Guinea pigs want to eat all the time because they are rummagers. They need to feed regularly to maintain their gut system. They eat based on what their bodies can consume and they never overfeed, except their owners offer them excessive treats. Cavies need to maintain a healthy gut system. Therefore, they must never stop eating for healthy living. Their feeding increases when it’s time to shed.
Never starve or overfeed your pet to avoid complications!
Further Reading: “Why Does My Guinea Pig Poop So Much?“
Why Does My Guinea Pig So Hungry?
Many things differentiate guinea pigs from other animals, particularly their complex digestive system. Cavies have tiny bodies, which require enough calories to keep the body system at an acceptable rate for healthy living. Their body’s energy requirement is high and can only be maintained through eating continuously within 24 hours throughout the week. Additionally, as a herbivorous that consumes leafy green, there are higher chances of burning more calories.
Unlike the domestic cavies, the wild ones keep themselves busy with grazing all day long. However, while doing this, they are cautious to avoid being prey to more giant animals. Wild guinea pig wants to eat all time because it understands it might not get the opportunity to do so some other time. Knowing quite well that food is not in abundance, cavies would maximize any chances they get.
It doesn’t matter if a cavy is hungry; when it finds vegetables, it will eat enough to quench its desire. This is because it doesn’t know the next time it would come across such a delicacy. The nature of guinea pigs speaks a lot about why it gets hungry quickly. Sometimes your cavy feeds itself if it finds a food nutritious.
Their body’s energy requirement is high and can only be maintained through eating continuously within 24 hours throughout the week. Additionally, as a herbivorous that consumes leafy green, there are higher chances of burning more calories.
Further Reading: “Can Guinea Pigs Eat Peas?“
What Happens If Guinea Pigs Eat Too Much?
Even if your guinea pig wants to eat all the time, it shouldn’t be more than what her body can contain. There has been no case of overfeeding for cavies. However, you need to understand their food composition and what their body can process to avoid running into problems. Hays, grass, vegetables, and pellets make up the major food pyramid of guinea pigs. Also, treats such as fresh fruit are part of the consumables for cavies. Given the nature of their digestive system, cavies’ bodies can act on fibers effectively.
Feeding a cavy too much starch and sugar may cause health challenges for them. Therefore, if your pet is consuming excessive treats (Fresh fruit), its gut system may be under attack. Hence, a reason for it to fall sick. Whether you are a new or a long-time owner of a guinea pig, you should avoid the mistakes of feeding your little friend too much treat and pellets. Hay and fresh grass should be top of the meal your cavy consume for healthy living.
Further Reading: “Can Guinea Pigs Eat Radish Leaves?“
How Many Times A Day You Should Feed Your Guinea Pig?
Cavies can keep eating continuously for 24 hours. However, what is important is you should have a consistent schedule for feeding your furry friend. Morning and Night are the best periods to feed them. Since they are herbivores, hay and fresh grass should make a significant portion of what they eat daily. High-quality nutrition helps to prevent heart disease, diarrhea, and kidney problems.
Being aware that your guinea pig might want to eat all the time, you must manage the food composition. For instance, if you feed your cavy pelleted foods, you are making it vulnerable to obesity. Accordingly, chlorine-free water is essential for guinea pigs, particularly during hot seasons. Sufficient filtered water helps to prevent cavy for heatstroke. Water intake should not be less than four ounces per day. Also, it is a good practice to clean your cavy water bottle with hot water daily. Guinea pigs prefer to eat in the evening because of their crepuscular nature. This is subject to change based on the schedule you plan for it.
Further Reading: “Can Guinea Pigs Drink Orange Juice?“
How Do I Know If I’m Over Feeding My Guinea Pig?
It is difficult to determine if your guinea pig is being overfed. In most cases, the symptoms of health issues are used to discover this. To avoid getting to that stage, we always advise cavy owners never to feed their pet too much of the same food daily. You cannot overemphasize the importance of balanced diets for your furry friend. Luckily, there are ways to discover if you are overfeeding your guinea pig. It requires a lot of attention on your part as the owner.
Firstly, check its poo to see what it looks like. It is an ideal way to identify whether your cavy eats a balanced diet daily. The most likely outcome you would get includes slightly soft, dark brown, and rounded. If what it excretes doesn’t have a shape or watery, your pet must have developed digestive problems. On noticing this, you need to work on your guinea pig diet to rectify the issues.
Further Reading: “Can Guinea Pigs Eat Sage?“
How Do You Know When Your Guinea Pig Is Hungry?
A notable characteristic of guinea pigs is getting hungry at all times. They are never satisfied as they desire more food regardless of the distance between feeding. Your guinea pig wants to eat at all times when it sees vegetables and fruits. At the sight of its favorites, cavy begins to wheek in anticipation for the proposed meal. Don’t see your cavy as a greedy pet. This is because it possesses a demanding gut system that requires regular feeding.
Based on this, it is difficult to know when your little pet is hungry. So to be on the safer side, you should feed your furry friend the right quantity of food to avoid starving or overfeeding. However, if you notice some irregularities, you should take your guinea pig for a checkup with a vet doctor. The information you get from the physician will help maintain the health of your cavy.
Your guinea pig wants to eat at all times when it sees vegetables and fruits. At the sight of its favorites, cavy begins to wheek in anticipation for the proposed meal. Don’t see your cavy as a greedy pet. This is because it possesses a demanding gut system that requires regular feeding.
Further Reading: “Can Guinea Pigs Eat Kiwi Skin?“
Do Guinea Pigs Stop Eating When They Are Full?
Guinea pigs are aware when they are full, but they will eat with every opportunity they get. The presence of sweet-tooth in guinea pigs makes them want to eat high sugar vegetables or treats even at the point of satisfaction. However, not all guinea pigs want to eat all the time. What we are saying, in essence, is they have different personalities. Therefore, you don’t expect every one of them to behave the same way.
Some guinea pigs prefer to stop eating when they are full. However, if your pet is one of those that want to eat every time, you can provide enough hay. Consuming hay reduces the chances of overheating because their bodies burn a lot of calories daily. Also, you can rest assured that your guinea pig will not be susceptible to several health problems.
Further Reading: “Can Guinea Pigs Get Worms?“
Final Thoughts
It is the nature of guinea pigs to want to eat all the time. In fact, they don’t get tired of eating. However, eating a lot should not be a problem except your cavy is consuming too much sugar and starch. Therefore, understanding these differences will help you keep your pet in good shape throughout its lifetime as a cavy owner.
Provide more hay that offers fiber and limit treats and pellets that consist of sugar and starch. However, you should ensure that its nutrients consumption is not one-sided. If you notice any irregularities, consulting with a veterinary doctor is the best place to find answers. They will provide the most probable solution to your guinea pigs’ challenges. In conclusion, you should never get disturbed if your guinea pig is eating a lot; it is the perfect way to maintain their gut system.
