Brands Kaytee Forti-diet... okay to feed? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**iluvmypigclover** · #1 10-28-08, 09:42 am

I recently switched from Kaytee Fiesta (which had oodles of seeds, nuts, colored bits, etc.) to a plain pellet. In all the pet stores around me, and there are quite a few, the only plain pellet food I can find is Kaytee Forti-diet. The pellets are clearly plain, and they have added vitamin C. Are these okay to be feeding my girlie?

**Paula** · #2 10-28-08, 10:24 am

Not really. The only good foods for pigs are Kleenmama's, Oxbow or Mazuri has a pellet that's acceptable.

My vet recommends Oxbow but I think that's just because he doesn't know KMs as well as the other.

**Deenanicole08** · #3 10-28-08, 10:49 am

Not really, Kaytee isn't the greatest brand. I recommend ordering Kleenmama or Oxbow online. It's cheaper in the long run even with shipping, and the more you buy at one time the more you save, it seems expensive, but you actually save money.

Ly&pigs could pick out the ingredients that are bad in the pellet so if she doesn't see this thread, maybe pm her and ask her what she thinks.

**Haley0489** · #4 10-28-08, 11:25 am

Kaytee is crap. It contains ingredients that are hard for cavies to digest, as well as unnecessary fillers, AND it also has a cancer causing preservative in it called Ethoxyquin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haley0489

This is the list of ingredients for Kaytee's perfect choice guinea pig pellet.

Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Ground Corn, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Ground Oats, Ground Wheat, Dehydrated Carrots, Whole Oats, Rolled Barley, Wheat, Shelled Peanuts, Dried Bananas, Striped Sunflower, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Cane Molasses, Corn Oil, Dried Whey, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide, Potassium Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, DL-Methionine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Carbonate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Copper Oxide, Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite.

The bolded parts are what makes Kaytee a bad pellet, and I didn't even do the whole list.

The oat, wheat and barley are grains which guinea pigs have a hard time digesting.
Corn is a filler, no good.
Peanuts and sunflowers are very high in fats and shouldn't be a part of a guinea pigs diet.
Ethoxyquin is a preservative that is known to cause cancer in small animals.

None of Kaytee's products are of any quality. The best pellets you'll find are Oxbow, KM or Mazuri. Mazuri has to be fed sparingly though as it's high in calcium and may cause bladder sludge/stones if fed too much.

**Ly&Pigs** · #5 10-28-08, 01:13 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haley0489

Kaytee is crap. It contains ingredients that are hard for cavies to digest, as well as unnecessary fillers, AND it also has a cancer causing preservative in it called Ethoxyquin.

Ditto. It's a low quality feed.

**iluvmypigclover** · #6 10-28-08, 01:35 pm

Oh, darn it. Okay. Well, ordering is out of the question, because I am not the one paying for it, but I'll see if I can find another brand. Too bad I just bought this bag, she'll have to finish it. Oh well, I'll get something else instead!

**iluvmypigclover** · #7 10-28-08, 01:37 pm

Oh, excellent! I just checked the Petsmart website, and it seems as though they carry Oxbow. The store is builing built at the moment, but I think it should be open by the time this bag is finished!

**starshine123102** · #8 10-28-08, 01:47 pm

See if you can find Oxbow elsewhere. PetStupid is bad whether or not they sell oxbow. Try a feed store like Agway. Since you live in New England it shouldn't be too hard to find a feed store. (I live in a suburban/urban area and have no troubles.) If they don't already have it most will consider ordering it for you and start supplying it.

**breezy2** · #9 10-28-08, 02:10 pm

What is oxbows direct site? I would like to order some of their products. Can you still order from the site?

**starshine123102** · #10 10-28-08, 02:13 pm

Here it is:

http://www.oxbowhay.com/index.sp

**iluvmypigclover** · #11 10-28-08, 02:16 pm

Okay, I could try.

I understand that you all want whats best for the guinea pigs and all of the other animals, and so do I. I'm a vegetarian, I've done as much as I can to get better food and living area for my pig, etc. But it's really hard for me to just go places to get pet food, since its my parents paying for the food, the gas to go get the food, etc. Fortunatly there is an agway less than 2 miles from my house, but if they don't carry it, I would have to get the food at Petsmart, or Petstupid, or whatever you'd like to call it. I don't mean to be rude, but really, there's only so much I can do!

I'll try to get to Agway as soon as I can, and let you know if I find it or not!

**fieryone** · #12 10-28-08, 02:39 pm

Since you're in New England, Sweet Meadow Farm sells locally at Agway and some independent pet stores. They are located in Massachusetts and I've asked about their pellets before. Ly confirmed that they are comparable to Oxbow. You can go to their website for a store locator. We haven't tried their pellets yet, but my pigs love their hay.

http://sweetmeadowfarm.com/stores.html

**breezy2** · #13 10-28-08, 02:48 pm

Thank you for that link.

**iluvmypigclover** · #14 10-28-08, 03:03 pm

Yes, my pig LOVES Sweet Meadow Hay. I can see if I can find some of their pellets; I wasn't aware that they made any!

**auburnmare5** · #15 10-29-08, 06:52 pm

NO NO NO NO NO! Don't feed any kaytee products if you can help it, especially their pellets. They have a potentially cancer causing ingredient called Ethoxyquin. (sp?) You shouldn't really be feeding any of their products at all. They are honestly CRAP COMPARED TO WHAT IS OUT THERE! At the minimum, feed Mazurri 5664, KM's, Oxbow, or Sweet Meadow. Smudge love Sweet Meadow so much. Good hay, and pellets.
Highly recommend it to everyone. Affordable too!

**Ly&Pigs** · #16 10-29-08, 07:17 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by auburnmare5

NO NO NO NO NO! Don't feed any kaytee products if you can help it, especially their pellets. They have a potentially cancer causing ingredient called Ethoxyquin. (sp?) You shouldn't really be feeding any of their products at all. They are honestly CRAP COMPARED TO WHAT IS OUT THERE! At the minimum, feed Mazurri 5664, KM's, Oxbow, or Sweet Meadow. Smudge love Sweet Meadow so much. Good hay, and pellets.
Highly recommend it to everyone. Affordable too!

You really need to stop with the caps all over your threads. It's the equivalent to screaming.

**iluvmypigclover** · #17 10-29-08, 07:47 pm

Well, as I already said, I use sweet meadow hay and my piggie loves it. I haven't seen the pellets but I sure will look for them.