Guinea pigs can be fun pets. To keep your pig in tip top shape it is important to know what makes up a balanced guinea pig diet. There are so many different diets available on the market especially if you include the different products that are marketed as treats. Guinea pigs do have specific nutritional requirements and it is a good idea to educate yourself a bit about what those are so you can feed your pig a balanced diet.

Young guinea pigs should be given as much hay as they can eat. They will need to be introduced to it but once they are most pigs love it. There are numerous different hay varieties on the market. Three varieties are timothy, alfalfa and mixed grass. Making sure that it is intended for food and not bedding is important. You want to make sure that there are no pesticides in the hay as they can make your guinea pig very sick. Hay is high in fibre and will help keep your pig?s digestive system in good shape.

Young pigs also need an unlimited supply of pellets. Older guinea pigs do not generally overeat but some may need to have a restricted diet if they are gaining too much weight. Younger guinea pigs need the chance to build up a healthy body weight and offering them the chance to eat freely is important for good health.

Pellets should make up the majority of any pig?s diet. You need to look for one that is nutritionally complete. The most important nutrient is vitamin C. Many pellets have added vitamin C but it can unfortunately lose its? strength over time. Always make sure you use pellets before the best before date so you can make sure that your guinea pig is getting as much vitamin C as it needs.

One vegetable to avoid is iceberg lettuce since it is not very high in nutrients. Leafy green vegetables including spinach, kale, romaine lettuce and parsley are good choices as they are nutritionally rich. Vegetables should be introduced one at a time and you should watch for any sign that there are loose stools. If this happens, you should not feed it to your guinea pig. Although vegetables are an important part of the overall diet you should still feed them in moderation.

Fruits and vegetables can be good for your guinea pig. They can add nutrients that cannot be found in pellets, and provide roughage and fibre that is good for your pig. You need to make sure that if you are introducing any new vegetables that you do so one at a time and watch for any negative side effects such as wet or soft stool. Any that do cause this problem should be taken back out of the diet. You should also be careful feeding fruit to your pig. They can be wonderful additions to the diet, but guinea pigs do have a sweet tooth and they may opt to eat only fruit if given the chance.

Fresh water is the other important factor in maintaining a healthy guinea pig. There should be fresh water that your guinea pig has access to at all times and if you notice that there is any dirt or debris in the water dish it should be cleaned and refilled. An alternative to the water bowl is a water bottle which is suspended from the side or top of the cage. It features a gravity fed spout which the guinea pig can use to get a drink. Keep in mind that if you opt to add vitamin supplements to the water the altered taste can keep the guinea pig from drinking and you should watch out for this.

Guinea pigs can be quite easy to take care of. They can live for years if you take care of them properly. A good guinea pig diet can be a critical step in ensuring the health and long life of your guinea pig.

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Written by Tony Palmer using tags: Pet Care, pet health, Pets