Nutrition For Guinea Pigs: Diet Recommendations

Guinea pigs have a biological make up that creates special nutritional needs for them. Unable to synthesize (create) Vitamin C themselves as most other animals can, guinea pigs must have Vitamin C supplied through Vitamin C fortified guinea pig pellets and fresh vegetables.

Fibre in the appropriate quantity is also essential in the diet of guinea pigs. Commercial food pellets like Exact Rainbow Guinea Pig Diet contains 14% to 16% fibre. Additional fibre should be supplied through unlimited amounts of Timothy Hay like that found in our Mini-Bales. Additional Vitamin C can and should be supplied in fresh fruits and vegetables such as the following: (fruits and vegetables should make up no more than 10-15% of the diet)

Leafy greens such as kale, parsley, spinach and chicory
Cabbage
Red and Green Peppers
Asparagus
Broccoli
Peas
Tomatoes
Dandelion Greens (no pesticides, fertilizer or herbicides)
Kiwi
Oranges

The recommended amount of food pellets to feed varies with each manufacturer based on the nutrition each product supplies. Exact Rainbow Diet for guinea pigs recommends 3/4-one cup daily for maintenance, and one to two cups daily for guinea pigs that are breeding, lactating or still growing. Be sure not to feed rabbit pellets to your guinea pigs. While similar in appearance, rabbit pellets have a different nutritional mix than that needed by guinea pigs.

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Commercial pellets should always be used when fresh. The reason fresh pellets should be used is that Vitamin C breaks down in a matter of weeks, which means your guinea pig will not get the full benefit of the Vitamin C. Guinea pigs deprived of appropriate levels of Vitamin C will, over time, develop the disease known as scurvy.

Guinea pigs are finicky eaters and do not easily tolerate changes in the flavour or make up of their diet. Any changes should be gradually introduced over a period of two to three weeks.

Guinea pigs practice coprophagy, that is, they eat their own faeces. As unappealing as it sounds, "cecotropes" (soft faeces) supply both Vitamin B and Vitamin K to guinea pigs. Guinea pigs deprived of cecotropes will eventually develop malnutrition and will die.

About the Author:

Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff

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