Things To Never Buy For Skinny Pigs

Wheels

Guinea pigs do not have flexible backs like rats or hamsters. Wheels will cause permanent damage to their spine and back legs.

Again, guinea pigs are not flexible and putting them in a hamster ball with cause serious damage to their fragile spine and back legs.

Mineral and salt licks are incredibly unhealthy for your guinea pig. All the minerals and vitamins a guinea pig needs can be achieved by feeding a high quality pellet, hay and vegetables. Guinea pigs don’t need extra salt, there is plenty in their pellets. Just like salt for humans, it is unhealthy and causes serious medical conditions.

Nuts, seeds and honey are not part of a guinea pigs diet. Treat sticks are horribly fattening with all that sugar!!
Seeds and nuts are chocking hazards. Never feed these.

Guinea pigs are lactose intolerant, milk is not something they can digest. Milk will cause an upset stomach and diarrhea, both of which are serious.
Yogurt drops are full of sugar and have no nutritional value.

Small cages are confining, cause boredom and do not allow for proper health. Guinea pig require large open spaces for exercise on their time, whenever the mood strikes.
Pet store cages are not only too small but over priced. Build your own and get creative.

Never feed your guinea pig pellets designed for rabbits or other pets.
Rabbit pellets do not contain Vitamin C and some even contain poisonous antibiotics to guinea pigs.

Never purchase guinea pig pellets that have anything added, such as seeds, nuts, coloured bits, dried fruit and dried veggies.
All your guinea pig requires are healthy plain pellets. Anything added contributes to unhealthy weight gain, high sugar levels, chocking hazards and illness.

Yes extra Vitamin C is important for pigs suffering with illnesses or just to give once and awhile to ensure they are getting enough but using it in liquid form is not the best solution.
Vitamin drops change the flavour of the water, this can cause guinea pigs to drink less, which is never good.
Vitamin drops degrade in the air and light, this means you add it to the water and soon the nutrients have disappeared and you are left wondering if they even got any.
If you want to make sure your guinea pigs are getting the proper nutrition, then feed a variety of fresh veggies, chew-able Vitamin C tablets, hay and high quality pellets.

NOTHING can replace long strand hay in a guinea pigs diet. Hay cubes and stacks can be added to their diet for treat purposes or to give them something to destroy but it does not replace actual hay. Guinea pigs require long strand hay for happy tummies but most importantly long strands of hay really make their back molars grind down.
Grinding down their back molars is crucial, guinea pigs teeth are always growing and need to be ground down by hay.