Vitamin C a yes or a no-no

[miccee]

I'm really confused... this forum, people always emphasizes that vitamin C supplements should not be fed either in a dilution or solid form. But why? Since they can't synthesize vitamin C ( which I think humans can't also ) why not take vitamin C supplements? Well, at a lower dosage, I mean, which is suitable for the pigs ( I have no idea what dosage is a high or low for pigs ). I heard people saying feeding them with fruit and vegetables will supply them vitamin C. So, my real concern is, why can't we use vitamin C?

[GPSlave]

I can only speak from personal experience, raising 14 gp's over the past 4 years. All of our piggies have been healthy, and we give pellets fortified with vitamin C, and occassionally chewable vitamin C drops. Where did you read that it was not a good idea to give vitamin C supplements?

[dagwellismypigy]

see oxbow's line of supplements. I only give them to them once a week because my piggies dont like them but they will eat them every week because they forget what they are.

[miccee]

I saw in quite a few websites that vitamin C will either change the water taste which results in the pigs not drinking the water. Some even said that vitamin C does something to the kidney or something... I forgot but I'm very sure that they said giving supplements is not a good idea compared to giving organic substance like vegetable and fruits. But thanks for the information, I'll see what the pet shop in Malaysia has for guinea pigs.

[GPDaisy]

Originally Posted by dagwellismypigy

see oxbow's line of supplements. I only give them to them once a week because my piggies dont like them but they will eat them every week because they forget what they are.

Do you give each of them one full tablet? I see that they're 50mg and wondered if that's too much for them at one time. Also, if they don't like them, how do you get them to take it?

[Katie]

We have never given supplements. If you can find a GOOD supplement, like the ones on Oxbow, they are fine. However, NEVER use one that needs to be put in the water, it changes the taste and degrades rapidly.

A variety of fresh foods, like grass, clover, dandelion, and vegetables will give them all the vitamin C they need. In the wild cavies don't go to the pharmacy and ask for supplements do they?

[GPDaisy]

Originally Posted by Katie

We have never given supplements. If you can find a GOOD supplement, like the ones on Oxbow, they are fine. However, NEVER use one that needs to be put in the water, it changes the taste and degrades rapidly.

A variety of fresh foods, like grass, clover, dandelion, and vegetables will give them all the vitamin C they need. In the wild cavies don't go to the pharmacy and ask for supplements do they?

I'm learning so much here...I shouldn't use the vitamin C drops (the ones that go in water) I got with my starter kit?

[Katie]

I'm learning so much here...I shouldn't use the vitamin C drops (the ones that go in water) I got with my starter kit?

No, don't use them. They are nothing but crap and the other vitamins in it can cause problems. Once they hit the water and are in the light, the vitamin C starts to degrade, rapidly and it would do nothing for your cavy.

[dagwellismypigy]

Originally Posted by GPDaisy

Do you give each of them one full tablet? I see that they're 50mg and wondered if that's too much for them at one time. Also, if they don't like them, how do you get them to take it?

i take each pig out seperatly and break the tablet up and mix it up with shreeded romaine, works likea char i use the whole tablet for my one year old but i can only get 1/ of one into my 9 week-er i figure that should help just incase

[Ly&Pigs]

The Vitamin C in water breaks down too rapidly and alot of pigs won't drink the water with the C in it because it makes the water taste funny. Some of the people on guinealynx give their pigs a 1/4 tablet of a children's vitamin C tablet supplement daily, but if you feed your pigs the proper diet of veggies and fruit and they are very healthy you really don't have to give them supplements.