What Do Guinea Pigs Eat?
Guinea Pigs love to eat. They get incredibly excited when it comes time for their fresh fruits and vegetables, which should always be a part of their daily diet. The most important food your guinea pig should always have on hand is hay. Hay makes for a healthy digestive system and is a favorite among guinea pigs.
Guinea pig pellets that are formulated to provide essential vitamins and minerals are also a good idea, but they alone will not be enough. Fresh foods are also very important for a healthy guinea pig diet. If your guinea pig is fed grass on a daily basis, you should feed additional fresh foods once a day. If your guinea pig does not have access to grass, then twice daily feedings of fresh fruit and vegetables are recommended.
Here are a few fresh foods you can give your guinea pig. It is recommended that you mix the foods around so that they get a varied and balanced diet. Also, too much of one type of food can cause problems for guinea pigs, all the more reason to keep their diet varied.
It is important that you feed vegetables high in Vitamin A, such as carrots, and Vitamin C, which is present in most fruits. Apples, Carrots and Bananas are all excellent sources of Vitamin C.
Feed your Guinea Pig:
- Sliced celery (no long strings)
- Apples
- Bannanas
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Dandelion Greens
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
- Bell Peppers
- Kiwi Fruit
Do NOT feed:
- Long celery
- Light green lettuce
- Nuts
- Raw beans
- Rhubarb
These foods can cause digestive troubles or even poison your guinea pigs, so stay away from them.
Another great guinea pig food is grass. If you are going to pick grass for your guinea pig, make sure that it has not been sprayed or treated with any chemicals. Grass growing wild is the best kind of grass for your guinea pig and they absolutely love it, some guinea pigs actually love grass more than they do their fruits and vegetables. All are important for a healthy guinea pig however!
So, to summarize, make sure that you have access to a good supply of hay, some guinea pig pellets, clean grass if you have it, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. You'll be surprised how big your guinea pigs grow and what long healthy lives they will lead when they are feed well.
And remember the golden rule. If in doubt, don't feed it to your guinea pig.