Pellet Refusal

[PuddlesandRoley]

My guineapigs have always eaten Beaphar + but since the removal of food colouring they are not eating it at all. I have tried a few different pellets but they're not interested! They are still tucking into their hay and fresh fruit and veg and have not lost weight. Can they live on a diet with no pellets?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Pellets are not essential. To be honest, the ingredients of this particular one are not ideal in any event - it seems to be cereal and seed based which is best avoided.

Hay is the most important part of the diet.
If you provide a good variety of veg including fresh herbs for the trace elements, then strictly speaking they don’t need pellets. You can also try including some wild safe forage.

Ensure fruit is kept to a minimum, it’s not needed in the diet due to the sugars

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Wild UK forage for guinea pigs

 

[PuddlesandRoley]

Pellets are not essential. To be honest, the ingredients of this particular one are not ideal in any event - it seems to be cereal and seed based which is best avoided.

Hay is the most important part of the diet.
If you provide a good variety of veg including fresh herbs for the trace elements, then strictly speaking they don’t need pellets. You can also try including some wild safe forage.

Ensure fruit is kept to a minimum, it’s not needed in the diet due to the sugars

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Wild UK forage for guinea pigs

That's great, they're given veg mainly with fruit as an occasional treat, and eat that and the hay with gusto, they also love dandelion leaves and we've usually got plenty of those in the garden

 

[Posyrose]

My exotics vet is very against pellets, as they often don't have great ingredients and hay and veg is sufficient without pellets. Mine only have them as a rare treat.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I feed a completely grass based pellet (made with 40 or so different grasses and no fillers), even so, they only get them about three times a week and only have about four or five pellets each. I choose dried forage leaves instead.