Treats - Forages - Hay

Treats

Most treats that you buy from petstores aren't good for your cavies. Many contain high amounts of sugars that can lead to diabetes, digestive and dental problems. Many contain harmful preservatives such as ethoxyquin, BHT and others. Many contain animal fats, corn oils, corn syrups, and dairy products- all of which are not good for cavies. Cavies are lactose intolerant and should receive no dairy products of any kind. They are also strict herbivores so any animal products are to be explicitly avoided. 

There are also treat sticks that contain seeds and nuts which cavies should not have due to choking hazards and the obesity factor. 

Forages

There are many forages that guinea pigs can eat. Please make sure before feeding to wash thoroughly. Also all forages must come from chemical and pesticide free areas and avoid areas close to roadsides as fumes from cars can contaminate. You also do not want to use grass or other forages from areas where dogs, cats or other animal species urinate or defacate. 

Grass can be fed daily in unlimited amounts once your cavies are used to it, otherwise start with a small amount and increase daily for several days.

Dandelion leaves are quite high in calcium, best fed every 3 days or so. 
Everything else, use your best judgement and give in small amounts. 

Also want to mention, if it's not on this list it may not be edible. So please ask before feeding.

1.    Grass (common grasses are edible, avoid ornamental grasses), cat grass/wheat grass is also popular and can be grown in pots or containers.

2.    Clover (Trifollium repens or Trifolium pratense)

3.    Dandelion (Teraxacum officinale) - pick leaves, stems, flowers (even root OK)

4.    Anise (Pimpinella anisum)

5.    Blackberry leaves (Rubus plicatus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots

6.    Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - leaves and flowers

7.    Caraway (Carum carvi)

8.    Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)

9.    Chickweed (Stellaria media)

10.  Cleavers / Stickyweed / Goosegrass / Bedstraw (Galium aparine)

11.  Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

12.  Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaeae) - berries, leaves in moderation

13.  Cow Parsley (Anthiscus sylvestris)

14.  Dog Rose (Rosa canina) - ripe fruits

15.  Duckweed (Lemna minor) - aquatic

16.  Fennel (Foeniculum capillaceum)

17.  Field Violet / Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)

18.  Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)

19.  Lemon Mint / Melissa (Melissa officinalis)

20.  Linden / Lime Tree (Tilia cordata or Tilia platyphyllos) - flowers with
pale yellow leaflets

21.  Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)

22.  Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

23.  Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata)

24.  Raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots

25.  Spearmint (mintha spicata)

26.  Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

27.  Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

28.  Silverweed (Potentilla anserina)

29.  Vetch (Vicia x)

30.  Yarrow (Achllea millefolium)

31.  Whortleberry / Heidelberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) - berries, leaves in
moderation

32.  Wild Chamomile (Matricaria chammomilla)

33.  Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) - berries and leaves

Hay - Vital for your Guinea Pig

UNLIMITED Timothy Hay (or a grass hay) is recommended for guinea pigs. For young cavies under the age of 4 months and pregnant or lactating mothers, alfalfa hay is also recommended. For those cavies, you could mix half Timothy and alfalfa. Since alfalfa hay (a legume, not a grass hay) is too high in calcium, it should only be given to adult cavies as an occasional treat. Timothy and alfalfa are types of hays, not brands of hay. Other grass hays include orchard hay or meadow hay.

According to Dr. Curt Nakamura, an exotic vet specialist at Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, California, grass hay is an important part of a cavy's diet:

"One of the most important items in the guinea pig diet is grass hay, which should be fed in unlimited quantities to both adults and baby guinea pigs. It is important to provide an unlimited source of hay because pellets do not provide enough long fiber to keep their intestines in good working order. The long fibers stimulate muscle contraction of the intestines to improve and maintain gut motility (to prevent gastrointestinal obstruction).

"I cringe when I see photos of cages with nothing but pristine shavings and maybe a small hay rack on one end. Pigs LOVE hay and LOTS of it! They love to PLAY in it, SLEEP in it and under it, EAT it, RUN through it, and of course, poop and pee in it! Be generous in the cage. Change it or refresh it every few days. Your pigs will love you for it." Teresa, Cavy Spirit

Chewing hay is also important. Like rabbits, the molars in guinea pigs are constantly growing and must be ground down by chewing. Constant chewing on hay promotes healthy and normal wear on their molars. Treats and chew sticks are not efficient at wearing the teeth.

Alfalfa hay is rich in protein and calcium, but when combined with pellets it doesn’t have the proper ratio of calcium and phosphorus. This can lead to improper gastrointestinal motility, such as diarrhea. It also may predispose certain guinea pigs to calcium oxalate bladder or kidney stones. Timothy hay is a better choice and is becoming more readily available. It’s important to keep your guinea pig sleek, so cut down on the amount of protein and calorie-rich pellets while feeding timothy hay."

