Vitamins in guinea pig pellets.

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PIGGIES FOREVER

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I've been doing some research about vitamins B and how they are water soluble just like vitamin c., Theres only one B vitamin that gets stored in the liver and that's B12, this can be stored for 3-4 years. So I was thinking how on earth do our guinea pigs get the B vitamins, they are not mentioned on guinea pig pellet bags and if we didn't give many green leafy gassy veggies, then how on earth do guinea pigs get these b vitamins?
 
Feeding a balanced diet with a variety of veg, giving grass where possible etc and piggies will be getting their nutrient needs
 
Most pellets contain yeast which is rich in B vitamins, I personally supplement elderly or sick animals diets with debittered brewers yeast once a week or so as I don't feed very many pellets, if at all. Although they eat plenty of cruciferous veggies without issue so get a good supply that way too :)
 
Eriathwen said:
Most pellets contain yeast which is rich in B vitamins, I personally supplement elderly or sick animals diets with debittered brewers yeast once a week or so as I don't feed very many pellets, if at all. Although they eat plenty of cruciferous veggies without issue so get a good supply that way too :)
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Yeasts, where is it listed? I can't see it on the back of my pellets. Does come under a different name?
 
Eriathwen said:
Most pellets contain yeast which is rich in B vitamins, I personally supplement elderly or sick animals diets with debittered brewers yeast once a week or so as I don't feed very many pellets, if at all. Although they eat plenty of cruciferous veggies without issue so get a good supply that way too :)
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What B vitamins are there in yeasts?
 
PIGGIES FOREVER said:
O.k thank you. Do you know what veggies contains B vitamins,? I have been trying to find out, but haven't got clear answers.
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A quick online search will bring up a big list of veggies which contain b vitamins (it certainly has for me). They are mainly leafy green veggies.
 
Piggies&buns said:
A quick online search will bring up a big list of veggies which contain b vitamins (it certainly has for me). They are mainly leafy green veggies.
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O.k great thank you. The one's I found I'm not completely sure about. That's why I ask. Would it be possible to list them or something.
 
Most cruciferous veg has them, broccoli, collard greens, mustard greens, asparagus (although I'm yet to meet a piggy who agrees asparagus is edible 🤣) those sorts of things. Lettuces like romaine has a very tiny amount in, I believe dandelion leaves contain some but I may be thinking of something else.
 
Mustard greens
broccoli
Brussel sprouts
romaine lettuce
collard greens
asparagus

there will be others but if you do an online search you will find lists quite easily
 
Eriathwen said:
Most cruciferous veg has them, broccoli, collard greens, mustard greens, asparagus (although I'm yet to meet a piggy who agrees asparagus is edible 🤣) those sorts of things. Lettuces like romaine has a very tiny amount in, I believe dandelion leaves contain some but I may be thinking of something else.
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Great thank you very much. I found on my bag of pellets that it mentions a premix of vitamins and minerals, I'm guessing that B vitamins would also be in this/that to?
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
Also b vitamins are produced in the ceacum and contained in the resulting ceacotrophs, which are then eaten by the guinea pig and absorbed by the small intestine.
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Interesting 👍 how does that work then. Do they have to be eating B vitamins then to produce more?
 
The b vitamins are produced by the fermentation process in the ceacum, which is located below the small intestine. The vitamins can not be absorbed by the lower intestine so have to be eaten and aborbed by the small intestine. B12 is not contained in plants so this is how they have evolved to obtain it.
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
The b vitamins are produced by the fermentation process in the ceacum, which is located below the small intestine. The vitamins can not be absorbed by the lower intestine so have to be eaten and aborbed by the small intestine. B12 is not contained in plants so this is how they have evolved to obtain it.
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This is very interesting. So all other vitamin bs can be got from the food intake? But not vit B12? That's produced by the guinea pig In the ceacum? Is that right? I wasn't sure if spinach contained B12?
 
