Archive for February, 2009

How can I best prepare small amounts of fresh food?

All food must be washed and have been out of a fridge for long enough to reach room temperature. Because the amounts of foods like carrots are so small instead of slices we recommend cutting instrips as an alternative. This is also a better way to give food as it is a similar shape to [...]

February 24, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Can all my guinea pigs have the Ratewatchers Diet?

Unless a guinea pig is ill or needing a specific source of food then it advisable to feed all guinea pigs the same diet and in the same enclosure. Ratewatchers is a balanced diet that can be fed to try and avoid any issues with stones. It is not a guarantee that stones will be [...]

February 23, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Why do I need to weigh the food out?

It is important when feeding Ratewatchers diet to get the amounts of Calcium to Phosphorus balanced correctly. This can only be achieved by weighing out individual foods so that a general idea of what that weight (e.g. 20g) of that particular food, looks like. As a general rule the Phosphorus high foods are heavier and [...]

February 23, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Do high calcium foods balance out high phosphorus foods?

It is important to look at the diet as a whole and the ratios of certain foodstuffs together so that a balance can be achieved. A good example of a well balanced food that is high in Calcium is quick dried grass such as Just Grass, Readigrass and Graze On; these have a high Calcium [...]

February 21, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Will feeding Ratewatchers mean that my guinea pig won’t get stones or sludge again?

There is no diet or lifestyle plan that can make any such guarantee. There are various reasons why a guinea pig can develop bladderstones; one of the more common ones being an inbalace in the diet- often this is between Calcium and Phosphorus with Magnesium playing a part too. Oxalate (the by product of the [...]

February 17, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Do I need to worry about Oxalic Acid content in foods?

According to Oxbow research Calcium Oxalate stones were not commonly found in guinea pigs- they were one of the least found. However, once formed these stones are unlikely to dissolve and are very hard to break up and must be either passed or removed surgically. Therefore it is advisable to only feed small amounts of [...]

February 17, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Generally, which foods are high in Phosphorus?

As a rule it is fruits of plants and roots (under ther the ground, i.e carrots/swede/beetroot).

February 10, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Is it important to give a variety of vegetables?

A variety of vegetables is important to prevent boredom and to provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals needed, however, it is more important to provide a variety of vegetables that have certain values.

February 9, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Can I just feed grass freely?

Only mature grass should be fed freely. Young grass is extremely high in Phosphorus and can cause imbalance in the diet. For this reason we recommend restricting feeding our cereal grasses which are, in effect, ‘new grass’ despite the time of year that they are grown (this obviously goes for any type of ‘new grass’). [...]

February 8, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments

Why do I need to be concerned about my guinea pig’s diet?

Find some frequently asked questions here along with some information based on research into guinea pigs, their nutrition and bladder problems. None of the research is based on humans though comparisons may be made. Why do I need to be concerned about my guinea pig’s diet? Domesticated guinea pigs are limited to the foods that [...]

February 8, 2009   Posted in: Frequently Asked Questions  No Comments