Packaged Timothy hay found in stores is frequently dry and stale and less nutritious compared to what you can order from a farm. In addition, most farm hay can be delivered to your door in just a few days at a fraction of the cost of pet store hay in a variety of quantities.

If you must buy hay at a pet store, look for the greenest, freshest hay possible.

Buy the Bale! If you have a lot of guinea pigs and can store some extra hay, then finding a local source of good Timothy or grass hay by the bale is definitely the cheapest way to go. The most a bale of hay should cost from a farm or hay distributor is around $20 and that's for approximately 200 pounds of hay! Some feed stores will let you buy partial bales or in bulk. Feed store prices may be slightly higher. Some farm or hay sources will let you buy half bales.

Timothy 2nd-cut is generally preferred over Timothy 1st-cut. First-cut still has the seed heads on the hay. Second-cut is softer and greener. Shipping time and/or cost may factor into your decision on where to buy hay. Please supply your cavy with fresh hay. They will love you for it!

According to Oxbow, "The first cutting is harvested in mid summer and is more mature, containing a higher stem to leaf ratio and is coarser in texture. It is actually healthier as it is higher in fiber and lower in protein than a second cutting timothy. But many small animals do not find it as appetizing.

The second cutting Timothy is an immature cutting of hay and therefore contains a higher leaf to stem ratio. It is harvested in the late fall and is very soft and palatable to small animals. It is our leafiest hay and our most popular hay."

If you use hay for bedding or as a top layer of bedding, or if you are liberal with hay on the floor of your cage, be sure to change it frequently. Hay does not absorb urine; it can mold and cause a damp environment for your guinea pigs. So be generous with fresh, clean hay!

Hay can be stored for many months, depending on how fresh it is and if kept in the proper conditions. It should be opened to breath when you get it. Keep it in a dry and well-ventilated place, not in plastic. A wooden or cardboard box is ideal. If you get a bale or a partial bale, it will stay fresher longer if you break up the bale as little as possible. If you get a whole bale, try standing it on end, pop the strings, and use a section (or flake) at a time off the top. Just be careful as some bales expand more than others. If you get hay shipped to you, open the bag, leave the hay in the box, cut and remove the plastic.

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Make a Cool Coroplast Hay Rack for Three 

Coroplast - the Secret Ingredient!  

How to Sex Guinea Pigs 

Recycling Previous Purchases

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Make a Cool Coroplast Hay Rack for Three

 Make a Cool Coroplast Hay Rack for Three

While hay is the most important ingredient in a guinea pig's diet, it is also the messiest. It can present challenges for cleanup, especially if you use fleece for bedding. With fleece bedding, the less hay you have strewn around the cage the easier it is to cleanup.

I made this hay rack/box from leftover coroplast. It is 30 inches wide, 9 inches deep at the top, 2 inches deep at the bottom, and 11 inches tall.

The litter boxes are veggie baskets and tubs. This has worked out very well for us and our guinea pigs. I put wood pellets on the bottom tub, put the basket in place and add hay. You could use carefresh or other bedding. It keeps hay and poop separated from the litter. It's so easy to clean. I just take each basket out, dump it and wipe then add some hay. The basket/tub is 10 x 13 inches each -- a perfect size for each pig. You'll need to improvise on finding some bins that work for you. I found mine at a chinese grocery. You could try a dollar store or kitchen supply store. You could also use cardboard boxes and just toss them when soiled.

This is my 2nd one for this design. I made the first one with the big holes on the bottom, but they managed to get inside and pee all over. I had to throw that one away. So, this is the new, improved model and cavy-cleanup tested. The hay bin sits on top of their individual tubs, so the tubs do not tip.

Notice that the 3-cavy version is wider than 2 grids! So, if you have a 2x4 GRID-sized cage, for example, you would need to mount this hay rack on the long side. Just shorten the template as needed for a 2-cavy or 1-cavy sized hay rack.

This style of hay bin has the advantage of safety over grid hay racks, especially when you have small guinea pigs. Also, it's a bit easier for the guinea pigs to get to the hay, which is important, while still keeping the cage fairly neat.

Step 1

This is the tricky part ... just dealing with the template and the measurements. Remember, measure twice so you only have to cut once.

Score the lines on one side. Carefully cut the window holes out using an exacto knife or sharp blade.

Step 2

Fold the back up with scored side on the outside.

You will need to cut the 2 inches on either side of the long end piece on the bottom to allow the tabs to be folded up and the front back to be folded up as well.

