how much veggies?
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Good question. Most places (e.g. guinealynx ) recommend half a cup per piggy per day, but I've always thought it was rather odd to express it in volume rather than weight, because some veggies are almost all water and others contain more dry matter (i.e. nutrients and fibre).
As for variety, as long as your piggies are getting unlimited hay and good quality pellets, which have all the micronutrients they need, I don't think variety in veggies matters much from the health point of view. It does matter from the boredom point of view, though. We give them as much variety as we can manage.
As for variety, as long as your piggies are getting unlimited hay and good quality pellets, which have all the micronutrients they need, I don't think variety in veggies matters much from the health point of view. It does matter from the boredom point of view, though. We give them as much variety as we can manage.
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P.S. If your piggies were getting much too much veggies, they'd get diarrhoea, which you'd certainly notice!
By the way, I've just checked on guinealynx, and it says a cup a day, not half a cup as I said above. But that still doesn't answer your question! See http://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html
By the way, I've just checked on guinealynx, and it says a cup a day, not half a cup as I said above. But that still doesn't answer your question! See http://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html
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Thanks for the reply!
I do change the veg variety from day to day!Today they got 6 different things all mixed up!
I will just keep an eye on the portion size!Although I did read that piggies will stop eating when they are full?
Thanks again!
I do change the veg variety from day to day!Today they got 6 different things all mixed up!
I will just keep an eye on the portion size!Although I did read that piggies will stop eating when they are full?
Thanks again!
That sounds great!
Piggies will stop eating hay when they're full of hay. I wouldn't be so sure about other things. I forgot to mention before that too many greens can lead to bloat, which is a very serious condition. But again, like diarrhoea, bloat is easily spotted -- see http://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html.
Piggies will stop eating hay when they're full of hay. I wouldn't be so sure about other things. I forgot to mention before that too many greens can lead to bloat, which is a very serious condition. But again, like diarrhoea, bloat is easily spotted -- see http://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html.
:-)
I was giving my two girls too many veggies. This is my first winter with them and in the summer they were getting mostly grass, a bit of clover, some dandelion and an assortment of garden greens. Once I changed over to veggies available in the winter one of my girls was getting a constant dirty bum. Their droppings looked totally normal not at all loose, but her back end was never clean and their cage was quite stinky. After reading some of the recommendation on this site I have cut the veggies back to 1 1/2 ounces per day per pig (which is a packed cup), divided into two meals and temporarily cut out the apple and the dirty bum problem has totally cleared up and the cage is not smelly. They get unlimited timothy hay pellets, and water so now they are eating more hay which is good. I seem to learn something new about guinea pig care everyday. Thanks to all of you for the wonderful advise.
I also love guinealynx and keep their veggie chart on my fridge.
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Thats what I am kind of afraid off - giving too much of one thing and causing problems with my guineas!
I need to print that veggie list off too!I did it before but there wasnt enough ink in the printer!mallethead
And I will start to measure and weigh the veg too!
Thanks!
I need to print that veggie list off too!I did it before but there wasnt enough ink in the printer!mallethead
And I will start to measure and weigh the veg too!
Thanks!
teddy2011
What pellets do you use? I am still having a hard time choosing one. My girls are 9 months old and I have to start thinking of an adult pellet. I probably can't get what you use in Canada but I could look at the ingredient list and find something similiar. I bought a bag of Oxbow to slowly switch over to but it is for young guinea pigs and they don't really like it.
What pellets do you use? I am still having a hard time choosing one. My girls are 9 months old and I have to start thinking of an adult pellet. I probably can't get what you use in Canada but I could look at the ingredient list and find something similiar. I bought a bag of Oxbow to slowly switch over to but it is for young guinea pigs and they don't really like it.
teddy2011
If you go to the posting "low calcium veggies" they talk about the "ratewatchers diet" to help with bladder stones. It was quite interesting and fine tunes the veggie list even more with weights for each vegetable. I need to print it off and read it over again because I haven't quite grasped it all yet. I am all about prevention, rather than trips to the vet to fix a problem.
If you go to the posting "low calcium veggies" they talk about the "ratewatchers diet" to help with bladder stones. It was quite interesting and fine tunes the veggie list even more with weights for each vegetable. I need to print it off and read it over again because I haven't quite grasped it all yet. I am all about prevention, rather than trips to the vet to fix a problem.
I only feed my piggies with veggies and hay and water.
Been doing so for 9 months now.
Reason: I have struggled quite a bit with bladder problems. I tried many things, but nothing worked longer than a couple of weeks.
Then someone guided me to another forum (danish) with a complete different look on the whole food thing.
So I gradualy changed the diet for my piggies.
And now they are only fed with a wide variety of greens every day.
It's called "veggies ad libitum".
I don't think I can explain it all in english, but I'll try with the most basic;
Pellets are the things that cause bladder problems and diarrhea.
They mess up the natural balance.
Since I stopped giving pellets my piggies haven't had chrystalizations or diarrhea.
On the contrary they have all gained weight - including my oldest one who had lost weight due to age. Now he's back on his normal weight.
And their teeth have never been healthier.
The problem with giving pellets is that the piggies are not getting all the fluid they need.
Pellets often have a lot of calcium. But when there's not enough water, the calcium witllgather in the kidneys / bladder. And that's when we have troubles.
If the piggies are only fed with a variety og greens, they get enough calcium AND fluid at the same time.
My piggies gets at least 7 different kinds of greens every day. I like to keep it at 10 - 12 kinds.
They have access to greens and hay and of course water 24/7.
The idea is that the hay is "pellets" instead of actual pellets.
Whenever I've tried to give some pellets as treats they start sqeaking when weeing.
Feel free to ask. I'll do my very best to answer any questions.
And I want to apolegize for bad grammar. :{
Been doing so for 9 months now.
Reason: I have struggled quite a bit with bladder problems. I tried many things, but nothing worked longer than a couple of weeks.
Then someone guided me to another forum (danish) with a complete different look on the whole food thing.
So I gradualy changed the diet for my piggies.
And now they are only fed with a wide variety of greens every day.
It's called "veggies ad libitum".
I don't think I can explain it all in english, but I'll try with the most basic;
Pellets are the things that cause bladder problems and diarrhea.
They mess up the natural balance.
Since I stopped giving pellets my piggies haven't had chrystalizations or diarrhea.
On the contrary they have all gained weight - including my oldest one who had lost weight due to age. Now he's back on his normal weight.
And their teeth have never been healthier.
The problem with giving pellets is that the piggies are not getting all the fluid they need.
Pellets often have a lot of calcium. But when there's not enough water, the calcium witllgather in the kidneys / bladder. And that's when we have troubles.
If the piggies are only fed with a variety og greens, they get enough calcium AND fluid at the same time.
My piggies gets at least 7 different kinds of greens every day. I like to keep it at 10 - 12 kinds.
They have access to greens and hay and of course water 24/7.
The idea is that the hay is "pellets" instead of actual pellets.
Whenever I've tried to give some pellets as treats they start sqeaking when weeing.
Feel free to ask. I'll do my very best to answer any questions.
And I want to apolegize for bad grammar. :{
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