Diet Piggies get fat?

[Cleophauna]

Is it possible to over feed? I'm talking about veggies. My pigs don't eat that many pellets, I probably throw out more than they eat. Lot's of hay and veggies though. I tend follow their lead sometimes they really really beg for more and sometimes they don't. If I'm fixing anything with veggies I always give them a taste, and I'm wondering if I could be overfeeding them. They don't look chunky or anything. (getting a scale is on my todo list). Just a general concern.

 

[bpatters]

No, sort of. Herbivores don't usually get fat, and guinea pigs are usually only overweight if they're overfed on pellets and/or have mobility problems that keep them from moving normally.

However, it is possible to feed too many veggies. They can come to prefer veggies over hay, and that's not good for either their teeth or their digestion. Hay is the most important thing in their diets -- should be at least 85% of what they eat. Veggies should be around 12% or so, and the rest pellets.

But why are you throwing out pellets unless they're peeing in the dish? I just leave them there until they eat them. An adult pig should only get 1/8 cup of pellets per day.

 

[Cleophauna]

But why are you throwing out pellets unless they're peeing in the dish? I just leave them there until they eat them. An adult pig should only get 1/8 cup of pellets per day.

Sometimes the pellets will sit there for 2-3 days and it just didn't seem like they'd be very fresh after that long. I know they like them cause then they'll get a hankering and I'm filling the dish every day for a while. I guess it's just the idea of food setting around, plus they do kick it onto the floor of the cage sometimes.

They go through a lot of hay so I'm not worried about that.

 

[bpatters]

The pellets are very stable, and there's no need to throw them out unless the pigs have peed/pooped on them.