Oxbow Essentials Adult Guinea Pig Food - All Natural Adult Guinea Pig Pellets - 5 lb.

Product Information

Besides, you should know that guinea pigs are herbivores, which means they primarily feed on plants. Our new Senior Guinea Pig and Senior Rabbit foods are specially formulated to support your aging guinea pig or rabbit’s needs. With the same uniform nutrition in every bite that you’re accustomed to from Oxbow, Essentials Senior Rabbit and Senior Guinea Pig foods feature a number of key ingredients that are worth highlighting and celebrating. Antioxidants for Age-Related Support Coprophagy may be a source of B vitamins and a means of optimizing protein utilization. However, its precise contribution to the nutritional needs of guinea pigs is not fully known. As hind gut fermentors, guinea pigs digest much of their food in the caecum and colon (large intestine), which are at the end of the digestive tract. The caecum, a large, thin-walled sac located at the junction of the small and large intestine, contains up to 65% of gastrointestinal (GI) contents. Within the caecum, bacteria and protozoa aid digestion of foods taken in by the guinea pig. Fibre The best overall guinea pig pellet is Oxbow Essentials Cavy Cuisine for its nutritionally complete and high-fiber formula. Kaytee Timothy Complete provides the best value option thanks to its affordable price and high-quality formula of hand-selected hay. If you can spend a bit more money, we recommend Sweet Meadow Farm Premium Timothy Pellets Adult Guinea Pig Food. Likewise, it is safe to say that the best guinea pig food is made of timothy hay. However, you should know that hay dust can cause respiratory problems for your piggies.

Leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, parsley, and broccoli, combined with red or green pepper, carrots, and zucchini are a great choice, as you will provide your pet with essential and natural nutrients. Grass hay should be the biggest component in your guinea pig’s diet, comprising around 75% of their daily caloric intake. They need 24/7 access to hay. Vegetables should account for 20%, and fruit the remaining 5%. A guinea pig’s daily diet is equally simple and complex as you will be looking for fresh fruits and vegetables that contain just the right amount of nutrients your guinea pig needs daily. The guinea pig with enteritis may have soft stools and be hunched and inactive due to increased GI gas production and the resulting abdominal pain. High fibre, low-starch Adult Guinea Pig Food is formulated to prevent enteritis. Urolithiasis

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Alfalfa hay contains much higher concentrations of protein and calcium compared to timothy. It has a sweeter taste and a softer texture. This hay type is best suited for young, ill, pregnant, or nursing guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are generally healthy pets, but there are certain health issues to be aware of that may impact their lifespan. Species & Lifestage Specific (Timothy hay-based for adult, Alfalfa-based for young, growing, pregnant & lactating)

Guinea pigs, like humans, are unable to create vitamin C themselves so it is important that their food also contains adequate levels of this essential vitamin. Look for those foods that contain around 400 milligrams of vitamin C per kilogram. Choosing a quality food for your guinea pig is one of the most important nutritional decisions you will make as a pet parent. A species-appropriate fortified food is an essential part of your guinea pig’s daily diet. If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by the number of food options for your guinea pig, you’re not alone. With so many options available in the food aisle, choosing one that’s best for your piggie can be a confusing and even stressful process for new pet parents and longtime pet caretakers alike. In this article, we’ll walk through all the basic information necessary to help you choose a food that meets the specific nutritional needs of your beloved guinea pig. The best guinea pig food is natural timothy hay and fresh raw fruits and vegetables that are on the same list for piggies. What Fruits Are Best for Guinea Pigs? Chelated minerals can typically be identified by the suffix following a mineral’s chemical name (e.g. copper chelate, zinc proteinate, etc). Prebiotics

Quality Guinea Pig Food Checklist

While your guinea pig’s diet has to be high in vitamin C, it should rest on fiber that comes from timothy grass hay, which also promotes digestion and dental health. In addition to hay, Oxbow’s Adult Guinea Pig Food is a high-fibre pelleted diet which contains stabilized vitamin C and is designed to meet the specific nutritional needs of your guinea pig. Health Concerns Guinea pigs are typically considered adults from 6 months to about 5 years of age . Adults are no longer growing but still require macro-nutrients like fiber and protein, as well as micro-nutrients like the vitamins and minerals that are found in a timothy hay-based, uniform fortified food. Tomato: Nothing says garden fresh quite like tomato. This delectable source of fibre also contains essential fatty acids and antioxidants ( featured in all Garden Select varieties). Vitamin C is an important component that all pellets must have. Guinea pigs, like humans, cannot make their own vitamin C, so you must supplement their diet to ensure they’re getting what they need to thrive. Vitamin C is important for the development and maintenance of your guinea pig’s joints, skin, and gums. It also plays an important role in wound healing. A vitamin C deficiency can predispose your pet to several diseases and infections. What Is the Ideal Guinea Pig Diet?

