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Guinea Pig Food, Feeding Hay & Treats

Burgess Excel guinea pig food, feeding hay & treats contain ingredients to help your pets stay happy and healthy. Discover our tasty range, perfect for your guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs require high fibre content in the diet, as without it, their digestive systems would not function properly. Found in feeding hay, nuggets and fresh fruit and vegetables, guinea pig food is as varied as it is delicious.

Always remember to follow the Excel Feeding Plan. 85-90% of your guinea pigs’ diet should be good quality hay or fresh grass.

Excel Adult Guinea Pig Nuggets with Mint

Excel Adult Guinea Pig Nuggets with Mint 2kg from £7.00

Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets with Blackcurrant & Oregano

Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets with Blackcurrant & Oregano 2kg from £7.00

Excel Feeding Hay with Dandelion & Marigold

Excel Feeding Hay with Dandelion & Marigold 1kg from £7.99

Excel Dual Care

Excel Dual Care 600g from £19.99

Excel Feeding Hay with Hedgerow Herbs

Excel Feeding Hay with Hedgerow Herbs 3kg from £16.99

Excel Fruity Feasts

Excel Fruity Feasts 60g from £1.99

Excel Herby Hearts

Excel Herby Hearts 60g from £1.99

Excel Meadow Munchies

Excel Meadow Munchies 1kg from £7.00

Excel Sunshine Snacks

Excel Sunshine Snacks 60g from £1.99

Excel Apple Snacks

Excel Apple Snacks 80g from £2.99

Excel Snacks Gnaw Sticks

Excel Snacks Gnaw Sticks 90g from £2.99

Excel Snacks Country Garden Herbs

Excel Snacks Country Garden Herbs 120g from £2.99

Buy Guinea Pig Food Online From Burges

The Excel Feeding Plan

Following our Excel feeding plan will ensure that your guinea pigs’ get the correct balance of fibre, vitamins and minerals. 85-90% of a guinea pigs’ diet should be high quality, dust extracted feeding hay or fresh grass. This should be supplemented with a small portion of Excel nuggets, the occasional Excel Nature Treat, a small handful of fresh greens and plenty of fresh water.

Guinea pigs’ are herbivores who live on a plant-based diet. However we like to call them ‘fibrevores’ as fibre is by far the most important part of their diet and is essential for their gut and dental health.

Guinea pigs – or cavies, to give them their alternative name – are engaging, intelligent, and when handled correctly, very friendly. Curious about the world around them, they like to see what’s going on, and can be kept both indoors or outdoors. Guinea pigs enjoy interaction with humans as well as their piggy friends, and it’s therefore important that you make lots of time to interact with them. Beyond this, your guineas are playful and need lots of guinea safe toys, as well as a suitable diet to keep them healthy and happy throughout their life.

Guinea pigs need extremely high levels of fibre in their diet. Without high fibre foods their digestive systems will not work properly, making them susceptible to digestive problems. They also need some fruit and vegetables to give them a source of vitamin C, because guinea pigs lack the enzyme to produce this themselves. Dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, kale and cabbage, as well as melons and oranges, are all good sources of this. Be careful not to give too much fruit as it also contains sugar, and excessive citrus fruits can cause mouth sores. Moreover, guinea pigs’ teeth are designed to continually grow, so they need abrasive foods such as feeding hay to help wear this down and maintain good dental health.

Understanding guinea pig digestion

As hind gut fermenters, guinea pigs digest much of their food in the caecum and colon (large intestine), which are at the end of the digestive tract.
The caecum, a large, thin-walled sac located at the junction of the small and large intestine, contains up to 65% of gastrointestinal (GI) contents. Within the caecum, bacteria aid digestion of foods taken in by the guinea pig.
Guinea pigs have a tendency to selectively feed. If you feed them a muesli style diet then they are likely to eat the high starch and sugary elements of food, leaving behind the higher fibre pieces, which would provide them greater nutritional value. Feeding a nutritionally balanced high-fibre nugget or pellet will help avoid this.

The Burgess Excel Guinea Pig Food range – premium quality food for all guinea pigs

At Burgess, our range of 100% natural hay is dust extracted for respiratory health purposes, with our nuggets and Excel Snacks lovingly created with the highest quality of ingredients and nutritional additives to ensure great quality and taste.

Along with our 100% natural hay that is dust extracted for respiratory health purposes, our variety of guinea pig food can help to maintain a healthy diet and encourage natural behaviours.

