Is it normal for my guinea pig to eat veggies and fruits more than food?

More information about fruit and vegetables. A few vegetables need to be given in moderation or just given as an occasional treat. Cabbage is quite a gassy vegetable and has been known to cause bloat in guinea pigs when fed in large quantities.

Make sure any cabbage given is dark green. Broccoli, kale and cauliflower are also related to the cabbage family, so they need to be given in small doses too. Some fresh foods need to be avoided completly, which include, rhubarb and potatoes which are poisonous if sprouted or green.

Some vegetables are high in calcium, so if your guinea pig is prone to bladder stones, limit the amount. As long as you remember a golden rule when feeding fresh foods to guinea pigs, every thing should be given in moderation. Further Reading For more information about vegetables and fruit, please visit the following links.

Guinea Lynx: Vegetable Chart An excellent page that gives you information on calcium, phosphorus, water and vitamin c content in vegetables. On the left-hand menu, you'll also see a chart for fruits. Pigjes Homepage: Guinea Pig Shopping List An excellent page about suitable vegetables and fruits for guinea pigs, includes pictures.

I store the vegetables in our pantry as its quite cool in there. Salad of course, is kept in our fridge. I just leave any salad I'm using for my guinea pigs, out of the fridge for a little while, before serving.

Guinea pigs can have an upset tummy and diarrhoea, if they eat fresh food that is too cold. Never give vegetables from the freezer. Going slightly brown/yellow or is wilting.

Feeding food that isn't fresh could also upset their tummy and give them diarrhoea. I limit my guinea pigs fruits and just give fruit as an occasional treat, as they are high in sugar. Also, remember to cut celery up into small pieces as its stringy and could make piggy choke.

Always wash any fresh food first, you don't have to shake the excess water out, its an ideal way to give your guinea pig extra water. Use a clean work surface and a clean knife for cutting up the vegetables and fruit. Any uneaten fresh food, needs to be disregarded after a couple of hours, less time in warm weather.

As a family, I find we are eating more healthier since sharing our life with guinea pigs and hardly any foods gets wasted. I'll update this page whenever my guinea pigs have tried a new food that they enjoy. Guinea pigs have a sensitive digestive system and its easily upset, so always introduce any new food slowly.

Just give them a very small piece and if they like it, just keep increasing the amount a little for the next serving. If they turn their noses up at the new food, don't give up at the first hurdle, just keep trying. Sometimes, guinea pigs will follow their cage mates lead and try a new food, only when they see their cage mate tucking in.

Sweetpea and Peachy will especially try anything and often their cage mates will follow suit. Sometimes though, guinea pigs will just refuse to eat the new food, even after a whole week of trying. You can of course, give your guinea pigs fresh grass from your garden.

Never take grass from a park or the near the roadside, you never know if a dog has fouled the grass. Make sure no chemicals have been used in your garden and never use grass that's been cut by a lawn mower.