Afternoon all, apart from hay and pellets, I have been giving my new piggy fresh veg (mostly a few leaves of parsley, small carrots and a couple of thin slices ofcucumber) and some fresh blueberries (3 or 4). He absolutely loves his fresh veggies but I want to know if there is some sort of guide of how much to give them per day. I don't want him to overindulge and have any problems. Also, I read that they like bean sprouts and was thinking of growing some to give him (or any other micro seed anyone can recommend). Thanks for your help
Fresh fruit and veg
- Thread starter Lawsii15
- Start date
This is our diet guide
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Hay should be constantly available to them. Veg and pellets are snacks and veg should be 50g per day and pellets just one tablespoon per day (pellets are the least important part of the diet and they should not have constant access to them)
Parsley (and along with spinach and kale) is high in calcium so should only be fed one small amount once per week.
Fruit and carrots are high in sugar and should only be considered as occasional treats and not fed more than one small piece just once per week.
Ensure you feed Vit c rich veg daily such as coriander or bell peppers.
The guide below gives details of what veggies are and are not safe to feed
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
I also notice you say ‘piggy’ (singular). Does he have a friend to live with? If not, please do look to get him a friend. Piggies are highly social and need to be kept in pairs as they get lonely when they are by themselves
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Hay should be constantly available to them. Veg and pellets are snacks and veg should be 50g per day and pellets just one tablespoon per day (pellets are the least important part of the diet and they should not have constant access to them)
Parsley (and along with spinach and kale) is high in calcium so should only be fed one small amount once per week.
Fruit and carrots are high in sugar and should only be considered as occasional treats and not fed more than one small piece just once per week.
Ensure you feed Vit c rich veg daily such as coriander or bell peppers.
The guide below gives details of what veggies are and are not safe to feed
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
I also notice you say ‘piggy’ (singular). Does he have a friend to live with? If not, please do look to get him a friend. Piggies are highly social and need to be kept in pairs as they get lonely when they are by themselves
Yes we are getting him a companion this weekend
Ok so from what I gather you've said is reduce to once weekly fruit and high calcium veg. Great, thanks. I will also have a look at the articles you've attached.
Yes we are getting him a companion this weekend
Yes, just remember hay is the most important part of the diet. They get most calcium through pellets and unfiltered drinking so by keeping pellets limited and filtering drinking water then you can keep their calcium intake to low levels (although they do need some calcium) which can prevent bladder problems.
Do be aware that character compatibility is the key part of a successful bond, so if you can take him dating a rescue centre and allow him to find his own friend, then you are much less likely to face problems. If you buy a piggy on spec from a pet shop then you have no idea if they will be compatible once they hit their teens. If you do get a piggy on spec then you will need to have a plan b (of separate cages) in case of a failed bond. But you will also need to go about the bonding process properly. You can’t just put two piggies into the same cage as it can cause fights.
Ensure you check the sexes of your piggies yourself. Two boars together need a cage of 6ft x 2ft to give them enough room. Less than that and they can suffer from lack of space which can cause problems. Also ensure you only use hides with two exits so no piggy can get cornered.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Cage Size Guide
Thank youthis is most helpful. I am quite the novice, but learning so quickly. This is a great resource.
Do read the guides I’ve linked in about boar behaviour, dominance behaviours and how to carry out a bonding in a neutral area etc
I'm back! I've reduced the calcium high parsley, and sugary carrots and have added cucumbers, coriander and bell peppers to their diet, but their pee is quite white. Ive read that this is due to high calcium. however, I have also read this is normal in young piggies (mine are 2.5 months and 1.5 months old) Is this really normal?
