Nutrition Why can't guinea pigs be on a strictly raw diet?

[Chasethecavy]

I'm strictly looking for an educational answer. Before anyone freaks out, I don't plan on taking away my piggy's pellets. I'm just wondering why it's necessary. I saw a video about rat care and this girl decided not to give her rats packaged food from the store because processed foods aren't good for them. As I am transitioning to a vegan diet (hopefully raw one day) - actually inspired by my piggy who doesn't need meat or dairy to survive, I'm wondering why I can't just give him raw veggies and hay since his the pellets are processed. What are the pellets representative of that guinea pigs get in nature? I know it has Vitamin C. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sallyvh]

Guinea pigs CAN live pellet free. Sometimes owners opt out of pellets for their bladder stone prone pigs.

The big thing with feeding a high quality pellets is that ensures that the animals is getting the correct amount of vital nutrients and minerals.

If you choose to go pellet free you need to offer a wide variety of different coloured, low calcium vegetables every day. In addition to high quality hay.

 

[tegwen.boyle]

Guinea pigs can go pellet free. Pellets are really just a way of ensuring that they have the correct vitamins in there diet, but you can supply these vitamins through a wide variety of fresh vegetables... also go check out "Pet Palace Tv" or "Pet Palace Plus" because she gives explanations as to why you don't have to feed pellets.. you can also look at her website which is just pet palace blog. It has all sorts of information about guinea pig diets


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lunarminx]

I'm strictly looking for an educational answer. Before anyone freaks out, I don't plan on taking away my piggy's pellets. I'm just wondering why it's necessary. I saw a video about rat care and this girl decided not to give her rats packaged food from the store because processed foods aren't good for them. As I am transitioning to a vegan diet (hopefully raw one day) - actually inspired by my piggy who doesn't need meat or dairy to survive, I'm wondering why I can't just give him raw veggies and hay since his the pellets are processed. What are the pellets representative of that guinea pigs get in nature? I know it has Vitamin C. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They are made up of hay and vitamins and a good brand is only ground up hay with the vitamins pressed into pellets. What are you feeding your pigs as they should already be getting a cup of veggies per pig a day. Pellets are only suppose to be 1/8 of a cup a day per pig and mine get them at night which I do not mind giving them as with the vitamin c added its just a boost for them. The pellets represent the forage/food as many people only feed pellets.

PS no one needs dairy to survive, our system is made to process our mother's milk only for so long. Never cow's milk, etc.