What not to feed

Tonisita

Tonisita

New Born Pup
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My guineas seem to passing wee that dries into white (which I know is excess calcium finding it's way out) but sometimes it's quite thick and crusty. There seems to be conflicting advice about which vegetables to avoid so they don't get kidney stones. Can you please clarify? I think I may have been giving the wrong things in an attempt at variety and getting wheeked/bullied into giving more than I should. Pickle gets very shrill in his demands!
 
It’s not so much that you can’t feed things, it’s about moderation and finding a balance which is right for your piggies

The four safe daily veg are coriander, lettuce, bell pepper and cucumber.
Anything else should be fed in rotation and moderation.
Dark leafy veg, such as kale, spinach, parsley, are high in calcium and should be fed no more than a small amount and no more than once a week.

Actually more calcium comes into the diet via pellets and water than veg. Making sure pellets are kept to no more than one tablespoon per pig per day and that water is filtered will help.
However, if you go too low in calcium intake then it can also cause the same issues as too much calcium.

The two guides below will help you

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

My piggies get the four safe daily veg, lots of fresh grass, lots of hay. I hardly feed pellets - they get just 5 pellets each and even then they only get them twice a week. Water is filtered.
I do feed the high calcium veg on occasion but I have more leeway because I don’t really feed pellets.
 
That is really interesting! I just read elsewhere limit cucumber and peppers! I always come here for the last word! My boys love green beans - are they OK daily? I will definitely cut back big time on the pellets. I'm giving the boys tap water. Should I use bottled water or get a water filter? I'll focus on hay with bits of forage sprinkled in to get them nosing around! So glad to have your help, guys!
 
I personally wouldn’t feed green beans daily but I know others on here do.

If you are currently over feeding pellets then that is likely where the calcium is coming from.
You may notice some weight loss when you reduce pellets - they are quite fattening (can cause them to not eat enough hay also) so do be aware of that.
You have to be careful with bottled water - some are rather high in calcium. I personally filter as I have a filtering tap so I can’t advise on what the best types of bottled water would be
 
The boys often leave some of the pellets so they won't be too worried! I'll get myself a filter - anything for babies!
 
I've just read the guide you suggested. My boys have made calcium stains all over the lining of their playpens (where they live because they would insist on eating their wooden cage). I've been their mummy for 10 months, so I can't tell how frequently they do calcium wees. They both drink alot less in recent months to when I initially had them. I change it whenever they poop in it but they prefer to poop in it than drink it these days!
 
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