Why are the fruits and veggies so important?

[pgpsm]

I never realy feed my pigs fruits and veggies. They have a good health record. How do you measure fruits and veggies? Why feed them? Are they a waist of money?
Also my pigs get loads of hay, 1/4 cup of food per pig and plenty of water... but why do they eat half of som of their poops? When I clean the cage I find half eaten poops! HEALP!!!

[salana]

Vegetables provide much more vitamin C than can be provided by pellets. Plus, you can use them to bond with your guinea pigs, to the extent that they will see you as "the veggie person, wheek wheek wheek!"

Guinea Lynx :: Diet

Guinea pigs naturally eat some of their poops to ingest vital nutrients (mostly B vitamins) made in their cecum by symbiotic bacteria. This is called coprophagy.

[jbyrd3810]

It's kind of like you and me.... we can live without eating vegatables, but we would not be very healthy.

[wiggley_narco]

It is extremely important to feed vegetables because it provides vitamins pellets alone cannot. It also provides a variety. Would you like to only be served loaf bread for the rest of your life? It would get boring really quick. Most vegetables you can feed your pigs are very affordable; just check your local grocery store. And as Salana said, coprophagy (poop-eating) is very normal and healthy.

You could find out every reason you could ever need to know for feeding your pigs vegetables simply by reading some of the pages and sticky threads on this site. You say your pigs are healthy--does this mean they aren't sick? Just because they aren't sick doesn't mean they are at their optimum health.

I do hope that you will see the importance of veggies to a guinea pig's diet. I also hope that you will properly care for them and avoid neglecting or abusing them in any way.

[Ly&Pigs]

Read this thread- especially the second portion of it. http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...arts-info.html.

It's essential to feed veggies and a bit of fruit now and then to ensure that your pigs are getting the proper amount of C and all the other vitamins and minerals they need. If they do not get enough C (which they cannot make on their own) they can get a condition called scurvy. Scurvy, left untreated, can be fatal meaning they will die. The C that is in pellets (especially in low quality brands) doesn't last very long. If it's left exposed to light and air, it degrades much faster and you don't know how much C your pigs are getting per day. By feeding 1 cup of fresh veggies per pig per day, you are ensuring that your pigs are getting the required vitamin C dosage.

Also since cavies are constant grazers, it gives them something nutritious to eat besides hay. Pellets are the least part of any cavies diet.

What brand of pellets do you feed your pigs?

[pgpsm]

Well, they also have vitamen drops in their water.

[guineapigluver1]

Umm...As far as I know your not supposed to put vitamin drops in their water...Am I right Ly?

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Yes, you shouldn't be adding anything to their water Guinea Lynx :: Diet

The only supplement they would need is vit C and you use the pill form or syringe it directly. They can overdose on multivitamins, leading to kidney and liver problems.

[Jenni_Feathers]

Vitamin drops are no good, not only do they distort the water they also degrade very quickly and do no good. See this thread: http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ang-water.html

[chexxy]

Originally Posted by wiggley_narco

You say your pigs are healthy--does this mean they aren't sick? Just because they aren't sick doesn't mean they are at their optimum health.

That is very true. Before I knew better, and didnt feed vegies, I was lucky and had no sickness. But now that I feed veggies my pigs have alot more energy, and there coats are amazingly sleek and shiny. Please do the right thing. 1 cup of leafy greens, like lettuce, and other veggies daily. Look at on the charts on the link that someone posted.

[fourboys4now]

When you feed your piggies vegetables and occasional fruit you will not believe how happy it makes them! If I shake a bag of lettuce or veggies they go crazy and start popcorning and wheeking.

There are so many choices to let them try. Mine love romaine, green leaf and red leaf lettuce. Also green and red peppers would be a good veggie for them to try, mine love it so much. There is a great link on this site for which veggies and fruits that are safe to eat. I have fun looking thru the veggies section at the grocery store to see what I can try next.

Also, I would not use the vitamin c drops in their water. It makes it taste bad and the vitamins degrade in 15 minutes or so.

[pgpsm]

Ok, well I learned something new! I will talk to my parents so they will buy some veggies! This debate is now finished!

[wiggley_narco]

Two things:

First, you've already said in another thread that you put vitamin drops in your GP's water, and you were told it was a bad idea. Please stop doing this--you're only hurting your pigs.

Second, you asked a question and received several helpful answers. There was no debate; therefore, there is no need to let us know that it is finished.

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by wiggley_narco

Two things:

First, you've already said in another thread that you put vitamin drops in your GP's water, and you were told it was a bad idea. Please stop doing this--you're only hurting your pigs.

Second, you asked a question and received several helpful answers. There was no debate; therefore, there is no need to let us know that it is finished.

And Third, you don't get to decide if this thread is done or not.

I hope you are learning something from this forum this time around. I'm still waiting for an answer to my question about what brand of pellets you are feeding.