Is it okay to buy treats that are for Hamsters and guinea pigs?

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I wouldn't feed that to guinea pigs, dried fruit is really high in sugar and yoghurt drops can be bad for their health. Commercial treats tend to be high in fat, sugar and in the case of yoghurt drops, calcium, which means they're the guinea pig equivalent of junk food. It's best to treat them with little pieces of fresh fruit, veg or herbs.
 
My piggy enjoys a couple of yogurt drops as a treat every few days along wih his vast array of vegetablea nuggets and hay and wild plants. I think if given in moderation treats are fine. But thats my personal opinion. I eat healthily and have lost 2 and half stone recently through healthy eating, but i enjoy the odd treat at weekends of a chocolate bar or fish and chips. Everything in moderation is key. *
 
Dried fruit, nuts, seeds, any dairy (including yoghurt) and any form of sugar or honey are all big NO NOS for piggies; those treats are the rodent version of junk food and serve only to make money for pet shops!

This here is an excerpt from the best medical website for guinea pigs:

Remember, guinea pigs are herbivores!
Avoid these foods:

Don't fall for commercial treats marketed for cavies (like yoghurt drops) which can even be detrimental to their health. Consuming these empty calories (many contain fat, sugars and even excess calcium) can result in decreased consumption of the basic foods they really need.
Do not feed mixes or treats with nuts, seeds, dried fruit and dyed pieces.
Do not use mineral wheels.
Do not feed meat.
Do not feed rabbit pellets (they do not contain Vitamin C and some may even include antibiotics toxic to cavies).
Do not feed dairy products.


On Dairy Products:
Harkness and Wagner in The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents describe cavies as strict herbivores. They have this to say about milk:

"They [guinea pigs] require specific amounts of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium, and therefore recommending feeding table scraps (and vitamin D-fortified cow's milk) or other animals' feed may promote metastic calcification, acidosis, ketosis, or skin disease from vitamin A or D toxicity...."


The 1992 edition of Richardson's Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs compares cows milk with guinea pig milk, and in cases of loss of the mother, recommends getting the young off a replacer as soon as possible. Another reason not to use cows milk:

".....encourage the orphans to eat solid foods as early as possible as a high percentage of orphans which receive too much milk replacer develop cataracts and become blind. The development of cataracts is thought to be associated with the intake of too many complex sugars which are dissimilar to those found in natural guinea pig milk."


Elizabeth Hillyer, DMV in her chapter on guinea pigs describes them as being "completely herbivorous" (with the exception of placentophagy). No specific mention of what not to feed, only of what is appropriate. Milk is not listed.
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I used to buy the odd pack of yoghurt drops. Picchu the Pig-Hoover liked them (obviously) and would get one every week or two. Machu would usually nibble about a quarter of his then leave it, if it didn't get ignored completely, so there's always a chance your pigs won't even LIKE that stuff. I agree they aren't GOOD for pigs, and I don't really buy many pre-packed treats any more just because it's so so easy to give them a little veg from whatever is stashed in my fridge, but something like that certainly isn't going to harm them once every couple of weeks. I don't see the point of the dried fruit, though. You may as well give them a little piece of fresh, especially if you already keep it in the house for human occupants. :)
 
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Wiebke said:
Dried fruit, nuts, seeds, any dairy (including yoghurt) and any form of sugar or honey are all big NO NOS for piggies; those treats are the rodent version of junk food and serve only to make money for pet shops!

This here is an excerpt from the best medical website for guinea pigs:

Remember, guinea pigs are herbivores!
Avoid these foods:

Don't fall for commercial treats marketed for cavies (like yoghurt drops) which can even be detrimental to their health. Consuming these empty calories (many contain fat, sugars and even excess calcium) can result in decreased consumption of the basic foods they really need.
Do not feed mixes or treats with nuts, seeds, dried fruit and dyed pieces.
Do not use mineral wheels.
Do not feed meat.
Do not feed rabbit pellets (they do not contain Vitamin C and some may even include antibiotics toxic to cavies).
Do not feed dairy products.


