Pellets Pellets for adult guinea pigs

[ahotchicken]

I recently adopted two males. My husband ordered some new pellets for them when he ordered timothy hay. Just wanted to know if anyone has any experience with this food, it is Drs Foster and Smith signature series premium adult guinea pig food. One reason I'm asking is because it has colored pieces in it from what I can see in the pic (it has not arrived yet). On one of the forums I was reading the rules for posting pics and it said no food with colored bits in it. ??? Just curious. All the info I have read so far is good, reviews are great too.

 

[HollyLeaf]

The reason they say no pellet varieties with colored things in them is because those colored things are probably seeds, which can be a choking hazard, and really aren't healthy for pigs in any way. I believe they are high in sugar or something like that. But I would return the brand and get oxbow or at least something that is strictly Timothy pellets.

 

[magicpiggie]

Actually, @HollyLeaf, the colored things are most likely sugary bits that have tons of food dye in it. That, as we know, is VERY unhealthy for the pig. And, as you stated above, sometimes seeds do come in with that package, and they do pose a huge choking risk. Not only that, but they're very fattening.

 

[bpatters]

The only pellets we recommend are those from KMS Hayloft (have to order online) or Oxbow. Until recently, I haven't recommended Oxbow because they were using limestone as their calcium source, and a quite a few pigs had problems with excreting too much urinary calcium when eating them. Oxbow is discontinuing the limestone as a calcium source, but I don't know how long it will take until their older supplies are depleted.

 

[Paula]

It looks like the colored stuff is dehydrated fruits and vegetables, partially. Not necessarily the best, but also not terrible. There's also some colored pieces that have added color. You could pick those out.

Rather than relying on a recommendation from this or any other forum, learn what makes a good food and do your own research and analysis.

For example, I've found an excellent feed that's produced locally and actually labeled for horses. My herd has never been healthier. If I simply went by the recommendations here, I'd never have even looked and found this food.

Just keep in mind that the choices you make about your pet's care should be based on your own research and decisions rather than what might or might not be recommended by any particular group.

As to the feed you mentioned, my concerns would be the calcium carbonate because of potential stone issues, the dried fruits and veggies, but only because they might be so tasty pigs prefer to eat them and not the pellets themselves. Also, the colored pieces because of the added color, which could cause long term problems if fed in large quantities fed over time. I wouldn't worry about a single bag, though. Just look for something else next time.

 

[frNzR4evr]

This photo is from my most recent bag of Oxbow's Essentials Cavy Cuisine Adult Guinea Pig Food ... Limestone is still listed as an ingredient, but I haven't had any luck getting the KMS HayLoft pellets shipped to Canada at a reasonable rate ... I would hate to switch, my guys LOVE these pellets, is there something else I should be doing, like making sure they eat fruits & veggies high in calcium but not in oxalates? I hope you can read this when you click to enlarge it ...

 

[peachyteen]

This photo is from my most recent bag of Oxbow's Essentials Cavy Cuisine Adult Guinea Pig Food ... Limestone is still listed as an ingredient, but I haven't had any luck getting the KMS HayLoft pellets shipped to Canada at a reasonable rate ... I would hate to switch, my guys LOVE these pellets, is there something else I should be doing, like making sure they eat fruits & veggies high in calcium but not in oxalates?View attachment 77838I hope you can read this when you click to enlarge it ...

pigs don't need a lot of calcium, so you want to feed very low calcium veg. and as bpatters said, while they have changed the recipe, it may take some time for all the bags of the older recipe to be sold.

 

[ahotchicken]

I checked out KMS and shipping is outrageous!! There's no way I'm going to pay more in shipping than I do for the food!

 

[bpatters]

Actually @ahotchicken, you pay more in shipping than you do for the food at any pet store -- it's just that the shipping has been added to the cost of the item so you don't see the price broken out. That said, the shipping to Canada for KMS products is very high -- it has to do with the taxes at the border.

Oxbow pellets should be fine as long as you restrict them to 1/8 cup per pig per day. They'll eventually get rid of the older stuff and then you'll be able to get Oxbow with no limestone.

