[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Starting to feel a little concerned...

[warmbreath at comcast.net]

Hi Jana,  Your additional info gives me much more info on his daily care and 
it's clear you do know about piggie care and diet allot. I would still 
advise you to drop the biscuit and treat stick. His constant eating of hay 
and pellets carrots will keep his teeth down. The ingredients used to keep 
treat sticks together are usually sweet and not found in nature unless its 
honey and piggies dont eat honey.  They do not eat dried peas and corn flour 
in wild, even in their raw state in the whole vegetable in the wild they 
would be consumed with huge amounts of grasses, and not as refined flours 
and they are just too high in proteins and carbs without associated fiber. 
So the baked hearts are made with wholesome ingredients, just not for guinea 
pigs. I do feed the inner husks of home grown husks. I beg you to consider 
this, sweet veggies will cause diabetes over time, and since we have learned 
to properly feed our piggies they live longer often 7 years or more.  I have 
had over 50 pigs in my long life and no teeth problems and no abscesses. 
Seeds get stuck and cause infections, and the hulls are too sharp an 
indigestible. Please just think grasses and related that are found at ground 
level. Also wild piggies get lots more exercise than ours even if we give 
them floor time so pets have a mush harder time working off natural sugars 
and starches. Even the rabbit site Etherbun which has vets as members dont 
allow these treat sticks or biscuits for rabbits who are bigger and run 
harder and faster. In fact the seed and nuts are associated with getting 
mouth problems, they are too hard and get stuck where they shouldn't.  For 
the chewing you recommend hard wood twigs like apple are often used, but not 
seed and grains.

For the veggies you would like your piggie to eat try serving both you and 
him a plate. They learn to eat from their moms and wont eat things they dont 
see their moms or herdmates eat as a matter of survival as the parents 
learned form their parents and so the whole herd knows what not to eat as it 
may be poison. I meant to mention this yesterday about the tomatoes. I only 
serve them in season and apparently my Sammy forgot in the long off season 
as he is refusing them too. But again they are tasteless store bought ones 
so may he is right.

You can monitor your piggies diabetes with dip sticks in their urine, but 
they have to have it so bad they are spilling sugar for it to show up that 
way,and piggy diabetes is extremely difficult to treat with meds, Prevention 
and treatment with diet is the best way.  I wish your Guido a good 
convalescence and continued good health after that. Hopefully if anyone else 
on this list knows other things that will cause his symptoms they will 
write.  Best regards Sandy and Shipwreck Sam