Another Piggie Needing A Low Calcium Diet

[sarah298]

So my 4 year old piggie has been to the vet today and they found quite a large bladder stone in him which takes up a large space within his bladder. He's booked in to have it removed on Wednesday, the next available appointment.

I've been researching for hours and trying to get my head around the guinea lynx chart and ratios etc with no luck!

Can anyone please either give me a really simplified explanation as to how to use the chart and/ or a list of vegetables that would be suitable for him. All I've managed to understand so far is which pellets I need, the hay and yellow and green peppers?

Sorry to ask again, I'm just at a complete loss with not understanding the charts available.

Thanks

 

[gizzy]

Sorry to ask again, I'm just at a complete loss with not understanding the charts available.

You are not the only one, the verous nutrition chats can be difficult to understand ! But the problem can be treating these charts like a bible,
At best they are only an indicator as to the highest and lowest of what it is dealing with
As l see it there are so many other factors that need consideration ! things like magnesium ect ect charts , and to do the job properly a degree in maths would be useful

You are right hay, hi c veg like peppers ect, but to keep your guineapigs in best of health an all round varied diet is the most important thing

If you're piggy was mine l would just stear clear of all the dark green leaved veg, /peas and beans

 

[sarah298]

You are not the only one, the verous nutrition chats can be difficult to understand ! But the problem can be treating these charts like a bible,
At best they are only an indicator as to the highest and lowest of what it is dealing with
As l see it there are so many other factors that need consideration ! things like magnesium ect ect charts , and to do the job properly a degree in maths would be useful

You are right hay, hi c veg like peppers ect, but to keep your guineapigs in best of health an all round varied diet is the most important thing

If you're piggy was mine l would just stear clear of all the dark green leaved veg, /peas and beans

Lol glad it isn't just me then!

So different lettuce, chicory, herbs (read not parsley), cauliflower (I think I've read somewhere) and cucumber, does that sound about right? I'm going by the colour coded guinea lynx table and the calcium column but most of the low calcium seems to be fruits which obviously are fed very sparingly... so confusing

 

[rome_italy]

I find the chart of Guinea Lynx very easy... there is a calculator online, you need to weigh the single vegs and write the amount on the calculator. It will calculate everything.
Anyway, after following that chart dosing the vegs very carefully and after realising not brilliant results on the wee of my Calliope who came home from the rescue with a bladder allert, I decided to change totally the diet for a more natural one based on fresh grass. My piggies eat now HUGE amount of fresh grass and since when they have started this new diet (last April), the wee looks perfect and my piggie does not scream for pain when someone touches her belly as she used to do before.
Piggies are HERBIVORES, not vegetarians. This was the sentence given to me by the best vet we have in Rome, whom I consulted. My piggies have a little piece of bell pepper in the evening because they love it, but during the whole day they eat only hay and fresh grass (very few pellets, less than a tablespoon in two) and I don't see troubles even when the grass contains dandelion leaves or mallow/wild chicory leaves which are rich of calcium.
The vet is really satisfied.
I suggest you to give it a try, although I suggest you to avoid dandelion/mallow/chicory greens. Give them only grass, the common one in strings, be aware that the piggies have their tastes and don't like all the grass... If they don't eat a certain grass, try with another one.
Check their wee using a newspaper.

 

[sarah298]

I love this idea. How much grass would each guinea pig need? Id have to buy some grass seeds and trays and try to grow them indoors now.

Do you have digital scales for weighing the veg? We only have spring ones that go up in 5g so will have a look for some different scales.

