New here :) Hi and some questions

[Sabrinasmommy]

Hi everyone. I am new here. We just adopted our 1st guinea pig this weekend and we are so excited. Unfortunately while surfing the web I have not had much luck finding the info I need. I thought I would post my questions here since you all seem to know quite a bit.

Sabrina only seems to like Lettuce. I've given her lettuce and carrots and she will snub the carrots for the lettuce and only occasionally eat the carrots. I'm not sure what else is good for them that isn't greenery. i.e. what fruits and non green veggies are good?
I have the guinea pig vitamin C drops to put in her H2O but she isn't drinking much water. Is there a way to get her to drink more water or should I find another method of giving her Vitamin C?

Sorry to just pop in with so many questions right off the bat but like I said I haven't had much luck online so far.

Thanks in advance

 

[daftscotslass]

If she has the correct pellets, and correct veggies, you need not supplement her diet with Vit C. You can also use low-dose low-sugar human vitamin C tablets, that most guinea pigs will eat out of your hands. Don't add supplements to water as you cannot regulate intake and the Vitamin C will also degrade. Bell peppers (red, orange and yellow) are high in vit C and very good for piggies. Romaine lettuce is best, too, as iceberg can cause diarrhoea.

Welcome to the forum and questions are what we're here for

 

[Sabrinasmommy]

Thank you so much. How do I know if she has the right pellets? Is there a brand that is best? I just got some at wal-mart (I know, probably not the best) I will get some peppers, that's a great idea. The vit C human tablets that you are referring to, are they the Hall's type that are like cough drops?

 

[Peaches]

I rotate my lettuce between romaine, green leaf and red leaf lettuce. no ICEBERG. You can also feed cilantro and parsley. I use them as evening treats. Here is the best web site for food info. https://guinealynx.info/nutrition.html

The main thing with pellets is not to use the mixes. Meaning the ones with seeds and other junk in them. The cavy's can choke on them. Also Carrots only once every 2-3 days.

Welcome to the group

 

[VoodooJoint]

Thank you so much. How do I know if she has the right pellets? Is there a brand that is best?

Oxbow is the best in my opinion. It is available at good feed stores and pet supply stores. You can also buy it online. To help find a supplier near you go to the Oxbow site (broken link removed) There is a store locator in the upper right hand corner.

I

The vit C human tablets that you are referring to, are they the Hall's type that are like cough drops?

No. Those have too much sugar and other junk. Find some at a health food store with no added sugar or "other junk". Oxbow also sells C tablets I believe.

Keep trying different veggies. Pigs can be picky and sometimes need to be taught what to eat. Eat some green pepper, etc.. in front of your pig to help give her the idea it's food.

 

[TurboPiggy]

I see in your avatar that you have a pet store cage. Are you planning to build a C&C cage? Check out the photo galleries for tons of great ideas on building your cage.

 

[Percy's Mom]

You might also check out (broken link removed) for the Oxbow pellets and lots of good toys and treats. Get the Cavy Cuisine if your piggy is over 6 months old and Cavy Performance for baby through 6 months old.

You've come to the right place to get information. The people around here are extremely knowledgable and helpful!

 

[RubyPiggie2]

Here are some good veggies:
Green/red leaf lettuce
Romaine lettuce,
green(lowest vitamin c content) to yellow/orange(average vit c content) and then red(highest vit c content, is best) bell peppers,
cilantro,
carrots(1 baby every day or every other day),
kale (1 leaf every 3-4 days, high calcium content),
swiss chard,
red swiss chard,
corn husks/silk and the corn 1-2 a week(husks/silk can be fed everyday),
grass,
dandelion leaves,
cabbge(1-2 times per week ONLY),
asparagus,
cucumber (3-4 times a week, small slices)
celery/celery leaves (cut celery in small pieces, string is a choking hazard)
parsley(fed in moderation because of high vitamin c content, only a few sprigs per pig)
Collard Greens
Mustard Greens
Water Cress
Garden Cress
snow peas, pole beans, green beans (every few days)
spinach (feed in moderation)
tomato (sores around mouth can develop, feed in small quantities and in mod.)
Endive
Zucchini

And some fruits you can try:
Watermelon (rinds)
Honeydew Melon
Apple
Oranges
Pears
Blueberries
Strawberries
Kiwi
Cantalope Melon
Gooseberries

Fruits should only be fed 1-2 times per week, because they can cause sores, and in small quantites- nothing really large. Pigs LOVE Watermelon rinds, so try that whenever you have watermelon... it's my pigs' favorites.

The best food is Oxbow, and if your girl is a young one, (6 months and younger) feed Alfalfa/Timothy(or Bluegrass from KM) hay mix, and an Alfalfa-based pellet. Kleenmama has the BEST hay, it's worth the money, and dosen't have the dust like Kaytee does, or looks brown.. It's nice and green.

A guinea pig should have at least 1 cup of fresh veggies/fruits a day. More is always welcome..by the pig.

A good sized c&c cage is a 2x4, especially if you are going to get another pig(a neutered boar or a female companion to go with your female). Guinea pigs need exercise, so they should be on floortime(at LEAST double the size of your cage) for at least an hour a day.

Welcome to the forums..!

 

[TheQueen]

Welcome to the forums, and congrats on your new pig! I guess everyone else has pretty much summed up your questions, but here's my two bits. Just keep introducing new veggies to her. I'm sure that she'll start to like them eventually. As Turbo said, you should build her a C&C cage. Good luck!

PS-Are you considering adopting her a friend? It would be great for her health and happiness!

 

[VoodooJoint]

Let's make sure things are taken one step at a time.

First, get her diet to the quality it should be. Introduce more veggies.

Second, Build a bigger cage. This will make her happier and easier to care for. The bigger the better. Build it at least big enough for 2 GPs

Third, adopt a same sex or neutered buddy. Don't adopt another until you have a bigger cage. There is no sense in putting 2 GPs in a cage that is too small for one.

Fourth, spend all your free time and money buying your GPs stuff and watching their antics.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Fourth, spend all your free time and money buying your GPs stuff and watching their antics.
That sounds exactly like me. It seems I am always buying something new for the piggers. Especially now that I am making extra money.

 

[Sabrinasmommy]

You guys are awesome, I feel smarter already I do plan on getting a bigger better cage eventually. It took me a little while to convince my husband to let me get a gp at all so I'll have to slowly work up to getting more space for a bigger cage.

What kinds of Toys do gp's Like?

Does anyone know about blueseal feeds? We have several stores in our area that carry the guinea pig feed I just saw online, so I'm wondering if this is any good?

www.blueseal.com

 

[Piglet]

Toys found at home are usually big hits --> tennis balls, brown paper bags, shoeboxes, cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls

 

[amfeider]

go to the toys page for some good piggie toys and I cant tell if the food is good without seeing the ingrediants.

 

[littlebear]

Good luck with your guinea pig! Also you should move things slow with your pig.

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Yes, you do not want to put anything in their water. See www.guinealynx.info raising a healthy cavy under diet. It makes the water taste funny and they will not drink it. It is an ineffective way of giving them vit c.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Blueseal pellets are crap. Don't use them. If you need to give your pig some Vitamin C, get plain 100 mg chewable childrens Vitamin C tablets from a health food store and feed 1/4 of a tablet a day.

 

[Ariana]

What's the smallest size cage I can get for two boars

 

[dagwellismypigy]

At least a 2x4, most reccomend a 2x5 cages, boars need more room than sows.

 

[Ariana]

About how much space do I need for one?