No, its not in spinach, B12 only occurs in animal products and yeast, which is why vegans have to eat yeast flakes, marmite (made from yeast) or take supplements. Other b vitamins are also produced in the ceacum but b12 is the most important as it does not occur anywhere else in a Peggy's natural diet.
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
No, its not in spinach, B12 only occurs in animal products and yeast, which is why vegans have to eat yeast flakes, marmite (made from yeast) or take supplements. Other b vitamins are also produced in the ceacum but b12 is the most important as it does not occur anywhere else in a Peggy's natural diet.
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Oh, right. I wasn't completely sure about even yeast, when you research it you get conflicts on the internet, about what veggies contains what B vitamins and yeast as well. I wasn't aware that guinea pigs can produced all b vitamins. I didn't know that's the only way they can get b12. So interesting. So probably not wise to supplement these b vitamins? But what about if they don't eat and re-ingest the b12 and other b vitamins contained in those poos. Like if they are sick? Then what.? On the back of my pellets it says something about a premix of vitamins and minerals, that I'm guessing also contains vitamins B and the b12?
 
PIGGIES FOREVER said:
Oh, right. I wasn't completely sure about even yeast, when you research it you get conflicts on the internet, about what veggies contains what B vitamins and yeast as well. I wasn't aware that guinea pigs can produced all b vitamins. I didn't know that's the only way they can get b12. So interesting. So probably not wise to supplement these b vitamins? But what about if they don't eat and re-ingest the b12 and other b vitamins contained in those poos. Like if they are sick? Then what.? On the back of my pellets it says something about a premix of vitamins and minerals, that I'm guessing also contains vitamins B and the b12?
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How do you know all this information? It's very interesting.
 
PIGGIES FOREVER said:
I wasn't aware that guinea pigs can produced all b vitamins. I didn't know that's the only way they can get b12. So interesting. So probably not wise to supplement these b vitamins? But what about if they don't eat and re-ingest the b12 and other b vitamins contained in those poos. Like if they are sick? Then what.?
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If you really want to get technical, the nutrients made available during the fermentation in the cecum are produced by the guinea pig's gut fauna and flora rather than being produced by the guinea pig itself.
If the piggy stops eating, B vitamins are a minor concern ... gut stasis would be the major concern, and the piggy would need a vet visit to address the issue. Likewise, if a piggy stops cecotrophagy, there's an issue that needs to be identified and addressed.
If a guinea pig's gut microbiome is disturbed from illness or treatment (such as antibiotics for an infection), then probiotics can help rebalance, or if one has another guinea pig that is healthy and not undergoing treatment, one can make "poop soup" for the ailing piggy to provide them with replacement good bacteria.

In sum, if the piggy is ill, it needs to see a veterinarian. Vitamins B would be a lesser matter than getting the piggy healthy. The vet can also advise if the vitamins are of special concern during or in follow-up to said treatment. A veterinarian would be the one to determine whether any supplements, oral or by injection, are necessary or would be helpful; they would likely need to run tests to determine this.
 
Princess Dustmop said:
If you really want to get technical, the nutrients made available during the fermentation in the cecum are produced by the guinea pig's gut fauna and flora rather than being produced by the guinea pig itself.
If the piggy stops eating, B vitamins are a minor concern ... gut stasis would be the major concern, and the piggy would need a vet visit to address the issue. Likewise, if a piggy stops cecotrophagy, there's an issue that needs to be identified and addressed.
If a guinea pig's gut microbiome is disturbed from illness or treatment (such as antibiotics for an infection), then probiotics can help rebalance, or if one has another guinea pig that is healthy and not undergoing treatment, one can make "poop soup" for the ailing piggy to provide them with replacement good bacteria.

In sum, if the piggy is ill, it needs to see a veterinarian. Vitamins B would be a lesser matter than getting the piggy healthy. The vet can also advise if the vitamins are of special concern during or in follow-up to said treatment. A veterinarian would be the one to determine whether any supplements, oral or by injection, are necessary or would be helpful; they would likely need to run tests to determine this.
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Oh, yes I do realize that if a guinea pig is sick that they need to see a vet, I haven't got any sick guinea pigs, I'm just interested in how B vitamins get produced. So do guinea pigs store any B vitamins In the liver? Or is it just us that store vitamin B12 in the liver?
 
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