| Since guinea pigs do not produce vitamin C themselves
they must rely on receiving an adequate supply through the food
that they eat. A number of signs may arrise from a guinea pig
with a vitamin C deficiency including swollen joints, inappetence
and with a long term deficiency, inadequate bone and teeth growth.
If it comes to this point the best idea is to take the guinea
pig to a veternarian who can prescribe an appropriate vitamin
C supplement or provide your guinea pig with an injection. Commercially
prepared guinea pig food generally contains an adequate supply
of vitamin C. However, if the food has been improperly stored,
the heat or sunlight may reduce the vitamin C content significantly.
Most guinea pig chow will naturally lose some of its vitamin
C content over time even if you do store it correctly. For
this reason it is advised that you do not buy great quantities
of food at one time.
Guinea pig food that is prepared
at home almost never contains the appropraite amount of vitamin
C. Some owners add vitamin C supplement to the food that they
prepare but when doing so must be careful not to add too much.
We advise guinea pigs owners to use commercially prepared
food for the majority of a guinea pigs diet and supplement
that with treats. Our guinea pig
feeding guide can give you a more in depth look at their
diet requirements. |