Also does the table say if you are feeding to much calcium etc or does it show it in ratios as that's what I can't get my head around

 

[rome_italy]

grass is like hay... an illimited amount is okay, they can eat it all day long. My two piggies usually eat a bag or half bag a day (but some grass is soiled after some hours)
I have a digital scales, but I don't think you need to weigh the single grams...
When you write the grams on the calculator of any single veg, it shows you the final amount of Ca, P and vit C and also the ratio. You should consider the amount of food of the whole day. Grass and hay have the perfect ratio therefore you don't need to worry of their balance of minerals. When I used the scales I used to prepare the ratio of veg of the whole day in the morning. It was easy because my piggies eat only very few vegs, only some lettuce, radicchio, cucumber and bell pepper (and dandelion, grass, etc). They don't know and don't like kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, clover... Here kale, carrots, fruit are nor recommended because of the presence of sugars and oxalates which are not good.
About grass, my piggies did not like so much the grass for cats, they prefer the wild grass or the grass which grows in private lawns. In these days, after the rain, I see everywhere a new soft grass, but they don't like it and don't eat it...
If you take a walk and look for some private lawn (around church, supermarket, buildings) you will find some green area; and the grass is like the veggie department at the supermarket: there is a great variety!
These are my piggies eating the grass, the last pic was taken yesterday

 

[sarah298]

Sorry, I meant in terms of how much should I be feeding them at least if it is to replace vegetables and so they don't lose weight? I'm going to try some low calcium pellets and see which they will eat so am guessing they will help keep the weight up to a degree?

 

[sarah298]

Edit: (sorry can't edit my post on my phone) with the grass.. how much they should be having at least each day to know how many trays I should sow as well

 

[rome_italy]

honestly I don't know... it depends on how much they are hungry. My piggies are hungry because their diet is almost pellets-free and a little piece of some veg is given (usually) only for dinner (after midnight, when I go to bed). During the day they eat grass and hay.
Fresh grass can replace the vegs if it is varied and grown in a good ground... the weight will not change because grass is very nutricious (maybe not in winter, though). If you cut out pellets the weight might change but I would not worry... the body mass can change but that does not mean the piggie is ill. One of my piggies came home underweight (less than 400g when she was 3 1/2 months old) and started eating grass and hay. Now she is 9 months old and weighs 800g.
Before starting with a home production of grass you should consider whether that grass will be appreciated and eaten. Why don't you start with wild grass? I don't know where you live but maybe, walking not so far, you can find it. Take with you a bag and a knife, so that you will not ruin any lawn. You can fill a bag of grass and then you can store it into the fridge (into a plastic bag, after sprayin the grass with some water); it keeps its freshness for 2-3 days.
If you are going to buy a new brand of pellets, prefer the grainless ones made of grass

 

[sarah298]

Ok, that's fair enough. They love grass and Ive been out and cut some from our garden after I got in from work so will do that again for them and slowly introduce it more and more.

I'd be worried about animals going toilet on grass picked from public places or should it be ok? Our garden isn't huge, so will do for now but not sure how long into the winter it will last.

I was looking at the JR Farm ones and prestige I think it was.

 

[rome_italy]

oh, do you have a garden? lucky you! you can build a little greenhouse for the winter and you will have fresh grass always available!
Honestly I am not worried of animals/dogs poo (it is visible) and wee (statistically it is impossible that I cut just that grass where a dog left his wee a minute before... moreover dogs wee in the corners and cats wee into holes). I am more worried of the SURE pesticide residuals that are on the vegs... I have read horrific news about the pesticides found in the whole Europe (legal pesticides) into celery and into lettuce (and carrots/potatoes/kales)... and the more the veg contains water, the more the residuals were found. INTO the veg and in the inner part of the fruit. The wee of an animal can be washed away with water or some bicarbonate... I cut the grass where some cats live free... but I guess the greatest risk is to slip on the lawn and injure myself with the knife.... Or to cut a finger as happened last week... here vets suggest not to cut grass near the roads. My vet's wife (she is another exotic vet) feeds his rabbits and piggies with the grass from a cemetery...
But you have a garden, therefore you have no worries! I have found these easy ideas





I think they might work for a great healthy production

 

[sarah298]

Haha I LOVE the umbrella idea! Will put it to the rest growing herbs and various grasses and forage. Thanks for all your help!