Step 3

Fold in the back flaps.

Step 4

Fold up the bottom tab. You can secure the coroplast with some clear packing tape.

Step 5

Fold the front ends back over the back side and secure with packing tape.

Step 6

Secure the completed hay bin with binder clips to the cage grid wall and insert hay!

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Coroplast - the Secret Ingredient! 

How to Sex Guinea Pigs 

Cleaning the Cage 

Floor Time 

 

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Coroplast - the Secret Ingredient!

What is Coroplast?

Coroplast™ is everywhere--from election signs, to promotional signs at gas stations and supermarkets, to storage boxes. Coroplast is a brand name of corrugated plastic and a registered trademark of Coroplast, Inc., a member of the Jim Pattison Group of companies. Because of the success of this brand, it has become a genericized trademark and many people in North America today refer to corrugated plastic as "coroplast". It is also marketed under such names as Corr-x, Plasticor, Hi Cor, Correx, Corriflute, Corflute, Coroflute, Cadflute, Fluteboard, Polionda (Portuguese), Twinplast, Kanalplast (Swedish), Corlite and many others. As the name implies, it looks similar to corrugated cardboard except it's made of plastic. To be specific, it is a polypropylene copolymer (other brands may differ slightly in composition.) It is a light-weight, tough material which can easily be cut with a craft knife, heavy-duty scissors or a razor blade. A full 4x8 foot sheet only weighs about 4 pounds. It is great for outdoor signs because it's weatherproof, stiff, resilient, and resistant to UV and chemicals. These characteristics make it great for guinea pig cages, too. As you might guess, most sign shops carry Coroplast; but you can usually do much better with price and selection if you can find a wholesaler.

Is it Safe?

The name Coroplast applies to a wide range of extruded corrugated plastic sheet products based on polypropylene copolymers. The natural polymer is chemically inert and is generally considered non-toxic and safe for use in contact with food. The base resin meets FDA requirements as listed in Food Additive Regulation Title 21, Section 177.1520(c), Item 1.1, covering food contact uses.

Pigmented or otherwise modified sheets are not considered to constitute any extra health hazard under normal handling and conversion. All additives are melt-blended into the polymer and encapsulated. Colors are available which will meet food contact approvals.

Is Coroplast Safe for Guinea Pigs?

To date, in the ten-plus years that Coroplast has been used as a guinea pig cage material, there have been no reports of guinea pig illnesses or injuries attributed to Coroplast. Very rarely, a guinea pig might decide to chew on the edge of the Coroplast. The cage design is very easily remedied to stop such behavior. For the few guinea pigs who have managed to chew down a small section of Coroplast, none have suffered any ill effects. It's likely that they are chewing the edge just for the chewing satisfaction and not to eat the material. The easiest remedy is to temporarily attach an appropriate length of wood dowel along the top edge which stops the behavior and can be removed when habit is broken. Be sure your guinea pigs have ample Timothy or other grass hay available at all times and at least one wooden hidey house to gnaw on to help keep their incisors ground down. Typical 'chew toys' and small blocks of wood or sticks just take up space. Guinea pigs do not use them.

Effect of Heat / Combustion

Coroplast is made from a combustible thermoplastic material, polypropylene. While discretion would suggest that observation of precautions consistent with regulatory codes and standards should be followed when working with Coroplast, it is equally important to note that compared to other plastics on the market Coroplast is very low on a relative hazard scale.

While Coroplast will burn, it does not have a flash point or an uncontrollable flame spread rate like some acrylics or styrene. It responds very much like paper. Should a fire start it is easily extinguished by any type of extinguisher. Burning Coroplast generates combustion products with very low toxicity. This is common to polyolefin polymers.

For more technical Coroplast information, see: http://www.coroplast.com/geninfo.htm.

Recyclable

Corrugated sheet is recyclable and is therefore considered by many to be environmentally friendly. Once you've purchased some Coroplast for your cage and you decide to remodel or expand and you have left-over Coroplast, there are a lot of things you can do with it! Definitely don't throw it away. It makes a nice shelf-liner for those wire-rack utility shelves, kids' school projects and much more.

Size & Thickness for Cages

Coroplast comes in 4 foot x 8 foot sheets in the United States. The usual thickness for Coroplast is 4mm(millimeters) or just under a quarter of an inch. This is the ideal thickness for C&C (Cubes and Coroplast)cages. If you can get a full sheet of Coroplast, that is ideal, because you can use any scraps or left-over pieces for other parts of the cage or other uses.

Where do you buy it?

