Hand Feed Sick Guniea Pig Veggies

Lesley is an artist and the author of a guinea pig care guide.

Guinea pigs can eat carrots, among many other fresh veggies. Learn more about what you can and cannot feed your pet.

Image by minka2507 from Pixabay

What to Feed Guinea Pigs

You may be thinking of adopting a guinea pig and want to know what they can eat, or perhaps you already have a guinea pig and are wondering if a certain food is okay to feed them.

We will discuss:

What guinea pigs can eat.
Which foods can make them sick.
Guinea pig favorites that may surprise you.
Safe foods for picky eaters.
What to do if you worry you've fed your pet the wrong thing.

These suggestions for different foods, kibble, and hay are based on my own experiences.

Fruits and Vegetables

Guinea pigs love fruits and vegetables, which is great because fruits and vegetables are an important part of their diet and keep them happy and healthy!

Different guinea pigs have different preferences, but generally, they love to sample a variety of different fruits and veggies. Carrots, peppers, and dark lettuces are a surefire hit with my guinea pigs. If you encounter a picky eater who won't eat fresh produce, ask your veterinarian about different types of Vitamin C-fortified pellets to make sure your little friend gets the right nourishment.

Here is a list of just some of the many fruits and vegetables that guinea pigs eat and that give them the best nutritional benefits. Fruits are high in sugar, so it's best to view them more as treats. Also, avoid any sudden major changes in your pet's diet until you know how their tummy reacts to things.

Red, green, or yellow pepper : Red has the highest Vitamin C concentration.
Carrots: Both the roots and green tops are perfectly safe to eat.
Apples: Just make sure they don't have any seeds.
Oranges
Leafy greens: These include red lettuce, Romaine, and Boston lettuce. Offer leafy vegetables in moderation to avoid diarrhea. Feed spinach a bit sparingly to avoid potential kidney problems.
Cucumbers
Broccoli: Offer in moderation since it can cause gas pain.
Green beans
Grapes
Bananas
Dandelion greens
Cherry tomatoes: Offer in moderation.
Cilantro
Parsley: Guinea pigs love either curly or flat parley, and it smells delicious when you're tearing sprigs off the bunch!

Never Feed These Foods to Your Guinea Pig

While guinea pigs do enjoy a variety of flavors and types of fruits and vegetables, there are some that you shouldn't offer. They are not all poisonous, but they should be avoided because they're either low in nutrients or produce gas and other tummy troubles. However, a few are very poisonous to your piggie.

As with the good foods list, this list is also not comprehensive, so if you're unsure, wait until you've either talked to a vet or asked someone who might know (like me!) before feeding your piggie.

Do Not Feed:

Iceberg lettuce: It won't kill your guinea pig if you give him or her a little piece, but it has virtually no nutritional value, and it is quite fibrous and watery. It's been known to give guinea pigs diarrhea. With the great selection of other more leafy, dark lettuces available, just avoid this one and go with one of the others.
Any type of cabbage: Like iceberg lettuce, a small piece is not likely to severely harm or kill your guinea pig, but it's very gassy and not good for their little systems. Stay away from it if you can.
Cauliflower: Also very gas-producing. Again, not poisonous.
Potato peelings: Toxins can exist in potato skins, particularly if they've begun to turn green, and can be poisonous.
Raw beans: This doesn't mean green beans. It means things like raw, hard kidney beans, split peas, pinto beans, etc.
Shelled nuts or seeds: Particularly things like sunflower seeds or 'bird seed'-type mixes, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, etc.
Rhubarb: The leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous, and the stalks are very, very sour.
Any type of meat
Dairy products: While many stores will offer yogurt drops and other "treats," dairy is not healthy for guinea pigs and can actually cause problems. Feed natural treats like veggies instead of store-brand treats. It's less expensive, and your piggie will be much happier.
Chocolate, coffee or other products containing caffeine
Alcohol: This should go without saying!
Hamster, gerbil, rabbit, or any other non-guinea pig food
Corn kernels: Popcorn isn't a very good idea, either. Guinea pigs choke easily.
Sugary foods
Ice cream
Processed or fried foods: This includes potato chips, nachos, or French fries.
Cheese
Anything spicy: Jalapeño peppers and anything with cinnamon.

