Treats: Can I feed petstore treats?

[Char-x]

Has anyone seen the 'naturals' selection in Pets at Home stores? Most of there stuff I think is good for piggys...none of that stupid added suagr or colourings...

[ava&lilly]

I think it is ok to feed them pet store treats... but usually it is an occasional treat. mostly they get pellets, hay,veggies, fruit and dry oatmeal... they seem to LOVE it

[I<3MyBabies]

Ava, no petstore treats, They are junk food. Again love, read the thread. The question was answered by a moderator.

[ava&lilly]

ok... the only "store treats" i give them are these little wood sticks with veggie flakes/fruit flakes. it is by Nutriphase and it was a product of canada

[cs275]

What about yogurt treat, too much sugar?

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by I<3MyBabies

Ava, no petstore treats, They are junk food. Again love, read the thread. The question was answered by a moderator.

Exactly.

Just to let you know, I've studied guinea pig nutrition for 2+ years. Please don't give treats made by Nutriphase or any pet store treats as most are made from low quality ingredients and contain things like corn, high sugar content, seeds, colored bits, nuts, etc. These only cause obesity in pigs and they can pose serious choking hazards. If you want to give treats, give healthy veggies and an occasional piece of fruit.

Dry oatmeal is on the no list as well. Cavies have a hard time digesting many grains. They don't need it nor do they benefit from it.

Yogurt treats are a definate no as cavies are lactose intolerant.

[Sammy and Peanut]

Is it okay to give them Tasty Twigs?

[Ly&Pigs]

Here is the info I found on Tasty Twigs-

Munch & crunch! Satisfy your small animal's need to munch with Tasty Twigs. The perfect snack for hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, mice & rats, Tasty Twigs are colorful sticks your pet can eat daily. Available in 2 oz. or 4 oz. bags.

Ingredients: Flour, Soya Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Corn Syrup, Yeast, Baking Soda, EEU Approved Natural and Artificial Flavors and Colors.

The things in bold are not good for cavies. I would avoid these. You will find most pigs won't even chew on any of these type products. Most pigs aren't big chewers. You need to provide unlimited grass hay to help their teeth. If your pig does like to chew, get some plain apple branches or fruit tree branches (NON-pitted fruits only) for them to munch on.

Not sure why you had put the link to google in there. It served no purpose so I removed it.

[trying to learn]

I wanted to thank everyone for all of these wonderful answers. I have learned alot.

[theresaj]

Frankie loves bananas or apples as his extra special treats. He also loves cucumbers.

[PixieStix]

Originally Posted by theresaj

Frankie loves bananas

Just make sure to go easy on the banana, these should be a VERY rare treat if fed at all (a small bit one time a month max). They have been known to cause severe bloat in pigs.

[theresaj]

He came with Kaytee Honey treat bars but I don't give him anymore of those. His extra special treats are bits of banana apple or peach. I mainly give these to him after like nail clipping time or to reward him. They're not on his general diet.

[love4guineapigs]

What about grapes or oranges?

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by love4guineapigs

What about grapes or oranges?

Fresh can be fed but like with all fruits in small portions and only once or twice per week. Please see the Nutrition Charts thread in the sticky thread section of the Diet and Nutrition forum.

[Zipfelmuetze]

My guinea pig enjoys: Parsley, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, Paprika (red), apples, cucumber, and blueberries. Punk isn't so fond of strawberries.
The store treat that I give him are Vitakraft Lofties.

[Ly&Pigs]

You need to stop with those treats. Vitacraft is one of the worst companies for treats along with 8-in-1 and Hartz. The only treats they need are extra veggies and the occasional fruit.

You also need to ditch the red paprika.

[RainKindle]

Originally Posted by Char-x

Has anyone seen the 'naturals' selection in Pets at Home stores? Most of there stuff I think is good for piggys...none of that stupid added suagr or colourings...

There was one really healthy treat that I found once. No sugar, no dairy... It was half timothy hay and it had stabilized vitamin c in it.
Maple totally ignored it!
Don't waste the money.
The best treats are fresh veggies and some fruits.

[Bennalaya]

Okay, here is my thing - I know that I wouldn't eat day-glo colored yogurt drops. So why on earth should I feed them to my furry family members? It honestly appalls me to see what is available at pet stores for small animals. Seriously, hanging seed feeders for cavies?

It's unfortunate, because these types of treats are marketed to parents who think buying their six year old daughter a Guinea Pig from PetSmart is a good idea and the Little Princess likes hot pink, so the piggie should have hot pink treats. Parents see the little rabbit, rat and guinea pig on the package, so it must be safe. Right? Wrong! Seed treats are for birds. Nuts are for squirels.

Some people assume, "well, this bag of yogurt drops is only $3.99 and there's a guinea pig on the bag. It's probably way cheaper than buying fresh fruits and veggies, anyway." I purchased Abby's veggies tonight at Publix. Here is what I spent (bearing in mind that I already had some other fruits and veggies in the fridge to get through the weekend):

Yellow Squash .34
Red Leaf Lettuce $1.69
Zucchini .86

There you go. Abby's favorite veggies and it came to under $3.00. And you can't put a price on their happiness and health. I just wanted to illustrate how buying the multi-colored junk in the bag because it "looks pretty" or "looks tasty" or it's assumed it is cheaper than buying fresh produce is nonsensical. Pretty colors do nothing for cavies. They eat their own feces the first trip through the digestive system. They really don't give a hang if there are compressed sesame seed pretzel sticks dipped in neon green and orange yogurt in their bowl.

[AnimalHouse36]

Originally Posted by ava&lilly

and dry oatmeal... they seem to LOVE it

I'm sorry but dry oatmeal?! I don't think I've ever heard of that one! You need to stop feeding that! PRONTO! They are strict herbavores. Who knows what that could do to them! (well ly would but!)

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by AnimalHouse36

I'm sorry but dry oatmeal?! I don't think I've ever heard of that one! You need to stop feeding that! PRONTO! They are strict herbavores. Who knows what that could do to them! (well ly would but!)

It won't kill them but in time it will make them obese and could make them picky eaters. Cavies have a hard time digesting grains.