My Piggie Won't Eat Veggies

[auroralilian]

Hello! My name is Aurora and my guinea pig's name is Slipper. He refuses to eat any other vegetable than carrots, and it's rather worrying for me. What changes should I make to his diet, and what veggies do you recommend to add? What vegetables and how much of them should I give in addition to pellets? Thank you!

 

[Siikibam]

Hi and welcome. Carrots (and fruits) are too high in sugar to feed more than occasionally as a treat. I would stop the carrot completely. Try your piggy on lettuce (except iceberg), green beans, cucumber, bell pepper and coriander. They are all veg that can be fed daily and the latter two are good sources of vitamin c.

What veg was he eating before you brought him home? Pellets should be limited to one tablespoon a day. Hay, hay and more hay should make up the biggest part of his diet - at least 80%. Veg you can give 50g or a cupful. I’ll link to the feeding guide (and others) below.

How old is he and how long have you had him?And does he live with a friend? Please bear in mind that they’re highly social animals and need companionship of their own kind. If he’s under four months, then companionship is even more important.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

 

[auroralilian]

Hi and welcome. Carrots (and fruits) are too high in sugar to feed more than occasionally as a treat. I would stop the carrot completely. Try your piggy on lettuce (except iceberg), green beans, cucumber, bell pepper and coriander. They are all veg that can be fed daily and the latter two are good sources of vitamin c.

What veg was he eating before you brought him home? Pellets should be limited to one tablespoon a day. Hay, hay and more hay should make up the biggest part of his diet - at least 80%. Veg you can give 50g or a cupful. I’ll link to the feeding guide (and others) below.

How old is he and how long have you had him?And does he live with a friend? Please bear in mind that they’re highly social animals and need companionship of their own kind. If he’s under four months, then companionship is even more important.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

Thanks for the kind reply and information! I have no idea what diet he was on before getting him. He is at least 9 months old from what I know, and I've had him for 6 months. I've made a lot of efforts to change his diet or improve his life, but the rest of my family wouldn't listen, for the most part.
I'm also glad you asked about a companion! He doesn't have one. I've told my father who bought Slipper that he desperately needs a companion, but he delayed it and now he says he cannot get one because Slipper is too old and wouldn't get along with a new companion. Is this true? And if it's not and I adopt a second piggie, how big should his cage be to assure they have enough space?
I'm looking to your reply. Thank you for your kindness!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks for the kind reply and information! I have no idea what diet he was on before getting him. He is at least 9 months old from what I know, and I've had him for 6 months. I've made a lot of efforts to change his diet or improve his life, but the rest of my family wouldn't listen, for the most part.
I'm also glad you asked about a companion! He doesn't have one. I've told my father who bought Slipper that he desperately needs a companion, but he delayed it and now he says he cannot get one because Slipper is too old and wouldn't get along with a new companion. Is this true? And if it's not and I adopt a second piggie, how big should his cage be to assure they have enough space?
I'm looking to your reply. Thank you for your kindness!

It is not the case that he is too old for a same sex companion. Piggies need companions and can be bonded at any age. However, any bond comes down to character compatibility - the two piggies have to like each other to be able to form a bond and functioning hierarchy. The best way to find a new companion is to take a piggy dating at a rescue centre so the piggy can choose his own new friend. That way you can be sure they are compatible and will get on.
Bringing home another piggy that you have chosen yourself, does risk that they won't be compatible and therefore won't bond
Slipper is a teenager now, so bonding him can be slightly trickier due to the hormones, but he really does need a friend.

As your piggy is a boar, you can only bond him with one other male piggy - you an only successfully keep two boars together. If you were able to neuter him and have the six week wait to become infertile, then he can be bonded with a sow (or as many sows as your cage space allowed).

With that said, its not fair to keep a piggy alone for their whole lives (anything up to 8 years) as they are highly social creatures. If you do bring home another piggy and they dont get on, then they will have to live in separate cages but the cages must be side by side so they can interact through the bars. This is still preferable to being totally alone. Living in side by side cages means they can still talk to each other (they interact via, sound, smell and sight) so neither piggy will be lonely.

For two male Piggies to live together in the same cage, the cage needs to be 180cm x 60cm.

You must carry out a bonding in a particular way - on neutral territory. Please dont just put a new piggy directly into the cage of the existing piggy as it will cause fights before you even start!

I will add guides below which detail boar behaviour, how to bond two piggies as well as other behaviour guides

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care
A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)

 

[auroralilian]

It is not the case that he is too old for a same sex companion. Piggies need companions and can be bonded at any age. However, any bond comes down to character compatibility - the two piggies have to like each other to be able to form a bond and functioning hierarchy. The best way to find a new companion is to take a piggy dating at a rescue centre so the piggy can choose his own new friend. That way you can be sure they are compatible and will get on.
Bringing home another piggy that you have chosen yourself, does risk that they won't be compatible and therefore won't bond
Slipper is a teenager now, so bonding him can be slightly trickier due to the hormones, but he really does need a friend.

As your piggy is a boar, you can only bond him with one other male piggy - you an only successfully keep two boars together. If you were able to neuter him and have the six week wait to become infertile, then he can be bonded with a sow (or as many sows as your cage space allowed).

With that said, its not fair to keep a piggy alone for their whole lives (anything up to 8 years) as they are highly social creatures. If you do bring home another piggy and they dont get on, then they will have to live in separate cages but the cages must be side by side so they can interact through the bars. This is still preferable to being totally alone. Living in side by side cages means they can still talk to each other (they interact via, sound, smell and sight) so neither piggy will be lonely.

For two male Piggies to live together in the same cage, the cage needs to be 180cm x 60cm.

You must carry out a bonding in a particular way - on neutral territory. Please dont just put a new piggy directly into the cage of the existing piggy as it will cause fights before you even start!

I will add guides below which detail boar behaviour, how to bond two piggies as well as other behaviour guides

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care
A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)

Thank you so much! I'm glad it's not too late to adopt a companion for him. I'll try to find ways to get one as soon as possible!

 

[Siikibam]

Please make sure you dibble check the sex of any companion you plan to get for him. You must do this before you bring them home. Could you go back to the same place you got your boy?