Diet
HAY
Hay is the most important part of a guinea pig’s diet. Hay should be at least 80% of a guinea pig's diet, and they should have unlimited access at all times. Hay is critical for digestive and dental health, but it is also an instinctive activity; guinea pigs love to forage, play, potty, and sleep in their hay. If you are allergic to Timothy hay, orchard hay or meadow hay are great alternatives.
Small Pet Select and Oxbow are the highest quality brands where you can purchase in bulk (much less expensive than bags from the pet store!). When choosing hay, you want to make sure it is green and smells fresh.
Never feed alfalfa hay as it contains too much calcium and protein which can cause bladder stones and obesity in guinea pigs over 6 months of age.
PELLETS
Many commercially available pellets in pet stores contain nuts, seeds, dried fruit and sugary colored pieces. These are not only fattening, but a choking hazard and encourage selective eating. The "pellets" in these mixes are also often alfalfa based, which can cause painful and expensive bladder stones in adult guinea pigs that tend to return again and again. Some pellet brands we recommend are Oxbow, Sherwood, Mazuri, and Small Pet Select. Plain alfalfa-based pellets (like Oxbow Young Guinea Pig Pellets) are fine for guinea pigs under the age of 6 months. After, you should switch to adult pellets as the baby ones have too much calcium for adults. Our favorite is Oxbow Garden Select, as it is soy-and limestone-free!
FRESH VEGETABLES
Fresh veggies are an important part of a guinea pig’s diet. They should be fed daily in the quantity of 1 cup per guinea pig. Here is what we feed at the rescue in a nutshell:
Daily Foods- green leaf/red leaf lettuce, radicchio, rainbow chard, endive, any color bell peppers (seeds are okay), cilantro, and untreated fresh grass when available
Feeding bell peppers daily is the best way to give vitamin C. Like us, guinea pigs' bodies do not manufacture their own vitamin C, so they need it in the form of veggies or a supplement Rotated throughout the week- tomatoes, carrots, corn on the cob with husks and silks, zucchini, cucumber, celery, pumpkin, kohlrabi leaves
Once or twice monthly: strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, apples, oranges, sweet potato, kale, small amounts of broccoli, and beans or sugar snap peas
For babies (6 months and under): spinach, collard greens, parsley, arugula and dill are great foods for growing guinea pigs, but should only be fed infrequently and in moderation to those over 6 months of age due to the high calcium content
NEVER FEED: Iceberg lettuce, raw white potato, mushrooms, grass treated with pesticides (fresh grass that isn’t treated or soiled is OK), avocado, foods containing lactose (including yogurt drop treats, cheese, etc as they are lactose intolerant), garlic/onions, any green part of a tomato, any type of meat, and any human foods.
TREATS
Most commercially available treats are, unfortunately, not safe for guinea pigs. They contain harmful coloring, dairy (guinea pigs are lactose intolerant!), and sugary things that should never be fed to piggies due to the sensitive GI tract.
The best treats are fresh veggies and fruits or hay cube chews! If you do want to treat your guinea pig, you can get high quality treats from Oxbow, Small Pet Select, or The Natural Cavy. Make sure that you don’t feed too much of the recommended treats to your guinea pigs as it can cause selective eating and obesity. Herbal blends are a great option, too!
Guineadad and Rosewood Pets have great foraging mixes for piggies.