Online pet magazine.

Almost everything you need to know about pet care.

Guinea Pig Diet - Guinea Pig Food - Guinea Pig Feeding

Generally speaking, guinea pigs should weigh around 900 to 1000 grams (males) and 700-900 grams (females), and are approximately 20cm to 35cm in length. The average lifespan of a guinea pig is 3-6 years.

Guinea pigs are strict herbivores and can be fed a complete pelleted Guinea Pig diet that contains protein. The pellets should not be fed more than 90 days after their use by date. Also provide small amount of hay, and supplement your Guinea Pigs diet with a source of active ascorbic acid, such as a handful of cabbage or half a handful of kale or a quarter of an orange. To prevent obesity kidney diseases in older animals, decrease the amount of pelleted food offered and supplement with more hay. In these aging pets, hay can constitute up to 25% of their diet .

Because guinea pigs do not produce their own Vitamin C, it is recommended that you add a Vitamin C supplement to their water as per manufacturer’s instructions. The water will need to be replaced daily as the Vitamin C loses its effect quite quickly.

In addition to the above, the following fresh fruits and vegetables can be fed as treats: apples, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, oranges, peaches, pea pods, pears and strawberries. Dandelions, grass and wild clover can be picked from your garden if you're sure they're free from pesticides. No more than 10% of your guinea pig's diet should be made up of foods other than pellets. To be sure there isn’t having an adverse reaction to a new food only offer one new food type to your pet a day. Don’t feed powdered food as this just gets wasted and the dust will gather around the mouth and nose and soon cause breathing problems. Food and fresh water should always be available for your Guinea Pig.

Feeders and water bottles should be fixed to the cage walls to avoid spills. Only use water bottles with a metal sipper tube, as plastic tubes will just get chewed up. Guinea Pigs commonly practice coprophagy (eating their own poo), eating the nutrient-filled excrement to get the nutrients from it and digest it fully, so although you may be disgusted to see such behaviour, don't be alarmed! This is normal and provides them with proteins and vitamins.