You should feed your guinea pig vegetables every day. The general rule is to feed them ½ cup of vegetables per pound of bodyweight. This equals about one cup of vegetables per day. Your guinea pig can be fed a full cup of vegetables once per day, or you can divide it into two servings of half a cup each.
What You'll Learn
It’s common knowledge that Guinea pigs eat hay, vegetables, and…treats! Unlimited hay is recommended, and a few treats, but how many vegetables should you feed them?
At Least One Cup of Vegetables Every Day
Or ½ cup per pound, but the general advice is at least one cup of vegetables every day. However, there are things to consider when feeding vegetables to guinea pigs. Don’t just throw that cup of vegetables into their cage and leave!
Here are a couple of good practices to establish:
Feed Them The Same Food At The Same Scheduled Time
A guinea pig enjoys schedules and consistency. Eating at the same time every day allows them to develop a calming daily routine.
For example, you could set ½ cup of vegetables in the morning (along with their hay) and then ½ cup of vegetables in the afternoon.
This routine makes them more relaxed, especially when no new foods are introduced. Guinea pigs are shy and cautious.
When you introduce new foods, they get very anxious, so it’s always best to introduce new foods in small quantities before increasing them to a normal amount.
Vary The Vegetables You Feed Them
Guinea pigs love schedule and consistency, but feeding them the same vegetable every day is not healthy.
Later in the article, we discuss what kinds of vegetables guinea pigs should be fed, and what kinds they shouldn’t. For now, just understand that it’s best to vary the vegetables given to guinea pigs so they can get a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.
Ok, So I Feed 1 Cup Of Vegetables To Every Guinea I Have?
Although one cup a day is a good general rule, a few factors may change the one cup rule.
Age
As Guinea pigs get older, they eat less food. Like humans, they need less food to survive daily and will gradually eat less even if you provide them with more food. It’s normal to see your fat guinea pig get skinnier as they age, so don’t worry if this happens.
Activity Level
If you take your Guinea pigs out for a daily walk, then of course you need to feed them more! But you still need to be sure that you are not overfeeding your Guinea pigs (something we talk about more in the next section). Be sure to weigh your guinea pig every day so their weight is not going up too fast.
Health
Finally, the last thing you should consider is their health. When guinea pigs get sick or are in pain, they often eat less than when they are healthy. This could be a very important sign that something is wrong with your guinea pig.
If you see your guinea pig stops eating, or eats less all of a sudden, be sure to bring it to a vet for a checkup,
When feeding your guinea pig vegetables, check how much is left and adjust accordingly until you have a good balance for your guinea pigs’ age, health, and activity.
What If I’m Overfeeding Vegetables?
Is there such a thing as feeding your guinea pig too many vegetables? I mean, they are vegetables! They’re supposed to be healthy, right?
Too Much of a Good Thing is a Bad Thing
If your guinea pig eats too many vegetables, it could lead to digestive problems. Diarrhea is not enjoyable for guinea pigs and neither are all the health problems that come with a fat guinea pig. An overweight guinea pig will have a reduced life expectancy and will also have joint pain at a young age.
You can watch for one thing that might give you a warning before the worst-case scenario of a very fat guinea pig happens. The guinea poos!
Look At Their Droppings
Guinea pigs, as small creatures, naturally have tiny droppings. The size of the poop leads to a massive number of droppings. But if your guinea pig is eating a healthy amount of vegetables, you should be able to count around 100 droppings a day. An amount larger than 150 may indicate that you are feeding too many vegetables to your guinea pig.
The Best Veggies For Guinea Pigs
Now that you know the amount of vegetables you should feed your guinea pig, when that amount should be adjusted, and how to find out if you are overfeeding them, it’s time to discuss which veggies they should eat.
Leafy Greens & Vegetables With High Vitamin C
It’s recommended that guinea pigs eat leafy greens because of the large number of vitamins and minerals.
Your Guinea pig, much like a person, needs all those vitamins to live a healthy and happy life. Similarly, vegetables that are high in vitamin C, like broccoli or cauliflower, are great for guinea pigs as they have a hard time producing vitamin C themselves.
Don’t Feed Iceberg Lettuce
There are some surprising vegetables you shouldn’t feed them. Even though guinea pigs can eat leafy greens, iceberg lettuce gives them diarrhea, leaving your guinea pigs feeling horrible for the rest of the day.
What Do We Recommend?
It’s recommended to feed your piggies veggies twice a day, at least ½ cup serving per pound. It would be best if it were leafy greens and vegetables with high vitamin-C concentration. You also need to ensure that it’s the right amount for your guinea’s age/health/activity.
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