Enough?

[MissApple]

I was just wondering if what I am giving my piggies is enough. (They always have unlimited Timothy hay, water, and about half a cup of pellets for both of them throughout the day)

Morning:
1-2 leaves of Romaine each
1/8 green bell pepper each
1/8 red bell pepper each

Afternoon:
1-2 leaves of Romaine each
3-4 green beans each
1/8 yellow or orange bell pepper each

Evening:
1-2 leaves of Romaine each
Fresh grass
1/8 red bell pepper each

Every few days they get 1 baby carrot each, 1 strawberry each, and sometimes corn husks if I have them around. Also, if I have them, they get celery (small slices), cucumber, cantalope, watermelon, apples, etc., but in moderation, of course.

 

[TurboPiggy]

I guess it depends on how big your romaine leaves are. Cucumber does not have to be given in moderation, they can have it every day. Each pig needs 1 cup of vegetables a day.

 

[pennick]

You should add different greens to your mix. All I see is romaine. Try a variation. Cilentro, ridichio, red leaf, endive, kale and parsley in moderation, etc. Otherwise it sounds great.

 

[cavymum]

Is Romaine not a lettuce? It thought it was not a good idea to feed too much of any lettuce as it has no nutritional value and is made up mostly of water, how ever fed now and again it would be ok. The other thing with lettuce is that too much is not a good idea as it contains Laudanum, which is a sedative. Please someone let me know if I have got it wrong. New knowledge is never a bad thing.

 

[RubyPiggie2]

Romaine/greenleaf/ red leaf/ endive/ boston lettuce/ butter lettuce is okay to feed everyday. They have low vitaminc c, but ok to feed everyday. The only lettuce that has a lot of water in it is Iceberg lettuce, which should only be able a once a month treat if you raelly want to.

I would cut out on so much lettuce though. Give them different lettuces too! Otherwise, you look like you're spoiling them ^^

And cilantro is an excellent veggie for piggies, and very high in vitamin c so it can be fed daily. Kale every *maybe* 3 days as it is high in calcium, but pigs love kale. Some like cilantro, so I would buy 1-2 batches first to see if they like it.

 

[cavymum]

Yes I agree, there are so many piggy safe veggis out there, it would be a shame not to use them. Corn-on -the-Cob, Cabbage, Turnips, beetroot, these are just a few of the veggis my guys and girls get.

 

[RubyPiggie2]

Yes I agree, there are so many piggy safe veggis out there, it would be a shame not to use them. Corn-on -the-Cob, Cabbage, Turnips, beetroot, these are just a few of the veggis my guys and girls get.

Corn should only be fed 1-2 times per week. Cabbage in moderation, because it can cause gas / bloating. Not sure about turnips and beetroot never heard piggies could have them!

Corn husks and corn silks are excellent for everyday, because they have such high vitamin c in them.

 

[widallas]

I think iceburg lettuce is the main one that has no nutrional value -- dark, green leafy veggies (including romaine and green leaf lettuce) are good. I haven't tries endive or kale yet, but hope to pick some up this week since everyone keeps mentioning it. To me, your piggies diet sounds GREAT, although summer is a great time to mix it up with leafy veggies particularly if you have a garden. We also feed the boys lots of dandelion greens, and have their play pen outside so they can graze to their hearts content in the evenings. I think the big thing is unlimited hay, pellets in moderation, and LOTS of veggies. Is celery o.k.? I thought just the leaves....

 

[RubyPiggie2]

Yes, celery is okay, but you must cut it up in small bits.

 

[cavymum]

Corn should only be fed 1-2 times per week. Cabbage in moderation, because it can cause gas / bloating. Not sure about turnips and beetroot never heard piggies could have them!

Mine get the corn every now and then (as it is quite expensive, same with the cabbage).
As for beetroot, although this is 100% going to turn any piggy face red, it is a very good source of Vitamin C. It is also good for building body and condition. It will turn guinea pig pee red as it has such a strong colour. The only part you cannot feed is the tops (leaves) as they contain oxalic acid.

 

[carrotflavour]

You need more variety. Not just pepper and romaine lettuce as dailies. try cherry tomatoes (one every day or every other day), cucumber daily, celery daily, celery leaves daily.

More couple of times a week veggies/fruit: oranges, apples, parsley, dandelion leaves, broccoli and cauliflower (some say it causes gas, but ive never had that problem), cauliflower leaves, kale.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

I just asked a question about oxalic acids on gl the other day and there is oxalic acid in many veggies including green beans and bell pepper. Some of the answers to my question were: "Oxalates are important. They bind with calcium and help eliminate excess from the body. They become a problem if they're not balanced with a variety of other food or if your pig has oxalate stones", and "A good rule of thumb is moderation. If you're feeding a variety of foods and watch the Cah ratio, there's nothing wrong with daily peppers. If that's the only thing or it's the largest part of their daily diet, then it's a problem. (from Becky of gl)

So MissApple, you can add in more types of leafy greens, add in other veggies on a rotating basis and cut back on the bell pepper to maybe two servings a day instead of 4 servings a day.

Beetroot has 117mg of calcium and 30 mg of Vit. C per 100 mg serving. It's not really a good everyday veggie. More like a good every other day veggie.

