posted by Tess on Nov 20
Unlike many animals, guinea pigs are a bit picky about what they eat. Regardless of this, they absolutely must have a sufficient amount of vitamin C in their diets. Without the proper amount of vitamin C, your guinea pig can develop scurvy and die. Unlike humans, guinea pigs are not capable of manufacturing their own vitamin C.
So, how much vitamin C does your guinea pig need? An adult guinea pig requires at least 10mg of vitamin C daily. If your guinea pig is nursing or pregnant, she requires more, up to 20mg daily. It is important that you understand that vitamin C is only effective when it is fresh. This means that even if you purchase pellets that contain vitamin C, the amount of vitamin C that your guinea pig requires must be acquired from other sources.
You can add vitamin C supplements to your guinea pigs food, but this isn’t necessarily tasty for them, or cost effective for you. The best sources of vitamin C for your guinea pig will come from fresh fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, with vitamin C supplements, you won’t have to wonder if you are giving your guinea pig the proper amount of vitamin C.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