The Best Hay for Your Guinea PIg

Hay is a staple in a guinea pig's diet. They can honestly never have too much hay. In addition to Western timothy hay, there are other varieties with different nutritional properties, textures, and flavors. When guinea pigs are babies, they can have some alfalfa hay, which has a different balance of nutrients than the timothy hay that adult guinea pigs eat, but by the time they're full-grown guinea pigs, they should have mostly timothy hay—and lots of it!

Why Do Guinea Pigs Need Hay in Their Diet?

Guinea pigs have unique digestive systems that require a constant supply of fiber to help them digest their food and prevent impactions. Their stomachs go through a double digestion process. They eat once, digest their food, create soft fecal matter in a pouch in their rump, eat that, and digest it again. I know that sounds gross, but this is an important part of your piggie's health!

Guinea pigs will eat hay nonstop, but you don't have to worry because it will not make them fat. No amount of hay will put weight on a piggie because it's not actually fully digested into their body. It's used by their digestive system to "move things along."

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The Importance of Guinea Pig Pellets

It's completely possible to sustain your guinea pig solely on fruits, vegetables, and hay, but you want to make sure that you're feeding them enough vitamins and minerals. If you are thinking of skipping pellets altogether, speak with your vet about it first.

Assuming that you go the more traditional route of combining pellets with fresh vegetables and hay, here's what you need to know:

Don't feed your guinea pig anything with seeds. Even though there are "treats" marketed to guinea pigs on the shelves of pet stores, it's best not to buy them. These are unnecessary to a pig's diet and guinea pigs are prone to choking, so if it looks like birdseed or hamster food, move along to the next choice.
Most pet stores will carry a variety of brands. Even if a bag of pellets says that it's fortified with Vitamin C, do not take this as a replacement for vitamin-rich vegetables. We will cover Vitamin C in the next sections.
Guinea pigs cannot eat hamster, rabbit, or gerbil food. The nutritional balance isn't the same.
The best brand of pellets I've found so far is. once again, the Oxbow brand. My guinea pigs seem to like the taste the best, and this formula has a special type of Vitamin C that is meant to last a long time. My veterinarian has said in this case with the Oxbow brand. You could technically omit the other vitamin supplements in vegetables and the guinea pigs would be fine. But you want to feed them those anyway because they love them so much!
Unlike hay, too many pellets will make your guinea pig overweight. Some piggies will pick at their food and others will clean their plate! If you notice your guinea pig gaining weight, there are a number of things you can do to make sure it doesn't get out of hand, while still keeping them satisfied.

Guinea Pigs Need Vitamin C

Scurvy's not just for pirates anymore! We've established that guinea pigs love fruits and veggies. This is a wonderful thing because guinea pigs, like humans, are one of the few species of animal whose bodies aren't able to generate Vitamin C. If guinea pigs don't get enough in their diets, they can contract a condition known as scurvy. This can make a guinea pig very sick or even die, so it's important to get at least 10mg of Vitamin C into their systems each day.

You or I might drink a glass of orange juice, eat a packet of fruit snacks, or take a multivitamin.

Guinea pigs can get their vitamin C needs through fresh vegetables. You may wonder whether crushing up a small amount of a Vitamin C pill into their water would be good for them, but this isn't advisable. Vitamin C is incredibly light sensitive, meaning it will lose its potency quickly when exposed to light.

Best Methods for Incorporating Vitamin C

The best ways to deliver this vitamin are:

Red pepper: These vegetables contain an immense amount of Vitamin C. Since some guinea pigs won't really take fondly to an orange, they're almost always ravenous for peppers.
Pellets: Some claim that they have "long-lasting vitamin C," but you have to be aware that the bags will have been sitting on a warehouse shelf for a long time before purchase. The Vitamin C may have been exposed to enough light and been sitting long enough to have been mostly if not completely depleted.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Did you find this information useful? Please feel free to let me know your thoughts or questions!

