Thx for your advice. My only concern is my sweet girls :)
Regarding the beetroot. I have always been told that hard vegetables are nice for helping with keeping the teeth short. This is why we always give them hard vegs as a night snack. We don't vary it much, but give them either carrots, beetroot or brocoli. Is this not a good idea?
We have not had any problems with the celery, and I was not aware of the hazard. Should we just stop feeding them celery? They really like it, that's for sure. There's never anything left to be found :)
I'd really like to give my girls the best diet possible, so if the pellets are not good for them, I will have to find something else. They do sound good when you read the ingredients I think, and as far as I can tell, they are made specifically for guinea pigs.
4 year old female is squeaking when urinating
-
Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
You might consider chopping the celery to take care of the stringiness. Hay is much more effective for the teeth. Hard vegetables really don't help much. Dietarily, I think you can give them a little though.
If you use a dark colored fleece as bedding, you will have some indication of calcium intake and output.
If you use a dark colored fleece as bedding, you will have some indication of calcium intake and output.
https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38205
This is the what I was referring to earlier. I believe it’s more in the middle. It says that it’s higher in ash than a piggy needs and has a bunch of additives but the company is so vague with ingredients that they can tell much more. Celery can still be fed but it is advised to be cut into slices that are about half a cm (I’m tryong to use cm rather than inches so if that’s wrong let me know again). Beetroot is okay but more as a treat. As Lynx said hay is so much better.
This is the what I was referring to earlier. I believe it’s more in the middle. It says that it’s higher in ash than a piggy needs and has a bunch of additives but the company is so vague with ingredients that they can tell much more. Celery can still be fed but it is advised to be cut into slices that are about half a cm (I’m tryong to use cm rather than inches so if that’s wrong let me know again). Beetroot is okay but more as a treat. As Lynx said hay is so much better.
Just out of curiousity if carrot is not high is sugar why is it not supposed to be given frequently?
-
Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
It is a starchy veg. In the wild, you would not find guinea pigs foraging for root vegetables but instead eating grass, greens, fallen fruit (?), dried grass. I think of it being less nutritionally dense by weight. Carrots are high in vitamin A, which is a fat soluble vitamin. Too much vitamin A can actually cause problems.
-
bpatters
- And got the T-shirt
Beets would not be part of a wild guinea pig's diet -- they're herbivores. And hard veggies do nothing for their teeth -- it's the hay/grass that keeps them ground down. Also, it's higher in calcium than lettuces.
As for the celery, in all the years I've been on this forum and GPC, I've never heard of a pig getting choked on celery. I have heard that one clinic has seen guinea pigs with an obstruction caused by the strings. Pig teeth are like razor knives, and I tend to think that worry is overblown. However, you can be perfectly safe by just cutting it crosswise into small slices and completely solve that problem.
As for the celery, in all the years I've been on this forum and GPC, I've never heard of a pig getting choked on celery. I have heard that one clinic has seen guinea pigs with an obstruction caused by the strings. Pig teeth are like razor knives, and I tend to think that worry is overblown. However, you can be perfectly safe by just cutting it crosswise into small slices and completely solve that problem.
I’ve actually had a guinea pig have celery strings wrappped around her teeth. It cause an infection and was partially down her throat so she kept coughing. That’s how I noticed. It is a real thing which is why I stress cutting them
kailaeve1271 cm is fine, and what we use here in Denmark :) I just read the link you provided regarding Cavia Complete. I'm not entirely sure what the discussion is about, but is the conclusion that it's not a good product for guinea pigs?
I'm totally confused regarding beet root and carrots. We have been feeding them that stuff for years, and I've always been told it was good for them. What do you guys recommend then. Not give them any of this at all, meaning no beet root and no carrots?
Regarding the celery. We will cut them into smaller slices :)
I'm totally confused regarding beet root and carrots. We have been feeding them that stuff for years, and I've always been told it was good for them. What do you guys recommend then. Not give them any of this at all, meaning no beet root and no carrots?
Regarding the celery. We will cut them into smaller slices :)
-
Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Read over www.guinealynx.info/diet.html You will note there are a lot of opinions on diet. Some are based on what foods are available and what is often eaten in a particular country. If your guinea pig has a particular problem like stones, diet factors in.
I often think moderation works wonders. I think you could continue to feed both but perhaps with moderation. My personal bias is to aim for a diet that would seem more natural (greens and grass/hay). Pellets aren't natural but provide nutrients that science tells us are needed and perhaps could be missing in a more limited diet.
You will need to work out something that seems right to you, paying attention to the health of your guinea pig.
I often think moderation works wonders. I think you could continue to feed both but perhaps with moderation. My personal bias is to aim for a diet that would seem more natural (greens and grass/hay). Pellets aren't natural but provide nutrients that science tells us are needed and perhaps could be missing in a more limited diet.
You will need to work out something that seems right to you, paying attention to the health of your guinea pig.
From what I read there are plenty of brands that are better but in some areas that is all you can get. I’m not from Denmark so I don’t know what’s available over there. That is something you have to decide and I completely agree with Lynx! Moderation is good. I personally like feeding safe lettuce and occasional pieces of bok Choy for greens but like I said before I’m nowhere near Denmark and sometimes you have to base your piggies diet on what you have access to.
I tried looking into what you guys have over in Denmark but I can’t find much so I can’t help out much more. GuineaLynx has an excellent veggie chart that can help you decide which vegetables in your area are good for your pigs
I tried looking into what you guys have over in Denmark but I can’t find much so I can’t help out much more. GuineaLynx has an excellent veggie chart that can help you decide which vegetables in your area are good for your pigs
I think I should be able to get a hold of most brands of pellets, as well as most vegetables. Is there a list of preferred pellets somewhere?
I think my girl Abigail might have a bladder stone, so I'd like to take that into account, and start to change the diet accordingly. There's no harm in doing that for the others, even though they probably don't have stones, right?
You guys/girls are so much help! Thank you all!
I think my girl Abigail might have a bladder stone, so I'd like to take that into account, and start to change the diet accordingly. There's no harm in doing that for the others, even though they probably don't have stones, right?
You guys/girls are so much help! Thank you all!
https://www.guinealynx.info/pellets.html
I’d look over this page. It has analysis of many pellets both good and bad.
On it, it says “You will find by applying the guidelines described above that KMS Hayloft and Oxbow Hay Companies' pellets are currently the best pellets available.” I would also like to add in Sherwood pellets are becoming increasingly popular and are showing great positive results.
Sherwood only available online (including on Amazon) but I don’t know if you can get it shipped out there or if it’s only in America.
KMS Hayloft is available online on her websites.
Oxbow is available online AND in most stores.
I personally have tried both Oxbow and Sherwood. They are both really good in my opinion!
I’d look over this page. It has analysis of many pellets both good and bad.
On it, it says “You will find by applying the guidelines described above that KMS Hayloft and Oxbow Hay Companies' pellets are currently the best pellets available.” I would also like to add in Sherwood pellets are becoming increasingly popular and are showing great positive results.
Sherwood only available online (including on Amazon) but I don’t know if you can get it shipped out there or if it’s only in America.
KMS Hayloft is available online on her websites.
Oxbow is available online AND in most stores.
I personally have tried both Oxbow and Sherwood. They are both really good in my opinion!
SHOP AMAZON