[Ly&Pigs]

I am currently working on a chart revision as I have free time but as with all good things, it will take time to do.

Hopefully these charts will help members to better figure out what foods are safe and how often something can be fed. Hopefully it will cut down on the amount of questions asked if something can be fed, etc. If it's not on the list or in the pdf, don't feed it. The pdf contains some additional info on safe forages that can be fed in addition to the veggie-fruit charts.

Do NOT take these copyrighted images or the copyrighted pdf document and post them anywhere else on the web.
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The keys to a good diet for your guinea pigs are to use a wide range of vegetables and a bit of fruit. Keep fruits and vegetables low in calcium, low in oxalic acids and to aim for a good balance of Calcium:Phosphorus (Ca:P) between 1.5:1 and 2:1. There is a great Ca:P ratio calculator on the nutrition page at GuineaLynx- http://guinealynx.info/calculator.xls.

All foods in 100 gram portions *except where noted
100 grams = approximately 3.6 ounces, measurements are in g-grams, mg-milligrams and mcg-micrograms.
All foods raw *except where noted, n/a= no data available

IMPORTANT NOTE on Swiss Chard: It is listed as an "almost daily" food on my charts but it should be fed as a once or twice a week food due to very high levels of oxalic acid (OA can bind with calcium to form oxalate stones). When I put together the charts, I did not have the OA info on this particular veggie.

On Fruits: Fruits are best fed only once or twice a week in small quantities such as 1/8 of an apple, 1/4 of a kiwi, 1/8 of an orange, 1-2 grapes, 1 strawberry, etc. as they are high in sugars. I know some are listed as ok for daily use but they really aren't. Keeping the diet low in sugars helps prevent things in the long run like diabetes.







The pdf document can be opened here:
Diet and Nutrition Charts

You may save a copy for personal use.

There will be an accompanying thread for discussion found here:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...tml#post254731