Seeds?

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WhiteSergioGuinea

Hello! When I got my little Sergio from a petshop I was also given a packet of different kinds of seeds (same as the ones I used to feed my late hamster) which I was told to feed him with..He really loves them and everything looks fine so far,but is it good for his health? Of course he also consumes great amounts of hay and is given extra vitamin C as well. He is about 2 months old -as I've just found out-if this affects his diet in any way. What do you think?
 
I'm not nearly as much of an expert as many of the people on here, but I did do a fair bit of research before getting a guinea pig. The problem with seeds, as I understand it, is that they pose a choking hazard to guinea pigs. Best thing to feed them with is hay (alfalfa for young, pregnant or nursing piggies, timothy for grown-up piggies), pellets specifically designed for guinea pigs and fresh foods, as outlined in the Shopping List sticky at the top of this section). I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that feeding a seed mix probably isn't a good idea.

There's also the fact that Sergio might end up picking out the parts he likes and leaving the rest, which wouldn't be a very well balanced diet.
 
Hello. Yes piggies don't eat the same things as hamsters, i.e. their main dry mix. They shouldn't have seeds as far as I'm aware as Rachel says :-)

Can't go wrong by checking out the shopping list here yep :))
 
I posted in your other thread! I will copy that post over...

A dry feed mix isn't really great for piggies. The seeds can be fattening, and mixes allow selective feeding to occur. A plain pellet - Burgess Supa Guinea Excel or Science Selective Guinea Pig, for example - is generally considered superior. The Science Selective especially would be good for Sergio; piggies under 6-8 months old can be free fed alfalfa hay and alfalfa based dry feed. Science Selective is alfalfa based.
 
Thank you all people :) I thought it was ok to give him the seeds since the petshop guy gave them to me and told me that they should be part of Sergio's main diet..I guess he didn't know. Anyway,I'll go get some pellets first thing tomorrow morning ;)
 
Pet shop guys aren't usually trained in animal care. Generally the attitude is: if the food is manufactured, it's got to be fine. Mixes are a little like our sweets and crisps -it's manufactured, loads of people buy and eat it, but it doesn't mean it's good for us!
 
I'm not sure where you live but if you read through the Stickys on here you'll find some reccomended guinea pig food brands. Whatever you do, feed a good that is specifically designed for a guinea pig and not hamsters, rabbits, etc. Seeds wouldn't be eaten by guinea pigs in the wild and they do pose a choking hazard, so I'd avoid them.
 
I live in Greece and unfortunately guinea pigs are not very popular here. Some of my friends didn't even know what they are when I told them I had got one :( As you may understand my choices are very ristricted. However, I've been told about a petshop, in the centre of the city where I live, which offers a great variety in anything that has to do with small animals so I guess I'll check that out. Thank you all for your advice :)
 
The pet shop that sold your guinea pig to you should also sell a food that is made for the animal, otherwise what was the pet shop feeding the pig on when he lived there?
 
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