I need help. Badly.

[Mimipanini]

I have 2 Guniea pigs, and they both refuse to eat veggies. I’ve gave them around 6 different kinds of veggies at different times and they don’t want it. I’m worried for their health and I need help. I’ve been trying to get them on veggies for a while.

 

[HeatherRose]

As long as they are eating a lot of hay and a good quality pellet food they should be ok for now. I would just keep trying different veggies and see if they will eat them. Did you just get them? They may just be scared from the new surroundings. They do need veggies especially for the vitamin C. They make vitamin C treats you could try too.

 

[Mimipanini]

As long as they are eating a lot of hay and a good quality pellet food they should be ok for now. I would just keep trying different veggies and see if they will eat them. Did you just get them? They may just be scared from the new surroundings. They do need veggies especially for the vitamin C. They make vitamin C treats you could try too.

Thanks so much. Yes, they are new. So should I wait a little bit before trying again?

 

[Siikibam]

When you say they refuse, do you put the veg in their cage and leave them to it and find it’s still there later on when you check? Or are you trying to hand feed? When did you get them?

 

[Piggies&buns]

hay (and grass) makes up the biggest part of their diet. Your piggies will be absolutely fine, but do keep trying With the veg.

How old are they? If they are young, then they learn what to eat from other piggies or from each other. But if they are pet shop piggies then they may never have been fed enough of a variety or seen other piggies eat veg to know what it is safe.

 

[Claire W]

They will be absolutely fine so long as they’re eating plenty of hay. Just keep trying and I’m sure they will eventually eat veggies

 

[Anna12]

Thanks so much. Yes, they are new. So should I wait a little bit before trying again?

I've found the same when I just got my two newest guinea pigs. the pair before that just ate from the beginning, but the most recent ones were too frightened at the start to eat (at least while any human was around). We're only a month further now, and I cannot enter the room without them wheeking at me and begging for food.... things can move fast. I've also noticed that in the beginning they wouldn't take some foods, so I'm introducing small bits of new-to-them types of food in their diet. I agree with the rest that if they eat their hay and pellets they should be fine. Also, I'm not a guinea pig expert for sure, but if you keep on being worried on whether they eat enough in general, you could also monitor their weight for a while.

 

[Piggies&buns]

You should weigh your piggies weekly as part of normal health checks in any event.
As a piggies diet is mostly hay and you cannot judge that they are eating enough hay by eye, weighing them is the only way to know they are getting enough Hay each day

 

[Reenie]

What veggies have you tried? You could try mixing some Romaine lettuce, cabbage and pepper through some hay. Remember to remove it though, after a couple of hours.

 

[Freela]

It takes a lot of new guinea pigs time to figure out that the veggies are food if they haven't encountered it before. If you keep providing it, hopefully one of them will get bold enough to nibble it and the other will follow along. Since hay is the most important part of the diet, they won't be at risk of illness if it takes them time to figure it out... just keep making it available and hopefully they will catch on, but they won't be missing out in the meantime!