Cavy-Care.Com : An online guinea pig care guide

Feeding & Nutritional Information

Knowing what to feed your cavy, how much and how often is one of the most vital things you need to bear in mind throughout your years as a Cavy Carer. Giving your guineas the right foods gives your guinea pigs the nutrients needed to keep them happy and healthy - on the inside and out. Offering the wrong foods can result in life-threatening situations, such as choking, bloat, poisoning, and many various deficiencies.

An ideal, balanced diet for guinea pigs should consist of at least 75% hay, 20% fresh vegetables and 5% dry food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fresh Water

Fresh water needs to be available at all times. If you have one or two cavies, aim to have at least two water bottles on the cage. That way if one doesn't work properly then the pigs won't be without water, plus if you have two thirsty guineas they won't need to queue up for a drink.

The debate about Bottle or Dish still rages even today. Some people state that their piggies don't know how to use a bottle. Some are adamant that bottles are the cleanest, safest method for providing water. There are pros and cons to both, but as you will see it is evident that bottles are the way to go if your piggies are willing to try them out.

Dish
Pros:-
Easy to clean;
Readily available.

Cons:-
Can easily get contaminated;
Often get food, faeces and urine in;
Can be tipped up;
Pigs get wet easily so are more susceptible to cold and illness;
Can be hard to reach into;
Some guinea pigs struggle to learn to the concept of drinking without inhaling water.

Bottle
Pros:-
Keeps the water clean;
Widely available;
Many different styles and brands available;
Secure;
Easy to change the water;
Can be carried around without spillage and attached to many wire surfaces;
Bottle-snugglers can be bought to keep the water at a certain temperature.

Cons:-
Can be hard to clean the sipper tube and bottle;
Some brands have a tendancy to leak.

An excellent (but slightly messy) tip for cleaning bottles is to pour 1 part rice to 4 parts water into the bottle, cover the opening and shake violently in all directions*. You will be surprised to discover just how much dirt the rice lifts off the inside surface of the bottle!
Alternatively you can buy a baby bottle cleaner and use this to scrub the insides free of dirt and greasy residues.
*Thanks to Susan at GPC for this tip!

To clean the spout, the best method is to use Dr Browns spout cleaners (brush for anti-colic baby bottles), or cotton buds (the type with tiny buds on the ends of a small stick). Damp the buds (not douse them!) with a small amount of water and stick into the spout. Scrape around in all directions a few times then rinse under the tap.
You will be amazed at how mucky the spout does get!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hay

Hay is the most important part of a guinea pig's daily diet. It accounts for around 75% of their daily intake of food, so it is extremely important that cavies are given unlimited amounts of hay - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (or 366 for a leap year). Cavies are grazing creatures and their bodies are designed to continually digest food, so if they don't have lots of hay to nibble on then they risk becoming life-threateningly ill.

Hay is also important in wearing down the teeth. Gnawing on objects can help keep teeth in trim, but only the incisors. The molars also require plenty of roughage to keep them in check, and this is another of the wonderful things that hay does for guinea pigs.

There are many different types of hay, which can all usually be categorised in two groups:

Legume Hays and Grass Hays.

Legume hays are best for cavies under 6 - 8 months of age, and for pregnant or nursing sows. This is due to the higher levels of calcium and protein.

Older cavies have much less use for these nutrients than younger and pregnant/nursing sows so the calcium level especially must be lowered throughout the diet when they reach a certain age range.

Some well known legume hays:- Alfalfa

Grass hays are advisable for cavies of all ages. For younger pigs, mix a legume hay with grass hay for a balanced foraging diet.

Older pigs, over 6-8 months, should be fed only grass hays. Mixing different grass hays encourages the pigs to eat more hay, giving it a varied taste and texture, but this is not absolutely necessary.

Some well known grass hays:- Timothy, Meadow, Orchard Grass, Oat, Brome

Four different grass hays -
Meadow Hay (far left), Oxbow Timothy Hay (top right),
Oxbow Orchard Grass (middle right), Graze On (bottom right).

Other foraging foods also encourage your guinea to eat more. Some well known and popular ones in the UK are Graze On and Readigrass. Both are originally meant for horses, but are perfect for a bit of variety in the foraging diet.

