Should I feed my Piggies Pellets?

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rxah

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I am planning to get guinea pigs, and I contacted the shelter I would be receiving them from to inquire about what they fed their piggies so as to be consistent with their diets as the piggies I will be getting will be adults. They say that they only feed their pigs Oxbow Timothy Hay.
Nothing else. No pellets, no Vitamin C, no veggies.
Should I stick to this hay only diet?
I planned to feed my piggies hay, pellets, and vita c tabs, but once I found this out I decided that it may be best to only feed them hay (of the same brand) and Vitamin C tabs once a day or every other day with limited veggies.
What do you think?
Should I incorporate pellets into their diet or leave it be?
-This is the Humane Society, BTW , so I think I trust them to be taking good care of the piggies as it is a not-for-profit org.-
 
You can't not feed a guinea pig vit c. It will eventually die from scurvy, they don't produce their own
 
Welcome to our friendly forum!

A guinea pigs diet should be 80-90% hay, 1 tablespoon per piggy per day of pellets and approx a cupful of veggies per day. Here is our diet guide for you Diet Guides
 
Guinea pigs need, in this order of importance:

Hay - lots and lots of it - it’s essential fibre and also contains vit c. Their high hay and grass intake is the reason piggies don’t need to make their own vit c
Veggies - around 50g per day to give them a balance of nutrients including vit c. High calcium veggies should be kept limited
Pellets - just one tablespoon per day. They need to be kept limited within their diet but they fill in the gaps in nutrition where you may not be able to get it exact with veggies.

These things are non negotiable for a healthy diet. They simply must have them. Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

What they do not need is vit c tablets or supplements if they are being provided with a healthy balanced diet . They get all their needs from a healthy balance hay, veg and pellet diet. Giving too much vit c can in itself also cause problems - while excess is excreted in the urine, long term overdosing of vit c causes the body to become used to these high levels, So if the level drops, even if the drop means it remains within ‘normal’ daily intake levels, that in itself can also cause scurvy.

To add - any changes to a diet need to be made slowly so as to not cause tummy upsets. Introduce veg into their diet, one at a time and small bit at a time.
 
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so,
-TONS OF HAY = a must have
-if i have tons of hay i don't need vita c tabs?
-a no-pellet diet is simply non-negotiable?
-how are the piggies even ALIVE at their current facility then? do they just.. eat hay and nothing else and that's fine?
 
Piggies generally don’t need vit c tabs anyway - hay and veggies contain vit c - but they do need to be given more of a balanced diet including veggies.

It is possible to feed a no pellet diet, but you have to know a lot of about nutrient absorption, nutrient content levels of veggies etc and quite honestly its complicated and more reassuring to know they are getting everything they need by giving them a small amount of good quality hay/grass based pellets as part of their balanced diet.
 
My piggies were on Harringtons pellets which are very good. I changed them over slowly to Science Selective Grain Free which has a lower calcium content when my Velvet (RIP) had bladder sludge which led to a bladder stone. Remember when you introduce new food to do it gradually to avoid tummy upsets. Don't be surprised if your piggies don't eat it the new food at first as they probably won't realise what it is if they have never had it before. They will slowly start experimenting with it as time goes on and they start to feel more settled.
 
OKAY! So I have been on a journey to be able to be in the position to get piggies:
-begged parents, who then saw how cute they were and jumped on board
-parents agree to finance piggy supplies
-I saved money to buy two piggies
-NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FLYING PIGGIES TO FEED THEM!
-So I contacted the shelter I'll be getting them from about their diet. The shelter told me that they don't feed their piggies anything but Oxbow Hay. NO PELLETS. NO VITA C. JUST... HAY?
My question: ....adopt guinea pigs from you...I would like to know what brands of pellets,hay and vitamin c you feed your piggies....leaning towards Oxbow pellets and Kaytee 2nd Cut ..Oxbow Vita C.
My answer: We use Oxbow hay, we do not use pellets we just line their cages with newspaper and shredded paper if we have it.
LIKE MADAM ARE THEY GETTING THEIR VITAMIN C AND NUTRIENTS FROM BEDDING? WHA-? WHO?
-is she thinking i'm using pellets for slang for bedding? GIRL.-
AND FOR PIGGIES SAKE, what brand is the most AFFORDABLE, and HEALTHY (pellets) for the pigs?!?!?
-side question: does changing the brand of hay from oxbow to kaytee make a difference or no? I want to do what is best for the piggies, even if it shoves a stiletto through the centre of my wallet.
I am so confused, everyone is telling me different things. (USA)
 
