We’ve been having a look online and there is so much contradictory advice.. we’ve seen not to give spinach because of flatulence/bloating, kale because of of its calcium content, lettuce because of its water content, peppers because of the sugar in then etc.. so what CAN guinea pigs actually eat safely, everyday?
Have a look at our diet guide, which looks at all food groups and also includes a sample veg diet. Most of our long term members practice a version of it. We have found that our guinea pigs live noticeably longer and that we haven't got much of a bladder stone problem anymore since we have individually switched to similar versions. I would think that it is not the worst place to start out with and develop your own version based on it.
Base it around unlimited hay (should make over 80% of the daily food intake), a mix of veg that you can feed daily with your personal preferences added (should make around10%) and a tablespoon of pellets per piggy once daily (5%).
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Every diet is a compromise - a lot of it depends on the quantities and the mix your are feeding; try to cover as wide a range of nutrients.
If you are in a soft water area and feed very little low calcium pellets, you can for instance feed spinach or kale a bit more often than if you live in a hard water area and only have limited access to good quality pellets...
You can feed pepper and lettuce daily if you wish to, as long as it is part of a balanced mix and your guinea pigs is getting very little fruit/tomato or root veg like carrot (which is very sugary and calorific) or if you feed more nutritious foods together with watery and low nutritional value lettuce.
Diet is a minefield with lots of contradictory information and new trends/warnings emerging all the time.
Our diet guide, which has been specifically written to help new owners to get started well, is part of our guide collection for new owners that addresses all the issues that we get the most questions and calls for help about. You will hopefully find it very helpful and interesting.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
You can find lots more information on a wide range of topics via our guides shortcut on the top bar, but you are always welcome to ask any questions you may have in our Care sections. We will do our best to answer them in a friendly way.