Animal nutrition is of the utmost importance, and we make it our mission to stay on top of leading industry advice and guidance. We know, for example, that a muesli diet can lead to selective feeding which may be detrimental to a guinea pig’s health. We have been involved in research that showcases the risks associated with muesli diets in rabbits and the negative impact these have on health and welfare.

A good diet for your guinea pig includes the right amount of hay, nuggets, fresh greens and water, based on their size, age and lifestyle. Calculating this isn’t always easy, but our consumer care team can help, as can our Excel Feeding Plan, which you can find on our website.

Burgess Excel hay, such as Excel Feeding Hay with Dandelion & Marigold can help provide your guinea pigs with the fibre they need.

Burgess Excel nuggets, such as Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets with Mint and Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets with Blackcurrant & Oregano can help provide your animals with protected vitamin C, as well as all of the other nutrients they need.

Burgess Excel treats and snacks, such as Excel Apple Snacks, Excel Gnaw Sticks, Excel Country Garden Herbs and Excel Mountain Meadow Herbs are made with 100% natural ingredients and therefore can be fed daily.

What’s great about Burgess guinea pig nuggets?

Beneficial Fibre – High in fibre content for natural herbivores.
Antioxidants – To help support the immune system.
Prebiotic – To support digestive health.
Vitamins & Minerals – For healthy eyes, skin and coat.

Why choose Burgess Guinea Pig Food?

At Burgess, we know how important the right diet is when it comes to your guinea pigs’ health, happiness and welfare. Without a nutritionally-balanced diet, guinea pigs can suffer from a range of health issues, such as overgrown teeth, gum disease and skin, joint and muscle pain. A high intake of feeding hay is essential for your animal’s health, and nuggets supplement vitamin and mineral levels to help ensure a balanced diet. We work with our suppliers, including farmers in the UK to ensure that our nuggets and hay are of the highest quality, best texture and help to encourage natural foraging behaviours.

We truly care about animal care here at Burgess, and this is why we created the Excel Feeding Plan. Highlighting the types of food your guineas can eat – with special mention to the fresh greens that can and can’t be consumed – we put your pets’ health and wellbeing at the forefront of our endeavours. Wanting to educate and inform, together, we can work together to give your guinea pigs the best life possible.

Is your guinea pig a Burgess guinea pig? Join the Burgess Pet Club for exclusive offers and rewards.

Our Guinea Pig Food Range

Burgess Excel feeding plan for guinea pigs provides all of the essential fibre, nutrients, vitamins and minerals that guinea pigs require for a healthy life. Created by our in house veterinary surgeon, animal nutritionist and food hygiene and quality team, our range includes feeding hay, nuggets and nature snacks that are high in fibre, and balanced in nutrients. Helping to support dental, digestive and immune system health, our range can help provide your guinea pigs with a balanced diet.

The Burgess Guinea Pig Food Range Includes:

Feeding Hay

Hay is full of beneficial fibre, which keeps the gut moving for digestive health, and helps to wear down teeth as guinea pigs chew on it. If they do not get enough abrasive foods their teeth will become overgrown, an issue that can lead to starvation. Because it also encourages natural grazing behaviour, hay should make up approximately 85-90% of your guinea pig’s diet, and should always be available.

Excel Feeding Hay with Dandelion & Marigold:

Timothy Hay- Delicious, nutritious and grown in the UK with dandelion and marigold that add variety.
High in fibre – A good source of energy for guinea pigs, and helps to keep their gut functioning correctly.
Dandelion – May aid urinary tract health.
Marigold – Helps support a healthy immune system.
Dust extracted – To support respiratory health.

Guinea Pig Nuggets

A supplement of nutritious nuggets can help to prevent selective feeding, as well as provide protected vitamin C that is essential in a guinea pig’s diet, and prebiotics to support digestive health.

Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets with Mint:

High in fibre – Stimulates chewing, which is good for dental health, and promotes digestive health too.
High in Vitamin C – Important as guinea pigs can’t produce their own.
Mint – For extra taste
Prebiotic – Supports digestive health.
Antioxidants – Supports the immune system.

Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets with Blackcurrant & Oregano:

High in fibre – To encourage natural foraging behaviours.
Vitamins & Minerals – For healthy eyes, skin and coat.
Oregano – To add flavour.
Blackcurrant – For extra flavour, and is a good source of Vitamin C.
Antioxidants – Supports the immune system.

Learn more about our guinea pig nuggets.

