Quick Diet Question

[orkid]

I was looking at the nutritional charts and I didn't see anything about chives. Can they eat them? I bought some thinking it was OK, but now I'm not so sure.

Thanks.

Daphne

[pignewton]

I don't know for sure but aren't they a member of the onion family? Onions are strictly a NO for cavies.

[orkid]

Ahhh yes this is true. I wasn't sure since I got them in the herb section. Thanks for the info.

[this_lil_piggy]

This is what I found, by

doing a quick forum search on "chives"

Re: Mushrooms, Potatoes, and Onions? - 12-07-06, 07:17 pm

Not all onions are toxic. Chives and green onion tops can be fed in moderation and some pigs enjoy sweet onions like valdalia onions. Leeks are also a popular hit with my bunch but I only feed the green tops.

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ghlight=chives

I would say no to wild chives because you don't know what animals have used that area as a restroom. Chives that are commercially grown and available in stores are ok.

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ghlight=chives

In small amounts, they are ok. Happy feeding!

[orkid]

Oooohhh fantastic! Many thanks. I hadn't even thought of doing a search that way... *slaps forehead*.

I"ll remember for next time.

[Ly&Pigs]

Onions are strictly a NO for cavies.

Not sure where you heard this info but it's wrong. Please check your info before posting wrong info here on the forum please. If onions or any relatives of onions were toxic, my own pigs would have been dead a very long time ago. Only spicy or hot onions should be avoided and I don't feed the bulb portion of chives, green onions or leeks to my herd.

Both of the quotes in this_lil_piggy's post came from me. For the newbies out there that read this thread- well I am considered the resident guinea pig nutritionist on this forum.

[orkid]

Well, I think that if a guinea pig could make an "are you kidding me face", Benny would have make a good one. There was no way either one of them was going to try chives.

Oh well.. I'll find other veggies!

[this_lil_piggy]

Don't fret just yet. My pigs gave me that expression the first many times I tried to give them peppers. They avoided them like they were evil. ( I can't say I blame them, I love cooked peppers, but a raw green bell pepper? blech!) However, after placing the peppers in with their salad persistently, they now all love peppers, and even take them from my hands. There are lots of things that pigs just simply have to acquire a taste for.

When Ly first posted that response about green onion tops back in December, I decided to pick some up and try them. The first 2 feeds I got the same "yuck" reaction, and the 3rd time they all decided green onions weren't so bad afterall. The same with green beans.

[Ly&Pigs]

Many piggies are not going to want to try new veggies on the first try. That's why you give it in small amounts several times. My girls used to absolutely hate oranges. A couple months ago I decided to try again and now they will eat them.

[orkid]

They wouldn't touch green peppers, but I added a little orange juice (from real oranges) to their veggies and they gobbled the peppers right up. I don't do the juice thing often, but they sure do love their veggies when I put it on.

I love my pigs.

[pignewton]

I stand corrected and apologize for giving the wrong info. I do know that I read that onions were not to be given somewhere and I am now checking to see if I can find the source.

[pignewton]

I am an idiot! It is dogs that should not be given onions. Again, sorry, I did read it but it was regarding another species. I promise to be more careful in the future.

[this_lil_piggy]

Hehe It happens.

Orkid I came up with the orange juice trick a while back, it works great. Granted, it shouldn't be done at every meal, but to trick a reluctant pig it works great and is no different than giving an occasional orange slice. Have you tried it on the chives?

[orkid]

No I didn't try it on the chives. I"ll buy fresh ones.. the ones I purchased I had to cut quite a bit to remove anything that didn't look good.

I wanted to share this link with you, what do you think about this food?

http://www.versele-laga.com/Nutri/Nu...ctvoorstelling

This is what I recently purchased since I couldn't find anything better for my pigs. I did find a pet store that is ordering some KayTee for me this week, so I should have it soon.

I have to say that with this food that I bought there is much less pooping and there is quite a bit less odor than there was, but it's really expensive stuff. $6.00 for a 500g bag. Anyway, just wanted some opinions.

Thanks.

[this_lil_piggy]

I have never heard of Cavia Complete, and so far haven't found any reliable info on it.
A red flag for me though, is the lack of ingredients list. The website only gives a vague over view of nutritional values. They don't provide a detailed list of what the pellet is actually made of.
There are lots of unhealthy things that can be in pellets...cancer causing preservatives, corn, grains, dyes, etc.
Another red flag for me is they make references to these pellets also being good for other animals such as rabbits... Rabbit foods often contain "medications" in them that are toxic to guinea pigs. In general it is not a good idea to feed your pigs a product that is marketed to more than one species. Since there is no actual ingredients list, I can't say if or if not any of these things are in them.

IF it were me, I would avoid them, unless you can find an actual ingredients list to post for someone to look over for you.

I can tell you for sure, that Kaytee foods aren't recomended. They carry a whole host of things in their pellets that are not healthy, and can cause medical problems. Their hay, and beddings are ok, but their pellets are bad.

If the store is willing to order in pellets for you, I would ask them about ordering Oxbow for you, or maybe Mazuri (purina) brand as a last resort.
Have you tried the store locator on the oxbow website ( Oxbow Pet Products | Welcome ) or called local vets, farm supplies, and feed stores to see if you can find someone near by that carries it or would be willing to get it?

Nutrition isn't my area of expertise by any means. I simply pass on what I can find, and the knowledge I have gained around here. Maybe someone can offer more than I have.
You might find these links helpful, as well:
Guinea Lynx :: Pellets
Guinea Lynx :: Topic - Cavy Pellet Analysis

[Jennicat]

Originally Posted by pignewton

I am an idiot! It is dogs that should not be given onions. Again, sorry, I did read it but it was regarding another species. I promise to be more careful in the future.

No worries. I tend to be on the paranoid side and not feed the pigs vegetables that are poisonous to the dog or cat either.

[orkid]

Gosh, where did I get that Kaytee was Ok? Wasn't there a brand other than Oxbow that was alright? I did go on the Oxbow site and I wanted to order but I can't since I'm in Canada.

There isn't any nutritional information on my box from that company either. It's the same as on the website.

Well, I'm at a loss now.. not sure what to do. There's a pet store in Montreal that sells Oxbow, I'll contact them and see if I can get some shipped.

Thanks.

[smartorl]

I have a small herb garden off of my kitchen and I keep it trimmed to keep it healthy and the pigs and my birds love it! My pigs love chives, they do stain the mouth and the pigs poo will have a garlicy smell.

[Ly&Pigs]

I am an idiot! It is dogs that should not be given onions.

You aren't an idiot.

The top brands of pellets are KM's, Oxbow and then if you cannot get either of those the next choice in the US would be Mazuri 5664. Not sure if they carry Mazuri in Canada but Martins and Proform are ok choices in Canada for pellets and there is one more but my brain isn't fully working at the moment and I can't remember the name of it.

I do wish I could find an ingredients list for the Cavia Complete. Just by looking at the pellet, it doesn't look so good with all the colored pellets. I sure wouldn't trust it until an ingredients list has been found and we see just what's in it.

[orkid]

Thanks Ly... you made me remember to call that Petstore about the Oxbow.
Thanks for all the advice. It's so confusing, I'm happy to be doing my homework and reading about all the different foods and stuff.

So many people don't care.