What Kinds of Nutritional Problems Do Guinea Pigs Have?
One of the most common nutritional issues in guinea pigs is vitamin C deficiency (scurvy). Guinea pigs, like humans and some other mammals, can't make vitamin C and must get it from their diet. Vitamin C is essential for healthy skin, joints, blood vessels, and other tissues. Without enough vitamin C, guinea pigs can lose their appetite, develop dental problems, have swollen joints, bleed under the skin or in organs, become weak, and possibly die. Signs include rough coat, lameness, weight loss, diarrhea, and sudden illness.
Vitamin C in pellets is unstable and degrades with heat, light, and moisture—foods with added nutrients can lose much of their vitamin C within a few months. Guinea pigs need at least 10 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day (pregnant females need 30 mg per kg per day). Because most guinea pigs weigh around 1 kg, and vitamin C is safe even at higher doses, it's safe to give 10 mg/guinea pig and 30 mg to any pregnant female without worrying.
Treatment for deficiency includes daily vitamin C by mouth or by injection as directed by a veterinarian. Prevention is best, by feeding guinea pig–specific, vitamin C–fortified pellets and vitamin C–rich vegetables and fruits. Multivitamins are usually not advised, because some added vitamins can be harmful to guinea pigs.
Foods high in vitamin C include:
Bell peppers
Oranges
Strawberries
Broccoli
Parsley
Red cabbage
Turnip greens
Kale
Another common nutritional problem in guinea pigs is lack of dietary fiber. Hay is essential for wearing down teeth and maintaining healthy gut bacteria. Without enough dietary fiber—or with too many pellets and sugars—guinea pigs can develop a digestive problem in which food passing through the gut slows or stops moving normally because the normal gut bacteria change. This leads to gas, bloating, pain, loss of appetite, and potentially rapid decline and death.
If a guinea pig’s appetite declines, a veterinarian will evaluate the pet for possible causes (like dental disease, dietary imbalances, or other illnesses) using x-rays and blood tests. The veterinarian will give fluids and feed with a syringe until digestion is normal.
