Personally I wouldn't worry too much.
Unless there is an underlying medical issue, a piggy will eat what they need.
Just like people I have had some super fussy piggies in the past, and some who simply devour everything.

As long as she has unlimited, good quality hay and a small amount of pellets, it doesn't really matter if she eats a lot fo fresh veg.
 
miranda2300 said:
hi guys
Every evening I give my piggies celery cucumber peper red or green and corrider getting ready to introduce spring greens any way roxy does not like the green pepper corrider and celery only red pepper and cumber also carrots but I no its a big no no for to many carrots
So have you guys got any idea I can introduce some vegetables that she might like that is her daily intake
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My piggy is super picky too! She never tried new food until the younger one started eating it. Sometimes she just doesn’t want to try the new food whatsoever!
 
Guinea pigs learn what is safe to eat from their elders. This means that introducing new foods can be challenging for some piggies who have not any any previous exposure to them due to their elders being kept on a no veg or very limited veg diet. If they have a companion who is less fussy, then it can be a bit easier as you have the strong 'I want what you have' learning reflex on your side. But the personal variance can be quite large - the same as in humans.

Please be patient and persist but don't worry. Veg and pellets together only replace the supplementary role of wild forage but it is not their main food source. Vitamin C is also in pellets and fresh growing grass, so yours will still get enough to keep going. See it as a challenge on the same level as getting human children to eat green stuff. ;)

It has taken me months to get my ex-single Dylan off his diet of just lettuce and carrots while living in a hamster cage without exercise when I adopted him, aged two from a rescue; he was initially unable to support walk normally for over a yard because his back muscles had atrophied. He has always remained a somewhat picky eater but is now 6 years old and has lived a good normal life span, most of it with his beloved little wife Begw; despite his bad start. ;)
PS: If you are interested in the development of guinea pigs, you may find this article series I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine worth reading. It deals amongst social issues also with what babies are learning from their elders over the first half year of their lives and where our sadly still wide-spread baby sales pet ownership system can be at odds with the natural social mechanisms and wiring.
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs
 
I kinda refuse to find them lettuce did try to get them spring greens to try but Morriston didn't have any additional don't have any so I dunno what to do
I'll definitely give it a read thank you
 
miranda2300 said:
If I could quote a heart i would thank you
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There are hearts available when you click on the like button underneath a post you like.

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But I am glad that we can help you. I hope that you will enjoy the support and the friendly atmosphere in our forum; it is part of our ethos. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

If you would like some more practical in-depth information, then we have a helpful collection of guides for new owners into which our collective experience with thousands of questions has gone into. You may want to bookmark the link: Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners
 
miranda2300 said:
I kinda refuse to find them lettuce did try to get them spring greens to try but Morriston didn't have any additional don't have any so I dunno what to do
I'll definitely give it a read thank you
Click to expand...

Why do you refuse to find them lettuce?
Lettuce is a safe daily thing to feed them.
The basis of my boys veg is mostly herbs, secondly lettuce and then pepper and cucumber chunks
 
I dunno i guest its all the myths I hear about it which lettuce do you suggest
 
Piggies&buns said:
Why do you refuse to find them lettuce?
Lettuce is a safe daily thing to feed them.
The basis of my boys veg is mostly herbs, secondly lettuce and then pepper and cucumber chunks
Click to expand...

I feed cucumber and a slice of pepper of any colour in the mornings and lettuce (romaine, gem or lambs lettuce) with either a bit of fresh coriander/cilantro, a slice of greens/collard greens or once a week something a bit naughty like a green bean, a different herb, half a cherry tomato, a small chunk of carrot or a little apple etc. as a special treat in the evenings. You basically feed a mix of veg high in vitamins and other trace elements and veg high in water content to ensure good urination.

I supplement with fresh grass that is dry and when it is growing because it is high in vitamin C then and reason why guinea pigs have turned off their vitamin C producing gene - they were getting plenty from their natural diet. Fresh dandelions from the lawn are also a good thing to feed with a meal.

But ultimately, you have to work with what your piggies accept and then try to gradually expand. If they really don't like something, then you work around it and find something else to feed instead. Diet is never set in concrete; you have to adapt to your piggies will accept and what is available.

Here is our diet guide: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
 
miranda2300 said:
I dunno i guest its all the myths I hear about it which lettuce do you suggest
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Diet is a minefield and very confusing for new owners. Recommendations have also changed a lot over the last decade which have left their traces in the online myths and the still continue to evolve, which makes things even more difficult. There is a constant push and pull.

What we can bring to the table is personal long term experience and the proof of many of our piggies living a good, normal life span despite often being adoptees, with very few occurrances of bladder stones etc.

Iceberg lettuce is the one to really avoid as well as salad mixes with spinach leaves.
 
Its definitely changed since I had guinea pigs when I was 9 that quite many years ago now I just want to give them the best in life I will get them some lettuce and give it a go I tried them with a bit of yellow pepper all enjoyed it I have got a feeling roxy didn't like how I cut it before I will see later with the green pepper I cut it in chunks before but now I cut it in lines
 
Bell peppers are a fab source of vitamin C without too much of other things (like calcium etc).

One of my late guinea pigs decided all she'd eat was dill which was only seasonally available in the supermarket and very expensive!

I'd just rotate the balance of veggies and feed them small amounts of anything new until they get used to it :)
 
miranda2300 said:
Its definitely changed since I had guinea pigs when I was 9 that quite many years ago now I just want to give them the best in life I will get them some lettuce and give it a go I tried them with a bit of yellow pepper all enjoyed it I have got a feeling roxy didn't like how I cut it before I will see later with the green pepper I cut it in chunks before but now I cut it in lines
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Piggies can be very picky. Some are not bothered and other pull up their noses if it is not their favourite colour of pepper.

At least I have enough piggies that I can distribute a string of peppers to their group preference most of the time.

Otherwise, tough luck. Somepig in the cage will eat it... and the one who doesn't like can have a bit more of what else is on offer. Most piggies learn pretty quickly to eat what is there because if they are too picky and need too much time to make up their mind, it's gone and they have to stick with hay and pellets for the day. :)

But yes, things have moved on a lot, especially in the 16 years this forum has been running and the availability and exchange of information has virtually exploded compared to what went on before.

Our information resource and our members will hopefully help you to catch up and find new fun with understanding so much more and being able to enrich your piggies' lives and your interaction with them in different ways.
 
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