Treats Can guinea pigs have yogurt drops?

[piggiefreak]

I have a quick question. I do buy some treats for my piggies but only the kind that are all natural or made from things like hay or dried fruits or veggies. I also like to buy treats that provide extra vitamin c. I have seen some treats that are yogurt drops with vitamin c. So my question is this a good way to provide extra vitamin c or can the yogurt be harmful to guinea pigs? My pigs get lots of fruits and veggies everyday and about once a week I give them a few vitamin c drops in their water which they don't seem to mind they drink their water like they normally would. I've also seen tablets for guinea pigs made from fruits like papaya and other fruits the ones I've seen are by oxbow. Are these good for guinea pigs?

 

[ILoveMillie]

Yogurt drops should not be fed to your guinea pig. They are actually lactose intolerant so they cannot have yogurt drops. Most treats are bad for guinea pigs too. Treats for guinea pigs are usually a new vegetable or fruit a couple times a month. Fruits should not be fed every day because they can get sores inside their mouth and they are very sugary. As long as you are feeding at least one cup of fresh veggies everyday, usually split up into two meals, then the Vitamin C drops aren't necessary. They don't really need any Vitamin C supplement if they are getting a cup of veggies like, romaine lettuce, 1/8 piece of bell pepper, cilantro, carrots (1-2 per week), kale, endive, and much more.

Go here for more info in which veggies are good to feed and how often:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...g-nutrition-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html

And you can go here to see sample veggie menus!
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/24770-sample-veggie-menus.html

 

[piggiefreak]

Thanks that's what I thought about the yogurt drops but I wasn't sure since somethings on the internet said that they were fine in small amounts and others said that they were really unhealthy for guinea pigs. I don't feed them a lot of fruit just a little bit once in a while such as a bit if apple or blueberries but they mostly get veggies such a romaine lettuce, parsley, cilantro, carrots, cucumber, grape or cherry tomatos, red or green bell pepper and kale. thanks for the help

 

[Kimberly713]

The other person answered it well, but I wanted to add that treats aren't really necessary or good for them at all. I do occasionally buy treats but only the Oxbow Simple rewards barley treats, and the Timothy ones. There's really nothing bad in them that I read from the ingredients and Oxbow seems to know what they are doing when it comes to guinea pigs.

The tablets that provide extra C are for like when your piggy is getting sick and not eating much it prevents them from getting sicker. Kind of like a critical care packet you could get from a vet but easier to obtain and less nutritional.

Drops are not at all necessary, they will probably drink more water without them in it.

Sounds like you are doing a pretty good job with them so far though

 

[SFailed186]

Oxbow is not perfect, Kath. They sell dried fruits. Guinea pigs should never have dried fruit treats because there is little to no nutritional value and the have an amazing amount of sugar in them. They serve no purpose other than making your pig overweight and ill. Vitamin C supplements are not needed if they are eating the proper veggies, which they sound like they have a great variety.

Also, the drops aren't actually giving them Vitamin C. The Vitamin C degrades as soon as it is exposed to sunlight, so all you are giving them, essentially is flavored water.

 

[DalesLass]

Whilst I wouldn’t personally spend money on unnecessary yoghurt treats for my cavies, I am interested to know why they are actually bad for them? What scientific evidence is there?

The inability to digest lactose is a perfectly normal situation in most mammals post weaning. The bacteria used in culturing yoghurt breaks down most of the lactose in milk to glucose, making it a safe food even for lactose intolerant individuals.

Surely that is exactly why the cavy treats are “yoghurt drops” and not, for example, “milky/creamy drops”.