Dr. Peter Fisher is owner and director of the Pet Care Veterinary Hospital in Virgina Beach, Virginia. The most important things to look for when selecting a guinea pig food is to make sure the food is designed for guinea pigs and that the date of milling is as recent as possible. Foods that are milled more than a few months ago will begin losing their vitamin C, and foods that are not designed for guinea pigs may not have as much as a guinea pig needs. Next, avoid foods that are high in fat and calories like seeds and sugary treats as these will contribute to obesity and health issues. Also, make sure your pet always has an unlimited supply of clean and fresh hay and water, and your guinea pig will undoubtedly be a healthy and happy little pet.The billions (and billions) of microscopic living organisms which reside in the microbiome include bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and others. Hay also helps prevent boredom by satisfying your guinea pig’s innate desire to chew, which is an important means of dental health maintenance. Vitamin C is water-soluble, which means that small amounts of excess vitamin C pass through the kidneys and are safely expelled by the body as urine. It is very difficult to give a cavy too much vitamin C when feeding a combination of hay, pellets, and vegetables, although it is possible to do so if you give a liquid or powder supplement. By making sure that the food does have good vitamin C levels, you can avoid the possibility of giving too much. Hay Image Credit: Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay A guinea pig should only be given fresh, clean water, and this should be always available so they can drink whenever they want. Guinea pigs should not be given excess sugar, salt, or fat, and these are often found in soda, juice, and other drinks. Can a Guinea Pig Eat Bananas? Essentials Senior Rabbit is specially formulated to support your aging rabbit’s needs. We start with 3 high-quality fiber sources to support the aging digestive system, complement with targeted levels of protein to maintain muscle, and add natural antioxidants to help maintain physical and mental sharpness and activity. Essentials Senior Rabbit includes natural plant-based herbal ingredients like ginger root, turmeric and chamomile and provides 100% of your pet’s daily recommended vitamins and minerals with no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

Oxbow Animal Health agrees with nutritionists and veterinarians that less nutrient dense diets are needed to prolong the lives of small mammals, especially guinea pigs and rabbits. Most adult guinea pigs will need to be encouraged to exercise, so make sure to set aside time daily to interact with your guinea pig and get them moving. This interaction, along with a diversity of ever-changing environmental enrichment , will all help support their overall quality of life. For instance, guinea pigs who need to lose weight, or need extra fiber for problematic dental issues should consume 1st cutting of timothy hay. If you’re a regular follower of our blog, you’ve probably seen references to the microbiome – a name for the billions of microscopic living organisms residing in the gastrointestinal tract of small animals. Guinea pigs are well developed at birth and within a few months are able to eat an adult diet. They are strict herbivores, that eat only plants, and like rabbits, are hind-gut fermentors that practice coprophagy (ingestion of one’s own faeces). Digestive System

ADULT GUINEA PIG FOOD

Made from timothy grass meal, its high source of fibre keeps your guinea pig's digestive system healthy with quality digestible ingredients Three sources of natural antioxidant ingredients help support physical and mental vitality & activity Oxbow’s Adult Guinea Pig Food provides the mature guinea pig with the proper calcium to phosphorus ratio and appropriate levels of vitamin D and magnesium. Oxbow Essentials – Adult Guinea Pig Food Gastrointestinal ileus (malfunction of the digestive tract due to gut slowdown) is commonly seen in guinea pigs on low-fibre diets. Many times pet owners do not notice the signs associated with gastrointestinal slowdown until it is too late. Decreased appetite, a bloated or tense abdomen, along with lethargy and a decrease in the volume and size of faeces passed are all signs of gastrointestinal ileus. The main reason why we suggest feeding guinea pigs commercial food is that such food is made with your pet’s dietary needs in mind.