Pellets Pellet Reccomendations?

[ziggystargus]

Hello!
I've been feeding my piggies Oxbow Essentials pellets, however upon discovering https://www.guineapigcages.com/articles/dealing-with-urinary-tract-stones.38/ (this article) I learned they have waaay too much calcium in them. Any recs for pellets with 0.4% or less calcium, and that don't use calcium carbonate?
Thanks yall!!!

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Oxbow Essentials are fine. In fact, its one of VERY few pellets that we DO recommend. Actually
its what my own pigs have always eaten.

 

[ziggystargus]

Oxbow Essentials are fine. In fact, its one of VERY few pellets that we DO recommend. In fact its what my own pigs have always eaten.

awesome! thanks for letting me know. I saw a post from one of the mods here about kidney stones and freaked because Oxbow's max is at 0.75%, when the post recommended a max of 0.4%.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

SPS is another brand that we recommend, and I just checked. Their max is at .6%. If you're located in the US you may wish to give them a try. A lot of our members swear by them.

 

[CuddlyPiggies!!]

Oxbow Essentials are fine. In fact, its one of VERY few pellets that we DO recommend. Actually
its what my own pigs have always eaten.

I use oxbow garden select pellets, should I switch to essentials instead?

 

[bpatters]

SPS pellets do have less max calcium than Oxbow Essentials, but they also use calcium carbonate as a calcium source while Oxbow does not. Oxbow discontinued the use of calcium carbonate a few years ago.

I don't know of any other pellets with less calcium in them. The only thing I can suggest is strictly limited pellets for adult pigs to the recommended two tablespoons per day.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I use oxbow garden select pellets, should I switch to essentials instead?

These are also fine, the calcium content is no different than the essentials.