Any Veg Suggestions?

Lucy_Piggie

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all! I just wanted to know if anyone has any recommended veggies for their guinea's? I have a very fussy guinea pig and all she'll eat is Cucumber, Baby Gem Lettuce, and Celery daily (and kale once a week). I've tried coriander, bell peppers, basil, spinach, baby corn and a whole other list that she just won't eat.
Any suggestions would be great, thanks!
 
Hiya, one minute they like it, then they don’t, funny little critters lol, parsley, Savoy cabbage, grass, good luck
 
Mine love lettuce - round lettuce, curly lettuce, butterhead lettuce, romaine or little gem lettuce.
You could also try foraging things for them like dandelion leaves, plantain, ect. xx
 
I'd say romaine lettuce. I haven't met a piggy that doesn't like romaine.
I'm currently feeding my girls an assortment of lettuces, and one thinks the best one is the fringy one with some bitterness (similar to arugula/rocket or mustard) followed by romaine, and the other think the best one is the sweet dark red one followed by romaine or the fringy one.

Some of my girls have preferred the little thin walled peppers over the big bells (lunchbox and yummy/yum-yum are some we've bought and grown), and 'Jimmy Nardello' is a variety that I grew last year and was a favorite (it looks like it should be hot - long and thin - but it's sweet). They also tend to have a favorite color; I think most of my piggies have preferred orange and red, though I did have one girl whose favorite pepper ever was a very dark purple one that was pretty tart (not a human favorite, but what do our opinions matter?)

The girls that tried pea shoots liked them (they only get them if I happen grow them). I've gotten mixed opinions with carrot tops: most ate them, some more enthusiastically than others.
 
Sometimes it’s a case of persistence. I wouldn’t worry too much about veg that are high in sugar or calcium - spinach, baby corn, spinach and fruits.

Mine will get a lettuce leafy, a slice of pepper and a slice of cucumber daily. They also get a green bean daily if I have some in the fridge.

Sometimes it’s a case of persevering and trying daily. I would say keep trying with the bell pepper. Cut a little slither and just put it in every day. Keep putting it in every day and hopefully she will eventually understand it’s not poisonous! Try all three colours as well. My girls didn’t like celery when they moved in. I just put in a smaller portion daily and eventually they started to eat it. It isn’t my one girl’s favourite but she will eat it. I know this so I always only give her a small slice. I don’t feed it often though.

May I ask how old she is and if she lived with an older companion? Sometimes young piggies don’t know what’s safe to eat if they haven’t been in the company of older piggies that can show them the way. They can be picky eaters sometimes as well though. I just feel that given bell pepper (and coriander) are such good sources of vitamin c, I would at least persist with the bell pepper.

Good luck and hope she cottons on soon!
 
Mine get romaine lettuce everyday, which I was told is safe to feed them daily. They will always eat romaine lettuce. All other veggies and fruits are given on the side.
 
My piggy refused to eat bell pepper when he was very young. Because bell pepper is so nutritious for piggies, I wanted him to be able to eat it. I trained him to accept it by offering it to him first thing in the morning, when he was very hungry and would eat anything. Gradually he would start to nibble it, and accept it. Now, he eats it every day.
Guinea pigs can be very picky, but teaching them to eat different foods will broaden their diet and provide them with better nutrition.
 
Sometimes it’s a case of persistence. I wouldn’t worry too much about veg that are high in sugar or calcium - spinach, baby corn, spinach and fruits.

Mine will get a lettuce leafy, a slice of pepper and a slice of cucumber daily. They also get a green bean daily if I have some in the fridge.

Sometimes it’s a case of persevering and trying daily. I would say keep trying with the bell pepper. Cut a little slither and just put it in every day. Keep putting it in every day and hopefully she will eventually understand it’s not poisonous! Try all three colours as well. My girls didn’t like celery when they moved in. I just put in a smaller portion daily and eventually they started to eat it. It isn’t my one girl’s favourite but she will eat it. I know this so I always only give her a small slice. I don’t feed it often though.

May I ask how old she is and if she lived with an older companion? Sometimes young piggies don’t know what’s safe to eat if they haven’t been in the company of older piggies that can show them the way. They can be picky eaters sometimes as well though. I just feel that given bell pepper (and coriander) are such good sources of vitamin c, I would at least persist with the bell pepper.

Good luck and hope she cottons on soon!
She's just turned four a couple days ago. She has lived with some friends, I think they were both older than her, but they died a while ago 😢
 
I’m sorry to hear that. How is her weight? Veg are a smaller (but important) part of their diet but hay is the most important.

Are you considering getting her a friend or fostering one to keep her company till she departs?
 
just weighed her today and she's 913g. I am hopefully getting another piggie in the summer 🤞
 
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