Declan on March 09, 2020:

My guinea pigs are good love food nothing wrong with them. They are great. Keira here is the answer to your question can Guinea Pigs have watermelon? But with out seeds. it keeps them hydrated but in large amounts, they can cause tummy problems and even diarrhoea. The watermelon that you give to your guinea pig should always be seedless to prevent your pet from choking on a seed. It's best to feed your pet only fully ripe watermelon.

Maggie the pet lover on July 27, 2019:

Woah

Mollie on January 19, 2019:

How do i groom my guinea pigs?

They won't even allow me to take them out of their cage.

1 of them won't eat and we've had them a couple of days.

plebs rule on September 30, 2018:

how shoud i know what they should eat and not

Tigger 9032 on September 23, 2018:

What kind of fresh fruit and veggies can I feed my guniea pig.

Markisha on August 22, 2018:

My 2yr old gave my guinea pig a hot chip what do I do??

Sheamous1 on July 20, 2018:

Tanjie it sounds like the girls might have mites. Have them treated a couple times by someone like a local breeder or small animal vet. If that doesn't work a small animal vet is recommended.

Tanjie on July 01, 2018:

My dtr & I adopted 2 female 3yrs old guinea pigs . oreo is,shading pretty bad . They scratch alot & always biting at themselves. When we visited them at the humane society, Oreo was shedding bad then . I didn't think anything of it. Cuz we had boys in the past . So I'm thinking she just need a really bath to wash away the extra hair & smell , cuz they smelt pretty bad as well. We only had them s week & Oreo is is so thin & Peanut butter is scratching & biting at herself as well . Oreo os greedy she's more than enough but her hart beats fast oh her hair I really ruff too . Peanut butter font eat much but she sneezes here & there . I'm worried about them . I called the place about them they told me to take them to the vet , which I already know. We love these,2 ladies very much & my dtr heart can't take them passing on .

Kim on April 08, 2018:

LOVE this site! For those of you wondering YES your piggies can eat watermelon but with no seeds or rine. Its really good in summer if they are outside because they have a lot of water (clues in the name people) Cucumber is also good in Summer. Hope you like readind my comment :P

Kiera on February 04, 2018:

I am hoping for a Guinea Pig from my parents but I have to know how to care for them and I do. But I have a question can Guinea Pigs have watermelon? But with out seeds.

BTS Army~Chan on October 25, 2017:

I love this page but my other family members ignores what I'm saying and feeds them Iceberg Cabbage! I even told them that I got it from a guinea pig expert but they DON'T listen "OH you just got it from internet AGAIN"and if they do THEY HAVE TO MAKE ME MAD

Ella on October 04, 2017:

Nice. I was already familiar with what they couldn't eat but I did learn a few new things! I never knew they could eat oranges!

Eli on January 03, 2017:

Love

jc on November 26, 2016:

hi.. i learned a lot but since i bought a guinea pig i feed them a lot of cabbage so my guinea pig will die?

and here in philipines i think in any pet stores they dont have grass hay or timothy hay is that ok even my guinea pig dont eat grass hay or timothy hay?

Andrea on May 26, 2016:

Hi I was wondering can you give guniea pigs watermelon without seeds?

shaggy1978 on December 21, 2014:

can guinea pigs eat Asparagus?

craftybegonia from Southwestern, United States on October 14, 2014:

Very informative. Those are really cute little fellows for sure!

Socialpro54 LM on June 27, 2013:

This is an informative lens, it's very thorough and so well done!

anyavnclv lm on June 19, 2013:

Thanks for the info! I will forward this link to my sister so she can better care for her Guinea Pigs.

Meganhere on June 02, 2013:

Guinea pigs are great pets for children. I love them.

Cynthia Haltom from Diamondhead on May 10, 2013:

I was unaware that there are so many food that are harmful to guinea pigs. This is very useful information that I can share with my grandson.

