Best liquid Vitamin C for guinea pigs?

Question

I have 3 male piggies. Two of them chew the Oxbow Vit C tablets with no problems. The other one will only take it once in a great while. I know he should take it daily but he doesn't. They are very picky and don't eat all the fruit and vegtables that most pigs do. I tried a small slice of orange and I thought they were going to chew the bars off the cage trying to get away from it! My question is, what is the best liquid vitamin C product out there for guinea pigs? A lot of those vitamins you buy in the pet stores have so many other ingredients in them that I wonder if they need all that extra stuff!? I don't care how much it costs. I just want the best! I feed them Oxbow pellets with romaine lettuce, carrots, celery, bananas, apples, and lots of Oxbow hay. I do offer lots of other things, but they are usually rejected. Can they get too much vitamin C? I was told that any extra will get "eliminated."
Thanks for the help!

Answer 1

Well, you certainly did your homework! I can tell you really love the little guys.
Guinea pigs know what (and how much) to eat to keep themselves healthy. They will instinctively eat what they need.
If you buy good quality GP food, you don't need to supplement it, it's already in there.
Don't worry about it, they are fine. You are feeding them exactly what they need.

Answer 2

Well you've already collected quite the eclectic group of answers, I'm sure you can already sort through what's decent advice and what's not...but to add my two cents: I too would discourage resorting to liquid Vitamin C. There just ain't nothing like the real thing, and the jury as far as I know is still out on whether it's a good idea or not at all. So, two suggestions: KALE and RED PEPPERS. Not only do they have some of the highest Vitamin-C-per-punch out there, I've never seen a piggie turn either down. Give them a shot. Sounds like you've tried a lot of stuff, but if those two don't work, I just don't know what to recommend! Your pigs may be just fine with what they have, even the one that doesn't like the tablets, because Romaine does have a pretty high Vitamin C content.

I have three males as well, living together and constantly dispelling that fun myth that males from different litters will "fight each other to the death" and whatnot. Anyway mine have their own website, cause I'm that big a dork: http://www.secondstarillustrations.com/threepigs.htm
Good luck with your guys!

Answer 3

hello you should supplement your guinea pigs vitamin c even if te pellets say they are nutritionally balanced.You can use a pediatric suspension of vitamin C (just from the pharmacy or supermarket) mixed with water. If you are supplementing your water with vitamin C it must be changed daily since it quickly hydrolyzes. Also you can add peppers (red and green) cabbage and kale into their diet to help increase their vitamin c content. If your guinea pig is female and pregnant then she will need more vitamin C than normal and it is thought that marginal deficiencies in ascorbic acid contribute to a high level of abortions and stillbirths in a colony. The signs of scurvy i.e lack of vitamin C are initially (nonspecific). They include, anorexia (lack of appetite), rough hair coat, listlessness, weakness and subcutaneous hemorrhages. Later, joint enlargement and painful joints may occur. Guinea pigs with scurvy may grind their teeth and maybe generally sore. Remember vitamin C breaks down rapidly, especially from the effects of heat, moisture and light. So do not keep guinea pig food for over two months. Keep it somewhere cool and dry.

Answer 4

You might not want to hear from a pet shop owner but......... After raising and caring for pigs for many years successfully, have found extra vitamins and supplements unnecessary. We don't even stock any in our store. Buy a quality pellet, timothy hay, and feed vegetables and fruits regularly. Fruits that we offer also are: red grapefruit, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and apples. The timothy hay is great for gnawing and vitamins. If you are going to buy water, make sure it is not distilled because all the trace minerals have been removed. Guinea pigs eat their feces occasionally and this is normal. Feces should be solid, not mushy. If mushy, then it's getting too much fruit and vegetables per day. When purchasing pellets, look for an expiration date. For everyone else out there, don't buy your GP food out of a bin. Have fun with your pigs. And remember cedar shavings are dangerous! It is great to see others taking great care of these interesting, curious animals, who can live up to the age of 9. Unfortunately this is one pet we place up for adoption frequently.

Answer 5

It sure sounds like you take very good care of your piggies!

