Basic Food for guinea pigs:
Fresh hay
Juicy - and green fodder
Concentrated - or dry feed
Nibbles
Cecotropes
What should be provided in the cage, also:
Dispenser with fresh water
Chalkstone
Mineral stone
FRESH HAY
Buying hay you should keep an eye on the following:
Aromatic smell
Dark green color
The plastic bag should not be wet on the inside, otherwise it will get (or already might be) moldy.
Fresh herbs and grass should be in it.
There are different sizes to buy hay.
I, personally, like most the 2 kg pack mountain meadow hay. This is much cheaper compared to the smaller pressed hay packs and lasts longer.
Hay has important minerals and trace elements but most important fibers, which your animal needs.
If you only get straw instead of hay, please only use it a short period of time, because straw has only fibers and no more minerals and trace elements.
Only feed fresh green fodder, wash and dry it before you feed it.
Green fodder should not be fed directly from the fridge, also it should be dry entirely, otherwise your cavy can get problems with its stomach. Frozen- and canned food is not suitable in general.
Try to feed you pet always at the same time. The animals will get used to that and already greet you in a friendly way when you come through the door.
If you want to do your pet a favor, bring it fresh herbs from time to time, or plant them in your garden or on your bacony.
Grass (also cats grass), kitchen herbs and dandelion are coveted and those are healthier then the "goodies" you can buy in a the shops..
The daily need of green fodder can be calculated as follows:
60 - 70 g / kg
If you keep more than one animal in one cage, take the weight of all the animals together, they divert the food among each other anyway.
Separating the animals for feeding, will not make much sense,
after all we are animal lovers and no scientists!
Apples, Broccoli, Carrots (with green), Fennel, Melon, Paprika, Radish, Celery, Celery stalks, Zucchini. Also very popular are ready made Salad mixes. Fresh Berries, especially Blackberries, Raspberries and Strawberries are also very much in demand, but should be fed only in small number of pieces, because they are quite high in calories. Cucumber is almost a passion for guinea pigs, but has almost no nutritional value. Anyway cucumber peelings should not be thrown away, they are a real treat for your little friend. Pears are also high in favor, but they swell out, so don't feed to often. In small amounts Grapes and Kiwis can be fed also. From time to time a small, fresh corn cob does no harm also, Citrus fruits and Stone fruit have a lot of vitamin C and should therefore not be used for daily food, but can be additionally given from time to time.
Not suitable are Beans, Glasshouse Salads (because of the high
fertilization), Cabbage, raw potatoes and potato shoots and tomatoes. Please
also avoid "human" goodies and spiced food. The guinea pig is not a
trash can and should therefore not be fed like one. Don't get me wrong, it's
o.k. to feed peels and some salad-leftovers but not always.
Camomile, Cats grass, Coltsfoot, Dandelion, Dill, Lovage, Nettles, Parsley (no seeds!), Peppermint, Plantain, Sage, Sorrel, yarrow
Clover should only be fed in small amounts, because it swells out.
TIP: Let Nettles dry a little first, they are not so stinging
anymore then.
Poisonous Herbs and wild plants are:
Bush roses, Curled parsley, Foxgloves, Lily of the valley, Monk's-hood, Narcissus, Snowdrops, Solanum, Sour clover, Spurge plants, Sweet pea.
HERE ALSO: If your not sure, let it be! If you would like to
collect herbs, do not take them near busy streets and meadows where lots of dogs
are frequently. Best would be to reserve a small place at home (e.g. on the
balcony or in a bowl in the kitchen), where you can grow your own herbs. You can
already buy them in a bowl. Also you can feed cats grass. Nowadays you can
already buy this especially for rodents, to plant on your own.
You can almost anywhere buy already mixed dry fodder for rodents. So there's no need anymore to mix it yourself. Some shop offer also the possibility to get open fodder. Which is good, because you can see if parasites or molder are inside. In a package you only see that when you open it at home. Motts and other insects like this fodder very much and it happens quite often, that the fodder is ruined. If you unfortunately have bought such a package, do your little friend a favor and either return it in the shop where you've bought it or throw it away. Do not give ruined food to your cavy.
Give your pet some regularity also when it comes to dry fodder.
(e.g. in the morning dry fodder and in the evening green fodder).
Per animal and day an amount of
ca. 20 g / kg
It is advisable to take out the bowl for the dry fodder after about one or two hours. Guinea pigs can get addicted to dry fodder, which can lead to fatty degeneration.
If you do not let your pet run free every day, you can once a
week leave out the dry fodder completely and give hay instead.
The guinea pig is a rodent and has a natural need to nibble.
Do always offer appropriate things, like nibble sticks, hard bread or fresh branches.
If you did supply the cage, according my suggestions, with a second level, you will notice that the animal will nibble on the board or on a sleeping house in the cage.
Do not shelter you guinea pig then, let it nibble! It is much better to buy a new board or sleeping house from time to time, then going to the vet, because the teeth have grown too long.
The teeth of the guinea pig grow steadily and if it does nor use
them enough they get too long and can harm the animal or at least make it
impossible for it to eat.
A wooden board as a second level can be lots of fun for a cavy.
It can sit on it and enjoy the view, hide underneath it and jump up and down on and from it.
Also it can, if there is nothing else there, wear off it's teeth on it.
Alder, Beech, Hazel, Poplar, all Fruit trees and Willows.
The branches should be all natural and clean.
Bay tree and plants, Box tree, Broom, Elder, Hedge Cherry, Ivy, Juniper, Laburnum, Lilac, Oleander, Privet, Tree of life and Yew tree,
If you watch your guinea pig a little, you will notice, that from time to time it seems to eat its excrements.
Please do not stop it, these are its Cecotropes, and those contain a lot of
minerals which are very important for the animal. (Also see Digestion)
Water should not be too cold, your guinea pig can get a sore throat, too.
If your tap water is not good for drinking, you can buy special drinking water for animals in every pet shop. Also gas free mineral water can be used.
Please do not use distilled, strongly chlorinated or nitrated water, because these are as bad for you animal as for youself.
Also milk should not be given, your guinea pig would get stomach ache from it.
Mineral stone can be bought in every pet shop.
They do not cost too much and also last quite long.
They hold essential additives for your animal, which it does not get through the food.
If you keep a rabbit with your guinea pig, don't be surprised if it will eat and scratch the chalk stone in only a few days. Rabbits do tend to do this, but only for some time.
If you want to give your animal a treat, please give it the "rodent-suitable" products which can be bought in the shops!
There are numerous products, such as drops, pellets, sticks and other goodies.
Under no circumstances give it chocolate or the like.
Even more popular than those "artificial" sweets are still fresh
herbs.
Parsley is especially popular
Do not generate a new warehouse at home!
Both dry fodder and goodies as well are perishable goods.
The pull date is not always right, so you should only buy according to your needs.