Guinea Pig Nutrition and Diet

    If you've been thinking about getting a furry friend to add to your family that doesn't need a lot of exercise, is cuddly and friendly, and will be exciting to take care of, choose a guinea pig!! These adorable little guys are unlike other rodents that climb and run around the room, but they are more likely to want to sit in your lap while you read a book or watch TV. If you already own one, or are going to get one soon, read this post all about food and nutrition!

Main Diet

Guinea pigs mainly eat dry guinea pig food, the best kind is usually Oxbow because they don't have any unhealthy colored dyes that some brands use to make the food look more interesting. Oxbow also offers hay, and some healthy, natural hay-based treats for guinea pigs. Never buy treats that say "for rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils and hamsters", only buy the ones that are specially for guinea pigs, because they have different needs, so therefore, they eat different things.

What Can and Can't I feed my Guinea Pig?

Fresh food is a must in your guinea pig's health, but sometimes we don't know exactly what is OK for them. In a book, they say cauliflower is okay, and another unknown resource states it isn't. Here is a list of the Do's and Don't's of what you should avoid and what you should feed your guinea pig. Don't worry, the research I did was completely safe and perfectly fine for your piggie.

                                                                                               Yuck!:

                                                                                                 

                                                                                               Iceberg Lettuce

                                                                                               Cauliflower

                                                                                               Potato Skins

                                                                                          Raw Beans(dry kidney beans..pinto beans...)

                                                                                           Potato Chips or other processed human food

                                                                                            No store brand Yogurt treats like "Yogies!"

                                                                                             (guinea pigs cannot digest dairy)

                                                                                             Any Non-Guinea pig food (like 

                                                                                              hamster food, gerbil food, rat food...etc...) 

                                                                                                 Any type of meat--raw or cooked

                                                                                                Popcorn--it can get stuck in the pig's throat

                                                                                                 Cheese

                                                                                                    Sugary Foods

                                                                                                      Coffee, chocolate, tea, or alcohol 

                                                                                                         Onions

                                                                                     
                                       

 

      Yum!:                                                                             

Semi-Sweet Peppers 

Cucumbers

Spinach-3 leaves maximum

Bananas

Parsley--If you tear it up near your guinea pig's

cage, he'll love the smell!

Carrots

Apples--just be sure there isn't any seeds in it!!

Broccoli--A small piece

Banana Slices

Dandelion Greens

Cherry tomatoes--don't give him too many, 

they have a very large amount of citrus in them!!

These lists cannot cover even half of what a guinea pig can and can't have. Go to Smallanimalchannel.com/guinea pig nutrition to see a bigger list of foods for guinea pigs!

Daisy's Fun Facts:

Hey, did you know that guinea pigs' ears turn reddish-pink when they are hot?

That's my fact, folks, and I am Daisy the Rabbit signing out. Goodbye!!!