kidney stones

[honeybunch]

so my guinea pigs pee was white today and I searched it up and it’s a sign of too much calcium which can cause stones. are there any changes I can make in her diet or anything I can do to help cause I’m scared she will get stones.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Too much calcium in the diet can lead to bladder stones but there are also Piggies for whom it is genetic.
Piggies excrete excess calcium in their urine so seeing the odd one isnt concerning but if it happens a lot or if it feels gritty then do see a vet.

Unfiltered drinking water (if you live in a hard water area) and pellets (even low calcium ones) contain a lot of calcium. Keeping pellets strictly limited to one tablespoon and ensuring drinking water is filtered will go a long way to helping. Ensure high calcium vet such as kale, spinach and parsley is fed only in tiny amounts and no more than once a week.
Changes to the diet will take a long time to have an effect on their body and the calcium absorption process is complicated. If you are concerned, then do see a vet.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[honeybunch]

ok thank you so much i think I’ve been giving her too much pellets without realizing. Is it ok if she eats cucumbers, mandarines, strawberries, and stuff like that more often or does that have a high calcium too.

 

[Piggies&buns]

ok thank you so much i think I’ve been giving her too much pellets without realizing. Is it ok if she eats cucumbers, mandarines, strawberries, and stuff like that more often or does that have a high calcium too.

Fruit should not form a regular part of their diet (in fact it doesn't need to be in their diet at all). Any citrus fruit is too acidic and can lead to a bacterial infection in their lips. Best to avoid citrus. It is too high in sugar and isnt good for them. One tiny piece of fruit as a treat no more than once per week is fine.
Safe daily veg include lettuce, a green bean, cucumber, bell pepper and coriander/cilantro. These veggies give a nice mix of nutrients including the essential vitamin c.
The majority of their diet needs to be hay and if you have access to dog/fox pee free grass then picking some for them to eat is good. Its their natural diet. Always introduce grass slowly to not cause digestive problems.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[honeybunch]

Fruit should not form a regular part of their diet (in fact it doesn't need to be in their diet at all). Any citrus fruit is too acidic and can lead to a bacterial infection in their lips. Best to avoid citrus. It is too high in sugar and isnt good for them. One tiny piece of fruit as a treat no more than once per week is fine.
Safe daily veg include lettuce, a green bean, cucumber, bell pepper and coriander/cilantro. These veggies give a nice mix of nutrients including the essential vitamin c.
The majority of their diet needs to be hay and if you have access to dog/fox pee free grass then picking some for them to eat is good. Its their natural diet. Always introduce grass slowly to not cause digestive problems.

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

i don’t have access to that but thank you. Is it ok if I give Timothy hay instead? Also she likes avocados would that be good for her daily diet or not daily

 

[Piggies&buns]

i don’t have access to that but thank you. Is it ok if I give Timothy hay instead? Also she likes avocados would that be good for her daily diet or not daily

Hay needs to make the bulk of their daily food intake at all times. 80% of what they eat a day needs to be hay. You can then add one cup of safe veggies per pig per day, and then one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day. Avocado is on the not recommended/unsafe list.
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[Free Ranger]

It seems an impossible suggestion but helping her drink more can really help. If there is more liquid going through it flushes things clear. Add another bottle?

I've recently seen again how important this is. We had a move-around with my pairs and long-haired Louise was delighted with her new cage area as there is a big space to hide in and munch hay. When dominant Zara tries to get in too there is much huffing and puffing! I started to see more Calcium wees outside on the fleece - very small spots of quite thick deposit. I assumed this was Zara who is always first in the pellets but it is actually Louise. She is spending so much time in the hiding place she is not drinking so much. I have now fixed an extra bottle with the spout poking inside the hiding place to encourage more drinking - she's not the brightest pig, bless her, so we'll have to see what happens. We personally use soft bottled water as it is super hard in our area - but it's easy to find out what yours is by googling or contacting your water company.