That is the tricky question! You can buy it pre-cut and scored for guinea pig cages at our store: C&C Cages Store or you can find it at local sign stores and plastics companies and wholesalers. For a directory of suppliers near you, check our list of Coroplast vendors. Since it's used heavily in the creation of custom business signage, a 'sign store' is the best place to start. Check your telephone Yellow Pages under 'Sign Stores.' When asking about the price, be sure to let them know it's for a guinea pig cage. Otherwise, they may charge you more thinking that you are a competitor needing some supplies for making signs. If the price is still too high, try finding the wholesale supplier of the sign store. Either check the Yellow Pages or ask the store directly from whom they buy their Coroplast.

When purchasing Coroplast from a retail sign store, a typical 'good' price is $25-35. Some will charge more, but at $25-35, they are still making a reasonable profit. A wholesale price might be under $10 if you are lucky, but a typical wholesale price is in the $15-20 range when you are buying a single sheet. Frequently, you can get a sheet of white coroplast cheaper than a colored sheet.

Find Coroplast for FREE!

Since Coroplast is such a versatile product, it has many uses. Check with large grocery stores. They use it on pallets and such to help slide products around. Just ask and you might be surprised at what they might give you. Also, just after election time, check in with campaign headquarters, it may look funky, but it will work. All those now obsolete signs can be recycled!

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How to Sex Guinea Pigs 

Floor Time 

Cleaning the Cage 

Recycling Previous Purchases

Read More

How to Sex Guinea Pigs

The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" was never more true than in learning how to properly sex your pets. With guinea pigs, once you really know what you are looking for, it is fairly easy, but it can be a little tricky.

No matter where you obtained your guinea pigs from, you should confirm the sex of your guinea pigs, ideally before you go home with them, but certainly as soon as possible. Pet stores frequently sell missexed guinea pigs, so if you obtained your guinea pigs from a pet store, be sure and confirm its sex. You do not want to be in a position of a high-risk pregnancy or having to rehome guinea pigs yourself. It is not easy.

Can you sex babies?

Yes. You don't need to wait for weeks to sex newborns. This photo is of a 12-hour old baby male (you can still see the umbilical cord). Just be sure to confirm your decision over time, but especially at 3 weeks old, when males should be separated from their mother.

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Recycling Previous Purchases 

Cleaning the Cage 

Floor Time 

Voice of GP ~ Tiếng kêu và một số ý nghĩa

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Recycling Previous Purchases

Recycling Previous Purchases

Bad Buys Made Good and Putting Household Items to Work Almost all of us start out our guinea pig guardian experience with wrong items purchased at pet stores. If you can no longer return those items, they need not go waste. You can still upgrade your guinea pig's habitat to a Cubes and Coroplast cage while using many of the items you may have already purchased in a different way.  Bad Cages Made Good Aquariums Turn your aquarium into a hidey house. These photos show two small aquariums stacked to provide a hidey house and an upper deck--accessible with brick pavers. The aquariums were covered with a material to give a more cave-like, cozy feel for the guinea pigs. As a part-time hidey house only, the large open front provides ample ventilation. Any bedding or lining material must be kept clean. The cage shown is the Marchioro brand. Cage as Sleeping Quarters Only Turn your small pet store cage into sleeping quarters within a larger habitat area. This setup could be a permanent home or only used for floor-time in conjunction with a traditional C&C cage. We would recommend this setup as a floor-time only version, because the clean-up in a permanent setup would probably be too difficult over time. The grids and toys shown here were purchased in the UK. Standard cubes or grids can be used just as easily. Traveling or Vacation Cage Sometimes you need a smaller, temporary cage to make short trips with your guinea pigs. A pet store cage can also be used for a few days to a week or two on a temporary basis in someone's home for them to watch your guinea pigs while you are away on vacation.   Hospital Cage Occasionally, you may need a smaller cage for a guinea pig to recover from an illness or surgery. A smaller cage can help them recover faster as they are more constrained and less likely to pull stitches or overexert themselves.   Quarantine Cage If you bring a new guinea pig home to an existing one, you should quarantine your new guinea pig away from any at home for a few weeks to make perfectly sure it is healthy. You can use your old or too small as a temporary quarantine cage. Cage Ideas and Accessories

Jade's Bunk Bed Cage Jade's ideas for recycling inexpensive items into cage accessories.

Exercise Balls
Yes, they come with a picture of a guinea pig on the box. No, they should NOT be used for guinea pigs. But, they keep selling them, because people keep buying them. The curvature of a guinea pig's spine is the opposite of the ball. The guinea pig is not as flexible as rats and hamsters which do fine in balls and wheels. It can hurt their back, feet, and toes. 

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