[Gpdd] Health: Vitamin C supplements, please help!!

Bkwrm132 at cs.com Bkwrm132 at cs.com
Sat Jan 3 15:24:38 EST 2004


Katy and the crew :) wrote:

<Quick question -- I need to find a way to supplement my piggies vitamin c. 
.....

I only have piggies as family members, I'm not a trained exotic vet, so I 
have to rely on the digest and what my exotic vet tells me.  We (two of my sons 
and I) have 4 cavies between us.  We feed them Oxbow Cavy Cuisine pellets, as 
much timothy hay as they like and the following greens - dandelion, mustard, 
collard, spinach, parsley, and brussel sprouts. 

Our exotic vet suggested supplementing a liquid vitamin c on a daily basis to 
be certain they have enough.  They did this after one of the piggies (Sheila) 
had a blockage/internal shutdown.  (once her system stopped going, it took a 
number of weeks to jump-start her again) 

Living in Illinois, it's difficult to find really good greens in the winter 
and Sheila is becoming finicky in her eating habits.  The vet suggested 
introducing her to other dark-green leafy veggies and not too much fruit.  We've 
recently tried swiss chard leaves and bok choy leaves hoping to keep her happy.  
When she doesn't eat her greens, we supplement with Critical Care to make sure 
she gets the nutrition she needs.  It seems to be working.  She continues to 
get vitamin c from a syringe (she loves it)!  I started giving it to all my 
piggies and each truly enjoys the attention and the "treat."  (I'll never tell 
it's actually good for them!)

I bought the vitamin c from my exotic vet ($5.00 for 30 cc and a syringe).

About the dried fruit, I've never tried it and don't think I want to.  Is all 
that fructose good for them?  My vet said keep the fruit down to a minimum.  
My piggies rarely eat fruit as we don't offer it.  Maybe a piece of red apple 
(approx. the size of a US quarter) as an extra-special treat, but not often.

Hope this helps.

Pam
Mom to Zorro and Bedhead
Grandma to Sheila and Valerie





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