Guinea Pig Diet - Newbie Guinea Pig Owner

[mdibs0135]

Hello!

We inherited a guinea pig from kids daycare. Her mate died. She is happy and healthy - we just had our first vet visit!

Anyhow ---she doesn't like fresh veggies and fruit - just carrots - which I know they can only have a few times a week. She snubs everything else I put in there - but I keep offering it - any other suggestions on how to get her to eat fresh food?

Next - We have tried several different pellets. She chooses what out of them to eat or not - and I'm afraid shes not getting enough Vitamin C. She will tip the bowl when shes done with it and throw the food out of the cage - shes got an attitude! . I've even tried plain. Any suggestions?

She really just prefers her Hay and water. I know thats enough - but she needs the vitamin C what is the best way to get that to her.

Looking for any and all suggestions

 

[Siikibam]

Hay and fresh grass have plenty of vitamin c in them. Another good source is bell peppers and coriander. Have you tried her on those? She can also have lettuce (not iceberg) every day, and a slice of cucumber. It may be a case of having to persist if she’s not been used to eating veggies.

It’s always better to give plain pellets and not a mix. The mixes lead to selective eating and also contain things not suitable for guinea pigs. I wouldn’t give carrots or fruit very regularly - they’re high in sugar and meant as an occasional treat rather than a regular thing. Have a look at the feeding guide below and see what you can try.

Please also consider getting her a friend. She may seem happy but they need company of their own kind, 24/7. No amount of interaction with you can replace or equate that. If you have rescues near you that’s the best way to go. If not then you need a plan B in case she doesn’t get along with the piggy you get.

Please also start weighing her weekly now as part of the lifelong health monitoring. I’m glad she got the all clear from the vet.
Lastly,

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Guinea Lynx :: US Guinea Pig Rescue and Shelter Organizations
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

 

[Piggies&buns]

It sounds as if you’re feeling a muesli rather than pellets - does if have lots of different bits, different colours in it? If so, if is a muesli and isn’t a recommended food as if encourages them to only pick out the high sugar, nicer tasting bits. feeding a plain pellet is best.

Can you pick fresh grass (dog pee free)? There is vitamin c in hay and Its also in grass and both hay and grass are the best things for them to eat.

Has she eaten a good varied veg diet while she was at her previous home? If not, then it can take time for them to adjust to eating veg. Carrots are high in sugar and they can only have one small piece once a week so if she is only used to eating sweet things, then it may simply be that everything else just doesn’t taste nice to her. I would avoid giving any fruit for that same reason.

if she is eating plenty of hay then I wouldnt be too concerned as hay is 80% of the diet anyway and it does contain vit c, but you could give a vitamin c supplement if there are issues but if Your vet isn’t worried, then I don’t think I’d be either at this point (don’t add any vitamin c supplements to her drinking water though).
keep trying with the veggies and she will get there.

if you can get her a friend (ideally via dating at a rescue centre so you can ensure they have character compatibility and a successful bond) which is essential to wellbeing as piggies shouldn’t be alone, then that may also encourage her to eat her veggies if she sees her new friend eating them too

Pellets Or Muesli / Dry Mix?

 

[mdibs0135]

Thank you both for those suggestions!
I'll keep trying with the Vegetable and then switch to an all pellet - no mix diet - any suggestions on a good brand?

We were thinking of getting her a friend - the problem is she actually killed the last one (but we think it was sick and she's not aggressive at all, she is very loving) That happened at the daycare and when she was not ours. We fostered her through Covid.

She has taken to my boyfriend and cuddles him and just will not stop loving on him - I said I think that he is the replacement mate. haha

 

[Piggies&buns]

This is our pellet guide Nugget Comparison Chart. I’m not sure what options you have available in the US though other than Oxbow.

I highly doubt she killed her previous cagemate - it’s not what piggies do.
Do get in touch with a rescue centre about finding a friend. Character compatibility and mutual liking is the absolute Number one thing when it comes to having a successful bond. If you buy a piggy from a pet shop for example, then you do risk them not being compatible and they would then need to live in separate but side by side cages to enable through the bar interaction. There is also the correct bonding procedure which needs to be followed when introducing piggies to each other.

 

[Wiebke]

Good that you have taken the poor girl in and are doing your best to catch up on care. Please make sure that you double-check the gender of your piggy before looking for a companion.

Guinea pigs can gnaw into a dead piggy's skin and flesh - but that is not for killing but in an increasingly desperate attempt to revive a lifeless companion that has passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.
The same as guinea pig mothers will not kill babies, but they may instinctively try to eat dead-born pups in order the avoid drawing predators when they feel threatened. It is generally something that is mostly seen in guinea pigs in bad surroundings or having been recently rescued from that kind of background. But cases like that is where the urban myth of piggies killing each other stems from.

Please take the time to read the green information links in the posts above.

If you can get to a good welfare standard rescue, please consider adopting. Any recommended rescues are no-kill, with mandatory quarantine and vet care and a pregnancy watch (where necessary) as well as careful pairing up - in short, you get a lot of peace of mind for a little extra effort and can neatly avoid all the usual pitfalls that await the unwary. Our forum advice complies with or surpasses minimal welfare standards.
Some US rescues will rehome across state borders, by the way. With sow, you can look at both sows and de-sexed boars.
Ultimately, any bond is down to mutual liking and character compatibility.
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