Before putting hay in your guinea pig's accomodation, make sure that there are no foreign objects tangled in the hay, such as insects, pieces of plastic/rope etc. Also ensure that there are no wild plants or flowers lurking in the hay, as they may be poisonous for piggies to ingest. Also check that the hay is not dusty - dust can cause serious respiratory problems in some sensitive cavies. You can "de-dust" hay by putting it in a cardboard box and throwing around each handful before giving it to your piggies.

Don't forget to put in more hay than your piggies will eat. Give your little friends some hay to play in, and put plenty of hay in a hay rack so that there is always some fresh, unsoiled hay for them to munch on.

Grass is a great nutritional food, but should never replace hay. Grass contains great nutrients but is not rough enough to wear the teeth down quite as effectively as hay. Make sure the grass you pick is free from fertilisers, pesticides, car fumes and other toxins. Make sure you pick grass from an area at least a few feet away from where animals are known to urinate and defecate.
Rinse well before feeding unless you know it is fresh and clean.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh fruits and veggies are very important to a cavy's diet. If a pig is fed no fresh veggies at all then it is very likely the pig will become very deficient in many essential vitamins, leading to numerous health concerns and eventual death. Vitamin and multi-vitamin drops are no supplement, as explained later on.

Variety is good when it comes to a cavy's daily veggie plan. You should aim to offer a minumum of three different veggies with each salad - and preferably two salads every day. Overall, each cavy requires at least one handful of mixed veggies per day.

Fruits must be limited in the diet due to the high acid, sugar and water content.

This list of safe fresh fruits and vegetables and how often to feed them gives you a good idea of a well balanced eating plan:

Daily :-

Lettuces -
endive, escarole, radicchio, romaine, green leaf, red leaf, lollo rosso, apollo, little gem, boston/bibb/butterhead/round, mizuna, red batavia, rocket, lamb's lettuce etc.

Coriander
Also known as cilantro

Bell peppers
Also known as sweet peppers and capsicum.
All colours - red, green, orange, yellow - are safe, but avoid the seeds.

Chard
Red and swiss most common.

Cherry tomatoes
The whole tomato is safe - but remove the green heads first.

Courgette
Also known as zucchini.

Corn husks and silks
The green wraparound and strings surrounding a corn-on-the-cob.

Cucumber
Limit the amount fed as it is high in water. Small chunks or slices per day is enjoyed.

Looks like a certain young Charlie man enjoyed his tomato!

2-4 times per wheek :-

Fruits -
Grape, Strawberry, Melon (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe), Apple, Plum, Apricot, Peach, Orange, Blackberry, Kiwi, Pear, Cherry, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Squash etc. Remove all thick skins/peels.

Herbs
Dill, Chives, Mint, Thyme, Parsley, Basil

Broccoli & Cauliflower
Leaves favoured in particular. Can be quite "gassy" so limit the amount fed.

Celery
Chop the stalk up into small chunks to prevent choking on the strings. The leaves are a favoured part.

Cabbage & Kale
Cabbage is another potentially "gassy" veggie. Kale is high in calcium.

Chicory
The leaves are enjoyed well.

Parsnip, Turnip, Swede

Spinach
High in calcium so limit how much and how often you feed.

Sweetcorn
Babycorn and corn-on-the-cob.

Watercress

The foot in the food, the green goo everywhere...
it's gotta be Jasmine!

Rare Treats (less twice per month):-

Banana
High in potassium so can lead to 'constipation'. Remove peel.

Asparagus

Brussels Sprouts

Radish
Make sure it isn't strong!

Raw beetroot

Okra

Sweet potato
Be sure it is the sweet potato you feed, not regular.
Peel the skin off and chop into chunks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The "Out of Bounds" List

It has been widely agreed that the following foods should not be fed to cavies:

Avocado
Very high in fats.

Iceberg Lettuce
Very high in water, so of very poor nutrition.

Rhubarb
Poisonous. Avoid all parts.

Onions

Dairy products (milk, cheese etc.)
Pigs are lactose-intolerant!

Meat/poultry
Cavies are strict vegans - no animal products at all.

