Guinea pig Pellets

gmsong

Junior Guinea Pig
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What happens if you feed to many pellets to your guinea pig? I don't have the money to buy that many veggies so they only get veggies twice a week. I'm worried that if i take away their normal amounts of pellets they'll starve. Is hay really enough to keep your guinea pigs from starving? I have been feeding more than the recommended amount of pellets because of the lack of veggies.
 
Piggies need hay, hay, hay, even more hay and even even more more hay and even more hay than that! Hay should be the main part of the diet. It should be at least 80% in fact. If you can't afford to give them veggies more than twice a week give your piggies more hay!
 
Definitely give them as much hay as you can! Hay, hay, hay, and more hay! I'll admit I overfed my boys pellets (they were being fussy and only taking the tastiest bits of hay, leaving the rest, constantly begging for pellets, and I gave in because I was worried about them not having enough food... big mistake) and their poos turned very dark and smelly, and one of them got impacted. It made me panic! I reduced the pellets, refused to let them be picky about hay, changed the way I give them hay (no more huge piles, but frequently topping it up so it's constantly "fresh" and more appealing and exciting) and their poos stopped smelling within a couple of days and are now very healthy looking, and the one that had the problem is now fine (vet check, and I check him every day). I actually reduced the amount of vegetables, too, because I realised I was giving them too big a portion size.

What vegetables do you give them? Sometimes it helps to get vegetables that will last longer in the fridge. I can get spring greens (they have a slice rather than a whole leaf), green beans, and little gem lettuce, for example, and that will last me for over a week.
 
Do you live in the UK.? You can get a pack of peppers, herbs, cucumber for about £2 or less in lidl and that would last a week... as said above Hay is 80% of their diet...
 
If you dont have much money to buy veg, buy high vit c veg that lasts. Bell peppers would be the best bet

Sorry @artcasper . I missed your post
 
You don’t necessarily have to buy lots of piggy specific veggies. If you are having veg or salad for your dinner just give them a little of yours (before they’re cooked and seasoned etc). Mine often get a bit of broccoli stem and some carrot peelings if it’s Sunday!
Or what about a bell pepper plant? And some cut and come again lettuce? Will get you fresh in the summer but won’t help you right now.
 
Do you live in the UK.? You can get a pack of peppers, herbs, cucumber for about £2 or less in lidl and that would last a week... as said above Hay is 80% of their diet...
I live in the us
 
You don’t necessarily have to buy lots of piggy specific veggies. If you are having veg or salad for your dinner just give them a little of yours (before they’re cooked and seasoned etc). Mine often get a bit of broccoli stem and some carrot peelings if it’s Sunday!
Or what about a bell pepper plant? And some cut and come again lettuce? Will get you fresh in the summer but won’t help you right now.
How long to bell peppers take to grow?
 
Definitely give them as much hay as you can! Hay, hay, hay, and more hay! I'll admit I overfed my boys pellets (they were being fussy and only taking the tastiest bits of hay, leaving the rest, constantly begging for pellets, and I gave in because I was worried about them not having enough food... big mistake) and their poos turned very dark and smelly, and one of them got impacted. It made me panic! I reduced the pellets, refused to let them be picky about hay, changed the way I give them hay (no more huge piles, but frequently topping it up so it's constantly "fresh" and more appealing and exciting) and their poos stopped smelling within a couple of days and are now very healthy looking, and the one that had the problem is now fine (vet check, and I check him every day). I actually reduced the amount of vegetables, too, because I realised I was giving them too big a portion size.

What vegetables do you give them? Sometimes it helps to get vegetables that will last longer in the fridge. I can get spring greens (they have a slice rather than a whole leaf), green beans, and little gem lettuce, for example, and that will last me for over a week.
I feed a bell peppers and romaine lettuce. How much pellets are needed a day per pig? If they keep growing do I have to increase the number of pellets they get?
 
You don’t necessarily have to buy lots of piggy specific veggies. If you are having veg or salad for your dinner just give them a little of yours (before they’re cooked and seasoned etc). Mine often get a bit of broccoli stem and some carrot peelings if it’s Sunday!
Or what about a bell pepper plant? And some cut and come again lettuce? Will get you fresh in the summer but won’t help you right now.
I never have guinea pig safe veggies as a meal. But the bell pepper plant idea is a good one. Thanks
 
I feed a bell peppers and romaine lettuce. How much pellets are needed a day per pig? If they keep growing do I have to increase the number of pellets they get?
They need a tablespoon of pellets per piggy per day. Don't increase as they get older it's not necessary.
 
You can pick them grass and dandelions from the garden as long as it's dog/fox pee free. Mine live on a mostly grass and hay diet. Too many pellets are bad for guinea pigs they contain a lot of calcium and can lead to kidney/bladder stones. They don't need a huge amount of veg, but they do need a little daily. Have a look at the portion size on the plate here Diet Guides
 
I feed a bell peppers and romaine lettuce. How much pellets are needed a day per pig? If they keep growing do I have to increase the number of pellets they get?
It's a tablespoon of pellets per guinea pig. I have a little measuring spoon to make sure I get it right, and tend to feed them their pellets at opposite sides of the cage so I know that the greedy one isn't eating them all. They know the routine by now and split up as soon as the bag is rustled. They love pellets, so they're usually gone in about sixty seconds. I personally tend to feed mine lettuce only every other day or so, because I've found for mine, personally, that it can set their stomachs off if they have it every day. I tend to give them a slice of spring greens (quite cheap, lasts a long time, has vit c) and red bell pepper as a staple, and then swap around the others. I guess it's about finding what works for your piggies! But most of what mine eat now is hay, hay, hay, and more hay, and that seems to work for them (I never thought I'd become so obsessed with checking poo!)
 
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