I have found that the Vit.C drops you get at the pet store are a little less than useless. Not only do the pigs HATE the taste of it, but once the drops hit the water, the chlorine neutralizes it anyway. These drops, IMO, are a waste of time and money. They are chock full of nasty chemicals and preservatives.

I use non-chlorinated water and mix Puritan's Pride Vit.C crystals in a one-gallon container every morning. The pigs cannot taste it and this is human grade Vit.C. You can buy it over the internet only. And yes, any extra gets "eliminated".

Since you are already feeding Oxbow pellets, I'm sure you know that they already contain stabilized Vit.C in them. Try to keep them stored in a dark place (light is not good for Vit.C). Whatever is lost by the pellets due to age or light exposure, will be made up by the daily Vit.C crystals in the water.

Lastly, try to feed them veggies that contain lots of Vit.C like bell peppers, strawberries, etc. And keep trying that orange!! Sometimes, it takes awhile. Experiment with different types of oranges (tangerines, naval, etc. -- mine like Clementines the best!) or try breaking off little tiny bits out of the center of the orange slice and put it to his lips to get him to taste it. (Don't forget to remove ALL seeds if they aren't seedless) I have 3 piggies that BEG for their morning orange slice and 3 more that act like it has the plague, but I'm still working on them (2 are new, 1 is a baby). Just don't give up!

I'm sure your piggies are thankful they have such a wonderful, responsible owner. Keep up the great work!

Answer 6

Vitamin C for guinea pigs is very important (as you know from your explorations ;))

The best way for them to get this vitamin C is by giving them fresh vegetables and occasional fruits. Supplements are unnecessary unless they're sick (in which case I supplement extra) and most of them are not very useful (as light breaks down vitamin C, the type you put in the water is gone before they even drink it!)

They cannot get too much vitamin C in the normal sense (ie, they cannot overdose), but extended periods of high dosages of vitamin C can lead to a form of pseudo-scurvy, where they become dependent on the higher dose of vitamin C. (For example, 25-50mg is the normal adult requirement for guinea pigs... if they get 500mg a day for several weeks, not giving them that 500mg can cause scurvy)

You seem like a great piggie owner. I'd encourage you to join guineapigcages.com or guinealynx.info. :)

Answer 7

As far as I can see from you long list of food, your 3 boars are getting enough!!!! I have 2 sows who munch away quite happily on cucumbers, carrots, baby tomatos (loads of vit C in them) and Super Guinea... and hay... They occasionally have orange segments and love sweetcorn. I don't think you really need worry too much about liquid Vit C as there is enough in the other foods you are giving your 3. Unfortunately you can't force feed a piggy. They can be very stubborn. Have you tried them on fresh beetroot??
Good luck..

Answer 8

guinea pigs don't need a vit c supplement if they are fed a good quality food so i would recommend Supa Guinea Excel. it's about £3.99 for a 2kg bag and is high in useful fibre, protected vit c and is recommended by vets and the guineas love it!! they cannot overdose on vitamin c so don't worry about that. please be aware that not all guinea pigs should be fed apple as some guineas have a weakness in the membranes of the lips which can be damaged by the acid in the apples, leaving the underlying tissue open to attack from bacteria and causing dark hard scabs around the mouth. if you have a run, or a garden where they cannot escape, let them out on the grass for a couple of hours as it is rich in vit c and very fiberous, which is good for their teeth, digestion and means you know they are getting alot of vitmain c, so don't bother with the vitamin drops. oh and please don't feed them lettuce anymore as it has no nutritional value. also, try putting a whole corn on the cob in their hutch as they love them and it is good for keeping them amused. hope i have helped in some way!!

Answer 9

in my experience the liquid vitamin potencies dont last long enough...nor does the C in the pellets....supplementing is very necessary. I lost a couple pigs from only using the pellets and hay. They really need lots of C. I breed piggies and would hate to see anyone lose theirs from lack of vitamins...

Answer 10

1

Answer 11

If perhaps it's a fruit they have seeds, otherwise it's a vegetable. And vegetables are usually grown in the ground while fruits are grown in trees.