Lots of food questions!

Kivoleve

Kivoleve

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 4, 2018
Messages
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Location
Post Falls, Idaho
Hello group!
I don't have piggies yet but I have some questions about their diet..
🐷Can you guys please tell me how often you change veggies?

🐷Why you specifically feed certain types of veggies and how often they should have those specific veggies.

🐷I understand that you give each pig about a cup of veggies, but how many times a day?

🐷In the past I've heard to limit high acid veggies/fruit like tomatoes.. is this true?

🐷How often would you give fruit treats?

🐷Other then avocado, onion family or mushrooms...what are some more absolute NO fruit/veggies?

🐷Can someone explain why you want to limit high water veggies?

🐷What are the most beneficial herbs/weed flower (mint, dandelion ect.) What are the benefits from these?
Thank you all for taking the time to read and for providing details!
 
Kivoleve said:
Hello group!
I don't have piggies yet but I have some questions about their diet..
🐷Can you guys please tell me how often you change veggies?

🐷Why you specifically feed certain types of veggies and how often they should have those specific veggies.

🐷I understand that you give each pig about a cup of veggies, but how many times a day?

🐷In the past I've heard to limit high acid veggies/fruit like tomatoes.. is this true?

🐷How often would you give fruit treats?

🐷Other then avocado, onion family or mushrooms...what are some more absolute NO fruit/veggies?

🐷Can someone explain why you want to limit high water veggies?

🐷What are the most beneficial herbs/weed flower (mint, dandelion ect.) What are the benefits from these?
Thank you all for taking the time to read and for providing details!
Click to expand...


1. We try and change veggies a little each day, breakfast tends to stay the same Cucumber, Clery and a pepper of one colour (colour chnages each day... for tea they get cucumber then either Lettuce/coriander/parsley/lettuce/cabbage (we alternate) then add in carrot/green beans broccoli etc....

2. We feed twice a day moning and tea

3.Yes, tomatoes can cause sores around mouth if fed too much

4. Once every two weeks if that to be honest, we rarely feed fruit at all. Stick to veg

5. Have a look here Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

6. Stops wet poos

7. don't know sorry!
 
Kivoleve said:
Hello group!
I don't have piggies yet but I have some questions about their diet..
🐷Can you guys please tell me how often you change veggies?

🐷Why you specifically feed certain types of veggies and how often they should have those specific veggies.

🐷I understand that you give each pig about a cup of veggies, but how many times a day?

🐷In the past I've heard to limit high acid veggies/fruit like tomatoes.. is this true?

🐷How often would you give fruit treats?

🐷Other then avocado, onion family or mushrooms...what are some more absolute NO fruit/veggies?

🐷Can someone explain why you want to limit high water veggies?

🐷What are the most beneficial herbs/weed flower (mint, dandelion ect.) What are the benefits from these?
Thank you all for taking the time to read and for providing details!
Click to expand...

Hi!
Please have a look at your diet guide: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

It looks at all food groups (of which hay is BY FAR the most important with over 80% of the daily food intake).
We have created a sample veg diet (with picture) that provides a nutrionally balanced starting point for new owners. Most of our long term owners practice a diet that is based around it. We have generally found that we do no longer have major bladder problems; that we can cut down on most of the avoidable common health problems and that our guinea pigs live generally longer to a good age unless they develop a major health problem that is not preventable.
While we can't say that it is the ultimate perfect diet (as new research and recommendations will continue to come up, be tested and if positive integrated into our recommendations), it is at least not the worst point to start out from something that we know has stood the test of time, I would think. ;)

There is a much wider range of foods that guinea pigs can eat, but that doesn't mean that all foods are equally good. Veg should only make about 10% of the daily food intake, but they should provide some extra vitamin C, some other vitamins in moderation (especially the ones that are not water soluble), minerals and trace elements but at the same time be low calcium to not cause any bladder problems (especially bladder stones and sludge - and that is an area that can to a good degree be controlled by diet) - however, cutting out all calcium is also not good because then you cut out any magnesium (which is NOT provided by pellets)... You see the problem?

A sustainable diet should also be very low in fruit as the acid in fruit and tomato (which is a fruit, too!) can cause potentially deadly lip infection (cheilitis) and low in too many fattening veg. If you can, please treat fruit and carrots/sweetcorn as an occasional treat and do not feed daily or in large amounts as a steady trickle of acid or a huge amount can cause tiny cracks in the lips through which bugs can enter - some of them can unfortunately be nasty. Rather use herbs (fresh or dry), speciality hays or the occasional pinch of ready grass as healthy and sustainable treats, and as they vary the food groups that piggies are engineered to live on, they are indeed very tasty to piggies; more so than lots of fruit in fact!

In essence, your veg diet is very much a compromise; and there is plenty of confusing information around. We have tried to create a practical guide with foods that are easily available in supermarkets around the world.
 
sport_billy said:
1. We try and change veggies a little each day, breakfast tends to stay the same Cucumber, Clery and a pepper of one colour (colour chnages each day... for tea they get cucumber then either Lettuce/coriander/parsley/lettuce/cabbage (we alternate) then add in carrot/green beans broccoli etc....

2. We feed twice a day moning and tea

3.Yes, tomatoes can cause sores around mouth if fed too much

4. Once every two weeks if that to be honest, we rarely feed fruit at all. Stick to veg

5. Have a look here Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

6. Stops wet poos

7. don't know sorry!
Click to expand...
Thank you for all the answers!
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!
Please have a look at your diet guide: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

It looks at all food groups (of which hay is BY FAR the most important with over 80% of the daily food intake).
We have created a sample veg diet for beginners that provides a nutrionally based starting point for new owners. Most of our long term owners practice a diet that is based around it. We have generally found that we do no longer have major bladder problems; that we can cut down on most of the avoidable common health problems and that our guinea pigs live generally longer to a good age unless they develop a major health problem that is not preventable.
While we can't say that it is ultimate perfect diet, it is at least not the worst point to start out from something that we know has stood the test of time. ;)

There is a much wider range of foods that guinea pigs can eat, but that doesn't mean that all foods are equally good. Veg should only make about 10% of the daily food intake, but it should provide some extra vitamin C, some other vitamin in moderation (especially the ones that are not water soluble) minerals and trace elements but be low calcium to not cause any bladder problems (especially bladder stones and sludge - and that is an area that can to a good degree be controlled by diet). A sustainable diet should also be very low in fruit as the acid in fruit and tomato (which is a fruit, too!) can cause potentially deadly lip infection and low in too many fattening food. If you can, please treat fruit as an occasional treat and do not feed daily or in large amounts as s steady trickle of acid or a huge amount can cause tiny cracks in the lips through which bugs can enter - some of them can unfortunately be nasty. Rather use herbs (fresh or dry), speciality hays or the occasional pinch of ready grass as healthy and sustainable treats, and as they vary the food groups that piggies are engineered to live on, they are indeed very tasty to piggies; more so than lots of fruit in fact!
In essence, your veg diet is very much a compromise.
Click to expand...
Thank you SO much! The information I've received here is so wonderful. Thank you for taking the time to explain everything so thoroughly.
 
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