Guinea pigs won’t chew

[BaoandBoba]

My Guinea pigs don’t like to chew. I’ve bought them different kinds of chewies, but they’re not very interested. My piggie Boba will only chew critter pops and my piggie Bao won’t chew anything. I try to give them them a baby carrot everyday because it’s their favorite and it’s harder to chew so I’m hoping it’ll help their teeth. Does anyone have anything that worked for their picky piggies?

 

[Piggies&buns]

The only thing they need to be chewing a lot of is hay. Hay is the main part of their daily diet.
Do your piggies eat hay properly?
Are you carrying out the routine weekly weight checks? This is the only way to know they are eating enough hay and remaining healthy.
If there are dental problems, then their hay intake may be reduced, they will be losing weight and will need to be seen by a vet.

Commercial chew toys are not needed and are often ignored.
Piggies generally don’t play with toys, and chew toys dont keep the teeth wearing down.
Carrots also will not wear their teeth. The only thing which effectively wears their teeth is the abrasive silica in hay and grass.
Also, carrots should not be given to them daily. They are not healthy as they contain too much sugar, and are high in vitamin A which too much of isn’t healthy. A tiny piece of carrot as a very occasional treat is fine but it should not be more than once a week.

Critter pops - I’ve just looked these up and if I’ve found the right things, then they should not be given to guinea pig. The ingredients are not appropriate.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[BaoandBoba]

The only thing they need to be chewing a lot of is hay. Hay is the main part of their daily diet.
Do your piggies eat hay properly?
Are you carrying out the routine weekly weight checks? This is the only way to know they are eating enough hay and remaining healthy.
If there are dental problems, then their hay intake may be reduced, they will be losing weight and will need to be seen by a vet.

Commercial chew toys are not needed and are often ignored.
Piggies generally don’t play with toys, and chew toys dont keep the teeth wearing down.
Carrots also will not wear their teeth. The only thing which effectively wears their teeth is the abrasive silica in hay and grass.
Also, carrots should not be given to them daily. They are not healthy as they contain too much sugar, and are high in vitamin A which too much of isn’t healthy. A tiny piece of carrot as a very occasional treat is fine but it should not be more than once a week.

Critter pops - I’ve just looked these up and if I’ve found the right things, then they should not be given to guinea pig. The ingredients are not appropriate.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Thank you! They eat their hay just fine. So that makes me feel better. And I give them unlimited hay. That’s good to know about carrots. I will definitely cut back. Same with the critter pops. I appreciate you letting me know kindly.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you! They eat their hay just fine. So that makes me feel better. And I give them unlimited hay. That’s good to know about carrots. I will definitely cut back. Same with the critter pops. I appreciate you letting me know kindly.

Hi

Please take the time to read our diet guide link. It is very helpful and as precise as we can make it for new owners; it also helps you to understand what each food group does and why certain foods are better than others. It also tells you what you can feed how often and in which quantity.

A good general diet with over three quarters of the diet being hay/grass, a modicum of preferably green veg and only a small amount of vitamin C enriched pellets can easily add 1-2 years to a normal healthy life span and help you avoid preventable costly life-shortening health issues like overgrowing back teeth, bladder stones and obesity problems down the line.

Here is the link again: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets