Vitamin C for Guinea Pigs
Just like us, Guinea Pigs cannot produce Vitamin C on their own; it must be supplemented through their diet.
Guinea Pigs require 25-35mg of vitamin C per day which can easily be achieved through veggies and pellets.
It’s also good to know you can’t really give too much vitamin C. Any unused vitamin C is simply peed out:)
Some of the best sources of Vitamin C:
Bell Peppers are one of the best sources for Vitamin C. Red Bell Peppers are generally regarded as having the most vitamin C content (~190mg per pepper)
Most good-quality pellets contain enough vitamin C for your piggies. Sherwood Pet Health Timothy Pellet contains 2,000mg/kg. Most Oxbow pellets are very low when it comes to Vitamin C. The Oxbow Essentials contains 250mg/kg so if you feed Oxbow pellets, additional vitamin C through veggies is necessary.
Parsley (79.8 mg*), Broccoli (81.2mg), Kale (80.4mg) *all amounts are for 1 cup chopped veggies)
Sherwood Pet Health Vitamin C Tablets, Oxbow Vitamin C Cookies, and The Natural Cavy Vitamin C Disks are all wonderful supplements for ensuring your pigs are getting enough vitamin C! They are best used when a pet is ill and needs more vitamin C. We would like to note that Oxbow Support Cookies have Cane Molasses and a preservative.
Let’s dispel some rumors…
These drops you add to water are very problematic. Firstly, they change the flavor of the water. If your guinea pig does not like the taste, they will drink less water, potentially leading to dehydration and serious issues.
Second, and most important. Vitamin C is very unstable especially when it comes to light, air and water. Most water bottles for Guinea Pigs are glass, so the vitamin C content will disintegrate within 30 minutes. The drops are also put in water, which is another destabilizer for vitamin C.
What’s the takeaway from this?
Vitamin C Drops are extremely ineffective, potentially dangerous, and just a waste of money.
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