Pets: what does the guinea pig eat?

In the world there are many animals, herbivores and predators, large and small, etc. Many people have pets at home, taken from the fauna. One of the most common species of such animals is guinea pig. However, it requires good care, especially in terms of nutrition. What does the guinea pig eat? What vitamins do she need? All this is discussed below.

Guinea pigs are a herbivore. Since vegetable food is rough and inadequate, the animal has to eat a lot to provide itself with the necessary substances. Therefore, the pet should be chewed constantly. All that the guinea pig's skin is eating, must enter the intestines in small portions. This will ensure better processing of incoming food.

The animal may have problems with digestion, so it is necessary to pay great attention to this issue. All that the guinea pig eats, can be divided into three groups: juicy and roughage and concentrates.

Coarse food includes hay and various twigs. They contain fiber, which is necessary for the life of guinea pigs, to maintain cellulose-processing microflora in the intestines of the animal. Those particles that are not digested are removed from the body along with the toxic substances adhering to them. In addition, rough food is needed to grind the teeth of the animal.

Juicy foods are the main food that the guinea pig eats. They include almost all vegetables, greens (all kinds of herbs, salads, dill, parsley), fruits and berries. In the diet of the pet should be very much. And what the guinea pig eats, must be diverse, so that the animal gets the whole complex of necessary vitamins and minerals. From vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, sweet peppers, etc. are very useful. They must be finely chopped and given a guinea pig. You can not feed the animal only one type of vegetable. Of gourds is particularly useful pumpkin, as well as its seeds. They contain a lot of vitamins.

Concentrates are different high-calorie foods in which a large number of proteins and carbohydrates are present. These include grains, legumes, seeds, stale white bread and biscuits. Also, there are ready-made feeds for guinea pigs, sold at pet stores. They contain a necessary complex of vitamins, replacing natural concentrates. In a day of an adult, approximately 10-20 grams of such foods are needed. Pregnant, lactating or young guinea pigs need more concentrates, up to 40 grams per day.

Having a guinea pig at home, you need to monitor its weight and condition. Excess consumption of concentrates and foods rich in proteins and carbohydrates can lead to obesity. This reduces the immunity of the animal and affects its fertility. Therefore, as soon as there are signs of increased weight, it is necessary to put the pet on a diet. At the same time, the amount of food should not be reduced, it is necessary to revise the diet: reduce the consumption of concentrates and increase the norm of roughage and juicy vegetables with low caloric content. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the fact that the guinea pig does not eat and that it consumes it. Also it is necessary to give her some freedom, to buy a cage of the big sizes or to leave to take a walk around the house.