Vitimin C Drops in water or not???

[Arianna81]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Hi! My family just bought a new guinea pig yesterday and I want to know what people think about putting vitmin C drops in the water or should we just feed the guinea pig a slice or orange everyday? Also, we only bought one guinea pig is that REALLY BAD? Everywhere I read it says you should buy 2!!!!!!!!! Thanks in advance for you replies!!!!!!!!!![/FONT]

[OSUCavies]

You do not need drops in the water. It's useless because is dissolves within minutes and the other stuff in there can make the water taste funny to the piggies.

You CAN get a supplement (not a multi-vitamin, just vit C) and give it to them orally, but the best thing to do is make sure he or she gets a really good pellet food (Oxbow timothy hay pellets are great) and not any mixed pellet stuff.
And make sure he/she is getting plenty of veggies. Some to give daily are lettuce, bell peppers, cilantro, cherry tomatoes and endive. These veggies can give them enough vitamins for the day!

Here is another link to more veggie/fruits they can have:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/about-guinea-pigs/22156-cavy-nutrition-charts.html

[OSUCavies]

As far as oranges, as you can see on the chart, they are high in sugar and should NOT be given every day. Only once or twice a week.

[emoxrobot]

Welcome to the forums! I'm glad you found this place. Hopefully you will learn how to properly care for your guinea pig.

First thing is that Vitamin C drops are no good for guinea pigs. The vitamin C evaporates in minutes in water and sunlight all thats left are substances that are not good for them. You should be feeding you guinea pigs fresh greens everyday for their vitamin c supplement like romaine lettuce for example. Fruit should not be given all the time because it may cause mouth sores.

It is better to have at least 2 guinea pigs because guinea pigs are herd animals and are happier with some company. Please don't buy a guinea pig from a store. They tend to be sick and come from breeders and mills. There is also a very big guinea pig overpopulation. You should try and find a place to adopt a guinea pig in your area. If you need help finding one, please let us know and we will help.

I do encourage you to build a bigger cage if you havn't already. You can find out how to do that here: http://www.guineapigcages.com You guinea pig will be happier with more space.

I would also recommend reading the topics on: Guinea Lynx :: A Medical and Care Guide for Your Guinea Pig you will find all the info you need including what food to feed you pig, etc.

Hope that you enjoy your time here at guineapigcages and if you have questions feel free to ask.

[OSUCavies]

Go to this site for healthy pellets for your piggie.

There's also a store locator that can tell you what places near you sell it!

Oxbow Pet Products | Welcome