hello to all of you.
I am a new cavy owner with a few questions to ask. I keep reading alot about feeding vegatables but very little about fruits. could someone let me know what types of fruits I could feed it, if certain fruits are better than others and how often they should get them? And also, I'm from central Massachusetts, besides the food pellets that I get from some of the overpriced petstores, are there other types of feed that they could have that I could get in bulk? We have an Agway nearby.
Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance for any answers.
New GP owner
Fruits are high is natural sugar and pigs don't need that. You can give them a piece as a treat, but vegetables should be part of their everyday diet. About a cup of mixed vegetables a day per pig is the rule of thumb. Of course, grass hay (not alfalfa) and quality pellets should be avalable at all times.
I don't know what kind of pellets you use, but bulk is a baaaaaaad idea. Quality guinea pig pellets have stabilized vitamin C in them, they are not sold in tansparent plastic bags and they have an expiration date. Here, all of the petstores carry crappy pellets, full of animal by-products (cow and pork fat) and nasty preservatives. Anything with nuts, seeds or colorful bits should be avoided, too.
Oxbow is the best brand of pellets out there. You can order them from Oxbow Hay directly, or you can order them from The Ferret Store, which has free shipping.
I don't know what kind of pellets you use, but bulk is a baaaaaaad idea. Quality guinea pig pellets have stabilized vitamin C in them, they are not sold in tansparent plastic bags and they have an expiration date. Here, all of the petstores carry crappy pellets, full of animal by-products (cow and pork fat) and nasty preservatives. Anything with nuts, seeds or colorful bits should be avoided, too.
Oxbow is the best brand of pellets out there. You can order them from Oxbow Hay directly, or you can order them from The Ferret Store, which has free shipping.
I agree with Evangeline that fruits should be given infrequently as a treat. I have a list of Guinea pig approved fruits and veggies -- if you want me to email it to you, contact me at sunnybranson@hotmail.com. Safe fruits include apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, kiwi, and pears. But again, only once in a while as a treat. From what I understand, too much fruit can cause diahrea and other problems.
Oh, and by the way, a serving is about 1" square piece. Sometimes I go into the shelter and someone has given a Guinea pig an entire banana. Sheez! Like what's he supposed to do with THAT?
Lynx, do you want this list to post on your care page? I get a lot of requests for it. The list was compiled by Cordelia when I did my Guinea pig Education class. I think she got the info from CG or CM.
Oh, and by the way, a serving is about 1" square piece. Sometimes I go into the shelter and someone has given a Guinea pig an entire banana. Sheez! Like what's he supposed to do with THAT?
Lynx, do you want this list to post on your care page? I get a lot of requests for it. The list was compiled by Cordelia when I did my Guinea pig Education class. I think she got the info from CG or CM.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
No.
I think the list (if it's the one I'm thinking of) is so long and extensive as to be a pain to use. Practically speaking (in terms of what we eat ourselves and can easily get in grocery stores), it could be edited substantively.
I'll make my own list sometime but I don't know when.
I think the list (if it's the one I'm thinking of) is so long and extensive as to be a pain to use. Practically speaking (in terms of what we eat ourselves and can easily get in grocery stores), it could be edited substantively.
I'll make my own list sometime but I don't know when.
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