Cucumber does not have to be given in moderation, they can have it every day.

Cucumber is very high in water and really is not a good every day veggie. It also has a very low Vitamin C content.

 

[TurboPiggy]

Conflicting advice can make a person go crazy. Here I go...

 

[Ly&Pigs]

I want everyone to know that I have been studying guinea pig nutrition now for a few months. Many of you may not agree with me on some things to feed daily or not to feed daily, but I have spoken with and take my advice from those who are rescuers and those who have had guinea pigs for many years as well as doing much research on the internet (nutrition sites mostly) and on gl. One of those people that I get advice from is Teresa (CavySpirit). I can't force anyone to take the advice that I offer, but I do try to put facts with the advice I feel needs it.

Here is some of the nutritional makeup of cucumber:
Cucumber, with peel 100 gram portion
Calories 15
Vitamin C 2.8 mg
Vitamin A 5 mg
Calcium 16 mg
Protein 0.65g
Sugars 1.67g
Water content 95.23g

 

[Slap Maxwell]

Cucumber should not be fed daily. Every other day seems sufficient, in small amounts. My five each share the two ends of a cucmber every other day.

 

[carrotflavour]

My piggies get cucumber everyday, I've never had a problem and its not going to change I will still give it them everyday (except when we have none in the house, of course). it doesnt replace any other veg. for example i wouldnt give my pigs cucumber instead of pepper or romaine one day, its just an add-on. Good way to make sure my little one, mojo, (who i never see drinking) is getting enough water.

i dont think a veg shouldnt be given just because it has a high water cont (as long as its not a crazy amount) and low vit c. cucumber is easy to get and cheap. a whole cucumber will last a week+, so theres no chance of running out. If I dont have much veg in the house, but i have cucumber, I'm going to give it them. Its better then going without.

 

[John4216]

Cucumbers every day is ok IF it is a small amount and mixed with other veggies. The problem is if they only get cucumbers then it would be very bad for them. My 6 piggies get 1/2-1 cucumber daily or every 2 days mixed with other foods and beetroot is really really bad for piggies because of the oxalates in them which can lead to stone formation in them (see below).

As for the comment about oxalates combining with calcium and the need for it:
Calcium is a main constituent of bone, and is always present in blood and urine. Oxalate is a by-product of metabolism and also present in many foods. When they combine in the kidneys, calcium and oxalate produce a very insoluble salt that easily forms a solid stone. Once they form, these stones can never dissolve and must be passed or broken up by a surgeon using modern technologies.

I am happy oxalates where mentioned finally as this is something that doesnt get talked about alot but can be a huge problem when it comes to piggies getting stones. I have extensive knowledge and experience with stones seeing as I have had hundreds of them over the past 20 years so the nutrition around them is always something I keep up on when possible.

Vegetables - 100 gram serving

Asparagus 5.2 mg
Celery 20.0 mg*
Chard, Swiss 645.0 mg**
Collards 74.0 mg*
Corn, yellow 5.2 mg*
Cucumber, raw 1.0 mg
Dandelion greens 24.6 mg*
Escarole 31.0 mg*
Kale 13.0 mg*
Lettuce 3.0 mg
Mustard greens 7.7 mg*
Okra 146.00** mg
Parsley, raw 100.0 mg**
Parsnips 10.0 mg*
Pepper, green 16.0 mg*
Potatoes, sweet 56.0 mg**
Radishes 0.3 mg
Squash, summer 22.0 mg*
Tomatoes, raw 2.0 mg
Watercress, early curled 10.0 mg*

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]* = Notably high level of oxalate
** = Very high level of oxalate[/font]

This is what they suggest for humans so you can imagine what it would be for a piggie that weighs a few pounds:

For Low Oxalate Diets:
Do not eat foods containing more than 50 mg oxalate per 100 gm serving. Foods containing between 5-50 mg should be eaten in moderation (a single 4-ounce serving per day). Remember the purpose of the low oxalate diet is to avoid supersaturation (excess concentration) of the urine with oxalate; therefore small amounts periodically are less harmful than single large amounts. Diluting the urine with large quantities of water is essential with this diet.

 

[TurboPiggy]

Ly, I completely respect your advice. My comment was in no way meant to sound offensive towards you or anyone else for that matter.

Everyday my boys get the following:
1 leaf romaine each (big leaf)
1/8 of pepper each (random colors)
About 1" of cucumber each
cilantro (amount varies)

Then there are the occasional additives:
1 baby carrot, twice a week each
slice of apple once or twice a week
cantaloupe (they've only had this twice)

If there is even the tinsiest bit of apple of the kabob, Turbo will find it and eat it first! He LOOVVVEEESSSS apple.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

John, thanks for the list, but a good portion of the things on your list are either cooked or things pigs cannot even eat. Wouldn't it make more sense to post a list of oxalate counts in raw foods pigs can eat and make it in 100 gram portions? 100 grams = approximately 3.6 oz. I may have to edit your list and take out all the foods pigs cannot eat so members don't get confused and think those can be fed.

 

[John4216]

Your right and I apologize for that. I get information based on people and didnt even think to delete the ones GP's can't eat. Feel free to do what you wish with it