Vitamin C tablets

[zachdave]

I have a 4 month old female GP (Peanut) and recently adopted another female (7-8 month old called Fudge) that was being kept alone. They will be in a 2 x3 C&C cage with a 1 x2 loft. After the quarantine period is over next week, I am wondering about two things: Peanut loves her Oxbow Vitamin C pellet. Fudge has never been given Vit C pellets (she was getting a liquid vitamin that I know is worthless) but she accepted the Oxbow pellet. Any idea how to get Fudge to eat hers and keep Peanut from eating both tablets once they are in the same cage? Neither one will eat from my hand (at least not yet). The second question is about the food. I feed Oxbow Cavy Performance to Peanut. When I introduce them next week, can I just move them both to Cavy Cuisine? Fudge has been fed a Hartz Mountain brand pellet which I know is garbage. I thought I would just mix the Cavy Performance and Cavy Cuisine for a week or so, and then let them both eat Cuisine. I know that Fudge is past the 6 month mark and should not get the alfalfa based Performance pellet, and Peanut should be getting Cavy Performance for another 2 months. But I'm thinking that the Cavy Cuisine is fine for her at this point. Any advice on both questions is appreciated!

[Toadies]

I give my boys the vitamin c from Oxbow as well. I offer it to them and stay at the cage for a minute or so. One eats it right away and the other might. If the second doesn't eat it right away, I pick it up and offer it again later. If he doesn't display any interest after a couple of days, I use a pill crusher (they crush easily) and add about 1 cc water, put it into a 3cc syringe and feed by hand. One of my piggs has respiratory issues and is on c supplement daily. Fotunately, he is the one that likes it. So does one of my dogs.

[Ly&Pigs]

Are you feeding veggies? If you are feeding a good variety of veggies, you don't need the C tablet at all, it's overkill. Too much C can cause a condition called Pseudo Scurvy, which is almost as bad as scurvy. If your pigs aren't eating veggies or many veggies then it's ok but you'd really only need 1/2 of an oxbow C tablet per day. If they are eating a cup of veggies each per day, then save the C tablets for a time when they aren't eating veggies at all.

You can make the switch to Cavy Cuisine. Just make sure your younger pig gets a bit extra calcium in his diet with veggies (like parsley every couple of days).

[zachdave]

Thanks LY. Peanut eats a good variety of veggies, but my new female Fudge eats lettuce and little else. She'll need to learn from Peanut. It is interesting to see how different they are. Peanut eats hay but not nearly as much as Fudge.. Fudge goes through the entire daily supply and I keep adding more. Fudge also drinks much more than Peanut... the water bottle was hardly touched with Peanut but now it's 25% empty at the end of the day.

[Ly&Pigs]

You may need to give Fudge 1/4-1/2 tablet daily but Peanut won't need any.

How old are they? What brand of pellets are you feeding and how much are you giving of the pellets?

[zachdave]

Peanut is about 4-5 months old and Fudge is 7-8 months. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have been feeding Peanut Oxbow Cavy Performance. Fudge was eating a Hartz Mountain Brand when I adopted her last week. I have been giving Peanut unlimited pellets (although she eats 2 ounces or less daily). I moved Fudge over to Cavy Performance also, just until I get my order of Cavy Cuisine in a few days. I figured that was a better option than the Hartz stuff, even though it is alfalfa based. Cavy Cuisine has Vitamin C in it as I understand, although it may lose its potency when the bag is opened. Peanut avidly devours the Vit C, and Fudge lets it sit for a while, so I anticipate an issue when they are put in the same cage. She won't eat from my hand. I know I need to limit pellets but until Peanut is 6 months, what do you suggest I do? Limit or not?