It maybe sounds maybe you’re talking at cross purposes regarding ‘pellets’ as you can buy wood pellets which can be used as bedding.

But it also does sound like they don’t feed pellets/nuggets currently though.
The diet guide has been linked and feeding questions answered on your other thread but to reiterate - they don’t need to take supplementary vitamin c in tablet or other form. They get their vit c needs from hay (which contains vit c) and a selection of veggies. They need lots of hay (it is the main part of their diet), with a portion of veggies and a small limited amount of pellets/nuggets.

You are looking for a hay/grass based pellet. Oxbow make their own pellets and I believe they are good. Nugget Comparison Chart

Changing brand of hay makes no difference.

In terms of bedding, what you bed them on is your choice dependent on your budget, maintenance limits and where they are to be housed. There are many options, from paper bedding, fleece and hay. Each have their pros and cons and it comes down to personal preference.

My boys live in my shed and I line their hutch with newspaper and then fill the hutch with meadow hay, which they eat, sleep and play in. They then have Timothy hay in their hay rack which they eat. I don’t let them play in Timothy as it is too sharp and runs the risk of causing hay poke eye injuries.

Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview
 
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Mine get daily veggies three times a day. They get minimal pellets, which they love and endless Oxbow hay.
Their daily veggies intake would equal to about a cup and a half and romaine lettuce is always on their menu along with celery, cucumber, and cilantro. Their treats include baby carrots, parsley, fruits, dandelions, and other herbs and fruits.

I never allow Oxbow hay to run out. Their teeth grow continuously so they have to chew on something all the time and hay keeps their teeth healthy in my opinion.
 
Some people do go pellet free, but pellets do contain added vitamins and minerals so a few pellets can help with a balanced diet. All piggies need some veggies, especially high vit C veggies like bell peppers, and herbs like cilantro/coriander are also good. The amount of veggies people feed varies quite a lot, some experienced owners like @furryfriends (TEAS) who runs a guinea pig rescue and certainly knows her guinea pig health and nutrition info feed a lot- others feed less- but piggies do definitely need veggies.
We feed unlimited hay, about 30g of veggies per day, and 5g of pellets most days. We feed extra veg twice a week on cage clean/playpen days and skip the pellets. We are a bit more careful with veg because one of my piggies has a history of bloat so we need to watch her green veg intake, but she still has a good variety and amount of veg to meet her vit C requirements.
Unlimited hay is good but in the long term piggies need a more balanced diet than just hay, especially daily vitamin C rich veggies.
The diet guide that @Piggies&buns has linked in is a good starting point but do please introduce veg gradually if the are not used to it- start with a bit of cilantro/coriander or a slice of bell pepper each day and go from there :)
 
When (if) you take them home, you will have to introduce veg gradually. Don’t be alarmed when they don’t eat it. It’s a case of persistence - they can act a little like toddlers sometimes 🙄 you don’t need the vitamin c tablets, as already mentioned. Hay (and grass) is a good one for it, and so is coriander (cilantro) and bell peppers.
 
Its also worth noting that dietary deficiency diseases develop gradually over time, its quite possible that with a diet of hay only a piggy may appear perfectly healthy for the few weeks which they spend at a rescue, but a few months down the line with no veg they may show signs of deficiency diseases without a varied diet!
 
