Piggies without dry food!

[nickyt88]

I've been away on holiday and left guineas with family to look after. Although i believe they've been given plenty of fresh water, hay and veg, their dry food bowl was nearly empty with left over grain at the bottom! I always replace their Gertie Guinea pig dry food for them everyday and am now worried they haven't been given any all week

They do have a Chube in their cage which they have destroyed (vegetable parchment) so I wonder of they've scoffed this to make up for lack of dry food.

Is their health going to have been affected?

I've spoilt them this evening with a huge bowl..

Pretty annoyed they didn't follow my instructions properly! Poor guineas

 

[piggyfan]

Although this is not nice that your instructions were not followed, please do not worry. Some people do not even believe in feeding guinea pigs dry food. The most important thing is hay and this should be unlimited and available at all times. I hope they were fed enough hay.

Also I think the hay you are feeding is a museli. A pellet food is better as the muselli have a lot of additives and encourage selective feeding.

I bet you are so glad to be back with your piggies.

 

[Alfientoby]

First it's probably bet to ask the people looking after your piggies straight out, "did you feed my guinea pigs this week?"
If you say it politely then I'm sure they'll tell you. Then if not DON'T suddenly feed them a massive bowl. Introduce them slowly back ontonthe food. They could have lost a lot of vitamin C over the course of the week I would ge some vitamin drops for in their water and a sl lick in their hutch. This will allow them to regain al, their nessersary vitamins.

If they seem drowsy or lazier than usual then tak them to the vets straight away as their body is going to sleep as they are running out of energy and strength. If they have only not been fed for a week this is very unlikely to happen but just keep a eye out.
Update me on how they are
Leah
X

 

[piggyfan]

First it's probably bet to ask the people looking after your piggies straight out, "did you feed my guinea pigs this week?"
If you say it politely then I'm sure they'll tell you. Then if not DON'T suddenly feed them a massive bowl. Introduce them slowly back ontonthe food. They could have lost a lot of vitamin C over the course of the week I would ge some vitamin drops for in their water and a sl lick in their hutch. This will allow them to regain al, their nessersary vitamins.

If they seem drowsy or lazier than usual then tak them to the vets straight away as their body is going to sleep as they are running out of energy and strength. If they have only not been fed for a week this is very unlikely to happen but just keep a eye out.
Update me on how they are
Leah
X

Sorry but salt licks are very unhealthy for piggies and should never be used. Also adding vitamin drops to water is not advised as the vitamin is lost through evaporation and the water often has a different taste so the piggy will not drink it.

I doubt they will have lost vitamin C in just one week as they have also been having vegetables.

 

[Alfientoby]

When I got my pigs they had been in a condition where the owners weren't feeding the pregnant mother dry food and when we got them the VET said that's what we should do!
Leah
Xx

 

[Sodapops]

When I got my pigs they had been in a condition where the owners weren't feeding the pregnant mother dry food and when we got them the VET said that's what we should do!
Leah
Xx

In an ideal world it would be great if every vet gave out the correct info - sometimes they get it wrong, not intentionally, but they do get it wrong :{

As piggyfan said - when you add vitamin drops to the water it can give the water an odd taste - therefore some pigs will go without drinking as opposed to drinking something that smells/tastes awful to them. In addition to this is the fact that you cannot monitor the vitamin intake.

The best way to introduce extra vit c is through fresh veg or additionally via vit c tablets crushed and sprinkled over their veg/pelleted food - i have mixed mine with water and syringed it in the past when ive had a poorly guinea pig.

On the issue of salt licks - i fail to see any nutritional value to them?

 

[nickyt88]

I stocked the fridge with veggies and they've gone so they've been fed veg daily and hay and fresh water but the food bowl looked empty.

They seem happy enough running about their cage and were very excited when I topped everything back up, I was just obviously a bit worried!

My hay rack is really bad though and the hay tends to fall through when they pull it through the gaps - I usually scoop this up and bin it when I poo-pick but this wasn't done either so there was a weeks worth of hay on the floor of the cage mixed with poo pellets and soggy patches, very annoyed about that as I said they needed picking out every day (provided gloves too!)

I don't wanna leave my babies again!

 

[Sodapops]

I stocked the fridge with veggies and they've gone so they've been fed veg daily and hay and fresh water but the food bowl looked empty.

They seem happy enough running about their cage and were very excited when I topped everything back up, I was just obviously a bit worried!

My hay rack is really bad though and the hay tends to fall through when they pull it through the gaps - I usually scoop this up and bin it when I poo-pick but this wasn't done either so there was a weeks worth of hay on the floor of the cage mixed with poo pellets and soggy patches, very annoyed about that as I said they needed picking out every day (provided gloves too!)

I don't wanna leave my babies again!

Some people dont feed dry food to their pigs, just hay and fresh veg/fruit - so your pigs wont have missed out on too much.

In terms of other people and the care offered to your pigs, some people have a different idea of care to others. I'd be feeling the same as you, i doubt any of my family could offer the level of care my lot have become accustomed to, so i wouldn't even entertain the idea of asking them to do so, they just wouldn't have a clue!