Nutrition Shedding

[BrendaMarie]

Snowy is shedding A LOT When I'm done holding him I'm covered in white. Otherwise he's fine. He eats a carrot and some spinach along with his pellets and hay each day. He won't eat any other veggies. What should I do?

 

[MissJean]

He eats spinach every day? Is he a young piggie? That would not be good thing to do for an older pig.

Be persistent with veggies. I had to keep pushing new veggies on my pigs all the time before they caved.Obviously there's still veggies they won't eat. You can also chop of veggies really small and lay them over the pellets to entice him.

Getting some nice vitamin C rich veggies could help his coat. Like the incredibly popular bell pepper. Have you looked at his skin under the fur? How often do you bathe him and what product do you use?

 

[madelineelaine]

I'm thinking scurvy, although that may not be it.

I would work on more veggies. In the mean time, give him 25 mg of vitamin c everyday, either syringed liquid or tablets. Don't put it in the water bottle.

 

[KaileighRussell]

My girls (except for my peruvian x abby) shed like there's no tomorrow.
They get lettuce, some of kind of veggie full of vit.c + other veggies a day and the occasional fruit as a treat and they still shed. I find it's usually around the time that the weather is really starting to change. I brush my girls once a week just to be able to take all that dead fur off of them. In the warmer months they are bathed (not every day - but when they get dirty) which helps in shedding.

 

[RodentCuddles]

I find my short haired pigs shed a lot more then my long haired ones and the ones with the curly hair don't shed at all (short curly hair as well as long), yet they all eat the same food (give or take a few grams!).

Is snowy a short haired?

 

[Little One]

I didn't think carrots should be fed everyday either. Just my thought correct me if I'm wrong.

My one boy Herman sheds constantly too. I brush him every week to help keep it under control, and I've upped his veggies. He used to be a very picky eatter, until I got his buddy, who is willing to give everything a try, so naturally Herman didn't want to be left out. Try a large variety of things, just to get him used to trying new things. It took a while but Herman now enjoys a large variety of things.

 

[madelineelaine]

Mine get one baby carrot everyday.

 

[MissJean]

A baby carrot a day per pig is fine. Mine get that or a cherry tomato per day. Never both, since that seems like too much sugar to add on top of their bell pepper.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

Agreed. A baby carrot a day is fine.

As for shedding, pigs do shed constantly. Some pigs even shed more seasonally--early spring and late summer. Perhaps you notice it more since he's white? Just guessing about him being white, since he's called Snowy ;-)

Excessive shedding could be scurvy, but if he's getting any veggies at all it's doubtful. It could also mean mites, and lice also can cause an all-over type shed.

 

[BrendaMarie]

I've checked for everything and think maybe I do notice it because he's white. I've tried shoving veggies on him and it's a waste of money I don't have He just won't eat them. Maybe with the new piggy coming Saturday I'll try again but since he's being rescued from a breeding farm (he refused to breed LOL) I doubt he'll be taken care of well enough to have gotten veggies. I think I'm also going to get some vit C - Any recommended brands? Thanks all

 

[MrWhistles]

I use the 50MG GNC Vitamin C when veggies cannot be given. Half tablet per pig.
Also, a high quality pellet will have a decent amount of vitamin C.

You should be persistent with the veggies. They'll eventually eat it. You can also try cutting them up in really small pieces and mixing little bits of it in their pellets. Maybe sprinkle some small, long pieces of lettuce in their hay and mix that up.

 

[Cavy Treenie]

My guinea pigs, both longer and short hair, shed a lot. I go to school and it looks like I've been mauled by a fur monster. Some pigs shed more than others, but if the amount of hair shed is more than usual, then it is definately something to keep an eye on.

 

[Little One]

Maybe with the new piggy coming Saturday I'll try again but since he's being rescued from a breeding farm (he refused to breed LOL) I doubt he'll be taken care of well enough to have gotten veggies.

My pig Zazu came from a home where he was never given veggies, just vit C in his water. He was so excited the first time I gave him a plate of veggies! He gives everything a try now.

 

[evilove]

My boys hadn't seen veggies before, either. They LOVE green peppers, cilantro and parsley. They love the dark green and red lettuce, radicchio, and the curly endive that comes in spring salad mixes. At first they kind of looked at the veggies like, "What are these alien things? No thanks, I'll have my pellets," but they got curious, especially if I gave them a little carrot chunk and then a little bell pepper chunk, then a little more carrot, a piece of lettuce. They started taking anything I offered them from my hand, then checked it out to see if they wanted a nibble or not. Sometimes they would walk away from it, but I would notice it would be gone later. They don't like a lot of the veggies listed on Guinea Lynx. Here is a link to one of the many fruit and veggie charts out there, to help you know what to feed on a daily basis vs. what's a treat. https://www.guinealynx.info/chart.html