Urgent Diet Question

[jakkismagic]

I have two boys, a 6 month old and a 3 month old. I had them both on a completely raw diet for a while but now I have them both on Kaytee pellets (I can't afford that many veggies). Yes I know how bad Kaytee is for them but it is the only thing available unless I want to bike 3 hours (I don't drive) or spend $40 making a custom order from a local store. I am planning on switching them over to Mazuri in a few weeks when I get enough money to order them from online. But is there anything I can do in the mean time to redeem myself and them about the Kaytee?

Also, the stores in my area are took a turn for the worse with their hay. Every place sells tons of timothy, tons of orchard, and only one place sells tiny bags of alfalfa that has been dyed bright green to look 'fresh'. I talked with each store and none of them will be carrying the hay I need. I just got through a nice big, dye free, bag of alfalfa and I really don't know what to do. I can't really afford buying online, and I don't drive, is there an alternative to Alfalfa for young pigs?
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[PrayerWarrior]

Are the Kaytee pellets all they're being fed, or veggies too? Also, if you take out the colored bits and corn, so that all that's left is pellets, that might be okay for very temporary use.

You don't have to feed alfalfa at all. I know someone on this board just fed a couple sprigs of parsley either everyday, or every other day, to her boys when they were little, for the extra calcium.

[Haley0489]

Originally Posted by PrayerWarrior

I know someone on this board just fed a couple sprigs of parsley either everyday, or every other day, to her boys when they were little, for the extra calcium.

Me! I didn't want to be hassled with buying Timothy and Alfalfa hay, so I just bought fresh Parsley every week and then started growing my own. It gave them the extra calcium they needed without me having to spend significantly more money on hay.

Kaytee really is a bad pellet. If you can insure your pigs are getting Vitamin C daily, I'd cut the Kaytee out completely until you can get Mazuri. Bell pepper is an excellent source of C.

[jakkismagic]

Originally Posted by PrayerWarrior

Are the Kaytee pellets all they're being fed, or veggies too? Also, if you take out the colored bits and corn, so that all that's left is pellets, that might be okay for very temporary use.

I use the all pellet fori-diet food from Kaytee and I give each of them 1 cup of veggies every day spilt into two meals (morning and evening). This morning I woke up a few hours late and my boys were going crazy untill they got their breakfast veggies and cuddles.

Originally Posted by PrayerWarrior

You don't have to feed alfalfa at all. I know someone on this board just fed a couple sprigs of parsley either everyday, or every other day, to her boys when they were little, for the extra calcium.

I worry about to much calcium though, I am really paranoid about stones since I don't have much money and I have a VERY expensive vet (the only one that will see guinea pigs in my area). I make sure every days worth of veggies has the exact ammout of vitamins they need with the perfect Ca:P ratio.

Originally Posted by PrayerWarrior

You don't have to feed alfalfa at all. I know someone on this board just fed a couple sprigs of parsley either everyday, or every other day, to her boys when they were little, for the extra calcium.

My boys love to play and sleep in their hay, not just eat it. Mercutio is OCD with his hay pile and if I relocate it/tidy it up/pick out the toys he has buried in it he will freak out and put it back the way it was. So I would feel bad removing the hay element from their lives.

Originally Posted by Haley0489

I'd cut the Kaytee out completely until you can get Mazuri. Bell pepper is an excellent source of C.

I have 8 pounds left of the Kaytee at the moment so I have to use it all before I can get the Mazuri. I just free feed pellets and give two veggie meals a day, so the pellets, I guess you could say, are the snack between meals. Luckly Sandcrab is a fan of climbing into the bowl and urinating, so the bag should last me about 1 month.

[PrayerWarrior]

Originally Posted by jakkismagic

I worry about to much calcium though, I am really paranoid about stones since I don't have much money and I have a VERY expensive vet (the only one that will see guinea pigs in my area). I make sure every days worth of veggies has the exact ammout of vitamins they need with the perfect Ca:P ratio.

If you're feeding alfalfa hay and calcium rich foods, that's too much calcium, actually.

My boys love to play and sleep in their hay, not just eat it. Mercutio is OCD with his hay pile and if I relocate it/tidy it up/pick out the toys he has buried in it he will freak out and put it back the way it was. So I would feel bad removing the hay element from their lives.

Lordy no, you shouldn't remove hay! I just meant alfalfa. You'd then feed some other kind of grass hay, such as timothy or orchard. They need unlimited hay to keep their back teeth nice and short.

