How much should a rodent eat
Hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, chinchillas and degus eat differently. Choose yours — we will work out food, water and, for a guinea pig, vitamin C.
Use kitchen scales. If you do not know, leave it — we use a typical adult weight.
Result
- HayunlimitedFresh, a bundle at least as big as the animal. Hay wears the teeth down and keeps the gut moving — never cut it.
- Pellets15–25 g
- Vegetables and greens80–120 g
- Vitamin C10–30 mgA guinea pig cannot make it. 100 g of sweet pepper has about 130 mg.
- Water80–120 ml
Worth knowing
- Guinea pigs cannot make vitamin C. Without it, gums bleed and joints ache within 2–3 weeks.
- Vitamin C in the water bottle breaks down within a day in light. Pepper, parsley or guinea-pig tablets are more reliable.
- Unlimited hay, always. A guinea pig’s teeth grow all its life.
- Introduce new food gradually, over one to two weeks.
This is a guide for a healthy animal. For a sick, pregnant or old one, the diet is set by an exotic-animal vet.