Bread
Difficult to digest, and can contain some animal products.

Potato
Sweet potato is the only safe potato. Avoid all other peelings, eyes and potatoes.

Any seeds/nuts
Can stick in the teeth, cause choking, are fattening, can cause injury (scratches to the throat etc.).

Treat sticks, Yoghurt Drops
Often contain very sweet, candy substances such as marshmallow and honey.
Seeds and nuts make up the majority of seed and treat sticks.

Human treats
Includes crisps, chips, sweets, candy, chocolate, cake, biscuits, ice cream etc.

These are the foods which can cause poisoning, choking and bloat amongst other health threats.

Seeds found in guinea pig mixes also present a choking hazard and are fattening, so should be avoided.

Vitamin & Multi-Vitamin Drops

Also avoid Vitamin C and multi-vitamin water drops - these are pointless, last an hour at most (Vitamin C often degrades when exposed to the light) and deter the pig from drinking the water by distorting the taste. The minerals that remain do more harm than good.

If the pig is getting plenty of fresh veggies then there is no need for supplements at all.
If you really have to give your pig a supplement, perhaps for medical reasons, find a low-sugar human Vitamin C tablet (or a small animal tablet by Oxbow) and crush it, then hand-feed to your cavy by either sprinkling it on veggies or mixing it with a suitable blend of veggies and water and feeding by syringe.

Pet Store Treats

The only pet store treat which is safe and healthy for guinea pigs are Excel Nature Sticks.

Yoghurt drops, treat/seed sticks and other treats designed for guinea pigs and small animals are all pure junk.

The majority of treat sticks contain hundreds of seeds which can stick in the teeth, graze the mouth and throat, cause choking and lead to obesity when fed regularly.
Even more worrying is the honey and marshmallow which "glues" the seeds together.

When it is so clearly stated in all piggy information books and websites that candy and other human treats should never be fed to piggies, why would you go out and buy them exactly that?

You might ask this:
why do manufacturers keep making these treats if you say they are so bad?
The answer is money. People buy the treats, so manufacturers keep making them.
It is the same as human candy and chocolate - they are full of processed junk, yet people keep buying them so the manufacturers keep making them. Often the manufacturers know of the dangers yet they continue to make them, but they make so much money out of these products.

The only way to break the cycle is to stop buying them and spread the message.

Salt & Mineral Licks/Wheels

Salt and mineral licks and wheels are a waste of money, and can even be of harm to your guinea pigs in the long term. It is well known in the piggy world that too much of some nutrients can be damaging. Well too many minerals is one of them. Bearing in mind that cavies get all the salt and minerals they need from veggies, fruit, dry feed and water, it is very unnecessary to provide them with any more.

While some piggies might seem to enjoy their mineral wheels, they won't pine for them if you make sure they have unlimited hay, a good variety of veggies and a big cage with lots of toys.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dry Feed

The basic choice with dry foods is whether to go with a mix or plain pellets.

Mixes

Being so widely available, a majority of new cavy carers feed their new pets on mixes. Cavies fed on mixes often succomb to a behaviour known as "selective feeding" - where certain pieces of the mix are favoured, such as the pea or maize flakes. When only certain parts of the mix are favoured, cavies can miss out on certain nutrients, and in the long-term this can cause various health problems.

Mixes are mostly discouraged in the new world of cavy carers, as many brands cram unnecessary ingredients into the mix, such as excessive additives, preservatives and colourings, and shelled seeds which have caused some pigs to choke. The seeds are very fattening and are quite sharp to a cavy's delicate mouth and throat, so try to avoid mixes where possible.

Plain Pellets

Plain pellets are becoming increasingly popular with cavy carers worldwide. Many new cavy carers are buying their guinea pigs plain pellets, rather than mixes, which is much better for the piggies concerned.

As each and every pellet contains the same nutrients, the issue of selective feeding is not an issue at all.

Different brands offer different tastes, so it is simply a case of trying each brand until you find one your caves enjoy.
Favoured brands include Oxbow, Kleenmama (US), Science Selective Guinea Pig (UK) and Burgess Supa Guinea Excel (UK).

