Pellet suggestions?

JandfpiggiesUK

JandfpiggiesUK

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone.


My guinea pig Lando has been poorly as of late.

He’s now on the mend and has the all clear from the vet.

He’s eating well except he has gone off his pellets.
We’re feeding them on Science selective grain free & have used that food since we got them.


can anyone suggest another brand or type of pellet to try him on?
I’d love for him to gain the weight he lost.

Thanks
 
I’m sorry to hear he has been unwell.
He should not regain lost weight through eating pellets. It should be through high hay consumption.

Otherwise, it’s another vote for piggie parcels here.
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m sorry to hear he has been unwell.
He should not regain lost weight through eating pellets. It should be through high hay consumption.

Otherwise, it’s another vote for piggie parcels here.
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Ah okay. We were told by the vet to increase his pellets to encourage him to gain weight.


We have critical care too but he’s not fussed on that, he only wants to eat veggies and his hay.
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Ah okay. We were told by the vet to increase his pellets to encourage him to gain weight.


We have critical care too but he’s not fussed on that, he only wants to eat veggies and his hay.
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It certainly would increase his weight but not in a healthy way - it would be like you increasing your weight by eating loads of chocolate bars. Plus pellets contain a lot of calcium so will unbalance things and can lead to bladder problems.

Is he fully better now?
Regaining weight lost due to illness can take a while (they lose it much quicker than gain), and is best done through healthy hay intake.

If he has a lot of hay and good variety of veggies, it doesn’t actually matter if he never eats pellets again. My lot get dried and fresh forage in place of pellets (pellets just a few times a week)
 
Piggies&buns said:
It certainly would increase his weight but not in a healthy way - it would be like you increasing your weight by eating loads of chocolate bars. Plus pellets contain a lot of calcium so will unbalance things and can lead to bladder problems.

Is he fully better now?
Regaining weight lost due to illness can take a while (they lose it much quicker than gain), and is best done through healthy hay intake.

If he has a lot of hay and good variety of veggies, it doesn’t actually matter if he never eats pellets again. My lot get dried and fresh forage in place of pellets (pellets just a few times a week)
Click to expand...

He is thankfully. He had a suspected tumour on his bladder and the tumour has now gone. I have a separate thread on the subject.

Ah I see, that makes total sense! He gets Haybox Timothy hay & loves his veggies, I see him eat more veggies than hay to be honest.

Fresh forage as in dandelions and grass etc?
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
He is thankfully. He had a suspected tumour on his bladder and the tumour has now gone. I have a separate thread on the subject.

Ah I see, that makes total sense! He gets Haybox Timothy hay & loves his veggies, I see him eat more veggies than hay to be honest.

Fresh forage as in dandelions and grass etc?
Click to expand...

Oh yes I remember seeing your other thread.

Hay needs to be 80% of his daily food intake. Veg is one cup per day. He should not be eating more veg than hay.

Yes that kind of thing - the kind of fresh forage I get my for lot is bramble leaves, raspberry leaves from my allotment, sow/milk thistle, plaintain

Safe wild weeds/plants you can feed your piggies

I give dried forage as well and I get most of that from Piggie Parcels but some of the fresh things you can pick can also be dried (some don’t dry well though). I have also had a go at making my own this year (dried apple leaves, strawberry leaves, nettles etc)

Grass is also main food for them provided their tummies are used to it, I don’t consider it a forage as my lot are on the lawn for most of the day anyway.
 
I’m pleased Lando has been given a clean bill of health. I once had a piggy who lost 400g due to a long illness. It took him 10 months to put the weight back on. So it can take time. Good luck.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Oh yes I remember seeing your other thread.

Hay needs to be 80% of his daily food intake. Veg is one cup per day. He should not be eating more veg than hay.

Yes that kind of thing - the kind of fresh forage I get my for lot is bramble leaves, raspberry leaves from my allotment, sow/milk thistle, plaintain

Safe wild weeds/plants you can feed your piggies

I give dried forage as well and I get most of that from Piggie Parcels but some of the fresh things you can pick can also be dried (some don’t dry well though). I have also had a go at making my own this year (dried apple leaves, strawberry leaves, nettles etc)

Grass is also main food for them provided their tummies are used to it, I don’t consider it a forage as my lot are on the lawn for most of the day anyway.
Click to expand...

I shall have to go on a forage hunt then.

Can they have oat hay and readigrass?
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
I shall have to go on a forage hunt then.

Can they have oat hay and readigrass?
Click to expand...

Yes they can have it. Readigrass is very rich though so they should only be given a small amount. I give mine a pinch a couple of times a week. As I say though, I dont feed pellets much so I have a bit more flexibility on higher calcium items and forage
 
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