No veggies on 5 consecutive days 😩

[L&HM]

Hi everyone, We have just come back from a 6-day trip during which we paid professional pet-sitters to visit our two 9-month-old boars every day. We came back to find that they had given them no veggies despite this being on the list of instructions and reminding them of where to find the food by email. Both piggies seem fine and we know what to look out for in terms of symptoms of Vit C deficiency. Although vegetables are meant to be only a small portion of their diet we are very concerned that they didn’t have veggies for all that time - only hay (unlimited), nuggets and readigrass. Does anyone have any advice about whether/how to compensate for this veggie-less period? (We will not use this pet-sitter again of course and I will let them know they need to review procedures for making sure they follow the instructions given by owners.)

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

Please don’t worry. No harm will come to them and you do not need to compensate in any way for them not having had veg. They will not suffer any vit c deficiency because is this. Hay and nuggets both contain vit c.

Readigrass should only be given in small amounts due to how rich it is.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone, We have just come back from a 6-day trip during which we paid professional pet-sitters to visit our two 9-month-old boars every day. We came back to find that they had given them no veggies despite this being on the list of instructions and reminding them of where to find the food by email. Both piggies seem fine and we know what to look out for in terms of symptoms of Vit C deficiency. Although vegetables are meant to be only a small portion of their diet we are very concerned that they didn’t have veggies for all that time - only hay (unlimited), nuggets and readigrass. Does anyone have any advice about whether/how to compensate for this veggie-less period? (We will not use this pet-sitter again of course and I will let them know they need to review procedures for making sure they follow the instructions given by owners.)

Hi

Please do not panic.

They still have had vitamin C enriched pellets and also a little with the hay and readigrass; it takes quite a bit more to cause acute scurvy.

If you have access to it and can introduce it slowly enough to allow the gut microbiome to accustom to it in order to avoid diarrhea or bloating, add dog pee free grass and dandelion to the diet - fresh growing grass is high in vitamin C and the reason why guinea pigs were actually able to turn their vitamin C producing gene complex off in the first place. Best natural way to add vitamin C to a piggy diet at this time of the year.

Here are our tips on how to get used your indoors piggies to fresh grass and the outdoors without mishaps: Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time

 

[Lady Kelly]

Aside from the advice re vit c given above. Please make a formal complaint to the company. At the end of the day you did not receive the service you paid for

 

[Cheekypigs]

Your pigs will be fine. But I would be demanding some money back!