[Gpdd] Care: Feeding

Jennifer Langer fairydancer at loveable.com
Sun Feb 27 21:28:12 EST 2005


Lisa,
Since you seemed concerned about waht your Piggie should eat, I am including a bunch of information. Pellets should also always be given, but how much they eat does seem to vary from Piggie to Piggie. I have read they should get and eat about 1/8 cup of pellets daily. Alfalfa based mixes are alright until about 6 months or during pregnancy. After that, you want a timothy based pellet food. It minimized problems associated with too much calcium, protein and obesity. I recommend Oxbow or Kaytee brands. My Piggies prefer Oxbow which we have to buy online at http://www.critterstore.com/guinea-pigs.html . You want to avoid the mixes that have anything but plain pellets usually. There’s usually just a bunch of unnecessary dyes, nuts, and seeds that your Piggies don’t need.

Timothy hay is a necessary food that they should always have in their cages. This helps keep their teeth from growing too long and keeps their digestive system healthy. You want to try to find the greenest hay you can. I can give you some online links if you are interested. 

Fresh food is necessary every day. The right amount ensures they get enough vitamin C, which their bodies need but can produce. Most sites recommend at least 1 cup per Piggie once or twice daily. I start there, but give according to what they will eat. Just start with a few fresh foods and experiment. They will not all probably like all the same things. Eventually you want to include 3-4 different fresh foods per meal. It sounds like a lot of work, but just start slowly and give yourself and them time to adapt. 
 
Here are my favorite links for Piggie food information:
http://www.cavycompendium.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7741 -- An incredible list of good fresh foods and dangerous ones. 
http://guinealynx.info/ -- Great Piggie info, including a fresh food list I use almost daily, and info about what hays are good.
http://www.salcavies.com/health/feeding.shtml -- Piggie fresh foods

Jennifer and Adam, and PB, Bob Bob, and Boar-is 
"To find a beautiful thing, look with an open mind and heart."
-- 
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