 

[stray hares]

Oxbow is discontinuing the limestone as a calcium source, but I don't know how long it will take until their older supplies are depleted.

They still list limestone on their website as an ingredient, so I'm guessing it might take a little while. Have they made an announcement online somewhere about this? And do you know if they'll be adjusting Critical Care's calcium source as well? (Sorry to hijack the thread, ha.)

 

[bpatters]

I don't know what, if anything, they'll do to Critical Care. I haven't heard of an announcement about any of -- I just saw a copy of an email responding to someone who had asked about the limestone in their pellets. It just said they were changing their formula and it would no longer include limestone.

 

[RestlessDreamer]

(Hijacker incoming...)

I've been feeding my piggies All Living Things Daily Diet* for a while; it's really expensive, though, and it does have colored bits (which they almost never eat).

(*Long story short, it's what my family uses, and they pushed it one me.)

How trustworthy is the site? I'm worried that, if I buy online, shipments could be delayed or just not show up.

How good is this KMS stuff? It's definitely less expensive (for how much you're getting)...

 

[bpatters]

KMS pellets are the best on the market, and they're very reliable. They're about the same price as Oxbow, depending on where you live because shipping is separate from the cost of pellets.

 

[RestlessDreamer]

I'm looking at the shipping now; it seems expensive, but I'd only be paying $2.76 per pound (including shipping).

Oxbow: $1.84 per pound (w/out shipping)

All Living Things: $2.50 per pound (w/out shipping)

From a purely financial standpoint, Oxbow would seem better, but my piggies have had that before, and they didn't seem to like it (which is part of the reason I switched).

I currently have about 2 lbs left in my current food bag; would that be enough to (at least try to) switch them to KMS? Should I switch their hay, too? If so, how?

 

[bpatters]

I'd definitely switch off the All Living Things stuff. Most people say just to switch cold turkey, but a few say to mix the pellets until they get used to the new ones. Obviously, there's no right way to do it!

Same thing with the hay. But hay is WAY cheaper online than at a pet store. Even cheaper is if you can find it at a local feed store or a farmer near you. I can't imagine that there's lots of hay grown around Las Vegas, so you would probably be best served by order it online. KMS Hayloft, American Pet Diner, Small Pet Select, and Sweet Meadow Farms all have good hay.

 

[Nazgul]

KMS is great! Granted, I'm a bit biased since my shipping costs aren't too expensive, given I'm in the same state. But, my piggies love the timothy pellets and the bluegrass hay is nice, too.

I've also contacted the owner directly several times, and she(?) has always been very prompt and friendly.

Plus, the price isn't too bad if you buy in bulk.

 

[urofan]

The oxbow adult natural science guinea pig food doesn't have limestone. I wonder why Oxbow didn't put limestone in the Oxbow rabbit food? Are Small Pet Select guinea pig food or Sherwood Forest guinea pig food considered good to give your guinea pigs?

 

[bpatters]

Sherwood Forest pellets are WAY high in calcium. I definitely would not feed them to my pigs.

Small Pet Select are similar to Oxbow, and still contain limestone (calcium carbonate). If your pigs have stone/sludge problems, I wouldn't feed them, but otherwise, they look fine.

 

[blessedmom]

I've been using Small Pet Select for hay and pellets and have been pleased but it sounds like I should consider KMS next time I order.

 

[Paula]

The oxbow adult natural science guinea pig food doesn't have limestone. I wonder why Oxbow didn't put limestone in the Oxbow rabbit food? Are Small Pet Select guinea pig food or Sherwood Forest guinea pig food considered good to give your guinea pigs?

Not sure from a nutritional aspect, but I ordered Sherwood Forest pellets once and they smelled absolutely horrible. Like motor oil. I messaged them and they asked me to send it back so they could check it out. Their response was that it was normal and a good representation of their typical feed. So, I definitely wouldn't recommend them, aside from any nutritional issues with their food.

I also submitted a negative review that they refused to post, so I wonder what else they are keeping the public from seeing. That seems dishonest to me and is reason enough for me not to give them a second try even if they changed their formula.