Don't worry too much if your guinea pigs won't eat their dry feed. It is the least important aspect of their diet and only accounts for a minor 5% of the overall diet. Offer a mixture of two brands or even more if your pigs enjoy having the variety of tastes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Feeding & Nutritional Information Knowing what to feed your cavy, how much and how often is one of the most vital things you need to bear in mind throughout your years as a Cavy Carer. Giving your guineas the right foods gives your guinea pigs the nutrients needed to keep them happy and healthy - on the inside and out. Offering the wrong foods can result in life-threatening situations, such as choking, bloat, poisoning, and many various deficiencies. An ideal, balanced diet for guinea pigs should consist of at least 75% hay, 20% fresh vegetables and 5% dry food. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fresh Water Fresh water needs to be available at all times. If you have one or two cavies, aim to have at least two water bottles on the cage. That way if one doesn't work properly then the pigs won't be without water, plus if you have two thirsty guineas they won't need to queue up for a drink. The debate about Bottle or Dish still rages even today. Some people state that their piggies don't know how to use a bottle. Some are adamant that bottles are the cleanest, safest method for providing water. There are pros and cons to both, but as you will see it is evident that bottles are the way to go if your piggies are willing to try them out. Dish Pros:- Easy to clean; Readily available. Cons:- Can easily get contaminated; Often get food, faeces and urine in; Can be tipped up; Pigs get wet easily so are more susceptible to cold and illness; Can be hard to reach into; Some guinea pigs struggle to learn to the concept of drinking without inhaling water. Bottle Pros:- Keeps the water clean; Widely available; Many different styles and brands available; Secure; Easy to change the water; Can be carried around without spillage and attached to many wire surfaces; Bottle-snugglers can be bought to keep the water at a certain temperature. Cons:- Can be hard to clean the sipper tube and bottle; Some brands have a tendancy to leak. An excellent (but slightly messy) tip for cleaning bottles is to pour 1 part rice to 4 parts water into the bottle, cover the opening and shake violently in all directions. You will be surprised to discover just how much dirt the rice lifts off the inside surface of the bottle! Alternatively you can buy a baby bottle cleaner and use this to scrub the insides free of dirt and greasy residues. Thanks to Susan at GPC for this tip! To clean the spout, the best method is to use Dr Browns spout cleaners (brush for anti-colic baby bottles), or cotton buds (the type with tiny buds on the ends of a small stick). Damp the buds (not douse them!) with a small amount of water and stick into the spout. Scrape around in all directions a few times then rinse under the tap. You will be amazed at how mucky the spout does get! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hay Hay is the most important part of a guinea pig's daily diet. It accounts for around 75% of their daily intake of food, so it is extremely important that cavies are given unlimited amounts of hay - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (or 366 for a leap year). Cavies are grazing creatures and their bodies are designed to continually digest food, so if they don't have lots of hay to nibble on then they risk becoming life-threateningly ill. Hay is also important in wearing down the teeth. Gnawing on objects can help keep teeth in trim, but only the incisors. The molars also require plenty of roughage to keep them in check, and this is another of the wonderful things that hay does for guinea pigs. There are many different types of hay, which can all usually be categorised in two groups: Legume Hays and Grass Hays. Legume hays are best for cavies under 6 - 8 months of age, and for pregnant or nursing sows. This is due to the higher levels of calcium and protein. Older cavies have much less use for these nutrients than younger and pregnant/nursing sows so the calcium level especially must be lowered throughout the diet when they reach a certain age range. Some well known legume hays:- Alfalfa Grass hays are advisable for cavies of all ages. For younger pigs, mix a legume hay with grass hay for a balanced foraging diet. Older pigs, over 6-8 months, should be fed only grass hays. Mixing different grass hays encourages the pigs to eat more hay, giving it a varied taste and texture, but this is not absolutely necessary. Some well known grass hays:- Timothy, Meadow, Orchard Grass, Oat, Brome Four different grass hays - Meadow Hay (far left), Oxbow Timothy Hay (top