Diet: for rabbits and guinea pigs
There are many different feeds available for rabbits and guinea pigs. I feed all the rescue animals with our own special mix that has been formulated as a maintenance diet for the rabbits and piggies over 6 months of age (this is available for purchase by the public, to read more click here). They also get grassy/meadow hay and oaten hay available 24/7, but a fresh handfull is given along with their pellet mix for breakfast. Clean water is also available all the time. A mixture of vegetables is given once or twice a day, usually for their lunch. They also get large bunches of grass to graze on for dinner when available. Hay should be checked to make sure it has not gone mouldy from damp conditions. Mouldy foods or vegetables that have gone bad should never be offered to small animals, and should go straight to the compost heap.
When choosing a form of feed for guinea pigs, I strongly suggest a pelletized form. The alternative, grains, are hard, and although they form a major part of most commercial mixes, I would stay away from them as I suspect them to be responsible for many of the tooth problems encountered with guinea pigs.The grains in our diet have gone through a special process of micronisation, where-by the starch is broken down making them more digestable and pliable. So far as we know, no other small animal feed has undergone this process. Tooth problems caused by hard grains (such as those little red seeds and corn) will cause the guinea pig to stop eating due to pain, and they will deteriorate rapidly (in as little as 4 hours). Unless immediate vet treatment is provided, as well as force feeding your guinea pig, they will likely die as a result. It is possible the hard grains scratch the gums when being chewed, causing a potential site for infection. This is not proven, and many people use grains without any issues. This feed is available from Dural Stockfeeds.
For a list of vegetables that can or cannot be fed to your small animal,
your search engine will reveal varying results. Lettuce is a debatable
topic, with too much of it leading to diarrhea. Some places will tell
you to never feed lettuce, however all my animals eat it in small
quantities and are quite happy. It is important to realise too many
carrots cause constipation, so feeding lettuce with carrot is a good
option as they will balance one another. If you feed too much carrot,
don’t be surprised by some orange pee. It is just the carotene causing
the change in colour, and no vet treatment in necessary (however it
should not be mistaken with blood in the urine which could indicate
something very serious, such as a bladder stone). While on the topic of
urine, if your pet has a white, cloudy pee, it is likely they are
getting too much calcium in their diet. Just cut back on whatever is
causing this, in most cases too much lucerne.
A selection of vegetables that can be fed to your small animal.
Clean water should be an obvious requirement, however we can briefly cover ground on this topic as well. Water bottles and bowls should be washed and scrubbed once a week, and more frequently if any scum or algae is growing on the sides. If you wouldn’t drink it, neither should your pet. Water bottles can sometimes get clogged, with the ball getting stuck up the tube not allowing any water down. Ideally, you should have two water bottles in case this happens to one, so your pet is never left thirsty (especially on a hot day). You can also put a bowl of water in the cage in case your pet hasn’t figured out what to do with the dripper bottle.
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