 

[Onetwo]

Guinea pigs are herbivors and should NOT have any animal by products of ANY kind. Milk, yogurt, other dairy products have too much sugar AND too much calcium for guinea pigs. Not sure if there is "scientific evidence" but it is definately not a good idea. Also the drops are NOT a good idea. If you have iron or chlorine in you water (which all water except distilled has) then the C in the drops disapates in a few minutes. Warmth and light speed this process up even faster. If there are other mineral in the drops then once the C is gone the rest of the minerals/vitamins could be at a dangeriously high level for your piggy. PLUS you dont know if one or the other is drinking more of the water. It does change the taste and weather you notice them drinking the same amount or not they may not appreciate the different taste. I would recommend discontinuing. Like others have said if you give 1/8th of a bell pepper and 1 cup of veggies you are giving a susficent amount of vit C, no need to do anything else unless they are sick or pregs...

 

[kathlaaron]

Other than the obvious do you mean ? Like it explains here below ? Since piggies only live for a short time ( 5-7 yrs ave.) then the only "treats" are fresh fruits, which even then, should only be given, in small amounts one or two times a week, because they contain high amounts of sugar. In the long run, too much sugar can lead to diabetes, bladder stones and so on.

Never mind the excessive amounts of sugar and crude fat listed, on the pet store variety "yogurt drops" or other such so-called "treats" that pet stores make readily available to the unknowing, unsuspecting, un-informed consumer, of small pets.

I don't know if Ly would know the scientific "chemical breakdown" of these horrible products, but I know that many studies have been done on this subject. I think by the experts on the guinea lynx web site, but I am not sure about that. However, here below is an excerpt from guinea lynx which aptly explains the "why" of high sugar, and how it affects guinea pigs.

HIGH SUGAR CONTENT contributes to obesity and can affect the bacterial balance of the digestive system. Sorting sugar high to low demonstrates the high sugar levels in most fruits. This is why we recommend using fruits more as treats and focusing on hay and grass and vegetables to provide the nutrition your pets need.

Read more: Diet

CALCIUM is a nutrient vital to good health. Some guinea pigs that are prone to develop bladder stones may benefit from a diet that aims for an overall reduction of calcium.

Read more: Stones

Hope that helps !

 

[chubbypiggies]

No absolutely not. Guinea pigs are strict herbivorous, any milk, meat, seed products can hurt their stomach. There's a sticky on this section maybe you can check that out. Also, it's not whether your pigs like vitamin C drop in their water, the reason why you shouldn't put it is because Vitamin C degrades over time. ( again, there is a sticky about this too). If you really reallly wanna give your pigs treats(other than veggie/fruits), get the oxbow timothy/barley treat only.And this should not be fed everyday. I wouldn't use the banana/strawberry or veggie one as it probably has preservatives and it has already lost its nutritional value anyways. And don't buy from pet store that sells animals =)

 

[Ly&Pigs]

(broken link removed)
https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...tamin-c-drops-water-can-i-put-tang-water.html

Read the two above please.

Oxbow treats aren't good. The only acceptable items from Oxbow are Cavy Cuisine, Cavy Performance, Vit. C tablets, Critical Care and their hays. Avoid the treats and the organic pellets.

No dried veggies. They have too many concentrated sugars in them.

 

[blackarrow]

Surely that is exactly why the cavy treats are “yoghurt drops” and not, for example, “milky/creamy drops”.

I don't agree. I suspect they're hawking "yogurt drops" as "yogurt drops" because yogurt has a reputation as a healthy choice, and they're deliberately suckering people who have no idea that it's biologically inappropriate for guinea pigs.

I myself am moderately lactose intolerant but can handle yogurt and cheeses, as you mention. Nevertheless I do know people who are completely intolerant and are in misery after even having those products. There is no reason to risk finding out the hard way that your guinea pig is in that category. Furthermore, that the lactose is changed into glucose is another problem - glucose is sugar, which is acceptable only in limited quantities for guinea pigs - if they're having a small amount of sugar in something which has biological benefits for them, such as, say, a strawberry, it's one thing. If they're consuming their sugar as part of something which has zero biological benefits for them, such as a yogurt drop, it's quite another.

 

[piggiefreak]

Thanks for your response sfailed186 I had no idea that the vitamin c degrades as soon as it hits sunlight. So I'm probably gonna stop giving it to them. It's good to know that lots of veggies is enough to give them the amount of vitamin c they need. Thanks again for your help