-
-
-
-
-
Search This Site |
|
|
-
|
A
good guinea pig diet might include carrots, lettuce, apples, and sometimes
some parsley or other fresh fruits and vegetables. Most fresh fruits and
veggies from your kitchen are good to feed your guinea pig. Something NOT
good to give your guinea pig is potato peelings or anything with potatoes
in them. Potatoes poison guinea pigs and will kill them, so don’t feed
your guinea pigs any potatoes! Raw beans and iceberg lettuce are also NOT
good foods to give your guinea pig. Guinea pigs like to chomp down on hay
and dried pellets. You can put some hay in one corner of your cage and
some pellets in a food bowl in another corner of the cage. Make sure that
your guinea pig gets enough water. At most pet stores you can get water
bottles for guinea pigs and other rodents, too.
Here's a rundown
of guinea pig food...
-
Good foods
for guinea pigs to eat are: apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, grapefruit,
honeydew melon, kiwis, tangerines, yellow plums, oranges, watermelon, grapes,
lemons, cauliflower leaves, broccoli, turnips, peppers, parsley, red beets,
cucumbers, celery, spinach, tomatoes, and zucchini.
-
Bad foods
for guinea pigs to eat are: Iceberg lettuce, all varieties of green cabbage,
chinese cabbage, cauliflower, and red cabbage.
-
Poisonous
foods for guinea pigs to eat are: Potato peelings and raw beans. As
for the actual potato, there has been some confusion about whether they
are or aren't poisonous to guinea pigs. To be on the safe side, I would
suggest not feeding your guinea pig potatoes. For a more comlete list of
plants that are poisonous to guinea pigs, visit the Poisonous
Foods page.
-
Hay
is another good food for guinea pigs. It is the basic food for guinea pigs.
If you feed them hay along with water, it is suitable for the winter! This
is only if no fresh veggies or fruits are available.
-
You can
gather plants from outside to give to guinea pigs. They absolutely
love outdoor greens! Just make sure that there are no flowers or dried
tree leaves in the bundle you pick. If there are any leaves or flowers
in it, cut them out and give only the plant leaves and stalks to your guinea
pig. Grass is also considered a treat to guinea pigs! If you do decide
to collect outdoor plants, do not get them if they grow near roads or sidewalks,
or have been treated with pesticides!
-
Toilet paper
tubes and paper towel tubes are completely fine for guinea pigs to
eat. It gives them something to chew on to help their teeth, as well
as something to play with. It is also like an in-between meal for them,
when they aren’t eating anything else.
-
Pellets
are
a part of a regular guinea pig diet. They have some vitamins and minerals
added, so they are really healthy. Guinea pigs don’t consider them a treat
unless there are extra dried fruits or nuts added to them.
-
Salt
and mineral wheels are optional. Salt wheels are exactly what they
are called. It is salt formed into the shape of a wheel that can be attached
to the cage. Then the guinea pig can chew on it anytime it feels like it!
The mineral wheel is a mix of minerals and salt. It is usually a reddish
color, unlike the salt wheel that is always white.
-
Vitamin
C is very important to guinea pigs! They can get this from fresh fruits.
Oranges have a particular big amount of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps fight
infections in guinea pigs, as well as to heal wounds. It also helps break
down and metabolize proteins in the guinea pig's diet.
-
Clean and
fresh water is necessary for guinea pigs to live. It is pretty much
necessary for any living thing on Earth! Change the water whenever needed,
preferably once every two-three days.
-
The entire
digestive
tract of a guinea pig is about 2.3 meters long.
-
These materials
are needed for a guinea pigs' survival: Vitamins, minerals, carbohydrate,
fats, proteins, and of course, water!
-
These vitamins
are needed for a guinea pig to survive: Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Thiamine,
Riboflavin, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K.
-
These minerals
are needed for a guinea pig to survive: Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium,
Phosphorous, Potassium, and Sodium.
-
Guinea pigs
are not able to store water for a long period of time, and that is why
it is necessary to replenish their water any time the water bottle
gets low. Every cell needs the water, so guinea pigs have to drink almost
constantly.
-
Guinea pigs
are also able to eat dirt. This may sound funny, but it is true.
Dirt has vitamins and minerals and nutrients that guinea pigs need, and
apparently, they seem to like it!
-
Guinea pigs will
occasionally eat their own feces (poops). The feces still contain
some leftover nutrients, and so the guinea pigs eat them. This is sort
of a way of recycling. It will not hurt them, and it will actually help
them live, because of the materials within them.
EXERCISE
Guinea
pigs are like humans in another way, too. They need exercise just like
humans do. You should take your guinea pig out and let it run around 3
times a week. If you take it outside, make sure that it doesn't run into
the road! Guinea pigs are afraid of loud and sudden noises, so when a car
is heard passing on the road, it may try to run away, thinking that something
is after them. I have had experience with guinea pigs outside...take a
look at "Lucky and the Water Drain" on my stories
page and you'll see what I mean! Also make sure that it isn't too
cold or too hot outside for your guinea pig. A good temperature range for
guinea pigs is 64º to 72º F. If you don't want to do that or
can't, let it run around in a room with the door closed. Make sure there
are no electrical wires around and that it won't get stepped on or lost.
Many guinea pigs die because people don't see them and step on them, or
electrical wires from lamps, tvs, or radios are left where guinea pigs
can get at them. Guinea pigs love to chew on everything, so be aware that
rugs may turn out a little scruffy after a guinea pig has been out to play!
You should also think about the fact that guinea pigs will probably track
bedding around the room and that it might go to the bathroom on the floor.
Just a heads-up for what you may experience when letting your guinea pig
run free in a room! |