Guinea Pigs - Rodents with Attitude

Guinea pigs Yumi, Sable and Maru eating a corn on the cob

It is very important to give your guinea pig an interesting and balanced diet. Each day they require a good supply of hay, fresh water, vegetables, and dried mix. There are so many dry mixes, hays and vegetables available but with some research you can provide your guinea pig with a good diet.

Guinea pigs require hay as part of their daily diet. In fact, hay should make up the larger part of their diet, and therefore they need a constant supply of hay. This means you will have to replenish their supply once they have eaten it. As grazing herbivores guinea pigs require hay as roughage in their diet to keep their guts in good working order. Hay is also a useful method of wearing down teeth.

There are a few different types of hay designed to be given to guinea pigs in different situations. Unfortunately, a lot of pet shops currently give out incorrect advice when selling hay and this leads to an incorrect diet.

Alfalfa
To be on given on a regular basis only to pregnant sows and pups. Older guinea pigs must not be given this hay as part of a regular diet because the level of calcium in this particular hay is very high. This is an advantage for pups and pregnant sows. Adults may have alfalfa as a very occasional treat.

Meadow Hay
Meadow hay should make up the bulk of your guinea pigs' diet. This hay is commonly found in bags and bales in pet shops, garden centres and equestrian suppliers, and is suitable for all guinea pigs from a young age. As a general rule, the greener the hay the more tasty it is to your guinea pig!

At certain times of the year, such as high summer when the heat is great and there is very little rain, meadow hay can sometimes be in short supply. If you have a small amount of guinea pigs, or just one or two, this shouldn't be a problem. However if you keep many guinea pigs, it pays to have more than one supplier you can turn to should a hay shortage occur.

Meadow hay can take a few different forms, usually depending in the time of year and the location of your supplier. Usually your meadow hay will be just like you imagine hay to be, while other times it may be almost like straw, rather brown, or even extremely similar to grass. My guinea pigs enjoy the grassy meadow hay more than any other variation.

Timothy Hay
Given in the same way as Meadow Hay, Timothy Hay is another excellent part of a regular guinea pig diet and is also very tasty. I find Timothy Hay to be more expensive than Meadow Hay and only available in bags, so I tend to give it as a treat rather than a dietary requirement.

Check your hay!
I found a large handful of thorns in a single-pig sized portion of hay. Always check your hay bales and bags before you give the hay to the piggies. A generous mouthful of thorns, poisonous plants or even feathers from an unfortunate member of the avian species are both unpleasant and potentially dangerous.

Hay racks vs. Loose Hay
Hay racks are very useful because they keep the hay off the floor and stop it from becoming smelly and soiled - this is important in smaller spaces such as hutches. Comsuming soiled or mouldy hay will cause upset tummies. They also help you to regulate how much hay is being consumed.

All of my hutch guinea pigs have a hay rack, and I think it teaches them to share when feeding from the same rack. I keep no more than two guinea pigs per hutch and two guinea pigs sharing from the same rack seems to work well. For larger groups and herds I recommend using more hay racks.

For safety, I recommend only using hay racks with adult guinea pigs because pups or very young guinea pigs may become tangled in the rack and do themselves an injury.

Our guinea pig Higgs with his hay rack Our sows Ivy, Yumi, Rose and Conker playing in the hay

Guinea pigs love to graze outside on fresh grass when the weather's nice. When allowing your guinea pigs to enjoy the grass, make sure you have checked for any wild plants that may be growing in or near to the grazing area as some of them may be poisonous.

Guinea pig Vladimir playing in the grass

You should only allow your guinea pigs to eat fresh grass. Don't give them dried or brown grass, grass clippings from the lawnmower, or ornamental grasses. Ensure the grass has come from your garden and not somewhere where it may have been contaminated (car fumes, agricultural chemicals, etc).

When picking grass to feed to your guinea pigs, remove the roots and soil clump if you pulled up too much! An easy method of picking grass for your guinea pigs is to use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim long grass without pulling the roots from the ground.

In addition to the very tasty fresh grass growing in your garden, guinea pigs can eat some of the wild plants too. When providing an outdoor play area for your guinea pigs, you must check the area thoroughly to pull up any poisonous plants before allowing your guinea pigs out to play.

Wild plants that are safe to eat

Dandelion flowers and leaves - an excellent treat plant.

Clover leaves - very tasty to guinea pigs!

Poisonous plants
This is not an exhaustive list of poisonous plants, so if you are in any doubt at all, please do some extra research! I will add more to this list as and when I discover them.

Deadly Nightshade
Beech
Buttercup

Ragwort
Daisy
Bindweed

Bluebell
Poppy
Ivy

Guinea pigs require vegetables as part of their daily diet for two very good reasons. Firstly, guinea pigs are herbivores and vegetation makes up a large part of their diet. Secondly, just like humans, they are unable to produce their own Vitamin C and they require certain vegetables to give them the Vitamin C they need to stay healthy.

All of the vegetables for your guinea pigs should be bought fresh from the market, wholesaler, or supermarket - not tinned or bottled - and then stored in the fridge.

