Guinea Pig Food Substitutes

Guinea pigs, or cavy, are South American rodents sold as pets. They come in a wide array of colors and live five to seven years. Guinea pigs require a lot of attention and even exercise. These rodents are herbivores. While many stores sell food made for guinea pigs, there are alternatives to the store varieties of hay and pellets.

  1. Vegetables

    • Guinea pigs enjoy having different vegetables in their diet.

      While lettuce is an acceptable food, try to give your guinea pigs something with more substance such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, cucumbers and other greens. Guinea pigs must be introduced slowly to vegetables and worked up to eating them twice a day for a healthy diet.

      Remove any seeds from vegetables before serving. Do not feed a guinea pig celery stalks, because the stringy nature of the vegetable can cause choking. Stay away from corn products, which may induce an allergic reaction in guinea pigs.

    Fruits

    • A small amount of fruit is a great treat to give guinea pigs.

      Fresh fruits provide the required vitamin C in a guinea pig's diet. Tomatoes, berries, apples, oranges and bananas are all excellent sources of vitamins. Experiment with fruit to see what your guinea pig likes to eat. Juicy fruits such as citrus, grapes, berries or tomatoes should only be given in very small amounts because the guinea pig may gorge itself on them and become ill. Remove all seeds from fruits before serving.

    Fresh Grass

    • You can give grass or hay to your guinea pigs or let them graze outdoors.

      Instead of hay, you can substitute fresh grass from your yard or field. Guinea pigs need the roughage provided by hay and grass to help them digest pellets, vegetables and fruit. You can even take them out on a warm day and let them graze on your lawn if you do not use harsh fertilizers.

    Alternatives to Pellets

    • Food pellets are designed to give the proper vitamins to your guinea pigs.

      Pellets are condensed hay infused with vitamins that a guinea pig can eat throughout the day. You can substitute fresh grass, hay and vegetables with the correct vitamin and mineral content for guinea pigs. A chart is available in the article resources below. This can be very complex and may require you to buy liquid supplements, which are much more expensive than supplements in guinea pig pellets.