Can you feed too many Dandelions?

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Logiebear

Logiebear

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All the piggies here can devour them and I was just wondering if you can give too many? Should they be treated as a treat ir can you feed them with part of their veg every night?
 
Dandelions should be feed sparingly, due to their diuretic and laxative effects. However, the whole plant can be fed, which is beneficial to a cavy's health. :)

The majority of, if not all, fresh foods should be feed in moderation.
 
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I do agree, they are a diuretic and have high levels of calcium too, this can cause some guineas problems. I give mine about 20 leaves a day when they are in season, I reduce their intake of other fresh foods a little but esp. those with a lot of calcium. To date (4 years) I have never seen any ill effects, just green dripping mouths and VERY happy guineas!
 
I would rather feed them as a part of the fresh veg you're feeding; too much can lead to lots of pees and loose poo.
 
i wonder if this is causing a problem for my pigs soft poo as they have herbage with dandelion and marigold all the time?
 
I feed mine a good few handfuls as and when...I did wonder why the hutch seemed to be full of poop straight away..? They're not loose, just lots of it? Or is this because they're only babies? Its been such a long time since I had pigs
 
Craig David said:
i wonder if this is causing a problem for my pigs soft poo as they have herbage with dandelion and marigold all the time?
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I only feed that herbage as an occasional special treat in winter when I haven't got access to fresh dandelion and grass from my lawn.

Dried herbs contain even more calcium as fresh ones; while guinea pigs do need a certain amount of calcium, too much can encourage bladder stones, as guinea pig urine is naturally very alcaline.
 
Sooo... how many dandelion leaves are too many? 5 per pig? 10, 15? I just have an amazing dog-free dandelion spot and it's so hard to resist!

Is it safer to feed grass?
 
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