Before offering any vegetables, warm them to room temperature, remember to wash them, and also remove all seeds and pips (unless mentioned otherwise in the vegetable list below). Importantly, make sure the vegetables are fresh and not withering or rotting.

Our guinea pig Holly eating her vegetables Carrot, romaine lettuce, spinach, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumber, parsley, corn on the cob and broccoli

The best combination you can offer is one that is varied and interesting and includes many different types of vegetable. Like humans, guinea pigs do become bored with the same diet day in and day out. As part of their daily vegetable diet, ensure you are offering one vegetable that contains Vitamin C on a daily basis.

A combination of the following vegetables may be offered to your guinea pig as part of their daily diet. Choose wisely to achieve a good balance and you will have some very happy guinea pigs!

Broccoli
High in Vitamin C but too much may cause gas and bloating!

Brussels sprouts
High in Vitamin C but too much may cause gas and bloating!

Cabbage
High in Vitamin C but too much may cause gas and bloating!

Carrots
High in Vitamin C.

Celery
High in Vitamin C and can be given if cut into manageable chunks. Cut off any stringy bits because they can be a choking hazard.

Corn on the Cob
A good treat food. Only offer corn on the cob that has not been buttered before packaging (check the packet for contents). Guinea pigs can also eat the leaves.

Cucumber
A good treat food. Very watery, so only offer slices at a time.

Lettuce
A good treat food. Romaine, Little Gem, Lamb's Lettuce, Rocket, and red and green leaf may all be offered to your guinea pig. Low in Vitamin C. Do not offer Iceberg Lettuce.

Parsley
Calcium content is high and too much calcium may help to form kidney and bladder stones.

Peppers
Not the hot or chilli kind! You may offer your guinea pig the bland red, green, orange or yellow bell peppers with all stalks and seeds removed.

Spinach
Calcium content is high and too much calcium may help to form kidney and bladder stones.

Tomato
Very watery so offer occasionally (a hairless guinea pig may be given a tomato as part of their daily diet for hydration purposes). Remove the leaves first as these are believed to be poisonous. The seeds can be eaten.

Our sows Maru, Yumi, Sable, Ivy and Eleanor enjoying their dinner

Water bowls
If you want to give your pigs a water bowl you need to give them a big, heavy ceramic bowl to stop them tipping it up when they put their paws on the rim! Water bowls need to be changed very frequently because they can get soiled easily by guinea pigs who have a habit of using their bowls as a toilet. You may also find the occasional bit of veg, dry mix or hay floating about in the bowl too!

Water bottles
While keeping guinea pigs I have come across two types of water bottles - the more commonly used ball and spring system, and the newer valve system.

The "ball and spring" system
Ball and spring spouts work when your pet licks and moves the ball at the end and releases the water from the spout. They tend to leak a notable amount because the pressure inside the spout is not great enough to stop water leaking out around the ball at the end.

The "valve" system
The valve system, a new idea from America, works by holding a pin inside the spout against a small rubber ring at the back and releasing water when your pet licks the pin. Because it works on a simple valve principle, when your pet stops licking the pin, it is sucked back into place and seals off the spout.

Our guinea pig Sooty drinking from a ball and spring water bottle

My personal experience finds that valve system water bottles leak far less than ball and spring water bottles. Most of the ball and spring bottles I have ever used have leaked, while the valve system bottles leak only occasionally.

When the valve system water bottles leak, I just have to tighten the spout up a bit and the bottle is ready to use again.

I have yet to find a method of preventing a ball and spring bottle from leaking or fixing it when it does, so all of my guinea pigs use the valve system water bottles.

Vitamin C drops
You should never need to put Vitamin C drops in the water unless instructed to do so by your vet. Your vet may give you Vitamin C drops for sick or convalescing guinea pigs to aid recovery. If your guinea pigs are getting a good diet of hay and vegetables they should be getting all the Vitamin C they need.

Tap water vs. mineral water
One question I have come across before is which is best: tap water or bottled mineral water? The obvious answer should be mineral water, because mineral water has trickled through the hills in exotic countries for eons and therefore should be a healthier option. However, bottled mineral water can have a different concentration of minerals in it varying from bottle to bottle. Tap water on the other hand is pretty much guaranteed to give you a similar glass of minerals each time you turn on the tap due to the management behind our water supplies.

One of our guinea pig herds eating their Supa Guinea Excel biscuit

Dried feed made especially for guinea pigs contains Vitamin C which is 100% essential in their diet because, like humans, guinea pigs do not produce their own Vitamin C. Dried rabbit mix does not contain Vitamin C and is unsuitable for guinea pigs.

Artificial colours
Beware of artificial colours in dried mix. One colouring in particular called "Sunset Yellow" (E110) is suspected of contributing to bladder stones and cystitis in guinea pigs, so use great care when choosing a feed with artificial colours in it.

There are two categories of dried mix:

Variety Mix
These bags contain a combination of seeds, biscuit, dried corn, alfalfa, and various other ingredients, not all of which are essential in the daily diet. The variety of ingredients encourages picky eaters to eat only the bits they like best ("selective feeding"), however a variety mix can be advantageous to guinea pigs who become easily bored with a single type of dried mix. The brightly coloured parts of the mix can (although not always) contain artificial colours so read the bag carefully to check.