Margot_C on April 19, 2013:

I had no idea there were so many things you shouldn't feed your guinea pig. Some of them were no-brainers, but a couple were surprises. Thanks for being such a good advocate for these little guys.

Faddyswooshpets on April 18, 2013:

Hi I never knew Guinea pigs had such extensive diet. I thought it was just water, hay, lettuce and pellets. Thank you.

southpaw23 (author) on March 27, 2013:

@taemeiser-wagner: Hi there! Sadly graham crackers aren't in a guinea pig's natural diet. For something crispy and sweet as an alternative, you could try a small slice of apple! Thanks so much for your question and best of luck with your new peegs! <3

Maria Burgess from Las Vegas, Nevada on March 13, 2013:

Very thorough outline on what it takes to properly care for a guinea pig. I have had 3 and I absolutely love these creatures! Thanks for sharing this helpful lens!

2LilPiggies on March 07, 2013:

Hello my husband bought our sons a guinea pig each for their bdays a couple weeks ago. We got a mommy and one of her babies well within the last week the mommy has got super huge. She's doubled in sized we feed her the food were suppose to and only give them carrots and slicesof apple as treats. Could she have gotten pregnant before we got her?????? The baby is still the same size so I know were not over feeding them. Please help!!!!

JeffGilbert on January 31, 2013:

This is great info. Very well researched and also from speaks from personal experience. Great lens!

taemeiser-wagner on January 15, 2013:

Can guinea pigs eat graham crackers? Im new "mom" with 2 pigs.

kiernanmay317 on January 14, 2013:

i have a guinea pig and i love her SOOO much and i do not want her to get hurt or feel bad so i loved this cite personally (her name is Cinnamon but i can't feed her cinnamon) (this is just for laughs)

shannon-l-nolder on January 09, 2013:

@LilacsintheRain: but a cage and bring the guinea pig inside or it will die

soniathereviewe1 on December 27, 2012:

We are guinea pig freaks too. :-) RIght now we only have 1, and she's enjoying life with 2 male bunnies. Guineas are such gentle creatures. :-)

soniathereviewe1 on December 27, 2012:

We are guinea pig freaks too. :-) RIght now we only have 1, and she's enjoying life with 2 male bunnies. Guineas are such gentle creatures. :-)

Simplesimone on December 22, 2012:

Thanks for posting all the things a guinea pig can eat. My six year old nephew is getting two for Christmas, this has been a very helpful lens.

Rockbleeder on December 21, 2012:

Thanks for this article. I had a guinea pig before but I left it to my parents' house. It died after some months. I still don't what caused its death.

Dianna206 on December 18, 2012:

I found a brand of guinea pig food that includes pumpkin seeds. Not the salted kind of course, but it has all kinds of things mixed in it in addition to the pellets. My guinea pig actually picks out the pumpkin seeds first and eats them! On this lens, you say that it's not good for them. Should I pick them out of the bag or something? Thank you!

avigarret on December 16, 2012:

This is a terrific and extensive lens that should be read by all owners of Guinea Pigs. Not only will it prolong the lives of these adorable bastards, but also make their lives more enjoyable.

mistaben on December 16, 2012:

I really like your ideas, fantastic info!

dellgirl on December 14, 2012:

This is an informative lens, itâs very thorough and so well done! Thank you for sharing it, I learned something new here.

AnimalHouse on December 11, 2012:

Thank you for sharing those guidelines on caring a guinea pig. Well presented lens! Nice job!

LilacsintheRain on November 17, 2012:

@Image Girl: You can't feed any animal chocolate. Some chocolate beans are okay but most are not and it's not worth it to play Russian roulette with the health of pets. I don't bother about the cocoa beans they can eat; I just have a hard fast rule, "No chocolate of any kind for animals." Always best to check online to find the best diet and particular health needs for each animal type.

LilacsintheRain on November 17, 2012:

@Barbara116: Tang is full of sugar. I would be concerned about their teeth. You can get chewable "ascorbic acid" in the health food store. This is vitamin C minus the sugar. I get it in tablet form for me. You could grind it up into a powder and add it to water until it is a light orange. I have doves and this is what i do for them. They love it and they look SO much healthier.

