Timothy hay for guinea pig?

Question

Hi. I live in India and have recently kept a guinea pig. I am concerned about his diet. He loves to eat capsicum, apple(leaves the skin) cabbage, cauliflower, coriander, wheat grass. Now my questions are

1. what is timothy hay called in india? I read that it forms staple diet for guinea pigs.

2. how many times should i feed him? or should there be food in the cage at all times?
3. I was told that oranges are liked by them and supply all the needed vit C. but mine doesnt like oranges??
4. Pellets arent available here. so what should be the meal plan followed by me?

He absolutely loves wheat grass. and i have planted it in a few pots but they cant be enough for him....what do i do?? the shop owner very conveniently told me that cabbage is enough but i obviously have my doubts....

Answer 1

1. Oh, ya got me on what its called in India, sorry I can't help you with that.

A typical diet for Guinea Pigs usually contains Alfalfa (Its the same plant that Timothy Hay originates from but, Alfalfa is the stem of the plant and contains more protein where T. Hay are the leaves and contains less protein) corn and oats. Also most Guinea Pig diet producers add Vitamin C into their foods but, Vit. C is depleted when light touches it, so a diet in a clear package makes it pretty useless.


2. Food should be left as an "Open Feeding" (as well as their water). Every morning a *fresh*, full bowl of food should be given to your Guinea Pig.

2a. Timothy Hay can be given daily, but it would be in your pet's best interest to control the amount given; just a little is enough. Too much of a "good thing" can cause problems; T. Hay may have less protein then Alfalfa but giving too much can cause diahrrea.


3. Vitamin C is the most important substance for a Guinea Pig other then just food. They do not produce their own Vit. C and without a supplement, they can succumb to the disease, Scurvy. So, oranges make a fantastic snack for Guinea Pigs. You can feed him/her about half an orange, sliced, with the rine still on, daily. However, if you can get it in a grocery store in India, I would highly recommend using Tang, on a daily basis. Yes, I do mean that Orange drink that the Astronauts drank, lol. Tang offers the most direct Vitamin C and can be easily added into their water. (Using a water bottle is easier and less messy, by the way)

****Edited****
I appreciate the information about the sugar content that Piggie Dude offered (albeit in a quite condescending tone which was unnecessary). While I was the Livestock Manager at Petsmart, we were told by the staff vet that we could use the Tang. So, I do apologize for offering this information without considering the sugar; from nearly 9+ years of professional experience, I hadn't come across that issue while utilizing Tang.



4. Wheat Grass is a great food. You can utilize that with some fresh or frozen corn (I like using frozen corn on our animals because its like a nice popscicle snack), the Timothy Hay and Oranges.

Guinea Pigs can be fed a plethora of other fruits and vegetables too. Dark greens, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, apples..etc.. are wonderful treats/food and provide sufficient nutritional values. Besides that, hard foods offer an outlet for their need to chew. Because their front teeth grow continously through their lifespans, they need to have things hard to chew on. You may also want to consider some small woodblocks for yours to chew on, too.


Looks like you're giving him a pretty well balanced diet to begin with though; kudos!

Answer 2

I don't know what timothy hay is called in India, but there should be a constant supply of it for your pig to stay healthy. If your pig is over 6 months old do not give it alfalfa hay. It is high in calcium and can cause stones. I am not sure about a substitute for pellets. Maybe you could order on-line? Oranges are too high in sugar for a guinea pig to be eating daily so it's OK that he doesn't like it. Try bell peppers. Mine are crazy for them and it's a good source of vitamin C. Cabbage is also not good for guinea pigs because it can cause bloat which can eventually kill a guinea pig. I would stick to any lettuce except iceberg because there is no nutritional value in it.

Answer 3

There's some real goofballs on here today...Here are some of the best webs. There will be some contacts that can help you with the feeding.DON'T FEED CARROTS, they can cause fatty liver disease and kidney problems, cabbage is not good for them, cauliflower is a good source of vitamin C but gives them excessive gas. A small amount of orange is OK, but you have to watch for sores on their mouth. DON'T FEED TANG, they don't handle sugar well.

check out the webs and do your home work for the little guy. My piggies are all over 6 years old.

Answer 4

Hi. I have 2 guinea pigs(sqeekers & oreo) and they love timothy hay, and i feed them 2 to 3 times a day of the stuff once in the morning a little more at lunch and of course more before i go to bed, i also recommend vitamin drops w/ viamin c added to their water bottle that way they get the proper amount of vitamin c at all times. lots of green leafy foods should be good. check out a book on guinea pigs or check out the web

Answer 5

Offer a slice of orange again now and then... they do love that stuff very much. There should be food at all times- preferably pellets (enriched with vit C). I do hope you find a store where they sell guinea pig food.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

My son gets regular bedding, nothing with pine or scented. He feeds him kale, grass, and carrots. Food is kept in the cage at all times, along with fresh water.

Answer 8

This topic is worth people's attention

Answer 9

A lot of insightful answers here

Answer 10

Timothy hay, or Alfalfa hay are high in protein, so that is why they are recommended..Here is timothy hay> http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGGL,GGGL:2006-18,GGGL:en&q=timothy%20hay&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
Here is Alfalfa hay> http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&rls=GGGL%2CGGGL%3A2006-18%2CGGGL%3Aen&q=alfalfa+hay&btnG=Search
Other good high protein hays are any bean hay, such as soy or pea or lentil hay..
You can feed twice daily or keep food to them. they do well both ways, if the feed is kept clean..