Dietary Fact Sheet
Guinea pigs are herbivores and eat only grasses, grain, vegetables and fruit. For a balanced diet, your pet guinea pig needs 4 essential elements:
- Hay
- Dry Feed
- Fresh fruit and vegetables, and
- Water
1. Hay
Hay is an important part of your pet guinea pig's daily diet as it is a source of long-strand fibre and is vital to their digestive health. Regular consumption provides essential roughage for healthy gastrointestinal function and promotes healthy dentition by wearing down your pet’s constantly growing teeth. Allow your pet guinea pig unlimited access to the hay for constant grazing.
Choose from 4 delicious varieties of Peters hay:
Peters Pasture Hay is also ideal for bedding; your guinea pig will enjoy burrowing into a generous nest of hay for warmth and comfort. Always ensure your pet’s bedding is clean and fresh by replacing it regularly.
As hay is a natural product, it may contain grass seeds. Regularly check your pet guinea pig to ensure it doesn't have any grass seeds in its skin and eyes.
2. Dry Feed
Peters guinea pig foods such as Grain Selection, Munch & Crunch, Nibble & Gnaw and Original Mix are specially formulated for all breeds of adult guinea pigs. The premium ingredients in our product range are carefully selected for their taste and texture, shape, size and colour, to provide variety and interest in your pet’s diet.
The amount to feed will depend on your pet’s size and age. The needs of individual guinea pigs may vary so weight and wellbeing should be regularly monitored.
3. Fruit & Vegetables
Offer your pet guinea pig a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit each day.
Guinea pigs are unable to produce vitamin C naturally so it is important to include some vitamin C rich foods in their daily diet. Most of the following foods are a source of vitamin C:
- Apple
- Banana peel
- Beans
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Cauliflower leaves
- Celery
- Corn (husks or silk)
- Cucumber
- Green and red peppers (capsicums)
- Melons
- Oranges
- Parsley
- Parsnips
- Peas
- Pears
- Pumpkin
- Silver beet
- Spinach, and
- Turnips
Too much lettuce and cabbage can cause diarrhoea so feed these sparingly.
Ensure the fruit and vegetables are fresh and washed clean. Place the roughly chopped food in a heavy ceramic bowl that can’t be tipped over.
Introduce new foods slowly and in small amounts to avoid stomach upsets. This will also help you to identify your pet’s favourites.
Do not feed rhubarb, radishes, potatoes or oxalis as these are toxic to guinea pigs. A number of plants are also toxic so beware of feeding plants or shrubs from the garden.
Do not feed any mouldy or spoiled food.
4. Water
Ensure your guinea pig has plenty of fresh water. We recommend a gravity flow plastic bottle with a metal tube (sipper tube) as this keeps water clean.
Replace the water daily.
Treats
Peters small animal treats like Bikkies, Nibble O's and Twiggies will provide hours of contented nibbling activity when your guinea pig is confined to its enclosure. Ideal as a reward or training aid, Peters treats can be hung in the enclosure or mixed into the dry feed to add variety and interest to your pet’s diet.