Best way to give Vitamin C?

[Zeander]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and am right now guineapig-less so I'm trying to learn all I can! I'm getting confused on the right way to ensure a piggy gets her needed Vitamin C. Some places say to use an actual pill and some say to give veggies specificaly for the Vitamin C. What do y'all do? Also, what about those colored pieces of wood that shops sell for critters to chew on? Are those okay or is hay enough to keep the teeth down? Thanks for any and all help!

 

[Trixie]

I give my piggies a variety of fresh veggies. You can do both if you wish. From what I understand you can not over dose on Vit.C
If you go for the pill just make sure it is all natural and has no added sugar.
My piggies also have the colored chew toys that are for birds. The dye they use to make them is normally safe and nontoxic. You can also get apple tree branches or branches from a tree that doesn't have fruit with pits in them example Peaches are a no no.
But yes hay is enough to keep there teeth down to where they should be. As long as it is unlimited.
By the way. Welcome to the forums you will learn lots! When you get your new family members show us some pigtures.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

I know you don't have pigs yet, but later on if you have really healthy pigs and are feeding a good variety of high Vit. C veggies then you don't need the Vit. C tablets unless that pig gets sick.

 

[Ball Lightning]

I have to boars who LOVE the pills! If I just shake the bottle, they go completely nuts. In the past however, I had cavies that didn't like the pills AT ALL. I give 1 pill to both every other day. It is a 60 mg pill without sugar. I do it because I know they love it, and because 60 mg can't be an overdose (in the way that you give so much vit. C that the vitamins will get stored, because the kidneys can't handle it anymore). I guess that the overdose number of vit. C even for cavies lies very, very high.

For the rest a high quality cavy food (WITH added vit. C) and fresh vegetables should be enough to suplly enough vitamin C.

A full grown cavy need appromately 20 mg of vitamin C a day. A young one 3 times as much.

Some high-end vitamin C suppliers are:

Broccoli (113 mg/100 grams)
sweet pepper (100-150mg/100 grams) (depends on colour)
parsley (172mg/100 grams)
pink rosehip (500mg/100 grams)
sprouts (150mg/100 grams)
chicory (114mg/100 grams)

Not-as-high-as-you-think:
cucumbre: 10mg/100 grams. Cucumbre is mostly water.
Carrot: 5mg/100 grams. Still good for vitamin A
Apple: 10-12mg/100 grams. Not that high eh?
Pear: 4mg/100 grams.
Endive (is this the right word???): 10mg/100 grams.

Hope this is a bit helpful.