right), Oxbow Orchard Grass (middle right), Graze On (bottom right). Other foraging foods also encourage your guinea to eat more. Some well known and popular ones in the UK are Graze On and Readigrass. Both are originally meant for horses, but are perfect for a bit of variety in the foraging diet. Before putting hay in your guinea pig's accomodation, make sure that there are no foreign objects tangled in the hay, such as insects, pieces of plastic/rope etc. Also ensure that there are no wild plants or flowers lurking in the hay, as they may be poisonous for piggies to ingest. Also check that the hay is not dusty - dust can cause serious respiratory problems in some sensitive cavies. You can "de-dust" hay by putting it in a cardboard box and throwing around each handful before giving it to your piggies. Don't forget to put in more hay than your piggies will eat. Give your little friends some hay to play in, and put plenty of hay in a hay rack so that there is always some fresh, unsoiled hay for them to munch on. Grass is a great nutritional food, but should never replace hay. Grass contains great nutrients but is not rough enough to wear the teeth down quite as effectively as hay. Make sure the grass you pick is free from fertilisers, pesticides, car fumes and other toxins. Make sure you pick grass from an area at least a few feet away from where animals are known to urinate and defecate. Rinse well before feeding unless you know it is fresh and clean. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Fresh fruits and veggies are very important to a cavy's diet. If a pig is fed no fresh veggies at all then it is very likely the pig will become very deficient in many essential vitamins, leading to numerous health concerns and eventual death. Vitamin and multi-vitamin drops are no supplement, as explained later on. Variety is good when it comes to a cavy's daily veggie plan. You should aim to offer a minumum of three different veggies with each salad - and preferably two salads every day. Overall, each cavy requires at least one handful of mixed veggies per day. Fruits must be limited in the diet due to the high acid, sugar and water content. This list of safe fresh fruits and vegetables and how often to feed them gives you a good idea of a well balanced eating plan: Daily :- Lettuces - endive, escarole, radicchio, romaine, green leaf, red leaf, lollo rosso, apollo, little gem, boston/bibb/butterhead/round, mizuna, red batavia, rocket, lamb's lettuce etc. Coriander Also known as cilantro Bell peppers Also known as sweet peppers and capsicum. All colours - red, green, orange, yellow - are safe, but avoid the seeds. Chard Red and swiss most common. Cherry tomatoes The whole tomato is safe - but remove the green heads first. Courgette Also known as zucchini. Corn husks and silks The green wraparound and strings surrounding a corn-on-the-cob. Cucumber Limit the amount fed as it is high in water. Small chunks or slices per day is enjoyed. Looks like a certain young Charlie man enjoyed his tomato! ~ 2-4 times per wheek :- Fruits - Grape, Strawberry, Melon (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe), Apple, Plum, Apricot, Peach, Orange, Blackberry, Kiwi, Pear, Cherry, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Squash etc. Remove all thick skins/peels. Herbs Dill, Chives, Mint, Thyme, Parsley, Basil Broccoli & Cauliflower Leaves favoured in particular. Can be quite "gassy" so limit the amount fed. Celery Chop the stalk up into small chunks to prevent choking on the strings. The leaves are a favoured part. Cabbage & Kale Cabbage is another potentially "gassy" veggie. Kale is high in calcium. Chicory The leaves are enjoyed well. Parsnip, Turnip, Swede Spinach High in calcium so limit how much and how often you feed. Sweetcorn Babycorn and corn-on-the-cob. Watercress The foot in the food, the green goo everywhere... it's gotta be Jasmine! ~ Rare Treats (less twice per month):- Banana High in potassium so can lead to 'constipation'. Remove peel. Asparagus Brussels Sprouts Radish Make sure it isn't strong! Raw beetroot Okra Sweet potato Be sure it is the sweet potato you feed, not regular. Peel the skin off and chop into chunks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The "Out of Bounds" List It has been widely agreed that the following foods should not be fed to cavies: Avocado Very high in fats. Iceberg Lettuce Very high in water, so of very poor nutrition. Rhubarb Poisonous. Avoid all parts. Onions Dairy products (milk, cheese etc.) Pigs are lactose-intolerant! Meat/poultry Cavies are strict vegans - no animal products at all. Bread Difficult to digest, and can contain some animal products. Potato Sweet potato is the only safe potato. Avoid all other peelings, eyes and potatoes. Any seeds/nuts Can stick in the teeth, cause choking, are