Hey, fellow pig-friends! I apologize if I'm wrong, but I thought this might be a good thread to start in order for new guinea pig owners (like myself), and might even be helpful for some veteran pig-families who want to expand their knowledge base about piggy nutrition.
As a new pig-mom (and prior to our taking in these two wonderful little nuggets), I have been doing a voracious amount of research trying to figure out what is best and healthiest for my pigs. There are so many different brands of pellets out there - and not only brands, but even types within brands. Though we give the pigs lots of fresh vegetables, I am always looking for ways to supplement their Vitamin C without adding too much calcium to their diet (I know drops for water degrade quickly, and I worry that putting powder on their food will make them less likely to eat, since they HATE taking their medicine, even if I try to lure them in with their favorite veggies).
I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to contribute to a thread where we list pretty comprehensive menus for all of us to read, review, and compare (and provide some extra guidance for those of us who are new)? The questions I'd pose are:
*Is this menu for a young, adult, or elderly guinea pig? Or a pig with a specific health concern?
*What brand and subtype of non-veggie food do you use? (For example, 'Oxbow "Cavy Cuisine" Timothy-Based Adult Guinea Pig pellets' or if you use Critical Care or a mush or some other alternative)
*If you use a Vitamin C supplement, what type (powder, water drops, etc)? How much? How do you administer it? (Syringe, water, on pellets or veggies)
*Your "usual" veggie bowl/plate (what kind of vegetables do you try to include on an average day? how much?)
Anything extra you think might be useful add....
I apologize if this thread has already cropped up somewhere. I just thought it might be useful to have all in one place!
As a new pig-mom (and prior to our taking in these two wonderful little nuggets), I have been doing a voracious amount of research trying to figure out what is best and healthiest for my pigs. There are so many different brands of pellets out there - and not only brands, but even types within brands. Though we give the pigs lots of fresh vegetables, I am always looking for ways to supplement their Vitamin C without adding too much calcium to their diet (I know drops for water degrade quickly, and I worry that putting powder on their food will make them less likely to eat, since they HATE taking their medicine, even if I try to lure them in with their favorite veggies).
I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to contribute to a thread where we list pretty comprehensive menus for all of us to read, review, and compare (and provide some extra guidance for those of us who are new)? The questions I'd pose are:
*Is this menu for a young, adult, or elderly guinea pig? Or a pig with a specific health concern?
*What brand and subtype of non-veggie food do you use? (For example, 'Oxbow "Cavy Cuisine" Timothy-Based Adult Guinea Pig pellets' or if you use Critical Care or a mush or some other alternative)
*If you use a Vitamin C supplement, what type (powder, water drops, etc)? How much? How do you administer it? (Syringe, water, on pellets or veggies)
*Your "usual" veggie bowl/plate (what kind of vegetables do you try to include on an average day? how much?)
Anything extra you think might be useful add....
I apologize if this thread has already cropped up somewhere. I just thought it might be useful to have all in one place!