Introduce new foods very slowly and gradually. If they can have access to grass, it is one of the best things to feed. Pellets should be fed more as a treat than part of their main diet. Scattering a few pellets in the hay, to encouraging foraging, is a great way to feed them!
 
Please only start the one thread. I believe you were answered on the other one? I’ve asked for them to be merged.

Please also make sure that your parents are willing to pay the vet fees. They can be expensive, particularly in the US. So I’d ask them to start a vet fund now. But if they think they won’t be able to cover any fees, then the best thing to do is to not get guinea pigs. Hard as that would be, access to good healthcare is one of their rights. If it can’t be catered for then you shouldn’t have them.

please also make sure you have enough space. Girls need minimum 120x60cm cage and boys need minimum 150x60cm cage.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Introduce new foods very slowly and gradually. If they can have access to grass, it is one of the best things to feed. Pellets should be fed more as a treat than part of their main diet. Scattering a few pellets in the hay, to encouraging foraging, is a great way to feed them!
Click to expand...
Could you share your link on feeding all those lovely veggies to the TEAS piggies @furryfriends (TEAS) ? I cant copy links on my phone and my main concern was that the OP has been advised not to feed veggies as well as not feeding pellets, that must make for quite a boring piggy life with no fresh veggies to enjoy :( but obviously they will need introducing gradually!
 
PigglePuggle said:
Could you share your link on feeding all those lovely veggies to the TEAS piggies @furryfriends (TEAS) ? I cant copy links on my phone and my main concern was that the OP has been advised not to feed veggies as well as not feeding pellets, that must make for quite a boring piggy life with no fresh veggies to enjoy :( but obviously they will need introducing gradually!
Click to expand...
Yes of course! Here it is! Feeding the guinea pigs at TEAS
 
Thanks @furryfriends (TEAS) !
Whatever ratios or amounts we choose to feed I think we all agree that veggies are such an important source of sheer joy and enrichment to piggies, and their hooman piggy keepers- you just can't replicate the emotional and behavioural value of rummaging in the hay to find the biggest spinach leaf then triumphantly running off to enjoy eating it, with a vitamin C tablet!
 
PigglePuggle said:
Thanks @furryfriends (TEAS) !
Whatever ratios or amounts we choose to feed I think we all agree that veggies are such an important source of sheer joy and enrichment to piggies, and their hooman piggy keepers- you just can't replicate the emotional and behavioural value of rummaging in the hay to find the biggest spinach leaf then triumphantly running off to enjoy eating it, with a vitamin C tablet!
Click to expand...
This is why I am not a fan of hay racks. I love to pile loads of hay into the cage, so they can get into it and forage, looking for their veggies, plus a few nuggets! I find they all start to popcorn the minute I start to throw lots of hay in!
 
That’s why even though mine are on fleece there’s such a mess all time, love piggy hay piles!
I tend to put a big nice pile of hay in the cage with a sprinkle of pellets for them to forage in the morning (but have put a few in a bowl for the new arrival recently who can be a bit jumpy), an hour or so later it’s veg time. Hay all day, then oats sprinkled on hay in the evening. (Other than Jess the OAP that gets grated sweet potato and oats a few times a week on the sofa with me) Followed by a veg supper. Found it’s worked great with my piggles. And keeps them busy!
 
The run piggies (every other day they are put in the run) have scattered pellets which they enjoy finding and scoffing and two huge haypiles and a bowl of forage and the hutch piggies (when they are not in the run they are in the hutch) have pellets in a bowl and a bowl of forage and are bedded on hay so always have it to eat, run around in and hide in. In the evening when every pig is safe in the hutch, after they have chosen which veg they want first from the veg bowl, the veg gets scatter fed in the hutch. They have a very happy and spoilt life and love it. They are nearly 4 now so popcorns and zoomies are quite rare to witness but it does happen occasionally still and is lovely to see.
 
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