[jakkismagic]

Originally Posted by PrayerWarrior

If you're feeding alfalfa hay and calcium rich foods, that's too much calcium, actually.

Like I said I watch the calcium rich foods so they get the perfect ratio each day.

Originally Posted by PrayerWarrior

Lordy no, you shouldn't remove hay! I just meant alfalfa. You'd then feed some other kind of grass hay, such as timothy or orchard. They need unlimited hay to keep their back teeth nice and short.

OH! Okay, i thought to meant no hay. I will definatly use Timothy, it has less dust and comes in bigger bags.

[Ly&Pigs]

They don't really need alfalfa hay. They need grass hay such as timothy, orchard, bermuda, bluegrass, etc.

Forti-Diet is horrible stuff. Low quality ingredients, dried bacterias and potentially cancer causing preservatives.

What veggies are you feeding on a daily basis. Give me a list and amounts.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I don't think feeding poorer quality pellets for a couple months is a big deal at all. Long term is where the problems lie. Just my humble opinion.

[jakkismagic]

Originally Posted by PiggieMamaKelly

I don't think feeding poorer quality pellets for a couple months is a big deal at all. Long term is where the problems lie. Just my humble opinion.

Thanks, I can't wait to get them on Mazuri. I wish I could have done it sooner but it is near immpossible to get my hands on any high quality foods for any animal where I live. We special order Eagle Pack dog food, I have to get my Harlan Teklad rat diet from rat shows that are two hours from my house, and now I have to special order guiena pig food as well.

[jakkismagic]

Originally Posted by Ly&Pigs

They don't really need alfalfa hay. They need grass hay such as timothy, orchard, bermuda, bluegrass, etc.

Forti-Diet is horrible stuff. Low quality ingredients, dried bacterias and potentially cancer causing preservatives.

What veggies are you feeding on a daily basis. Give me a list and amounts.

I have always heard that young guinea pigs need alfalfa, this is the first time I have heard that they don't.

I know Forti-diet is horrible, but it is the best available at the store I buy at and my mom just bought me 8 more pounds. So I can't just throw her money away, I have to use it to the next month.

To be frank, this wasn't about their veggies and I am not new to guiena pigs. Like I have said many times before I am VERY adamant that they get exactly the ammount of vitamins and Ca:P ratio that they need each day. I use the veggies I have in the house at the time, so I never know what will be in the fridge. They get something new and balenced each morning and I am going to leave it at that.

[RainKindle]

Originally Posted by jakkismagic

I have two boys, a 6 month old and a 3 month old.
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I have at most a 5 month old, (I'm still trying to calculate her age)
When I got her, her previous owners already had her on Timothy pellets.
I've read lots on how important it is to use Timothy vs. Alfalfa when they are no longer babies.
This thread prompted me to look it up on guinea lynx because I didn't know when it was appropriate switch to timothy.
Now I know I am supposed to be still giving her alfalfa. I might see if I can give her veggies that are higher in calcium and instead keep my timothy pellets.
This is a link to the page I read:
Guinea Lynx :: Diet
And this is a link to the discussion concerning at what age to switch to Timothy hay...you can also access it from the first link by clicking on "more" in the pellets topic.
Guinea Lynx :: Topic - Diet -- When to switch from alfalfa to timothy based pellets

[PiggieMamaKelly]

Originally Posted by jakkismagic

it is near immpossible to get my hands on any high quality foods for any animal where I live..

In San Diego??

[jakkismagic]

Originally Posted by PiggieMamaKelly

In San Diego??

I live in Point Loma within the city San Diego. There are only two stores that have small animal food, a Petsmart and a Petco. There is another, but they only carry pine bedding and really cheap food.

Like I said before I don't drive, so I can't really leave Point Loma, it would just be to far to walk or bike.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Daily Pet Quality Products For Pets – TheDailyPet.com and Pet Depot Pet People both carry Oxbow.

So does KW Cages and SD HRS and San Diego Humane Society.

This place is right in Point Loma: Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home

It was on the Oxbow Hay store locater website. It doesn't look like they sell animals. The ones above for sure don't. A few of them feature rescues.

[jakkismagic]

I have never heard of ANY of those places and I have never seen them either. I will check them out on my next bike ride, but I am still going to special order my Mazuri since I use marzuri for my rats as well.