fattening, can cause injury (scratches to the throat etc.). Treat sticks, Yoghurt Drops Often contain very sweet, candy substances such as marshmallow and honey. Seeds and nuts make up the majority of seed and treat sticks. Human treats Includes crisps, chips, sweets, candy, chocolate, cake, biscuits, ice cream etc. ~ These are the foods which can cause poisoning, choking and bloat amongst other health threats. Seeds found in guinea pig mixes also present a choking hazard and are fattening, so should be avoided. ~ Vitamin & Multi-Vitamin Drops Also avoid Vitamin C and multi-vitamin water drops - these are pointless, last an hour at most (Vitamin C often degrades when exposed to the light) and deter the pig from drinking the water by distorting the taste. The minerals that remain do more harm than good. If the pig is getting plenty of fresh veggies then there is no need for supplements at all. If you really have to give your pig a supplement, perhaps for medical reasons, find a low-sugar human Vitamin C tablet (or a small animal tablet by Oxbow) and crush it, then hand-feed to your cavy by either sprinkling it on veggies or mixing it with a suitable blend of veggies and water and feeding by syringe. ~ Pet Store Treats The only pet store treat which is safe and healthy for guinea pigs are Excel Nature Sticks. Yoghurt drops, treat/seed sticks and other treats designed for guinea pigs and small animals are all pure junk. The majority of treat sticks contain hundreds of seeds which can stick in the teeth, graze the mouth and throat, cause choking and lead to obesity when fed regularly. Even more worrying is the honey and marshmallow which "glues" the seeds together. When it is so clearly stated in all piggy information books and websites that candy and other human treats should never be fed to piggies, why would you go out and buy them exactly that? You might ask this: why do manufacturers keep making these treats if you say they are so bad? The answer is money. People buy the treats, so manufacturers keep making them. It is the same as human candy and chocolate - they are full of processed junk, yet people keep buying them so the manufacturers keep making them. Often the manufacturers know of the dangers yet they continue to make them, but they make so much money out of these products. The only way to break the cycle is to stop buying them and spread the message. ~ Salt & Mineral Licks/Wheels Salt and mineral licks and wheels are a waste of money, and can even be of harm to your guinea pigs in the long term. It is well known in the piggy world that too much of some nutrients can be damaging. Well too many minerals is one of them. Bearing in mind that cavies get all the salt and minerals they need from veggies, fruit, dry feed and water, it is very unnecessary to provide them with any more. While some piggies might seem to enjoy their mineral wheels, they won't pine for them if you make sure they have unlimited hay, a good variety of veggies and a big cage with lots of toys. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dry Feed The basic choice with dry foods is whether to go with a mix or plain pellets. Mixes Being so widely available, a majority of new cavy carers feed their new pets on mixes. Cavies fed on mixes often succomb to a behaviour known as "selective feeding" - where certain pieces of the mix are favoured, such as the pea or maize flakes. When only certain parts of the mix are favoured, cavies can miss out on certain nutrients, and in the long-term this can cause various health problems. Mixes are mostly discouraged in the new world of cavy carers, as many brands cram unnecessary ingredients into the mix, such as excessive additives, preservatives and colourings, and shelled seeds which have caused some pigs to choke. The seeds are very fattening and are quite sharp to a cavy's delicate mouth and throat, so try to avoid mixes where possible. Plain Pellets Plain pellets are becoming increasingly popular with cavy carers worldwide. Many new cavy carers are buying their guinea pigs plain pellets, rather than mixes, which is much better for the piggies concerned. As each and every pellet contains the same nutrients, the issue of selective feeding is not an issue at all. Different brands offer different tastes, so it is simply a case of trying each brand until you find one your caves enjoy. Favoured brands include Oxbow, Kleenmama (US), Science Selective Guinea Pig (UK) and Burgess Supa Guinea Excel (UK). Don't worry too much if your guinea pigs won't eat their dry feed. It is the least important aspect of their diet and only accounts for a minor 5% of the overall diet. Offer a mixture of two brands or even more if your pigs enjoy having the variety of tastes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COPYRIGHT LAURA HUMPHREYS 2006-08