Minimal veggies

[Marie1234]

Can a guinea pig remain healthy with minimal veggies (less than a half cup per day) but lots of high quality Timothy hay and oxbow pellets? I should add that I give a vit c tablet DAILY.

[bpatters]

Maybe.

But what is the strength of the vitamin C tablet? Too much vitamin C can contribute to other problems, such as bladder stones?

And why do you not want to feed veggies?

[Marie1234]

I'm wondering because of the calcium issue. If you give less veggies wouldn't the calcium intake then go down?

[Marie1234]

I'm feeding the Oxbow natural science vitamin C tab (1 tab per pig daily). The back says 25 mg of vit C and 0.50-0.70% (max) for calcium daily intake. Is there a better brand?

[sallyvh]

In my opinion, a lack of veggies can make bladder issues worse as vegetables are a huge source of water for most pigs. If you don't have a pig who is a big drinker then they will be getting less water which can make calcium issues worse.

You can easily feed the proper amount of veggies, you just have to choose veggies that are low in calcium. Red or green leaf lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, tomato, raddichio and Belgian endive are all great options that are safe for everyday feeding.

[Marie1234]

Ok, I will continue to feed a cup a day. The veggies you mentioned have been what I give them minus the endive and with the addition of carrots and yellow/orange bell pepper.

[Artista]

I've never given a cup of veggies a day. If i did that mooshy and now bella wouldnt eat enough hay.