Vegetable Alternative

[ashleemelda]

I recently decided to start following the sample diet guide by Wiebke, which primarily meant adding a full green bean and small piece of celery to their daily diet. Initially, they both took these vegetables very well, but within the past couple of days, Rose seems to no longer enjoy green bean. I initially thought this was maybe caused by the fact that I had restocked using a different brand from a different store, but that theory was quickly proven false yesterday when I got a package of the original brand I used when first introducing the green bean and she still turned her nose up at it.

I plan to keep trying, as it took my Moira over a week to get used to cilantro initially, but if all else fails, is there any other vegetable(s) I can feed daily that can provide the same nutrients as green beans, or does her not getting it but getting everything else (sweet pepper; cucumber; green leaf lettuce; cilantro; and celery) really matter in the long-term?

 

[Lady Kelly]

I find that after a few days of mine having the same they turn their noses up at it. Just switch it around with some other safe veggies for a few days and they will enjoy the green beans again shortly

 

[Piggies&buns]

It doesn’t matter at all. Although I follow the basis of the sample plate, I rarely give them everything on it every single day. They’d get fed up if I did! Mine don’t very often get green beans as I don’t tend to have fresh ones in my fridge all that often (I tend to buy frozen for us so I obviously can’t feed those).
Hay needs to be their main food intake, so don’t worry too much about following the sample plate exactly. Variety is good and will stop them from getting fed up

 

[PigglePuggle]

My piggies dont get green beans as we dont eat them ourselves, sometimes they get a mangetout pea pod or stringless bean pod instead but they often arent fussed about them! They had celery for a few weeks last summer but quickly got bored of it and to be honest celery has no nutritional benefits its mainly water. If your piggies will regularly eat peppers and cucumber and a variety of leafy greens thats all they really need in their diet, but my lot also really enjoy beansprouts once a week which are a good source of vitamin C, occasionally babycorn as a treat food, and other herbs like dill and parsley as a change from cilantro but these are higher calcium so a once or twice a week food instead of kale or spinach x

 

[Lady Kelly]

It's worth noting that the sample diet is far from perfect. It has too much vitamin A I think and maybe something else I can't remember. It's a guide to get you on the right track but shouldn't be completely prescriptive

 

[PigglePuggle]

It's worth noting that the sample diet is far from perfect. It has too much vitamin A I think and maybe something else I can't remember. It's a guide to get you on the right track but shouldn't be completely prescriptive

Maybe sometime we could all do our own "sample plate" photos to show a variety of options so new members dont think they have to include everything on the plate? I dont think my piggies have ever eaten a green bean lol

 

[Lady Kelly]

Maybe sometime we could all do our own "sample plate" photos to show a variety of options so new members dont think they have to include everything on the plate? I dont think my piggies have ever eaten a green bean lol

I don't think that's a bad idea. I think the one in the guide is a "best at time of writing" style diet. Mine love green beans and I tend to buy them in just for the piggies because I don't like them myself

 

[Siikibam]

I’m the same as @Lady Kelly with green beans. I buy them solely for the piggies. Sometimes when I run out of something then they won’t eat it for a while. It’s usually celery, lettuce or green beans. I try and make sure there is at least pepper and cucumber.

 

[Merab's Slave]

Mine do get green beans when I buy them for myself.
The only things they would happily eat every day are lettuce and cucumber.
Other stuff they get a few times a week.
I have also found that this week’s favourite food is next week’s poison!

 

[PigglePuggle]

Dill and parsley I buy just for the piggies, one or the other every 2 weeks. And every saturday they get a bag of bistro salad leaf mix with the grated beetroot bits just for them, but with 8 piggies it doesnt last long, one 120g bag is just a nice saturday playpen scatterfeed breakfast for them all!

 

[PigglePuggle]

In fact thinking about it I dont think I feed the recommended 50g of veg per day, more like 30g of veg, 5g of pellets, and 100g of hay each per day... I used to feed more veg but since Puggle had her awful bloaty 3 months just over a year ago I'm always very careful with veg and feed a small portion of high quality twice a day then maximise the hay! Not advising anyone to follow that of course because I'm not an expert nutritionist and I dont weigh out the food, its just what we seem to have settled on at our house if I actually think about the amounts we go through in a week or month that works well for little Puggle's tummy...

 

[Canary]

It's worth noting that the sample diet is far from perfect. It has too much vitamin A I think and maybe something else I can't remember. It's a guide to get you on the right track but shouldn't be completely prescriptive

Lady Kelly, can you talk about 'too much vitamin A' ? In the U.S., the National Institute of Health says that humans can't overdose on vitamin A from vegetables and fruits. In human nutrition, we don't actually get vitamin A from vegetables--we get beta carotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. Are Guinea Pigs different in that regard?

thanks!

 

[Lady Kelly]

Lady Kelly, can you talk about 'too much vitamin A' ? In the U.S., the National Institute of Health says that humans can't overdose on vitamin A from vegetables and fruits. In human nutrition, we don't actually get vitamin A from vegetables--we get beta carotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. Are Guinea Pigs different in that regard?

thanks!

No I can't talk about it as I'm only repeating what I have read on here previously and have no knowledge on the medical ins and outs of piggies. Sorry. I will see if I can find one of the threads where it was mentioned

 

[Lady Kelly]

Lady Kelly, can you talk about 'too much vitamin A' ? In the U.S., the National Institute of Health says that humans can't overdose on vitamin A from vegetables and fruits. In human nutrition, we don't actually get vitamin A from vegetables--we get beta carotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. Are Guinea Pigs different in that regard?

thanks!

I wouldn't ever try to compare human anatomy to guinea pigs. I'm not an expert but Wiebke, who is definitely more knowledgeable and experienced than me, has posted on this a couple of times. I have quoted parts of her replies to other threads and the link to the post in question so it can been seen in context.

Please read our diet guide with its picture of a balanced sample diet; that is not exactly a balanced diet with or without lettuce - for once, it is too low in vitamin C and too fattening, too high in calcium and vitamin A, which accumulates in the liver.
Pitch Black, smelly poops!
post from 2019

Veg:
Carrots are very high in vitamin A, which is not soluble in water and can therefore not be excreted. Too much over a long time can contribute towards a developing liver failure. Generally, the trick is a wider range of veg in moderation.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/oh-dear-I'm-really-confused-now.115461/#post-1564382
post from 2014