What can I feed my guinea pig that gives him vitamin c?

you could feed him a special vitamin c enriched concentrated food.

All fruit and veg contain it, although you cant feed all types of fruit and veg to guinea pigs.

The best thing to give him is a slice of orange a day.

Peace 'n stuff xoxo

Hello,

Vitamin C is of utmost importance to guinea pigs, as they are unable to manufacture their own (much like humans). Without enough vitamin C in their diets, guinea pigs can become very ill with scurvy.

The amount of vitamin C required varies somewhat depending on the reference source used, but most guinea pigs probably need about 10-30 mg/day. Pregnant, nursing, young and ill guinea pigs need more.

If you feed a good selection of vegetables high in vitamin C along with a good, fresh guinea pig pellet, you can probably meet the vitamin C needs of the average guinea pig.

Many guinea pig pellets have vitamin C added but unfortunately vitamin C is quite unstable and will degrade over time.

Keeping the pellets in a cool dark place helps preserve the vitamin C.The best way to supplement with additional vitamin C is to use vitamin C tablets.

You can buy vitamin C tablets specifically for guinea pigs. Ask your vet about it, or feed him loads of vegetables. Most vegetables contain vitamin C, an orange for a fact has the most amount of vitamin C,

Emily.

Guinea pigs, unlike most mammals, cannot produce their own vitamin C. Much like humans, they need to get it from their foods or supplements, and without it, their immune system can suffer, leading to a higher risk of disease. Now, what to feed them.

I found pet store supplements (tablets, water drops, etc.) are really not the best option unless your pig is sick. (When my pigs have a cough or a cold, I keep a dropper handy for their water to give their immune systems a boost) But other than that, if you are feeding him right, he shouldn't require any supplements.

Now, on to foods. Guinea pigs enjoy a high variety of fruits and veggies, but there are some that are higher in Vitamin C than others. Some high-quality veggies include kale, green pepper, spinach, and cucumber. Go to http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/vitamins-nut... for a list of more, but remember to check as pigs cannot eat all veggies. Fruits, as you should know, should be given as treats and not as part of a staple diet. High V-C fruits include oranges, grapes, and apples. Again, go to the website for more info.

Do not buy the liquid Vitamin C supplements that go in water. They don't work, your guinea pigs won't like the taste of the water, and they will become dehydrated because they will stop drinking it. Timothy hay, green and yellow bell peppers, oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, kiwi fruit, apples, and carrots all have high counts of Vitamin C in them. Be careful not to feed your guinea pigs too much of the citrus fruits because it can cause sores in and around the mouth. The best way to give them the Vitamin C they need is to give them human Vitamin C tablets. I usually give my guinea pigs a 500mg tablet, so you may have to break one in half.

You can get guinea pig food that have vitamin C, you can feed them fruits and veggies with vitamin C or feed them Parsley. FYI: Guinea Pigs love parsley.. its like catnip for guinea pigs. It has a ton of vitamin C!

Yes, guinea pigs like humans and monkeys do not produce their own vitamin C, so they must get it daily in their diet.

Do NOT waste your money on the vit C drops you can buy to put in thier water - they do not work!! Vit C is rapidly degraded by exposure to light and contact with metal - so in a clear bottle witha metal spout the vit C is broken down and useless before the pigs benefit from it.

A proper diet of hay, veggies and quality pellets will ensure your pig gets enough vit C.

Guinea pigs should get ulimited grass hay (eg timothy). This isn't actually for the vit C - but it is vital for proper digestion, wearing down teeth and preventing boredom so it must always be available to them.

Each pig needs at least one cup of mixed fresh veggies every day. (Personally I like to split this into 2 meals but its up to you).

Good veggies include lettuce (just NOT iceburg), bell pepper, cilantro, parsley, zucchini, cucumber, tomato, carrot, cabbage, etc.

Bell pepper and cilantro are particularly high in vit C and are safe to feed daily.

Try to feed a wide variety of veggies every day, and be sure to inc at least one or two that are particularly high in vit C. For example, my pigs get bell pepper every single day (I vary the colour) and cilantro most days. They then get a few other veggies and a mix of lettuces on top of that.

You can feed fruit as a treat but no more than twice per week as it is high in sugar. Good fruits inc kiwi (also very good for vit C), strawberry, apple, pear etc.

Personally I don't feed citrud fruits like oranges because they may cause mouth ulcers.

Quality pellets - be aware that most commerical guinea pig foods are junk. You want one that is plain pellets only, hay based, contains a stabilised form of vit C, and does not contain a large amount of "fillers" of any ethoxyquin (a preservative known to cause cancer).

The only really good pellets are Oxbow and Kleenmama's.

http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/

http://www.kmshayloft.com/

If your guinea pig gets plenty of daily veggies, plus some decent pellets, then he should not need any other supplements. If for any reason he does need extra (eg if sick) then get a supplemet you can sprinkle over food or syringe feed - just not the drops that go in their water!

For the best info on feeding guinea pigs check out:

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition... (Read the cavy nutrition charts sticky thread for a full list of veggies!)

http://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html

Hope this helps!

maybe feed him a slice of orange or you can go to your local pet shop and buy some treats that have vitamin c in them but mostly all of guinea pigs food already has some in it GOOD LUCK !

Guinea pigs love their Veges such as: Lettuce, Cucumbers, Carrots, Apples etc.

A tasty salad of different veggies every day will ensure your piggy gets vitamin C. Kale, pak choi and peppers are examples of veggies that are high in vitamin C.

all veg. have alot of vitamins