Diet Conflicting information on baby guinea pig care.

[Lord_aperture]

Ok so I volunteer at a shelter, and we recently had guinea pigs come in that where pregnant. Not the first time nor will it be the last(sadly), but this is the first one I have seen since starting there. Now my issue is, that I did a lot of reading up on care on pregnant and of new borns to be prepared. But here is the thing I'v read they they should not be feed kitten formula, yet the advice from a breeder (which i have doubts of) had said it would be perfectly fine to feed it to them if they are rejected.

Now that is my problem, can someone please set this straight for me? Because while they get the rest of guinea care correct this part seems to be a bit conflicting.

 

[bpatters]

No, they don't need kitten formula. Will it kill them? Probably not. Will it help them any at all? Probably not.

The main advantage of the sow's milk in guinea pigs, and to some extent of human mother's milk, is whatever immune properties it has, not the nutrition. Guinea pig babies are born fully ready to eat whatever the mom eats, so the kitten formula doesn't really give them any advantage since it doesn't protect the pups from anything.

 

[Lord_aperture]

Ok, thank you thats what I thought might be the case with this whole thing. I'm just glad to have it cleared up.