sunflower seeds?

[KIMMER]

I had read on another website when I first got my first pig a few month back that they should not have sunflower seeds in the shell, That is the only site I have ever read that on, Over the weekend I bought my pigs a bag of goodies and it has sunflower seeds in it, I havent given them any yet but should I go thru and seperate all of those out or can they have them?

[morrigan]

As far as I know, any kind of seed isn't good for them. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[cavylover]

well i dont see why you couldnt give it to them. If its in the guinea pig food bag mixture why wouldnt it be

[Merrill]

If it's in the mix then I guess you can give it to them, but very sparingly as nuts are very high in fat.

[morrigan]

Remember, guinea pigs are herbivores!
Avoid these foods:

• Don't fall for commercial treats marketed for cavies (like yoghurt drops) which can even be detrimental to their health. Consuming these empty calories (many contain fat, sugars and even excess calcium) can result in decreased consumption of the basic foods they really need.
• Do not feed mixes or treats with nuts, seeds, dried fruit and dyed pieces.
• Do not use mineral wheels.
• Do not feed meat.
• Do not feed rabbit pellets (they do not contain Vitamin C and some may even include antibiotics toxic to cavies).
• Do not feed dairy products.

http://www.guinealynx.info/nutrition.html#nutrition

[cavylover]

bla i dont even goto guinealynx anymore theres so many people and sites that say different things that i just stopped asking i read the ingredient list.

[cavylover]

by the way morrigan how old is your oldest guinea pig or the oldest you've ever had

[Treen]

It's very important to reserch things rather than assuming that because things are made for guinea pigs, and sold by pet shops, that they are healthy for them. Shops exist to make money, very few really think about the merits of what they're selling. Just a few examples are guinea pig mixes (containing nuts and seeds), guinea pig exercise balls, multivitamin drops to be added to their water and mite sprays. All are useless (and can also be dangerous) products. I appreciate there's a lot of useless information on the net and it's sometimes hard to know which site is right and which is wrong, but GL is definitely one with information you can trust.

Seeds are too high in fat and protein for a guinea pig's requirements. Plus the shells can pose a choking hazard too. It's just really not a good idea to feed them seeds, especially when there are so many things that they love that are good for them. Try and find a plain pellet, Kimmer - one with no added rubbish or colourful bits - and bypass the 'treats' completely as they contain all sorts of nonsense they shouldn't have in their diets. A plain pellet is what's best for them - Oxbow do some good ones. If you want to treat them, use veggies or give them extra floor time.

[cavylover]

The youngest any of my pigs were when they died was 6 and the olny reason for that was heat stroke.I add vitamins to my pigs water but dont give them nuts.The Treats arent regular treats.My regular petshop owner makes them and sells them and my piggys love it even more then lettuce.And i feed my cavys ICEBURG lettuce and bring them to the vet once every 4 months and ya know what they are healthier then ever.I just got sick of listening to sites complaining about stupid things like that.No doubt Treen i get what your saying but come on in the wild do you think that Wild guinea pigs wont eat nuts or even dirt to stay alive............ plz dont reply bitching at me cause thats what people like doing on forums. This is my opinion and its not directed at anyone.

[morrigan]

Originally Posted by cavylover

by the way morrigan how old is your oldest guinea pig or the oldest you've ever had

Mine's 6 months. I think when we bought him, he's already 1 month old.

[tashagurl]

veggies are not really a treat because they are part of thier staple diet. a "treat" is some thing you give them every so often. chocolate and ice cream and potato chips are not good for us but we eat them.by the way some of the treat stick have a wood core with something atached to the end so that they can hang on the cage. i find the make excelent chew sticks. mine wont use a chew stick that is just lieing on the floor of their cage. they get dirty.

[pig pal]

My guys are crazy about the guinea pig treat mix with sunflower nuts and other seeds and things. Occasionaly one will get stuck in the mouth though. Now I'll probably give them less from now on and ya they are a little heavy.