Guinea pigs need to eat daily, but how much is enough to be well-fed?
How often should I feed my guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs should be fed twice a day so that they are sufficiently fed, while not being hungry or overeaten, and at least twice a day they should be given vegetables and fruits as a supplement to their diet.
My guinea pig eats as much as he can, if I give him food five times a day, he will eat again, so you have to be careful how much food you give him.
In today’s article, you will find out more about how often we should feed guinea pigs and my personal experience on this topic.
How often should I feed my guinea pigs?
We should feed the guinea pigs twice a day, with the addition of a snack twice a day.
I give my guinea pig 2-3 tablespoons of pelleted food in the morning around 8 o’clock, and then sometime around 12 o’clock, I give him a small piece of apple.
In the afternoon I give him one to two handfuls of hay and in the evening I give him again a leaf of spinach or a piece of carrot or some other vegetable.
That’s my daily feeding routine for my guinea pig, and I’ve noticed that this schedule and dosage of food are the best for my pet.
If you want, you can give them more food, but the problem is that they will eat all the time when you give them new amounts of food.
Especially during the night, I have noticed that they eat quite often, because, in the morning when I get up, I see that the plate with pellets is almost empty, and the hay is almost all eaten.
It is very important that they always have a sufficient amount of hay in their cage, as it is their main food. Of course, water should always be available, especially if they drink a lot of water after eating hay.
Vegetables and fruits should be represented daily as a snack because they contain vitamins and minerals that they need to be healthy and disease-free.
The food for guinea pigs should always be fresh, so wait for them to eat the old food first before adding new food (pellets, hay).
Can guinea pigs eat all the time?
Yes, guinea pigs will eat all the time if given the opportunity.
They will not stop as long as there is food, this applies at least to my guinea pig who always eats whenever I give him food, he never refuses, this is especially true for pellets and hay, of course, he takes breaks but then eats again.
When I give him vegetables and fruits, he can sometimes refuse, probably because he еаt vegetables or fruits before.
What to give guinea pigs for daily diet?
Guinea pig nutrition is critical to their health and longevity.
With a bad diet, your pet will not be happy because it will often get sick, so let’s see what to give them to eat to make them happy and satisfied.
Hay
Hay is the most important food for guinea pigs that they cannot do without, it is their favorite food that they should always have in their cage.
When guinea pigs eat hay, they ingest nutrients, reduce their ever-growing teeth, and of course, hay is good for their digestive system.
Just make sure that the hay is clean, dust-free, and always fresh, and don’t give them old hay. Remember that hay should make up 80% of their diet.
Vegetables and fruits
Vegetables and fruits should be represented by 10-20 percent in their diet so that the guinea pig can have a sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals.
I give my guinea pig various types of vegetables and fruits such as spinach, carrot, and apple every day.
Other types of vegetables and fruits for guinea pigs are:
- tomatoes
- pears
- celery
- cucumber
Guinea pigs enjoy eating hay, but of course, they also like fruits and vegetables because they like variety in their diet.
Pelleted food
Guinea pigs also eat pelleted food made up of other types of food which are great especially when given in the morning and if they are strengthened with vitamin C even better for your pet.
This kind of food allows them to take in a variety of ingredients that they need to be healthy and happy.
Two to three tablespoons of pellets are quite enough for the guinea pig and therefore we should give them daily for eating, in addition to hay and water.
Water
Guinea pigs must drink water, especially when they eat hay, they immediately go to the water bottle to drink.
I noticed that my guinea pig does not drink a lot of water when he eats vegetables and fruits, probably because there are good amounts of water in their composition, for example, cucumbers have a huge amount of water in their composition.
It is best to change the water in their bottle every day so that they always have access to fresh and clean water, and be careful with the ball bearing always to work properly because if there is some problem then the guinea pig will not have access to water.
Can you overfeed a guinea pig?
Yes, you can overfeed your pet, and that can harm guinea pigs and make them fat.
If the guinea pig eats too much in addition to getting fat, it will start to have problems with the digestive system and problems with food processing.
That’s why you should have a daily dose of food that will be the same or similar all the time so that such unwanted consequences do not occur.
Do guinea pigs need to be fed every day?
Yes, we need to feed the guinea pigs every day so that they have enough nutrients and are healthy.
Every day we have to put new and fresh food in them, and throw the old ones out of their cage.
The more we pay attention to their diet, the healthier our pets will be, because food is the key to good health, just like us humans.
Of course, together with the food, we should give them fresh and clean water every day.
How long can guinea pigs go without food?
Guinea pigs should not go longer than 6-8 hours without food.
That is the basic rule for feeding your pet and we must make sure that they don’t go without food, especially when we go to work or at night when we go to sleep, we need to check if they have sufficient amounts of food.
When guinea pigs go without food for more than 6-8 hours, gastrointestinal stasis begins, then they stop digesting food through their body.
How do I know if my guinea pig is starving?
When a guinea pig is hungry, it makes wheeking noises to let us know that it is hungry.
My guinea pig when he hears the sound of the hay bag immediately starts making noises that he is hungry.
Or when I open the fridge the guinea pig knows I’m going to give him vegetables or fruit and starts making hunger sounds again.
Read more: Why Is My Guinea Pig Eating Bedding?
Can guinea pigs survive on hay alone?
Guinea pigs can survive on hay alone, but that can only be for a limited time.
Indeed, guinea pigs should eat hay and it should be represented by 80%, but they should not only eat hay, they must also ingest other types of food.
They must also eat vegetables and fruits because of the vitamins and minerals they need, especially those that are not enough in the hay.
Read more: 11 Reasons Why Guinea Pigs Not Eating Hay
Conclusion
Guinea pigs should be fed twice a day and two more times with a snack.
It is necessary to give them pelleted food in the morning and hay in the evening, while between these two main meals, we should give them vegetables and fruits.
Of course, we should not forget the water, which should always be available in an unlimited amount and should always be fresh and clean.
Guinea pigs should not be overfed because they may gain weight and have problems with the digestive system.
It is good once you know how much is sufficient for your guinea pig to stick to that dose so that the guinea pig can be fed enough and not overfeed.
