Help with veg & fruit please

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Jenwah

Jenwah

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Hello,

I'm wanting to give my guinea pigs veggy, but there's so much information that some foods are too high in this, and that or low in this and that, and I just would like a simple yet effective vegetable & fruit list that I can give daily.

I have read that, green & yellow peppers are good and can be given every day. I am confused whether I can give cabbage because I heard it gives them diarrhea?

If I write a list so far what I have can someone let me know whether what I have is good or where I can make it better etc?

1. Green & yellow peppers - daily
2. Kale - daily
3. Carrot - daily
4. Apple - as a treat, 1-2 times a week
5. Orange segment - 1-2 times a week

I also give them lots of Beaphar Meadow Hay and they seem to love it and munch on it until it's gone - does anyone like this hay for their pigs?
And, I give them pets at home, guinea pig nuggets which says it has vitamin C already inside them - but I'm assuming that it won't have enough vitC so I'd have to provide extra food for vit C?

Would vitamin C liquid drops be a good idea? I also have read not to put this in their water as it makes the water taste not so good for the piglet, so I'd have to syringe the drops into my pigs?

I hope this makes sense and hope someone can give me a push in the right direction!

Thanks anyone :)
Jen
 
Hi Jen,
Vitamin drops are not good to use as any vitamin is lost through evaporation. If you want to give extra vitamin C you can buy tables suitable for guinea pigs. I get mine on the hay experts web site.

You can give cabbage now and again but not too much as it can cause bloating. I would not give carrot daily as it is high in sugars. There is so much you can feed your piggies. This link will show you:
http://www.squidoo.com/guinea-pig-care-4
 
Thanks piggyfan! Are the vitamin C tablets essential or will giving just fresh veg be good enough ? (Including nuggets & hay)

I will have a look at that website too! :)
 
Iv never given supplements to my pigs.
I give veggies daily and thats sufficient to provide the vit c they need :)
Mine get spring greens regularly, I find these suit my lot better than savoy cabbage. They also get peppers quite often too aswell as things like parsley, this is a treat as its quite expensive, but they love it :D
 
Thank you Kate! I was in two minds of getting some supplements, I might have a go with some spring greens/parsley!
Thanks for helping :)
 
What about pea pods? I've always got lots of pea pods in but haven't tried them as I wasn't sure. Good job I read about hte sweetcorn too as I've given that once before when I had some left over.

Just as an afterthought - how much fresh veg do you give? I've been giving some twice a day, morning and tea time, but she ploughs through it so quickly I'm not sure I'm giving her enough?
 
Kale is high in calcium which can contribute to the development of bladder stones/sludge. I would avoid giving kale every day.
 
Kale is very high in calcium and (like spinach) should be fed only occasionally. I feed pointed cabbage or spring greens instead.

Carrots and lettuces are high in vitamin A that can accumulate in the liver if overfed. Please do not feed daily.

Other veg high in vitamin C are: All colours of pepper (one slice per piggy is enough), broccoli (any part, but the stem contains more calcium than the florets). One sprig of either fresh coriander/cilantro, parsley, dill, mint or basil. Please vary between these veg and herbs, but include one of them. Cabbages are also good for vitamin C.

Please do not add anything to the water. You can't control the intake and mostly it just ends up promoting the growth of algae. Most piggies will actually drink less if there are additives in the water.

Here is a list of what veg your piggies can eat: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42

The rule of thumb is everything in moderation and nothing all the time!

Please also only feed 1 cupful (ca. 50g) of fresh veg per piggy per day. Up to 80% of the daily food intake should be hay to keep the guts happy and the crucial back teeth ground down.
 
Thank you everyone who has replied to me! I will take everything on board and alter the veg I give to them :)
It's very helpful getting so much information. Thanks for taking the time to reply :)
 
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