Food rich in iron for anemic pig?

  • Thread starter Thread starter hils78
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
H

hils78

I have just taken the 3 in quarentine here to a rodentologist to have their teeth looked at and a general MOT & it appears that Fro is anemic.
When I mentioned what I should give her and suggested spinach she said that this should never be fed to a guinea pig. Now my lot have had a bit in the past, luckily no problems.
I've looked in all my books & can't find what I should be supplimenting with or feeding. (the rodentologist couldn't for the life of her remember what the suppliment was called). Anyway if anyone here has any ideas please let me know.
 
You don't find Iron in High amounts in plants Hils, it is high in some seeds (sunflower) but depends on the quality of the soil its grown in etc. You really need a supplement (it begins with F and I can't think of it!). Perhaps try feeding her on Sunflower sprouts? They grow quickly and easily...
 
:) Thanks Starshine! I knew it began with F- Feroglobin (spelling) I don't know if its still the supplement of choice though and would phone Vedra to get the most up to date info. Plants don't contain enough Iron to be classed as 'high in Iron'. Perhaps a diet containing Cereal Grass and Sunflower sprouts/stems would be good for her.
 
So is spinach Ok or not?

I remember someone suggesting that I should limit Scarby's spinach after he lost half his liver because of the iron content so I did.

For human info - chocolate is very high in iron ;D
 
I could be totally wrong so hope someone can confirm...but think spinach is very high in calcuim ? so its one of the foods not be be given very often, due to bladderstone etc. ! as said I might have the wrong end of stick here, so please dont quote me.! :)
 
I used to give feroglobin to my daughter when she was younger,used to get it from the health shop,it used to give her a great appetite and she loved the taste,good luck with your piggy
Mel
 
i think your vet was wrong about spinach it is fine i feed all mine it and there is no porblems with it
 
Hmm, I have fed them spinach although limited to twice a week and not every week.
 
I think you are right Deb - Spinach is high calcium so a treat only food really and a no go for pigs who have had bladder/kidney stones.

Mine have only just started to have the odd bag as a treat between all 17 of them now sine I have lost Sumo. He wasn't allowed it as he hadrenal disease and I always felt too mean not letting him have some so I never used to buy any at all!
 
:) Yep, Spinach should be fed rarely or not at all, its high in Oxalic acid. Worse than lettuce in my opinion.
 
karenrgpr said:
:) Yep, Spinach should be fed rarely or not at all, its high in Oxalic acid. Worse than lettuce in my opinion.
Click to expand...
OMG I feel blooming awful now. I have been giving mine spinach quite a lot in the last fortnight. I am in a right panic now I have read this :'( will not give it them regularly now though.
 
Duke is addicted to his spinach leaves, he's not a bladderstone piggie either. I've had him checked out and the vet says it's ok.
 
The darker the leaf, the higher the iron content I think. But, iron is notoriously difficult to absorb. I'd heard that too about spinach - oxalates. Not that I knew what it meant, just that it was bad! ;D
 
Don't feel bad PP, I just choose not to feed it very often, I only give it if there's nothing else available. It also depends on what else you give your guinea and what they're getting from that. At the end of the day all piggies bodies use whats put in their bodies slightly differently and what you feed with it will depend on whats stored etc so its a 'bit' of a minefield LOL! You may be feeding Baby Leaf Spinach which will be not so high in Oxalates as large leaf/fully grown/old Spinach therefore safer....

You can have guins on a really low Calcium diet that is nutritionally ideal and they still get renal stones, all you will be doing is minimising it.

A bit like smoking (!)- just because you smoke it doesn't mean you will get/die of Lung Cancer you are just more at risk/likely to get it...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top