Welcome to the forum! For diet, I have a few suggestions! You probably know some of this stuff but this is just my advice
The
pellets you use MUST have vitamin C! And also, for adult guinea pigs, they should be TIMOTHY based, NOT alfalfa. Most pellets on the market are NOT GOOD FOR GUINEA PIGS! You also don't want to get anything with colorful bits or seeds, as those are not healthy. The most trusted brands are Oxbow, KMS, and I believe Sherwood and Small Pet Select are okay too. Oxbow is available at Petsmart in-store, however they are out of stock online almost everywhere right now except Chewy.com as far as I can tell. KMS is exclusively online, on their website and Amazon. If you can't get any of those, Kaytee Timothy Complete works in a pinch (although still a bit high on calcium).
KMS is probably the best choice because they are the lowest in calcium, however I have had issues in the past where I get a batch of super-hard pellets and it's hard for my boys to chew them. I might be switching back, however, because Oxbow is so low in stock right now. But right now I'm using oxbow. And to be honest, the calcium level in Oxbow is really only concerning for piggies with a history of bladder stones. For most pigs, as long as the diet is overall low-calcium, it should be fine. I've been using Oxbow for quite a while now and have not had any isssues.
If you are buying for young guinea pigs (under 6 months), they actually need a lot of calcium! Their pellets should be alfalfa-based. I am not as educated on baby guinea pig food, but most pellets on the market are alfalfa-based. However, I will still reccomend the young guinea pig versions of the brands I mentioned above. The reason we want calcium for younger piggies is because they are still growing and need it for strong bones, whereas adults don't and so it risks them storing it as bladder stones and such.
Adult Pellets (about 1/8 of a cup, or 2 tablespoons a day):
Oxbow Cavy Cuisine (broken link removed) (I also believe the Garden Selct line is suitable as they have very similar nutrtion facts)
Kleenmama's Hayloft Timothy Choice (broken link removed)
Young Piggy Pellets (under 6 months, same amount as adult)
Oxbow Young:
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...e1FMzNInDoBs41x3CWzJYCC0wRujdjDQaAg-WEALw_wcB
Kleenmama's Young: (broken link removed)
Guinea pigs need hay 24/7! Don't ever let them go without it! It keeps their teeth trimmed and their digestive systems going!
For
hay, the standard is Timothy Hay. It is widely available and many brands carry it. I personally use the All Living Things brand at Petsmart. But I know people enjoy Oxbow, KMS, and Small Pet Select as well.
You can also feed Orchard grass or Bluegrass as their hay, which some people do because of allergies to Timothy Hay.
For
veggies, aim to give around 1 cup of veggies, though less is totally fine. I know right now with coronavirus going around it is hard to keep produce in the house, so just do your best. Here is what I try to aim for:
Daily:
1-2 leaves Green leaf, red leaf, or butterleaf lettuce (Romaine is okay but is higher in calcium, and whatever you do don't feed iceberg lettuce! It causes diarrhea!
1/8th of a green bell pepper
3-4 times a week:
1 baby carrot, or a few slices of a big one (or I peel a big one and give them a few "peels"
1 Cherry tomato or a nice slice of regular tomato (remove seeds if they are big)
A slice of cucumber, or a hadnful of organic cucumber skins
A sprig of cilantro or parsley
1-2 times a week
Berries such as a small strawberry, a few blueberries, or a raspberry
A small slice of apple, pear, or peach
If they are younger you can give Spinach and extra parsley daily for some calcium
This is only based on my piggies and personal needs, of course, and is just a guide. And again, if you miss some days or even a week, it's totally fine. I almost always would not feed all of these things in a single week or more. Of course it's ideal to have your pigs eat daily veggies, but focus on getting them settled in first. Unless you are doing a kibble-free diet, it is adequete to just feed kibble and hay. And with corona, you don't want to risk yourself or anyone by having to make trips to the store for lettuce! You can also check out this amazing chart to see what to feed and when!
https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List
For
treats, I give freeze-dried straberries, pea flakes and the fruits mentioned above
In general, I aim to keep the diet as low in calcium as possible. This is why I use timothy pellets, no romain lettuce, and limited amounts of calcium vegetables and herbs. Distilled water is also an option to make sure you have as little calcium as possible, however right now I have switched to tap temporarily as gallons of water are hard to come by (and we need it for our salt-water fish tank!). However at least as many people just use tap or bottled
Hope I helped!
