What Are Guinea Pigs Favorite Veggies?
Do you get confused while feeding your guinea pig what vegetables are best for them and what they love to have in their diet? If the answer is yes, then your search ends here.
All the pet owners want to provide a healthy lifestyle to their guinea pigs and they search for the best diet for their piggie which does not harm them in any way. Each guinea pig is different from the other and they have their favorite foods.
We are going to tell you what guinea pigs love to eat and which diet is best for them. You will also get to know the directions to provide veggies to your guinea pig through this post.
What Are Guinea Pigs Favorite Veggies?
The vital part of a guinea pig’s diet is hay as they get fiber from it for proper digestion. Another important and most beneficial thing to feed your guinea pig is vegetables.
For overall health, guinea pigs need veggies as they provide the proper vitamins and minerals. Guinea pigs need at least one cup of veggies each day.
If the guinea pig is big sized then you can serve them one and a half cups of veggies daily.
As we mentioned before, each guinea pig is different and most of them love to eat carrots and broccoli, while others like fresh grass.
Best Veggies for Guinea Pigs for Daily Diet
Guinea pigs are the biggest foodies and they spend at least 6 to 8 hours eating daily. Veggies are brilliant sources of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, B vitamins, and keep your cavy healthy.
It is a must to provide only fresh veggies to your guinea pig and serve only 1 to 1 ½ cups each day. The best vegetables for guinea pigs are leafy veggies like chard, collard greens, lettuce, carrot tops, kale, and herbs like cilantro and parsley.
Cucumbers, sugar peas, snap peas, spinach, zucchini, cauliflower, romaine lettuce, radishes, corn husks, and carrots are also safe to feed to guinea pigs.
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Veggies to Avoid or Occasionally Feed Guinea Pigs
Not all vegetables are beneficial for the health of guinea pigs as some are harmful to them. Potatoes, onions, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, avocados, mushrooms, garlic, and pickles are toxic to guinea pigs.
There are reasons why the mentioned veggies are not good for guineas as some can kill your cavy while some are high in fat or sugar. You need to avoid feeding these veggies to your guinea pig to protect them from any trouble or disease.
How to Offer Veggies for Guinea Pigs
Make sure the veggies are fresh and you wash them thoroughly so all the chemicals and dirt are cleansed. After washing, cut them into small pieces and mix them properly.
Put all the pieces of veggies into a container and shake them well until they are mixed properly.
After mixing the veggies, add guinea pig pellets to the mix as pellets are extremely nutritious and provide vitamins that sometimes may not be present in normal vegetables.
You can provide veggies once a day and no more than 1 or 1 ½ servings as overfeeding may cause harm to your pet’s health. Always make sure the food you are serving to your guinea is clean and fresh.
Also read: 10 Best Guinea Pigs Commercial Food
How Much Veggies Should Guinea Pigs Eat Daily?
As we discussed before, guinea pigs need to have veggies once a day and it should not be more than 1 or 1 ½ cups for each piggie. Vegetables are one of the most essential parts of the guinea pig’s diet followed by hay.
Guinea pigs can only survive for a few days without having vegetables in their diet. It does not mean they will die without eating vegetables but being deprived of them will affect their health and they will become sick.
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Final Thought
Being herbivores, the diet of guinea pigs should contain hay, vegetables, and pellets. You should not forget that feeding vegetables is good but giving hay and pellets to your guinea is also a must.
Hay is essential for the digestion of guinea pigs and it also protects them from obesity, dental disease, diarrhea and boredom. It is advisable to provide the proper amount of hay and pellets to your guinea and avoid overfeeding.
Fruits are also high in vitamins and fiber but the negative part is they contain a lot of sugar which is not good for guinea pigs. You should not feed fruits to your piggie in moderation.
Guinea pigs should be given hay and fresh vegetables every day as they are the main sources of all their nutrients for them.
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