More vitamin D?

[XOforever]

I recently took my guinea pig to the vet. He was healthy except for mild bumblefoot so we got medications for that. The vet was also very experienced with Guinea pigs. One of the changes she recommended was a UV lamp to help get more vitamin D, but on a very gentle setting, and for under 30 minutes a day. I’ve done some additional research and am conflicted. It seems that it could be very beneficial when used gently, but also has a lot of potential for harm so I’m concerned and thinking of alternatives.

My piggies are indoors, and we can’t really put them close enough to any windows. Also even if they were by windows, the houses blocking, and being in the basement reduces the amount of sunlight, plus glass filters out UVB.

Would being outside in direct sunlight for a few minutes work? I just can’t do this in the Canadian winter or cold weather which is a lot of the year. I’ve also heard hay and fresh grass have Vitamin D. I’m not sure if they’re sufficient and I can only give fresh grass in the warmer months. Their oxbow pellets have Vitamin D but of course those have to be fed in moderation (the vet actually recommended I feed less than a full tablespoon each). There are basically no other good dietary sources.

Am I overthinking it? Should I just move them to a window, try a very gentle UV lamp, or just not change anything?

Thanks very much in advance

 

[Pantalaimon]

I have done quite a bit of reading about UVB lighting as I keep some amphibians, I am most definitely not an expert though.
The vitamin D from sunlight occurs when the UV rays reach the skin, the skin then produces vitamin D3. My understanding is that the vitamin D found in supplements and foodstuffs is not the same as D3.

With what I know about keeping amphibians (which are extremely sensitive and burn or become deficient very easily) a very low percentage (perhaps 2%) bulb at a suitable distance from the cage for a short period during daylight hours would not harm them. It would most likely be no more exposure than most guinea pigs get from going outside, or that outdoor guinea pigs get coming in the front of their hutch. That being said I am not an expert and this is just what I know from learning about UV lighting in general for other kinds of animal.

The percentage of UVB bulb and the distance from the animal can be quite complex and confusing to attempt to calculate, most likely even more so with a species that doesn’t have any guides related to it!

The subject of UV lighting for indoor animals is something that I find quite interesting. For people who live in countries that are dark for large parts of the winter they will sometimes use UV light exposure to get the vitamin D3. So why wouldn’t we expose our pets that rarely or never see sunlight to controlled amounts of UV lighting, perhaps it would help with some health issues.

 

[XOforever]

I have done quite a bit of reading about UVB lighting as I keep some amphibians, I am most definitely not an expert though.
The vitamin D from sunlight occurs when the UV rays reach the skin, the skin then produces vitamin D3. My understanding is that the vitamin D found in supplements and foodstuffs is not the same as D3.

With what I know about keeping amphibians (which are extremely sensitive and burn or become deficient very easily) a very low percentage (perhaps 2%) bulb at a suitable distance from the cage for a short period during daylight hours would not harm them. It would most likely be no more exposure than most guinea pigs get from going outside, or that outdoor guinea pigs get coming in the front of their hutch. That being said I am not an expert and this is just what I know from learning about UV lighting in general for other kinds of animal.

The percentage of UVB bulb and the distance from the animal can be quite complex and confusing to attempt to calculate, most likely even more so with a species that doesn’t have any guides related to it!

The subject of UV lighting for indoor animals is something that I find quite interesting. For people who live in countries that are dark for large parts of the winter they will sometimes use UV light exposure to get the vitamin D3. So why wouldn’t we expose our pets that rarely or never see sunlight to controlled amounts of UV lighting, perhaps it would help with some health issues.

Thanks for the advice. I just did a little more googling and you’re right it is complex! And even more so in Guinea pigs who have not been studied for this. But yeah I think it makes sense to add a light if there’s basically no other way to give them sufficient Vitamin D. And like you said if humans and some types animals use it as needed, why not Guinea Pigs. The challenge is figuring out what gentle is. I’ll keep looking into it.

 

[Betsy]

My piggies live in the garage and although there is a large window to give natural light, in the winter it can be a bit dark in there. They don't go outside because of the foxes that come in the garden day and night. They are perfectly healthy. With a good mainly hay based diet piggies don' need extra UV light.

 

[Piggies&buns]

This is a subject which has come up a few times before. I don’t know a whole lot about it but the general concensus has always been that it’s not necessary in the majority of cases.
I’m not aware of any posts where indoor piggies not exposed to sunlight/able to go outside have had any health issues because of it.

To my knowledge they only need a bit of access to sunlight during summer months and then it’s stored enough for through winter. Indoor piggies don’t go outside in winter here in the UK either (usually can’t go outside from October until around April/May).

I also know that pellets are fortified with vitamin D3.

A post where it is discussed.

UVB advice please

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

I know that there is discussion about UV lamps mainly in Germany. Some vets are very much in favour of them for indoor piggies. But you also have to take into account that keeping piggies outdoors in enclosures that are close to nature, is very popular in Germany at the moment and fiercly discussed as the only right way to keep guinea pigs (one of many reasons why I stay clear of Facebook and it's many "experts").

I asked the specialist vet at the university hospital in Vienna when I first heard about it and at that time he said that the evidence wasn't all clear. So I haven't done any more research on this subject. In the last guide book I bought (published 2023) there is a remark that indoor piggies need UV lamps, but nothing more.

I wouldn't supplement Vitamin D with tablets or anything like that though. Too little Vitamin D can lead to problems with bone density (called rachitis in humans) but too much Vitamin D has a bad effect on the Calcium/Phosphorus metabolism that can lead to bladder stones and alike.

Personally I have had indoor piggies for more than 30 years who rarely get outside and then mostly in the shade and not direct sunlight.
There has never been any problems with too little Calcium apart from x days showing little bone density in old piggies.
So I don't think that UV lamps are necessary for indoor piggies, but if there is more research into this aspect of husbandry this could change in the future.

 

[XOforever]

Thanks for all the input. It’s hard to say and more research is needed. It seems that in healthy and younger piggies that not having a light is probably ok. Hay, grass, and pellets contribute. In addition wild Guinea Pigs activity and habitat means that they kinda avoid the sun (the sun is intense in South America), and are crepuscular. Also most Guinea Pigs live good lives without UV lights.

I think I’ll avoid them for now. Might be kinda awkward/difficult at the next vet visit on why I don’t have one but oh well. I wish there was more info as the potential benefits could make a big difference, even long term. But we just don’t know.

I did find some 2.4% UVB bulbs. They were marketed as gentle, for birds, and simulating sunlight. But I’ll abstain unless something big changes. I’ll also try harder to get them outside as the weather permits, or next spring and summer.