White Deposits In Wee

[GPcrazy]

My guinea pigs are 5 weeks old. I got them 4 days ago from a pet shop. In the cage in the pet shop was one of those multicolor guinea pig food mixes. And straw. The owner did mention he sometimes have fresh grass.

Since ive had them (4 days) I've been giving them unlimited hay (oat hay and Teff grass hay) and I've tried to add some fresh veggies and grass daily. They love lettuce and fresh grass (especially wheat grass) and clover, and carrots, but don't seem to keen in anything else ive offered (peppers - tried all colors, green beans, cucumber, dandelions), some of the stuff they have a brief bubble but generally won't eat it. They did eat a tiny bit of spinach and kale and orange and apple (teeny tiny portions of orange and apple).
I've also been giving Burgess Excel nuggets with mint for the past 3 days. They only eat about 1/8 cup between the two of them in 24 hours (they tend to eat roughly one nugget per hour).

But I've noticed a lot of white in their wee. I know it can be a sign of toouch calcium but young piggies are meant to have extra calcium for bone development, and I don't think givig them particularly high calcium food.

Could it be left over from the petshop food? Or is this normal?

 

[Wiebke]

Keep persisting with the veg. Guinea pigs learn what is safe to eat from what their elders are eating. Without that guidance, it is more difficult for them to figure out veg. I would not give too much clover.
The white in the pee is the way the body is excreting excess calcium; it is nothing to worry about. As long as your boys are eating mostly hay (up to 80% of the daily food intake) and are eating greens (ca. 10-15%), then I would not worry too much. Pellets only make about 5-10% of the diet.
Try fresh herb or spring greens. But otherwise keep on serving foods they didn't like first time round.
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

 

[gizzy]

Wouldent do any harm to start them on extra watery veg to help keep there bladders flushed "cucumber" is ideal .

I give all mine 1 to 2 inches of cucumber a day , especially the hi risk pigs

 

[GPcrazy]

So far they won't touch cucumber but I'll keep trying. I'm glad to hear they can have it daily.
I am glad they do at least taste the veg they won't eat so will keep offering it. Good to know it's nothing to worry about.

 

[GPcrazy]

Well this morning they actually are the cucumber!
Last time I gave it in 2 full circles and they didn't touch it.
This morning I cut the 2 circles into quarters and sprinkles them on top of fresh grass and they ate at least 4 quarters (so one slice)! So happy!
Will keep giving some each day

 

[Roclibrarian]

For the first 3 weeks I had my piggies, they would only eat carrots, cucumber and kale. I kept giving them small amounts of new veg, cut up really small, which they sniffed, but wouldn't touch. Now 5 weeks in, they pounce on new veg without hesitation!