LilacsintheRain on November 17, 2012:

@sierra-bouthillier: I'd stay away from zucchini, too. Not only does it have seeds they could choke on, the skin contains toxins that neither humans nor animals should eat.

LilacsintheRain on November 17, 2012:

@southpaw23: Too much salt will dehydrate them and drive up their blood pressure (strokes). Best to stick to fresh fruits and veggies and keep a fresh supply of water close at hand.

LilacsintheRain on November 17, 2012:

@southpaw23: I don't agree about the vet. Vets these days are more interested in handing you a bill than EVER they are about the best interests of the animal or you. They will load you up, selling you all sorts of things for an animal they know is too far gone or is so fragile that none of these meds will help. They run tests for things they already know the answers to just so they can hand us a padded bill. I moved here seven years ago and I went through FIVE unscrupulous vets before I found one that really cares about the best interests of the animals; it's a national disgrace an a particular problem in Floriduh.

If I were her, I'd first clean the foot with liberal amounts of hydrogen peroxide; which can be purchased anywhere that sells pharmaceuticals. Then I would look for any signs of a break in the skin or any kind of skin eruption; if there is one, this is the place to focus. You can also get a tube of topical antibiotic cream from your grocery store and put that on it. The hydrogen peroxide kills anaerobic bacteria and the topical cream will kill aerobic bacteria. Keep the foot and the cage clean. Remove any "poop" clots, especially from his feet. Don't forget the bedding in the cage will collect urine and this can be very bad for not only his feet, but his lungs. Urine rots like anything else and will be full of bacteria. The best way to heal anything is to keep it as clean as possible. I would clean that foot four times a day and watch its progress carefully. I would put small amounts of the hydrogen peroxide in a clean spray bottle, and keep spraying that foot. If it doesn't show progress in say three days, then I'd head for a vet. It's a real shame that vets have become such crooks. My vet bills are higher than my health bills for both my mother and myself!

prosperityjane on November 14, 2012:

Please keep us all updated on this little guinea pig!!!!

prosperityjane on November 14, 2012:

Please keep us updated on this little guinea pig!

southpaw23 (author) on November 14, 2012:

@LilacsintheRain: Hi again! You're welcome to send me an email any time at lesley@theguineapigguide.com I hope the little sweetie takes the veggies and you'll be able to grab her. She is a fighter, for sure! I am thinking of both of you and hoping for a safe capture into your home, and I am here for you to help in any way I can!

LilacsintheRain on November 14, 2012:

@southpaw23: Yes. I saw her the day she was dropped off but then not again until today. I know they don't have any real defenses other than running away but we have snakes, osprey, raccoons, opossum, big rats, cats and dogs here. I resigned myself to her being lost until today. I was very surprised to see her; and the little monkey ran off under the house to hide. I set out a dish of fresh veggies and fruit but I need to get a water bottle and pellets, etc. Thank you for your support. I'm afraid I am way out of my depth here bc I have never owned a g-pig so I know virtually nothing about them. Any guidance you can spare would be gratefully appreciated. Tomorrow I will take myself off in search of a large cage and the accouterments you have listed here. Yes, I would like to message directly. At the moment, this is my top priority concern. Where can I reach you? And thank you from the both of us :)

ohcheap1 on November 13, 2012:

Good thing is they LOVE covered shelters. It wouldnt take any amount of coaxing to get him/her to run into a cage if prompted with some bell pepper or other snack. They seek out covered areas.

southpaw23 (author) on November 13, 2012:

@LilacsintheRain: Hi there! Oh my goodness that poor piggie, and how sweet of you to be researching how to care for her! I am surprised she has survived the weeks already, as guinea pigs are such prey animals and not meant to be let out in the wild. That is so awful that the ASPCA people won't take her to a shelter! But how lucky she is that you are there for her. I think it sounds like fate! Getting her inside and safe is top priority right now, so I'd say you can start with a store bought cage from a place like PetCo just in the meantime (the bigger you can find the better), a water bottle, food dish, pellet-based piggie food and timothy hay, and aspen or carefresh shavings. I'd be happy to help answer any questions or guide you through caring for her if you want to message me directly! I'm so glad you commented. Hopefully we can save her and help her find a loving home with you!