On Dairy Products:
Harkness and Wagner in The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents describe cavies as strict herbivores. They have this to say about milk:

"They [guinea pigs] require specific amounts of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium, and therefore recommending feeding table scraps (and vitamin D-fortified cow's milk) or other animals' feed may promote metastic calcification, acidosis, ketosis, or skin disease from vitamin A or D toxicity...."


The 1992 edition of Richardson's Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs compares cows milk with guinea pig milk, and in cases of loss of the mother, recommends getting the young off a replacer as soon as possible. Another reason not to use cows milk:

".....encourage the orphans to eat solid foods as early as possible as a high percentage of orphans which receive too much milk replacer develop cataracts and become blind. The development of cataracts is thought to be associated with the intake of too many complex sugars which are dissimilar to those found in natural guinea pig milk."


Elizabeth Hillyer, DMV in her chapter on guinea pigs describes them as being "completely herbivorous" (with the exception of placentophagy). No specific mention of what not to feed, only of what is appropriate. Milk is not listed.
Contact Us

Copyright © 2000-2012 Guinea Lynx, All Rights Reserved
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Wait, why no mineral wheels :o:o:o
 
If you feed good quality pellets and include fresh herbs like a sprig of coriander/cilantro (can be give daily), or a sprig of fresh parsley, dill, mint or basil (every few days), you will not need a mineral wheel - and your piggies will not even show any interest in one, either! They simply don't need it when the diet is right...
 
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Wiebke said:
If you feed good quality pellets and include fresh herbs like a sprig of coriander/cilantro (can be give daily), or a sprig of fresh parsley, dill, mint or basil (every few days), you will not need a mineral wheel - and your piggies will not even show any interest in one, either!
Click to expand...

Oh okay! should I go and take my mineral wheel I have in there out right now :O
 
I kept a mineral stick in my cage for six months, mostly because it was hard and I was hoping it would give them something extra to chew. It never got so much as a sniff. o.0
 
SpinningNickel said:
I kept a mineral stick in my cage for six months, mostly because it was hard and I was hoping it would give them something extra to chew. It never got so much as a sniff. o.0
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My girls have chewed on it so much I was going to have to buy a new one o:
 
I would say no, yoghurt is bad for Guinea Pigs and those treats look very sugary, I would advise against those. :)
 
My view on things -

The vast majority of 'treats' that can be purchased are of no nutritional value for guinea pigs - some are actually detrimental to their health.

Yoghurt drops or any dairy product is a problem for piggies as they are lactose intolerant and unable to process the sugars in dairy, the calcium level of some treats is also high. A treat to avoid.

Seed/treat sticks stuck together with honey or glucose syrup - very high in sugars, guinea pigs can develop diabetes so a high sugar treat is not beneficial. Guinea pigs are grazers, their dental structure is not designed to tackle seeds, the husks can be a choke hazard and also damaging to their teeth, seed husks getting stuck between teeth can also cause problems eating. A treat to avoid.

Mineral/salt licks are completely unnecessary, by raising the salt level within the body, water retention is required to maintain the correct ratio in the blood raising the blood volume, in humans this is called high blood pressure. A diet with a high mineral level can contribute to stones, crystals and sludge in the bladder or kidneys. An item to avoid.

A good balanced diet and a healthy pig requires no supplements such as vitamin drops, etc as good quality guinea pig food as well as a good selection of vegetables and lots of hay will give a piggy the required vitamin, mineral and nutrition it needs.



Suzy x
 
Our piggies consider a pile of grass a 'treat' and get massively excited if they even smell it (despite having the free run of the garden during the day.) So why bother with commercial treats? A small handful of (clean) dandelion leaves is another great option.

Most piggies are so greedy, they just like food!
 
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