New Piggies and very confused

[soccer_gurl43]

I am a new guinea pig owner, I have owned one for just over one month (whom still is just a baby) and just got another baby one to keep it company. Is there any big does and don'ts that i should know about, I feel very overwhelmed and confused in carring for them, but I just love them to death!! After joining this website I now know that basically everything the pet store told me to do to care for them is wrong, from store treats to mineral and salt wheels to vitamin C drops in their water. They always have unlimited timothy hay and pellets and water. I have been feeding them occational fresh vegetables and fruits because until now I was unaware how important it is in their diet!

[dandymomma]

I feed my piggy the gormet food with the bits of dried fruit in it. He really likes dried bananas. And lots of hay, and then I put vitamin C drops in his water. I went with a glass water bottle so I can sterilize it. After a little while the drops make a bit of a scum. Hope that helps.

[akstrohm]

Actually the plain pellets are far better than the "gourmet" kind. I use the Oxbow brand which you can get online or in some stores. You can go with the cavy performance kind since your pigs are still babies. Kleenmama is good too, as well as a few others. Don't use Kaytee or other common petstore brands. The unlimited timothy hay is great--try lots of fresh vegetables as well. There are good nutrition charts in the stickies to help you figure out what to feed. And stay away from the vitamin C drops--with proper vegetables you don't need them, and they can discourage pigs from drinking. I think you'll find almost all of the information you need in the stickies, so start there. Have fun with your new pigs!

[dandymomma]

Marshmallow actually likes the vitamin drops. He throws a fit if it's not in his water. Probably because we raised him on it. I'm always worried that he is not going to get enough vitamin C. Since it is a water soluable vitamin, it is very difficult to actually "overdose" on it, so I feel better if he gets a little too much, at least I know he's getting it. Thanks for the ideas on food.

[soccer_gurl43]

Thanks for the help!! I appreciate all the tips and hopefully I can get everything sorted out!

[soccer_gurl43]

Thanks for the help!! I appreciate all the tips and hopefully I can get everything sorted out! How do you know if your pigs are not getting enough Vitamin C are there any signs or symptoms

[akstrohm]

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ang-water.html

Vitamin C degrades too quickly in the water to be useful. Please read the above thread.

And here's some information on Vit. C deficiency: http://www.guinealynx.info/scurvy.html

[Janelle]

As akstrohm said, as long as you feed a variety of the proper vegetables, you should be fine with the vitamin C. Most of us here particularly like feeding a chunk of green pepper daily for this reason.

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by dandymomma

I feed my piggy the gormet food with the bits of dried fruit in it. He really likes dried bananas. And lots of hay, and then I put vitamin C drops in his water. I went with a glass water bottle so I can sterilize it. After a little while the drops make a bit of a scum. Hope that helps.

Gourmet food with dried fruit in it is garbage. The bits are a choking hazard and the ingredients are subpar. Dried fruits contain too much sugars and cause obesity. You need to ditch the C in the water as it degrades too fast with light exposure. This is bad advice for both pellets and C.

Please read the sticky threads at the top of this forum. There are nutrition charts that contain the do's and don'ts for proper pig nutrition.

[soccer_gurl43]

What is a good online website to buy the Oxbow brand pellets or Kleenmama pellets? I have checked all of my local pet stores and no one carries either brand.

[alm_nin]

Oxbow http://www.oxbowhay.com
Kleenmama http://www.kmshayloft.com

Even though the shipping costs might seem expensive, if you buy in bulk and figure your cost per pound, even with shipping it is usually cheaper than buying smaller bags in pet stores.

[dra&pigs]

Like alm_nin said, although the shipping adds up to be a little much, if you buy in bulk, its usually cheaper, and the quality is far, far better than anything at the pet stores.
Dandymomma-the pellets your pig is getting is garbage. Switching to Oxbow, Kleenmama, Sweet Meadow or Mazuri pellets will provide a much healthier diet for him/her.

[Wheek Weak]

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...arts-info.html

Print the above chart to use on a daily basis.

Green bell pepper (1/8th twice per day, per pig) will provide all the required vitamin C.

Use the yellow coded foods for the everyday foundation of the diet. Then add the blue, purple, and red as additions according to the chart.

They should have a minimum of 1/2 to 1 cup of fresh veggies per meal. Twice a day.