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Nutrition White Gritt

Popcorn321

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okay so I didn't want to put this in the MEDICAL SECTION because i don't know which of my four piggies caused this, and I don't think it's allowed to post a thread there for an unconnected topic.

Today, on a piece of fabric that was in this white gritty, chalk like substance. I think it's calcium? What am I feeding them to cause this? I use Oxbow Essentials Pellets, Timothy Hay, and 3-4 veggies a day, yesterday they had carrots, lettuce and celery... Any ideas? Thanks!

IMG_8589.JPG.jpg
 

bpatters

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It is calcium, and it may or may not be a problem.

Is it gritty, like fine sand, or powdery?

How old are your pigs?

How many pellets are you feeding?

What kind of lettuce are you feeding?

What other veggies besides those three do they get?
 

Beatrix187

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It is probably calcium buildup. Oxbow pellets have limestone as their calcium source which some piggies have problems with. KMS Has a different calcium sorce and is lower in calcium do maybe you could try those pellets. And also, what type of lettuce are you feeding them? Romaine has more calcium than green leaf or red leaf lettuce so maybe thats part of the problem. And dark greens like spinach and parsley are high in calcium so I wouldn't feed those if you do. So for now I would just try to not feed romaine and if your piggy still has the chalky pee then I would also switch to KMS.
 

Popcorn321

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yeah its sand/powdery, it comes off with a rub. I have two 5 month olds and one 5-6 year old, and one 2-3 year old. @bpatters That reminds me i did feed Kale this morning... is that high in calcium?
I feed Romaine lettuce but now that I think of it I did feed iceberg for the first time in a long time 2 days ago.

I don't give a lot of pellets because my dad notices they always pee on them. I give about two to three handfuls a day.

They get cucumbers a lot, carrots, lettuce a lot, celery, kale, apples, broccoli, rarely cauliflower and that's the common veggies they get.
 
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bpatters

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@popcorn231, could you answer the rest of my questions, please?

And is the white stuff sandy, or is it powdery? It makes a difference in my answer.
 

Popcorn321

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so maybe its the kale that problematic, i'll feed that less.... [MENTION=34899]Beatrix187[/MENTION]
 

Popcorn321

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I added them after, try reloading the page... Its powdery [MENTION=13820]bpatters[/MENTION]
 

Popcorn321

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- powdery
- 4 pigs ( 5 months x2, 5, and 2)
-2-3 handfuls a day
-romaine lettuce but fed iceberg 2 days ago and lots of kale this morning
- cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, celery, kale, cauliflower, apples, broccoli
 

Beatrix187

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Don't feed kale to the 2 and 5 year old, but the 5 month olds can still have it. Piggies shouldn't be fed iceberg lettuce, it has no nutritional value and could cause diarrhea. I would switch to red or green leaf lettuce to cut down calcium.
 

bpatters

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Ok, several things.

First, powdery isn't as bad as gritty. Gritty is already on the way to bladder stones. All guinea pigs have calcium in their urine, but the powdery white deposits mean they've got a lot of it, and you need to reduce the calcium in the diet.

That diet is way high in calcium, and you're very likely to wind up with painful and expensive urinary tract stones.

What brand of pellets? Nearly every brand in the U.S. except KMS Hayloft uses calcium carbonate (limestone) as the calcium source. Many pigs excrete excess calcium in the urine when being fed Oxbow. I'd suggest you switch to KMS Hayloft pellets. They'll be about the same price as Oxbow, or maybe a little more expensive, but WAY WAY cheaper than treating a bladder stone.

Also, 1 tablespoon of pellets per pig per day is plenty. Under no circumstances should they get more than 1/8 cup per pig.

Iceberg lettuce is never good for pigs. It has no nutritional value whatsoever, and you're essentially just giving them crunchy water.

Romaine lettuce (and cilantro) also cause excess urinary calcium in some pigs. The lettuce itself is not particularly high in calcium, and not all pigs show a lot of calcium when eating it. Nobody knows why, but it's either something in or not in the pig, or in or not in the lettuce, that causes it. Other lettuces don't have the same problem, and are readily available. Play it safe and change to either red or green leaf lettuce.

Celery, kale, cauliflower and broccoli are all high in calcium. Apples should only be given occasionally as a treat, and then on a small bit. See https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List for what you can feed and how often.
 

Beatrix187

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.

What brand of pellets? Nearly every brand in the U.S. except KMS Hayloft uses calcium carbonate (limestone) as the calcium source. Many pigs excrete excess calcium in the urine when being fed Oxbow. I'd suggest you switch to KMS Hayloft pellets. They'll be about the same price as Oxbow, or maybe a little more expensive, but WAY WAY cheaper than treating a bladder stone.
.

She said oxbow essentials
 

Popcorn321

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Ya ive been using oxbow for a while now, and this hasn't happened, I think it's because of the amount of kale I've been feeding them, and I'll pay for attention to their calcium intake now... okay, I guess 1 handful for 4 pigs is good then. I'll buy the red-lead lettuce then... Thanks everyone and I'm happy I got more experienced with guinea pigs and calcium... :) [MENTION=13820]bpatters[/MENTION] [MENTION=34899]Beatrix187[/MENTION]
 

bpatters

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Kale is very high in calcium, and should be given very sparingly -- a small piece only once or twice a week.
 
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