Treats Snacks

[_Sora_]

I live in a small town where we don't have very many good animal things. I wanted to ask if people could recommend some snack recipes or good guinea pig youtubers that can be trusted with advice

 

[bpatters]

Pigs love bits of fruit and herbs, much more so than wafer/cracker type things. The profile picture of my two at the left has a cherry tomato in it, which they thought was the best thing on earth. Well, except for watermelon rind, which was definitely better.

 

[spy9doc]

First of all, welcome to the Forum, Sora! We hope that you will stick around after you get the information you're seeking.

Cavies can be as individual as we are, although many do like the same things as treats. I don't believe that I have ever had one who liked "treats" that you find in pet stores.

If it happens to be a veggie or fruit that they like but that isn't available to them continuously, it then may become a treat.

My cavies have been fond of:
Dandelion greens
Radicchio
Corn husks - discard the outer husks that might have pesticide on them and use the tender inner green husks torn into narrow strips
Watermelon rind - with just a tiny bit of the flesh attached
Cantaloupe rind - served the same way

 

[_Sora_]

cool thank you! i did try to give them watermelon rinds yesterday and they seemed happy, tho for some reason one of them, pepper the black and orange one, likes grass/hay much more, and mostly eats other fresh foods rarer. dandelion greens are just the leaves right?

 

[ItsaZoo]

If you have access to corn husks during the growing season, that is a virtually free snack that you can actually freeze for year-round treats.

I get husks from grocery stores and farm markets. I remove the outer green husks (they may be sprayed with pesticides) and use only the light inner husks. Then I trim top and bottom, tear into strips about 1/2 inch wide, wash well, and lay them out on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, I put them in zip-log bags. One year I had 4 gallons which got me through until the next growing season.

Also, if they like watermelon rind, that can be sliced and frozen the same way. Nothing like a watermelon treat in January!

 

[_Sora_]

oh wow, we don't buy corn since we can't and it's expensive but we will probably buy water melon in the near time since it's summer atm, thank you will do

 

[ItsaZoo]

Slice the watermelon close to the rind - use mostly the white parts. The pink part is very high in sugar and can upset digestion.

I have also planted little indoor pots of barley seed, sometimes sold as cat grass. It comes up quickly and is a nice fresh treat. I use a little plastic berry box with a paper towel on the bottom and about an inch of soil.