Brands of variety mix

Single Feed
This is a bag containing one type of feed - usually referred to biscuit, nuggets or pellets. A single type of feed like this stops picky eaters from taking the bits they like and leaving the rest ("selective feeding"). With this type of bag, guinea pigs get a balanced level of nutrition in every piece they eat. There are usually no artificial colours or additives in these bags, although it always pays to check the ingredients on the bag to make sure.

Brands of single feed

What my guinea pigs are eating
This is not an attempt to persuade you to feed your guinea pigs what I feed mine! You know your guinea pigs, so it's up to you to feed them the guinea pig mix you think it best for them. All of my guinea pigs are given Burgess Supa Guinea Excel because I want them to eat every single bit and lick the bowls clean! I have some picky eaters and when we used Supreme Gertie Guinea Pig, a lot of the mix was left in untouched by certain guinea pigs. I also decided to change because personally I don't like putting aritificial colours or additives into my guinea pigs.

Many people like to give their pets a treat. This is great as long as you know what you're actually giving them. A treat intended to bring together guinea pig and owner may actually be having a negative affect on the health of your pet.

Fruit and vegetables
The best treats you can give to your guinea pig are fruit and vegetables. Always wash fruit and vegetables before offering to your guinea pig.

Fruit should generally be given as a treat and not as part of a regular diet. This is mainly due to the sugar or high water content present in fruit (very watery foods given too frequently can cause diarrhea). Remember, these are treats you can give, not foods you should give.

Apples
Red and green apples are both okay to feed in slices. Remove pips. Not cooking apples.

Apricot
Always remove the stones before offering to your guinea pig.

Cherries
Always remove the stones and stalks before offering to your guinea pig.

Melon
Very watery so only offer rarely. This is a good treat to offer during the hot summer months. Remove the skin and seeds before feeding.

Orange
Remove the peel and stringy bits before offering and only offer the segments.

Seedless White Grapes
These are high in sugar so only give as a small treat.

Strawberries
Can be sloppy so only offer rarely. Remove leaves before offering.

Commerical treats
Like fast food in humans, a lot of commerical treats are the junk food of the guinea pig world. Most brightly packaged commercial treats you can buy in pet shops are unsuitable to give to a guinea pig due to the ingredients they contain, including sugar, fat and large amounts of calcium. Some treats (such as berry sticks) contain seeds which can get stuck in the teeth and pose a choking hazard, and these are usually bound together with honey, which is also unsuitable.

If you want to treat your guinea pig to something from a pet shop, I highly recommend giving them "Excel Nature Snacks". Each stick contains dried grass, vegetable oil, and either dried dendelion, mint or nettle. The ingredients are basic and there are no additives or unnecessary items listed in the nutritional information on the packet.

Do not give any of these foods to your guinea pig under any circumstances. There are no exceptions. Giving the following foods will make your guinea pig extremely ill.

Beetroot Leaves
These are poisonous and can cause heart problems because of the high level of folic acid.

Cat and Dog Foods
Meat based and intended for canines and felines only.

Chillis, Garlic, Hot Peppers and Onions
These are far too strong to give to your guinea pig.

Chocolate
Quite simply not intended to be given to guinea pigs.

Dairy Products (cheese, cream, etc)
Most dairy products are unsuitable for consumption by guinea pigs, however as guinea pigs are not born lactose intolerant there may be exceptions. These exceptions are bread soaked in milk which may be given to weaning pups and mothers (see the Guinea Piglopaedia book, page 159, section 4), and Actimel probiotic yoghurt for tummy upsets to be given during the course of anti-biotics.

Human Beverages
All beverages intended for human consumption (e.g. fizzy drinks, fruit juice, coffee, tea, milkshakes, etc) should never be given to guinea pigs.

Human Junk Food
Burgers, hotdogs, chips/french fries, crisps/chips, sweets, etc are all completely unsuitable to feed to your guinea pig.

Human Sandwich Spreads
Do not give jelly, jams, fruit preserves, Marmite, Veggiemite, patés, honey (often found in some commercial treats), peanut butter, butter, margarine, etc.

Iceberg Lettuce
This has no nutritional value and is high in water so may cause loose droppings and diarrhea.

Meat or Fish
Guinea pigs are herbivores. They do not eat any types of meat or fish, or anything with meat or fish in it.

Mushrooms
Poisonous. Don't give any type of mushroom under any circumstances.

Nuts and Seeds
High in fat, can get stuck in teeth and are a choking hazard. Seeds are often found in some commercial treats.

Rabbit Feed
Never give dry rabbit mix to a guinea pig. Rabbit feed often contains rabbit antibiotics, pellets formulated exclusively for a rabbit diet, and does not contain the essential Vitamin C that guinea pigs require. Give dry mix that is intended to be eaten by guinea pigs.

Rhubarb
Poisonous. Don't give any part of rhubarb under any circumstances.