Introduction
Did you know that scurvy is the most common guinea pig disease? That’s right, scurvy – vitamin C deficiency. Just like people, piggies need to get their vitamin C from food otherwise they become quite sick. Vitamin C is essential for many of the guinea pigs bodily processes. Everything from teeth to bones to blood vessels and the immune system can be affected. If your piggie is experiencing a mild deficiency he or she may have vague symptoms of health problems such as low energy, pups may not grow the way you expect and pregnancies can become more difficult. In extreme deficiency, full blown scurvy can develop. This can cause permanent problems as permanently stunted growth, swollen joints, internal bleeding, stiff hips resulting in problems walking (and instead they hop like rabbits.) In a worst case scenario you may even see paralysis of the hind legs and immune systems so weak that any bug that comes along can become fatal
Avoid Expensive Supplements
Unfortunately, a lot of companies prey on guinea pig owner anxiety and they make vitamin C products that don’t really work. The problem with vitamin C is that it degrades very quickly when exposed to light. For that reason it is not recommended that one use vitamin C water drops as they contain very little actual vitamins and carry a bad taste (which can prevent your piggie from drinking enough water.)
Here are a few good options:
Buy guinea pig food pellets with added vitamin C and store in a cool dry location. Also, try to buy a brand that has a “best by” date stamped on the outside. Most vitamin C starts to degrade after nine to twelve weeks of storage.
Feed your piggie fresh fruits (but not too many as fruit contains a lot of sugar) and dark leafy greens (think parsley, kale, spinach, collards, chard, and dandelion greens) every day. This is actually much cheaper and more effective than buying fancy supplements. Just make sure you quickly clean up any uneaten food as fresh foods spoil faster and this can make your guinea pig sick.
Proper Dosage
If you follow the steps above, there is very little chance your guinea pig can get TOO MUCH vitamin C but it is possible to overdose so don’t give more than 5 mg per pound body weight per day. If your piggie is pregnant you’ll want to double that amount.
Amanda is a life long guinea pig expert. For more great guinea pig information visit the Guinea Pig Resource Center for more information and don’t forget to sign up for their free newsletter!
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