Fur Why do my guinea pigs lose a lot of fur?

[just8be8free]

I have 2 boars and I'm feeding them pellets, hay, grass and veggies, but they lose a lot of fur. They don't have any bold spots. One of them did but it got better. What sorts of foods do I need to feed them to stop them losing a lot of fur? I keep them outside under the veranda, is that the problem?

 

[bpatters]

Most guinea pigs shed a lot. Brushing can help keep the loose hair from getting all over the place.

Are you seeing any tufts of hair come out, or just individual ones?

 

[just8be8free]

Most guinea pigs shed a lot. Brushing can help keep the loose hair from getting all over the place.

Are you seeing any tufts of hair come out, or just individual ones?

When I brush their hair tufts of hair comes out, but usually only individual strands.

 

[bpatters]

What do you feed them?

What kind of hay? What kind of pellets, and how many? What veggies, and how many of each?

 

[just8be8free]

For pellets: Peters- Rabbit and Guinea pig nibble and gnaw banquet
For hay: Peters- Pasture Hay
For veggies-Carrots, cucumber peels, cos lettuce (2 leaves), penny worth (approx. 8 leaves), silver beet (1 leaf), celery

 

[bpatters]

You're not giving them anything that has any appreciable amounts of vitamin C. Cavies are like humans -- they can't manufacture their own, and have to eat it somehow. I'd want to either start giving them a large chunk of bell pepper (like 1/4 pepper per day), or supplementing them with vitamin C. A lack of vitamin C can affect the hair, so possibly that's the problem.

Those pellets are very low quality, and have a ton of things in them that aren't good for guinea pigs. They should never have anything with hard seeds or nuts because of the dangers of choking -- their throat opening is tiny, and it's very easy for them to choke on food. What they need is a plain timothy hay with no added seeds, nuts or colored bits. In addition, there are several things in there that are really high in calcium, and you may be courting urinary tract stones by feeding it.

Also, why just the peels of the cucumber? If the cucumber has been treated with pesticide, the peel has the most chemical residue in it.

 

[just8be8free]

You're not giving them anything that has any appreciable amounts of vitamin C. Cavies are like humans -- they can't manufacture their own, and have to eat it somehow. I'd want to either start giving them a large chunk of bell pepper (like 1/4 pepper per day), or supplementing them with vitamin C. A lack of vitamin C can affect the hair, so possibly that's the problem.

Those pellets are very low quality, and have a ton of things in them that aren't good for guinea pigs. They should never have anything with hard seeds or nuts because of the dangers of choking -- their throat opening is tiny, and it's very easy for them to choke on food. What they need is a plain timothy hay with no added seeds, nuts or colored bits. In addition, there are several things in there that are really high in calcium, and you may be courting urinary tract stones by feeding it.

Also, why just the peels of the cucumber? If the cucumber has been treated with pesticide, the peel has the most chemical residue in it.

Can you recommend a type/brand of pellets? And hay? And veggies?

 

[bpatters]

There are several people from Australia on the forum -- I'm sure they can suggest good sources of hay and pellets.

See https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List for what you can and can't feed, and how often.

Good staples are red or green leaf lettuce and bell peppers. Other good veggies are tomatoes, small chunks of carrot, summer squash, young green beans, small chunks of cucumber (can cause gas). Fruit should be given only occasionally and in small quantities. Guinea pigs aren't designed to process sugar, so too much can really upset their digestive systems.