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Pellets how to switch to better pellets and have her accept them

allycat

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I have rescue who was on Martin's Guinea Pig pellets. I know those are garbage and got some Oxbow Essentials Adult Guineg Pig pellets. I started the oxobw 3 days ago and have followed the directions have mixing a 1/4 new food wtih 3/4 current food (to make up a total of 1/8 cup). She is not accepting the oxbow and will eat all the old pellets and leave the oxbow. She has unlimited hay during the day and veggies twice a day.

Does anyone have tips on how to successfully switch a piggy over to new pellets?
 

Thumper27

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I'm not sure, I switched to KM but they love them. They say if you want to tryen get them to eat a new veggie you should chop it fine and put it on the pellets, I would be curious if that would help with the new pellets, chop the veggies on it, and see if she eats the pellets. But I also know they are the least important of all the piggie food groups...
 

Kim37040

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I had read a lot of comments on the boards when I was going to switch to a new brand.
But I switched mine cold turkey.
Got rid of the old stuff and started them on the oxbow and it worked out great.

If we had a choice of cookies and broccoli on the same plate, most of use would eat the cookies and leave the green stuff :) Same with piggies.
 

Thumper27

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I had read a lot of comments on the boards when I was going to switch to a new brand.
But I switched mine cold turkey.
Got rid of the old stuff and started them on the oxbow and it worked out great.

If we had a choice of cookies and broccoli on the same plate, most of use would eat the cookies and leave the green stuff :) Same with piggies.

I so want a cookie! Who has cookies?! lol
 

allycat

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Very good point kim37040. I thought about switching her cold turkey and maybe will try that.
 

beachgurl_1988

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I kinda switched mine cold turkey. I offered it in a separate dish, and they didn't eat it. The next day, I didn't give any greens in the morning (as they are used to) and just went cold turkey on the pellets. They had pellets, hay and water. Came home that evening and they had been eating the pellets.

Someone could chime in if I'm wrong, but I dont think their stomachs are as sensitive to food changes like a cat or dog.
 

Cocoa

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Actually, none of my animals (2 dogs, 2 piggies) seem to be sensitive to food changes.
 

kathlaaron

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I so want a cookie! Who has cookies?! lol

lol:D Oh man you are just TOO FUNNY GIRL ! BUT, we all know............."If you give a pig a cookie.....then he'll ask for a glass of milk...." Heehehheeh!!
 

kathlaaron

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Very good point kim37040. I thought about switching her cold turkey and maybe will try that.

My girls have owned my heart for a year now. :) When I first joined, I was feeding junk food pellets too, and someone on here suggested Oxbow,( which I went out, and bought that very evening, of course...) and to throw the junky pellets out, which I promptly did.

So, my girls went "cold turkey" and I am sooooo glad I did ! I believe they are healthier, and better off due to the wise advice some poster gave me.
 

SurfingPigs

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Like others, I went cold turkey, and it was fine. I would try that, and monitor her intake. If she eats substantially fewer pellets for a few days, go back to the original pellets and follow the directions on the back of the Oxbow bag that they provide for switching pellets.
 

nicholelynne

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My piggy used to take 2 or three days to eat his allotted 1/8 cup of crappy pellets. I recently bought a bag of KM hayloft's pellets, and for the first few days, he still took forever to eat them, but now he scarfs them down and has an empty dish every morning. :) I just switched cold turkey, and it was fine. If you want to try gradually, Ive heard of people mixing some of the old and new animal food, (dog, cat, guinea pig, rabbit, doesnt matter), and leaving them in the same container, and the food will soon all smell practically the same, and your pet will eat all of it. :D
 

little loz

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sorry this is really off topic but i am having trouble finding how to create a new thread can u help me please?:)
 

nicholelynne

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At the main forum page, click on whatever subject your new thread would fall under, and at the top, there's a button that says 'start new thread', or something along those lines. :)
 

allycat

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thanks for all the tips. Started her cold turkey today. I will see how it goes
 

KristenMatejka

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Hoping everything is going well. I switched my piggies to better food and they forgot all about the old "garbage" food and dug right in! LITERALLY! Lol, it was too cute to see all of their little noses shoved into the bowls.
 

allycat

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we have success! She is now eating scarfing them down like no tomorrow. So cold turkey was the way to go. I am happy she is off that other crap! Of course she still gets lots of fresh veggies twice a day and unlimited hay
 
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