Can guinea pigs survive without pellets?

As long as you provide a healthy diet with various veggies they will be fine without pellets. They may need a bit more veggies than before.

Can a guinea pig live on just hay?

Hay is absolutely vital to the digestive health of your guinea pig. It prevents obesity, dental disease, diarrhea and boredom. Your guinea pig should have unlimited access to high quality grass hay. Your guinea pig should eat a pile of hay as big as his body every day.

What can you feed guinea pigs instead of pellets?

How long can guinea pigs live for without food?

So, how long can guinea pigs go without food and water? Healthy guinea pigs shouldn't go over 8 hours without food. They won't starve in this time, but they can develop potentially fatal GI stasis or other health issues. Healthy guinea pigs may go up to 24 hours without water.

What are the signs of a guinea pig dying?

Do Guinea Pigs Really NEED Pellets?

How many times a day should guinea pigs eat?

Feed your guinea pig on a consistent schedule—twice a day, morning and evening. Because guinea pigs will overeat if given the chance, be sure not to overfeed pelleted food, as it is predominantly carbohydrate and can lead to diarrhea and decreased appetite.

Do guinea pigs need vegetables every day?

Guinea pigs' need fresh greens and vegetables every day to help them get enough vitamin C (they can't produce it themselves). Our vets' advise one teacup of greens and veg, per guinea pig, per day, which can be split into morning and evening feeds.

What human food can guinea pigs eat?

Other foods that are good to fed guinea pigs a few times a week include broccoli, cabbage, endive, carrot tops, Brussels sprouts, kale, silver beet, mint, and fruits such as apples (but with no seeds), mango, and papaya.

Can you overfeed a guinea pig?

Overfeeding can be damaging to your guinea pig's digestion tract, and cause obesity. To prevent yourself from overfeeding your guinea pig, all you need to do is serve your guinea pigs the right portioned meals and cut down on unnecessary sugary treats.

Do guinea pigs need pellets everyday?

Adult Guinea Pig

Pellets aren't strictly necessary. So many of them are full of rubbish anyway, essentially just junk food for piggies. But like @Cavy Kung-Fu said, You would really have to know what you're doing and make sure they're getting everything they need from their hay/veggies and lots of grass.

Can grass replace hay for guinea pigs?

On the whole, fresh grass is the best choice to temporarily replace hay. Guinea pigs can forage for this in the backyard, replicating natural behaviors, or grass can grown in trays inside. It is important to be selective about the type of grass you use for your guinea pig's diet, and to introduce it slowly.

What should you feed a guinea pig everyday?

The preferred basic diet for guinea pigs is unlimited amounts of Timothy or other low-calcium hay, supplemented with smaller amounts of a commercial, high-fiber, Timothy-hay based guinea pig pellets. Vitamin C (see below) should be given each day. Hay should be offered free-choice throughout the day.

Do guinea pigs squeak when hungry?

Wheeking is the sound a guinea pig makes when it is hungry so don't be surprised if the wheek around the time you usually feed them or if they see you bringing some food.

Are you supposed to wash guinea pigs?

Guinea pigs are known to be an extremely clean creatures who groom themselves very often. Therefore, you rarely need to give them a bath. Please do not bathe your guinea pig unless it is necessary. Unnecessary baths will result in dry fur coats and skin.

Why do guinea pigs squeak?

Squeal: Some guinea pigs will squeal when they are experiencing potential pain or they need attention. It can sometimes be that another guinea pig is stealing his favorite spot to eat. Pay attention to your guinea pig if you hear a squeal because it could indicate that they need help from something hurting them.

Do guinea pigs eat their poop?

Not only is guineas eating their own poop perfectly normal and natural, but it is also essential for their health. Many small mammals perform the same practice, and there is actually more reason to worry if they are not eating their poop!

What do guinea pigs like to play with?

Is it OK for guinea pigs to eat bread?

Similar to human diets, avoid feeding your guinea pig foods with too much sugar, carbohydrates and fats. This means no toasted oat cereals that are often used as treats for gerbils or hamsters. Do not feed her beans, breads, cookies, crackers, oats, potatoes or other human foods.

Can I give my guinea pig cucumber everyday?

Overall, cucumbers aren't bad for guinea pigs. But feeding them too much in a day can lead to stomach upset and diarrhea because of their high-water content. As long as cucumbers don't make up a big part of your guinea pig's diet, you shouldn't have anything to worry about health-wise.

Can guinea pigs eat lettuce everyday?

Fruit and vegetables: Fresh vegetables can be offered once a day and should be equivalent to about one cup total per guinea pig per day. Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, red and green leaf lettuces, kale, cilantro and parsley should comprise the bulk of your pig's fresh produce.

How often should I feed my guinea pig pellets?

Pellets. Guinea pigs should be given a pellet based food - about 1/8 cup per guinea pig per day (for pregnant, nursing, or guinea pigs 6 months or less, pellets should be available at all times even if this means feeding more than 1/8 cup per day).

How often should guinea pigs be bathed?

How often should I bathe my guinea pig? Unlike humans, guinea pigs will only ever need a bath approximately 2 to 4 times a year. For hairless varieties, bathing is very rarely encouraged due to their particularly sensitive skin, and their difficulty in regulating their temperature.

How often should you clean a guinea pigs cage?

In addition to cleaning your guinea pig's habitat & accessories completely once a week, spot cleaning should be done daily. Spot cleaning can be done by removing soiled litter and bedding with a small food or litter scoop.

How often do guinea pigs drink water?

Guinea pigs normally drink about 100 mL/kg (3.3 ounces/2.2 pounds) of water daily, as cited in the book “Ferrets, Rabbits, And Rodents Clinical Medicine And Surgery.” This amount might increase or decrease slightly because of ambient temperature or humidity, activity level, or illness.

Do guinea pigs cry?

So, although we wouldn't consider guinea pigs to cry 'emotional tears', like all mammals their eyes do produce physical tears. This is to keep their eye moist and clean.