Saturday, May 22, 2010

Guinea pig question?

My guineapig just eats all day, I give him bowlful of guineapig food two times a day with a whole carrot beside it(he seems to like carrots more than his usual food). But everytime I go to take him out, hes always squeaking as if hes not eaten for days.
Do all guinea pigs do that? Its my first, I had it for nearly 2 weeks now.
Answers:
Welcome to the world of guinea pig ownership, also known as cavy slavery.

Yes, it is normal for a guinea pig to eat all day. If they don't, their gut and intestines will shut down and cause them to be very sick. If they go without food for any period of time, say a full day, they could die.

Piggies need these things everyday:
1) Fresh, clean water with NO Vit.C drops in it. It should be changed every day. Your piggie should be getting his Vit.C from his food. Those drops are worthless, so if you're using them, throw them away.
2) Quality guinea pig (not rabbitt!!) pellets. You can order high quality Timothy based pellets online from www.oxbowhay.com or www.kmshayloft.com These pellets already contain stabilized Vit.C to help your piggie get what he needs.
3) Fresh hay. This is a MUST and is not a "treat". The fiber in the hay keeps their digestive system moving along like it should %26 also helps keep their teeth at the right length. Piggies must have an unlimited supply of hay, preferably Timothy hay, every day, all day. You can order hay from the above two websites or check with a local feed supply to see if they have Timothy hay. Make sure it isn't moldy.
4) Vegetables. You should be providing your piggie with about a cup of veggies everyday. These would include Romaine lettuce, red or green curly lettuce, endive, escarole, raddicio, bell pepper (any color), cucumber, green or yellow squash, parsley, cilantro, dandelion greens, or spinach (sparingly). Fresh green grass leaves (without roots) is wonderful for your piggie. Just make sure it comes from an area that is not near the road (car fumes) or from your lawn if you have applied any pesticides or fertilizer. Wash %26 watch him munch!

Fruits can be given as an occasional treat. These should be given no more than every other day in small amounts: Strawberries, apple slice, bits of banana, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes (seedless) or an orange slice. Although carrots are considered a veggie and are by far their favorite, only give one baby sized carrot per pig as a treat. A whole carrot for one piggie is way too much. They have high sugar content %26 are not good for everyday. Please remember to remove any seeds from fruit before giving it to your piggie. The seeds can be poisonous.

Do not feed: Onion, potatoes, or any bulb plant. Iceburg lettuce is a no-no---it gives them diarrhea. Celery cut into inch long pieces is okay occasionally (high water content).

Here are a couple of websites to help you understand more about your piggie %26 his needs:
www.guinealynx.info %26 www.cavyspirit.com
Also see these for great cage ideas:
www.guineapigcages.com %26 www.cavycages.com

Since guinea pigs are herd animals %26 do best in pairs, please consider adopting your piggie a friend from a local shelter or rescue. You can find one near you by visiting www.petfinder.com They get very very lonely without another of their own kind.

Best of luck to you!
They love to squeak, my guinea pig use to hear the fridge door open and wouldn't stop squeaking until you gave her a carrot or some celery. She would have lots of pellets but she loved the fresh vegies best.
She lived until she was 5years old, I really miss not hearing her little squeaks.
I have raised quite a few in my life.Are you feeding him just the pelets of pig food or are you useing the kinds with the dried fruit and such.They need more then just the pelit.But yes all pigs will squeak intill they get used to you.make sure you hold them every day.They need to feel safe when your holding them so sit down and hold them close.Soon they will get used to being picked up.The reason they squick is because they are not suported fully so they do not feel safe.Hope all this helps.
You gotta love the little critters.

Mine squeak hello everytime I pass them. I only feed mine twice a day, but put them on the lawn to eat the grass between times (in a run).
They can be a little greedy, but remember they are only one step from wild animals and will eat whenever they can, incase another meal doesn't turn up.

Stick with what you're doing, but keep an eye on there weight to be sure. You certainly aren't starving them.

Also try cucumber, lettice, runner beans and apple to vary diet.

Slim.
Growing piggies need lots of food. It sounds normal to me. Maybe you could try changing up the "carrots". They love apples, melons, lettuce, etc. I would not suggest giving them any citrus fruit such as grapefruit or oranges. It may not sit well its tummy.

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