Many pet parents wonder if their guinea pigs can eat bird food, but this is not recommended for several reasons.
Guinea pigs are herbivores and need timothy, oaten, barley, or grassy hay and vegetables. They also need vitamin C-fortified pellets.
Our guinea pigs need a safe, nutritious diet. Nuts, seeds, dried fruits, meat products, rabbit pellets or pellets made for other animals, multivitamins (vitamin C is required, multivitamins may cause other diseases unintentionally), and high-starch foods like peas, beans, corn, cakes, cereal, grains, and bread should never be fed to guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs must always have hay. Avoid yard cuttings and provide fresh-picked grass. Introduce new fruits and veggies slowly to avoid diarrhea. Reduce fruits and veggies if your guinea pig has loose stool.
Guinea pigs shouldn’t eat bird food. Responsible pet owners feed their guinea pigs hay, fresh leafy veggies, and fruits in moderation. Our guinea pigs can be healthy and happy with the right food.
When I first got them, I was unsure what to give my guinea pigs. I researched their food. I was surprised to hear that nuts and seeds were bad for them. I also learned that hay is essential to their diet and began giving it to them always. Since then, my guinea pigs have been healthy and happy, and I’m confident I’m feeding them properly.
Why Bird Food is Not Appropriate for Guinea Pigs?
Guinea pigs are herbivores. They avoid scurvy by eating this way.
Avoid high-fat, sugar, and protein foods and drinks. However, bird food is high in calories and may harm guinea pigs.
Your guinea pig needs a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and timothy hay or grass for optimal digestion and tooth filing. This ensures their needs are met and promotes healthy growth and development.
Guinea pigs need a balanced diet and regular access to 18–25°C temperatures. Unfortunately, sudden environmental changes or intense sunlight can stress and sicken them.
Guinea Pigs Are Herbivores
Guinea pigs are herbivorous. To maintain gut health, they need a high-fiber diet.
Herbivores get most of their protein from cecum “special poos” fermented by gut flora. Guinea pigs cannot produce vitamin C and must eat vegetables and fruits.
Ensure your guinea pig gets enough vitamin C from fresh strawberries, parsley, kale, and broccoli. Fresh fortified pellets will maximize vitamin C absorption.
Besides a balanced diet, your guinea pig needs fresh hay and pellets. GI stasis can result from stale pellets.
Guinea Pigs Have a Specialized Digestive System
Guinea pigs can survive on grass and fiber due to their digestive system. Their incisors and molars grind grass and hay into saliva and fiber “nuggets” (feces).
Guinea pigs ferment this fiber in their hindgut all day, producing hard pellets of poo after each feed. They need coprophagy for vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
Guinea pigs’ delicate digestive systems require high-quality food and water. This includes fiber-rich timothy hay.
Guinea Pigs Need a Balanced Diet
Guinea pigs, and herbivores, need hay, vegetables, and vitamin C-fortified pellets to avoid weight gain, gastrointestinal obstruction, and bladder stones.
Kiwifruit (in moderation), orange, capsicums, parsley, broccoli, kale, spinach, and lettuce are good vitamin C sources for guinea pigs. They also supply additional nutrients.
Guinea pigs must eat 80% quality hay, not chaff or straw. 80% of their diet should be this.
Guia’s canines develop their canine incisors and cheek teeth quickly, so give them lots of hay to chew on! Without enough nutrition, these molars may grow too large, causing dental pain.
The most common nutritional deficiency in guinea pigs is vitamin C deficiency, which can be treated with a high-quality pellet. Anemia causes crusty eyes, loss of appetite, ginger walk or limp, diarrhea, and rough hair.