LilacsintheRain on November 13, 2012:

Someone dropped off a g-pig on my front lawn. She's been out there for a couple of weeks now. I have been doing a crash course in g-pig health and care (good thing you were here to guide me, I was about to feed her ALL the wrong things!) I'm worried about her; the winter is coming on. I live in west Central Florida. The Animal Control people won't help, nor will the ASPCA. How can I get her indoors before we have a killing frost; she won't survive it; I wouldn't either!

southpaw23 (author) on November 08, 2012:

@julia-sky-75: Hi Julia! Yup, guinea pigs can safely have strawberries, just in very occasional quantities as treats since they can be quite sugary. My guinea pigs unfortunately turn their noses up at these treats, but that just means all the more for me :D

julia-sky-75 on November 07, 2012:

Can i feed them strawberrys ???

uneasywriter lm on November 06, 2012:

Good guinea pig feeding tips. Will keep these in mind! Thanks

rooshoo on November 03, 2012:

Guinea pigs are cute. Great lens!

lisadavi on October 29, 2012:

i one guinea pig it got really bad pooly i took it to the vet it because i gave it to much lettuce they but my guinea pig to sleep it was that bad i got up set about it he die 2 year a go now i ws not happ with it

anonymous on October 20, 2012:

Thank you for such an informative lens.

jimmyboy88 on October 15, 2012:

i lost one 2 years ago and recently a friend's piggies gave birth to 3 babies. She is giving me 2 of them so i am back to rearing guinea pigs again :)

spids1 on October 06, 2012:

Great lens very well written.

southpaw23 (author) on September 28, 2012:

@southpaw23: Oops it said disguises and I typed vitamins haha. My phone autocorrected me!

southpaw23 (author) on September 28, 2012:

@crystal-mcneese: Hi Crystal,

Unfortunately that isnt a match. Guinea pig pellets are specifically created to match the balance of nutrients and the disguises pigs need for their species. While they appear similar to animals like bunnies even then they need separate food. They have no relation to pigs at all so this would be particularly dangerous. Definitely provide your guinea pig with food specifically made for guinea pigs.

crystal-mcneese on September 27, 2012:

@anonymous: Just a question..... My daughter has a miniture potbelly pig and I was wondering if you knew if it was safe to feed my guineas the same pig feed???

EbooksFreeWeekl1 on September 22, 2012:

Informative lens. good to know thx! :)

Alexandra Douglas from Florida on August 28, 2012:

Very useful info! I have had guinea pigs my entire life until now. Lost my last girl a month ago. She was 7 years old. She lost her best friend a month prior therefore I think she mourned herself to sleep. Great lens! Feel free to visit mine. Not guinea pig related but animal related more or less.

malcomiscool on August 28, 2012:

I have fed Oxbow Timothy hay for the last five years. I have a guineapig rescue and feed over twenty hungry mouths and the crave the evening feeding when the hay bin is opened.

sarahjjac on August 27, 2012:

Great lens!

danielle-p-duffield on August 15, 2012:

I enjoyed your site and information it seems every site has something different to add to our wealth of PigPig knowledge, thank you. -Danielle, Tim and PigPig's Tribble and Wicket

danielle-p-duffield on August 15, 2012:

@krissy-gee-7: I feed my Piggies, Tribble and her daughter Wicket both Abyssinian PigPigs, Kiwi every once in a while, they love it and it does have good nutritional values too. One bite for me, one bite for da PigPigs. This is a fun page and here are a couple more that have helped us greatly:

Guinea Lynx has a great nutrition chart that you can print out and Jackies Guinea Piggies is a little more "personal" like this page is and lots of fun.

krissy-gee-7 on August 05, 2012:

Thank you for you tips on feeding our newest family members....it was a big help for us. Just wondering if they are allowed to eat KIWI FRUIT?...