So we know that guinea pigs should eat a lot of hay. It’s an essential part of a guinea pigs diet.
They need it to grind their teeth as they pretty much always need to be chewing something in order to grind their teeth.
image wikipedia
Hay also gives them some of the nutrients that they need to live so is very important to them.
Well, they can but it won’t do them much good as it misses out a key element of what they need which us vitamin c. Because their bodies do not make vitamin c they need a regular supplement of it to keep them healthy. If they do not get the vitamin c they need they will gradually get ill, just like we do if we don’t have the vitamins and nutrients that we need.
It may be tempting to just leave them be with the hay they need to sleep on and eat, but it really is not good for them.
If your guinea pig is only eating hay, try and wean them onto eating veggies as well.
Prepare a bowl of veggies for them to eat and leave it in their cage. If they are still only eating hay, maybe reduce the amount of really good green hay they eat and use less appetising hay such as browner hay for their bedding. There does still need to be hay left for them because they always need something to chew on, but don’t leave so much out for them.
It is also worth trying different foods to see what they like. I have found that just as with humans, guinea pigs have different tastes to each other so it may well be that you are giving them a food that they are just not partial to.
My guinea pigs for example, love carrots and peppers, but do turn their noses up at broccoli and cabbage. But other guinea pigs are different.
Also try vitamin c pellets as well. Try scattering some around the hay that they eat so they inadvertently pick it up.
If they are not eating hay, it is vital that you try different things to get the vitamin c that they need inside them.
Overall, hay should consist of 75% of a guinea pig’s diet. The rest should be made up of veggies, fruits and maybe some pellets as well, topped up by fresh water.
By giving them a balanced diet like this, you are ensuring that your guinea pig gets the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and thrive for the long term.
