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Nutrition Good vitamin C sources?

guineapiglova88

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So I know that since Guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin c, it is crucial for their health to ensure they gain the vitamins from their nutrition. I currently feed them lettuce(normally green leaf or butter leaf as we try to stay away from romaine ) and carrots everyday, along with alternating between cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, and grapes. I've tried to get my piggies to eat bell pepper as I know it is an excellent source of vitamin c, but with no luck. I've been researching about how much vitamin c they need per day, but have been getting mixed answers. If anybody knows a reliable number for amount per day, or good sources of food other than bell pepper for vitamin c it would be a great help :)

Thanks!!
 

spy9doc

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Don't give up on peppers! I have found that a cavy's tastes can change just like ours do. Sparky wouldn't eat his peppers for 2-3 months, and then they became one of his favorite parts of his dinner.

After his recent illness, I began syringing Vit. C daily as part of his meds. I use the Oasis Vita Drops - Vit. C and syringe 0.5ml full strength once per day. Vit. C is not fat soluble and can't build up in his tissue so whatever he doesn't need will simply be urinated out. There has been an interesting twist to this story. Sparky was always a prolific shedder in that I could brush him and 30 min. later I would have his white hairs all over me. Not only has he regained all the hair that fell out when he got sick, but hardly sheds at all. I can't help but attribute that in part to the daily Vit. C treatment.

Smart little fella' in that he seems to prefer yellow peppers which are said to be the highest in Vit. C. He seemed to prefer green pepper for the longest time until I recently decided to try the small sweet peppers that come in a package with yellow, red, & orange. I cut across them using kitchen shears which produces little rings of pepper. I never thought I'd see the day when he would eat the pepper as the first bite of his salad. ;)
 

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Oasis Vita Drops.jpg

guineapiglova88

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Thank you both for the information. I'll definitely try Bell pepper again, and maybe even the drops. This forum page has been very useful and educational! So glad I found it.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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Oranges and cilantro are high in vitamin c too! My piggies love both. Oranges have to be given in small pieces (think half a slice ) or only few times a week since they're high in sugar. And some piggies have issues with calcium in cilantro, like romaine; so only smaller amounts of that as well. Any good pellet food like Oxbow is also fortified with vitamin c.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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Sly ADORED his orange slices. He would go absolutely mad for them. Peppers ARE much higher in vitamin C but he was SO into those orange slices. He would get one to keep him occupied while I stripped out and cleaned his cage, and replaced his bedding.
 
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