As guinea pigs are grazing animals, they keep eating all day. Guinea pigs prefer tastier, high-calorie food if given a choice. That will make you wonder if guinea pigs can feel when they are full and will your guinea pig stop eating when they are full?
Guinea pigs do feel when they are full. Guinea pigs can’t throw up if they overeat or consume something that is not good for their health. Anything consumed by guinea pigs remains in them until it passes through their system. Guinea pigs must eat continuously to make sure that their body functions properly.
You can serve them a diet rich in fiber that included fresh hay, vegetables and pellets. This will ensure they feel full for a while.
You should always serve fruits, vegetables, and pellets in a moderate quantity as treats.
Guinea pigs are always hungry and they will continuously eat as much food as they can.
If you fill them up with treat foods, it might upset their gut health, causing diarrhea, bloating, and other gastrointestinal issues.
Can you overfeed a guinea pig?
Guinea pigs are grazers, and they will eat continuously all day long. They are also picky about what they eat.
Guinea pigs are likely to eat a lot of high sugar food if provided with one.
If their diet lacks fiber, they are unlikely to feel full, which may lead to overeating.
If your guinea pigs do not self-regulate their food consumption, then you must help them in proportionating their diet.
That helps them minimize those treats that are high in fats and carbs, such as fruits, high sugar veggies like corn, peas, carrots, etc.
You must serve them with other dark green veggies and a lot of hay to keep their diet balanced and nutritious.
| Types of Guinea Pigs Food | Quantity of food that can be intaken |
|---|---|
| Hay (meadow/ timothy) | Guinea pigs can consume hay as much they like. |
| Leafy Greens (spinach, chard, lettuce) | You must serve a small leaf daily. It is rich in Vitamin C which is must for them |
| Other vegetables(Tomatoes, Squash, bell peppers, etc.) | A small slice(approx 25 grams) would be ideal |
| Fruits(Cranberries, Orange, Strawberries, Apple, etc) | Not more than 1 slice once a week. |
| Pellets | 1/8th of a cup daily. Must be fortified with Vitamin C |
Do a guinea pig stops eating?
Your guinea pigs will stop eating when they are taking a nap or playing. You must know that it is normal for guinea pigs to eat several times throughout the day.
GI Stasis
Your guinea pigs will stop consuming food and water if their digestive tracts shut down, leading to starvation and pass away.
Gastrointestinal Stasis is considered a common life-threatening issue in guinea pigs, primarily caused by poor fiber diet, rich in unnecessary fats, and complex carbs.
Overgrown Teeth
If your guinea pig’s teeth are too long, we will advise you to trim them. If the highest row of their teeth overlaps with the bottom row, they will not be able to eat because of pain.
The reason for the overgrown teeth of guinea pigs is their diet and living conditions.
Lack of diet balance and chew toys can also play an essential role in their teeth overgrowth.
We would advise you to provide them good quality hay and wooden chew toys to keep their teeth in shape.
Stress
As guinea pigs are prey animals, they can stress out pretty quickly. Guinea pigs always lookout for predators that can harm them.
Your guinea pigs might be dominating their other cage mates, but they are not prepared for predators.
You must always make sure that your guinea pigs are stressed free as if they live under excess stress for a longer time, they may suffer from severe health issues.
You must know that sudden shocks can lead to cardiac arrest in guinea pigs. Considering this, you should always try to keep them calm and stress-free.
If you discover anything around your guinea pigs that are making them stressed out, you should try to eliminate them.
Can you keep feeding your guinea pig?
That depends upon your guinea pigs. As some guinea self-control their food intake, while others may overeat and focus on junk food that is heavy in calories.
Those guinea pigs who can eat more and gain weight should always be served food in portions.
You must know that healthy guinea pigs that do not have weight issues are prime candidates for free feeding.
As guinea pigs are prone to obesity, it will lead to severe health problems in guinea pigs if not appropriately controlled.
According to studies, stress-sensitive animals like guinea pigs are highly susceptible to cardiovascular diseases.
My guinea pig won’t stop eating
New owners are initially surprised by the guinea pig’s diet and how much they can eat. Guinea pigs spend the majority of their day eating hay.
Guinea pigs may even wake up to chew some hay before going back to sleep. You will discover your guinea pigs greedier than usual when it comes to fruits, vegetables, and commercial treats.
If you find your guinea pigs consuming more hay than usual, there is no need to worry. It is usual for a guinea pig’s appetite to fluctuate a little. But that shall not be a problem, until and unless they’re fed a lot of treats.
Guinea pigs enjoy munching on fruits and vegetables like strawberries, carrots, peas, corn, etc because they hold a sweet and better taste. But you must know that these foods do not have as much fiber as compared to hay.
You should always make sure that your guinea pig’s diet mostly consists of hay. Hay is fiber dense and guinea pig needs a lot of fiber in their diet.
Guinea pigs require a lot of fiber in their diet as it helps to regulate their digestive tract and keep their gut moving and also help them feel full and satisfied with their food.
The complications linked with overeating of your guinea pigs and how it can be detected is shown in the following table.
| Obesity | Unable to groom and lethargy |
| Dental Cavity | Facial swelling, lethargy, signs of pain, and loss of appetite |
| Gastrointestinal problems | Loose stool or unable to poop |
| Heart Problems | Breathing Problems, lethargy, and changes in feces. |
| Urinary Tract Infections | Change in color of urine, Unable to urinate properly and frequent urination |
| GI Stasis | Hunches posture, No elimination, lethargy |
Conclusion
As guinea pigs are grazing animals, they will eat all day. You must make sure that their diet mostly consists of fresh hay and green leafy veggies.
Treats should not be served for more than two times a week. You must know that your guinea pigs will stop eating when they are full.
Guinea pigs will stop eating and drinking if their digestive tracts shut down.
You should always ensure that your guinea pigs are calm and stress-free as excessive stress can lead to significant health problems in your guinea pigs.
In addition to this, we would advise you to take care of your guinea pigs and always shower them with all your love so that they can get a positive environment around them.
Source: Molar Teeth and Investing Tissues of Normal Guinea Pigs, Timothy hay, Hay, Nutrition in timothy hay Diet Composition and Mineral Balance in Guinea Pigs, Dietary Vitamin C, and Vitamin E on Guinea Pig Immune Responses to Mitogens, Vitamin C requirements of the guinea-pig, Is Your Guinea Pig’s Diet Providing the Right Nutrients? Care of Guinea Pigs.