Guinea Pig Treats & Nature Snacks

Our guinea pig treats and Nature Snacks are made with 100% natural ingredients and can be fed occasionally to encourage bonding.

Our Guinea Pig Treats & Nature Snacks Include:

Excel Apple Snacks: Delicious dried apple pieces, covered in parsley and thyme for extra taste.
Excel Gnaw Sticks: Gnaw Sticks are a great snack which helps to replicate guinea pigs’ natural environment and encourage their natural behaviour.

We also offer ‘Excel Country Garden Herbs‘ and ‘Excel Mountain Meadow Herbs‘ which can be added as a tasty topper or sprinkled through feeding hay to encourage foraging.

If you’re at all unsure about the best way of feeding your animal or have any concerns about specific nutritional requirements at different times of their life, ask your local veterinary practice for advice.

You can also call our expert team on 44 (0)0800 413 969 who’ll be happy to help. They’re available 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

Alternatively, you can use our online form to get in touch.

The Guinea Pig Food List

Guinea pigs are herbivores, and therefore, their diet should consist of high quality feeding hay, pelleted guinea pig food (or nuggets), fresh water and limited amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables. An imbalance in nutrition can cause diarrhoea, obesity and other health issues. Feeding your animals the wrong fruit and vegetables may also cause health issues, and therefore, it’s important that pet guardians know which are safe to eat. The following guinea pig food list is not exhaustive, but provides guidance on many common fruits and vegetables.

Safe To Eat, According To PDSA:

Asparagus; Basil; Broccoli; Brussel Sprouts; Cauliflower leaves and stalks; Chicory; Coriander; Courgette; Cucumber; Dill; Kale; Parsley; Parsnip; Radish; Red cabbage; Romaine lettuce; Rocket; Salad peppers; Savoy cabbage; Spinach; Turnips; Tomato; Watercress.

Due to their high sugar content, fruits should only be fed occasionally.

Safe fruit include: Oranges; Apples; Pears; Strawberries; Blueberries; Kiwi; Papayas; Peaches;

Not safe to eat:

Onions; Garlic; Mushrooms; Iceberg lettuce; Avocados; Nuts; Potatoes; Seeds; Rhubarb; Cabbage; Tomato leaves.

For further information on what foods can guinea pigs eat, please contact us today.

FAQs

What foods can guinea pigs eat?

Guinea pigs are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. According to the PDSA their ideal diet would include:

A constant supply of good quality feeding hay or grass.
A small amount of nuggets
A teacup sized amount of fresh greens per day. Suitable greens include kale, parsley, cucumber and dill.
Constant access to fresh, clean drinking water from a water bottle with a metal spout.

When it comes to new foods such as Burgess pet food, they recommend introducing new foods to your guinea pigs slowly over a week, as any sudden changes to their diet could upset their stomachs.

Foods to avoid include nuts; seeds; dried beans, sweet corn; buttercups; garden shrubs; lilies of any kind; sweet peas; nightshade; oak; avocado; onion grass; onions; potato tops; mushrooms; daffodils; foxglove; rhubarb leaves; and human foods such as breads, biscuits, sweets, sugar, breakfast cereals, dairy products, chocolate, pasta, crackers, or pickled foods.

If you’re ever unsure about a particular food item, we recommend that you always check with your vet for more information.

How much food should I feed my guinea pig?

Guinea pigs should be fed their size in feeding hay every single day, with this making up 85-90% of their diet. Beyond this, nuggets should be fed as a supplement to feeding hay or grass to ensure your guinea pigs get all the vitamins and minerals they need. Excel Snacks can be fed in small amounts to encourage bonding and foraging, and fresh greens can help add variety.

What fruit can guinea pigs eat?

Fruit that guinea pigs can eat include: Apples (pipless), bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, papayas and peaches.

What vegetables can guinea pigs eat?

Vegetables that guinea pigs can eat include: Dandelion leaves, herb robert, rose bush

leaves, nasturtium, wild geranium, hazel tree leaves and branches, willow tree leaves and branches, hawthorn, brambles, goosegrass, blackthorn, nettle (dried), cauliflower leaves, celery leaves, green pepper, kale, mint, romaine lettuce and spring greens.

Buy Your Guinea Pig Food Online Today

With a great range of hay, nuggets and nature snacks to choose from, and deliveries available across the UK – to areas including Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff and Birmingham – your guinea pigs can enjoy a diet that helps to meet their daily needs, and is full of healthy ingredients. Get those food bowls filled today by browsing our selection or calling us on 01405 862241 for more information.

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