How much food do you give them...Guinea Pigs?

Question

Can you over feed them?

Answer 1

i read that they are very nice pets and they can eat
Guinea pigs are strictly vegetarian, and their main source of food while in captivity is compressed pellets of alfalfa and other ingredients. Guinea pigs tend to be brand loyal, so new owners should make every effort to use the same pellets the pet store or former owner provided. The best pellets for guinea pigs are fortified with Vitamin C, an essential vitamin not synthesized by the animal itself. If the pellets are not fortified, then an additional source (drops, vitamin pills, etc.) should be provided. A few drops of soluble vitamins in the water bottle should suffice.


If changes in the basic pellet diet become necessary, it is better to start out slowly. Continue to use the original pellets for a few days, then add a small amount of the new pellets into the mix. Over the course of a few weeks, increase the percentage of the new pellets until the switch is complete. Supplement the pellets with plenty of timothy grass hay, which can be stored against the side of the cage in a wire basket sold in pet stores.


Guinea pigs love fresh vegetables and fruits, so keep a fresh supply on hand. You may need to experiment with different foods to see what your particular pig enjoys most. Some guinea pigs like parsley, while others prefer fresh baby carrots (not cooked) or slices of apple. Avoid fruits and vegetables which spoil quickly, like bananas. Think dark and green when it comes to leaf lettuce. The lighter iceberg lettuce is not very nutritious and may cause gas.


Treats for guinea pigs include nuts, seeds and peanut butter. Look for prepackaged treats formulated especially for small animals at your local pet store. Again, there may be a trial and error period as your guinea pig tries each new treat. Treat sticks should be taken out of the cage to avoid overeating. Guinea pigs will continue to eat as long as food is available, even to the point of gorging themselves.


Guinea pigs usually appreciate salt wheels and chew sticks. A guinea pig's front teeth continue to grow, so he or she needs a means to keep them whittled down. There may be enough salt in the pellets to maintain health, but the extra salt on a salt wheel won't hurt. A guinea pig may need to have his front teeth clipped professionally, along with his toe nails.


Avoid oily wood chips when selecting a bedding material. The cheapest bedding available is usually made from standard pine trees, which can be very oily and dusty. A better choice would be bedding made from Aspen pine, which tends to be drier, less oily and more odor absorbent. Many owners and pet stores prefer to use paper pulp bedding instead of wood. The material is softer on the guinea pig's body, absorbs more wetness than wood chips and lasts longer between changes.


Don't be alarmed if your guinea pig starts eating his own fecal droppings. This is a normal behavior. Since guinea pigs are true vegetarians, their bodies cannot produce certain vitamins and enzymes essential for protein growth. Some of their darker fecal droppings contain these nutrients, so guinea pigs will routinely ingest them.


Guinea pigs are masters at hiding their true medical conditions, so observe them carefully. Check the water and food levels to see if your pet is still eating and drinking a healthy amount of food. A lack of droppings could indicated constipation. Liquidy or poorly formed droppings could indicate diarrhea, which is a serious complication in guinea pigs. Get him or her to a veterinarian quickly. Guinea pigs are also prone to respiratory infections, so never keep their cages near drafty areas. Sneezing or a glazed appearance around the nose and eyes may indicate a serious respiratory condition.

Answer 2

Guinea Pigs are voracious eaters. They love to munch on veggies, fruits, greens, pellets, etc.

Just make sure you give them healthy food- do not overfeed them with sweet things. Even carrots and bananas should be fed sparingly.

A small handful of greens and veggies is good enough for them. Fruits such as bananas, apples, etc. are treats- thin slices twice a week at the very most!
If you are feeding your piggy pellets, a quarter of a cup per day will do just fine.

The most important part of a guinea pig's diet is plenty of fresh water. Make sure they have a lot of water because it aids in digestion and it's water- they need it to live.

Answer 3

Make sure they always have some dry food to eat and give them some fresh veggies often. The greens will never put weight on them, but too many carrots will. Only give carrots occasionally because of all the carbs. No broccoli or cauliflower (too gassy.) Also, this is the most important thing...Guinea pigs need vitamin c every day, so get some drops and always put it in their water. If they don't get enough vitamin C they will die. I used to have the sweetst guinea pig. You will know when your piggy gets too fat just by looking at her. If that happens just cut back on the food, but they always need the dry mix or pellets because you never know when they're going to get hungry. Enjoy your little guinea pig!

Answer 4

Guinea Pigs normally don't over eat. You want to give them about half of their bowl filled with food. Then you also want to give them some oranges (seedless) Sliced every day they need the Vit C. Then they should have hay available 24/7 as well as fresh water. Stay away from wood shavings its not healthy for them. You want to use Care fresh or Total Comfort it absorbs the pee really well. An with a big enough cage a place to hide and a toy to play with you Guinea will live a nice healthy happy life.

Answer 5

i read somewhere that u ought to feed guinea pigs twice a day. however, my pigs kinda follow my eatin schedule and get fed 3 times a day - breakfast, lunch n dinner.

basically for staples, i give them an almost full bottle of fresh water and ample supply of dry food (rabbit food). i will replenish the dry food every night juz in case they decide to wake up for a snack. usually i only fill the container half-full. for every meal, i will give them either a whole piece/bunch of veggie or half a carrot per pig.

in between meals if i happen to eat any fruits especially apples, then i would give them the skin to eat as a snack.

i dun think it is possible to overfeed guinea pigs. as my 4 piggies hav shown, they will stop eatin once they are full even if i dangle a full carrot in front of them. ;p

hope i helped !

Answer 6

They eat veggie and it doesn't matter how much as they will only eat what they can..I use to have two when i was a kid and they did fine. But don't leave the food in the cage all day as it does rot. If it pellets then it would say on the package..but there again they will only eat what they can..with the dry pellets you can leave that out all the time and never worries like you what have to with raw veggies

Answer 7

Hi they are very greedy animals ,they would eat all day if they could ,if your guineas have access to your grass ,they will eat it ,you dont need a lawnmover just keep moving there run ,lol.i used to feed mine once a day but that was cause there were in the garden eating grass all day ,hope that helps.

Answer 8

Just keep their bowl full and plenty of greens. They only eat the dried stuff when hungry, knock the greens into themselves at any time. you wont over feed them.

Answer 9

They should always have food availible to them, it's the treats you should watch.

Answer 10

Don't let them eat plastic...that's how mine died.