Guinea pigs are adorable social small animals and owning one can be fun, but at the same time they create huge responsibility requirements.
Like rabbits, their teeth grow continuously through their lifetime and therefore they have a constant urge to gnaw at objects with wooden surfaces.
Guinea pigs also require balanced diets, enriched with their daily nutrient requirements.
Speak to your vet or pet food retailer about a feeding plan formulated to ensure that your piggie receives all the dietary requirements needed to maintain a proper digestive system, dental health and social relations.
Seek out a manufacturer that provides a variety of food products, formulated to satisfy the requirements needed for guinea pigs to achieve physical growth.
One of the leading guinea pig food products offered in the UK is contains a Herbage and Forage meal plan, which contains vital nutrients needed to maintain good dental health.
The company offers several Herbage brands such including Herbage with dandelion and marigold, Herbage with chamomile and Herbage with birch bark so your pet can be offered variety at each feeding time.
The dust is extracted from these products before packaging, to avoid causing respiratory problems to your pet.
Nuggets can also be offered to add variety to your pet's meals but make sure that it is fibre rich and not muesli based because this is packed full of sugar.
Look for nuggets that contain added vitamins, prebiotics and minerals which help to maintain a healthy coat, eyes and skin.
Fresh greens are also ideally fed to these small pets, because they provide required nutrients and also provide a dietary variety for your pet.
Wash the greens thoroughly, to avoid causing problematic digestive problems.
Spinach, broccoli, carrot tops and tomatoes are great sources of greens fed to guinea pigs.
Some greens to avoid include tomato leaves, rhubarbs potato and potato tops.
Water forms an essential part in a guinea pigs everyday life; these small animals can be rather clumsy and they can scatter their waste all over and therefore, the chances of water contamination are high.
Ensure that you check your pet's water trough about 3 times daily and regularly clean the water trough.
If possible, use heavy water containers that cannot be toppled over or suspend the containers above ground level.
Your pet's health depends on you and as a responsible guinea pig owner you need to understand his dietary requirements and feed him a fibre rich diet that will promote a long and healthy life.