The best guinea pig food for a full and balanced diet

We love our furry guinea pig friends. With their cute little noises and snuggly fur, there's nothing better than playing with them. Sometimes, though, it can be hard to know what =the best food to give your guinea pig is.

Whether you've just added a new little small animal to your family or you've had a pair of guinea pigs for years, it's important to feed them the correct diet. Guinea pigs need lots to chew on, pellets and vegetables to give them fibre, and even vitamin C supplements for their health.

So, make sure you've got the best guinea pig food for your little friend to keep them healthy and happy. We've found the best food on the market so you don't have to look too far.

What should I feed my guinea pig?

Guinea pigs are natural herbivores which means they only eat plant-based diets and live on food like hay, pellets and vegetables. Their teeth health is particularly important because they're constantly growing, so you'll want a selection of roughage for them to chew on as well as fibre for gastrointestinal health. You'll need a variety of muesli or mix, hay and vegetables for your guinea pigs to enjoy.

Firstly, grass and grass hay should be available constantly for guinea pigs. Make sure there's a consistent flow of hay for them to chew on throughout the whole day and if you spot it's empty, top it up with more. They benefit from having baskets or bowls of this food so that it doesn't mix with their dirt or waste.

A selection of greens and vegetables are also important for our little furry friends so that they have a range of nutrients to snack on. Although hay is particularly important, they need a variety of foods for them to stay healthy.

Guinea pigs benefit from vitamin C supplements too, because their stomachs find it hard to digest otherwise. Adding a little bit of vitamin C to their diet each day helps with natural development and growth.

As always, fresh water from a water bottle or bowl is very important for our guinea pigs. Just like us humans, they need to stay hydrated!

With all this in mind though, you'll want to make sure that you slowly introduce new diets to your guinea pigs. Like any animals (and even us humans), if you change up the diet too fast then it can cause more digestive problems and won't make them very happy.

Best guinea pig food, vegetables and pellets 2022

We've hunted down the best guinea pig foods on the market so you don't have to worry about your pets.

Top-rated and well-reviewed on Amazon, Burgess is a trusted guinea pig food brand that you'll be sure your little pet can enjoy. We love these nuggets with mint which are jam-packed with nutrients and fibre - perfect grub for your pet. You can get these into sizes up to 10kg too, so you can stock up.

Size: 1.5kg, 2kg, 4kg and 10kg

Form: Nugget

Review: "This is excellent food and all my guinea pigs over the years have thrived on. This type of food is perfect as it prevents selective feeding, where piggies just pick out the bits they prefer, usually the least healthy. With this there's no waste, and it's easy to see each day how much they are eating. Definitely recommend."

If you're looking for guinea pig food that hits all of their nutrition needs, this Supreme Science food focuses on dental health, is full of fibre and even has added vitamin C for that extra boost. Each bite of kibble is balanced and recommended for our little pets so they can enjoy their food with a full diet (and belly!).

Size: 1.5kg, 3kg or 10kg

Form: Pellets

Review: "My two pigs had previous owners who fed them a muesli mix. I decided after extensive research that this food would be the most nutritious for them, although more expensive. They eat 1-2 bowls of this every day until it's all gone! After eating this food plus fresh veg every day, their coats are very shiny, they are a normal weight and most importantly they are happy and getting bolder. They have just finished their first 3 kg bag after 2 months. (Might have to buy the 10kg next time!)"

Sometimes all you want is a huge bucket of food that you can feed your pigs, to make it easy for both you and them. Extra Select have this 5-litre bucket that your pets can feed on, full of a variety of cereals, peas, mint and more. This is a balanced mix with all the vitamins and minerals needed.

Size: 5 litre

Form: Dry mix

Review: "My guinea pig is a fussy eater. He won’t usually touch pellets or dried food unless it’s pea flakes. However, he does love this stuff. He sees me carrying the tub and get super excited. Well worth the money and the tub is robust, so great storage."

Nuggets are a good choice if you want easy food for your guinea pig. They're packed with vitamin C as well as other minerals for your pig's diet, making them delicious but balanced. Make sure to feed these with a selection of hay and vegetables for a varied diet for your pet.

Size: 4kg

Form: Nuggets

Review: "Both my Guineas love these pellets, I've tried several different ones and even the muesli in this brand but these nuggets are by far their faves. Love it when they munch through their bowl full."

Hay is necessary for any guinea pig as it's a great food for them to chew on throughout the whole day. This Burgess Excel hay also has dandelion and marigold in it, assisting with their digestive health. It's super high in fibre, making your guinea pig and its tummy happy.

Size: 1kg, 3kg or 4.5kg

Form: Hay

Review: "Really impressed with this hay mix. Our guinea pigs had become less and less interested in their old hay of late so we thought to give this a try. They have been eating this for a bit now and their eating is back up to a healthy level. As soon as they hear the bag, they're sitting ready for breakfast so it must be tasty.

"It comes in bags with a handle and I like its compact style that is easy to store. It's a really good price compared to a lot of others of its type which was a selling point as well. I've now got this on subscription to come monthly. Very pleased and do recommend."

If you'd rather have a larger bag for a smaller price, this Pets at Home basic feeding hay is a great choice, coming in under £4. It has classic hay for feeding and chewing on as well as added Timothy Hay for a varied diet. This is also recyclable, making it great for the environment too.

Size: 3kg

Form: Hay

Review: "My five guinea pigs won't eat any other hay and by far the best value for money! I've seen a few people say they've been put off by larger twigs found in the bales but they're great for piggies to chew, I've taken them out separately and chucked them in their cage. They love them."

Yep, that's right - you can even get hay subscription boxes. This is perfect for that pet parent who wants good quality food and wants to keep it stocked up at all times. You can choose from a variety of hay boxes of premium quality, pellets, forage and even get your hands on a 'Taster Box' for your pigs to try. Worth the investment if you love your pets.

Size: 2.5kg, 5kg, 10kg or 15kg boxes

Form: Hay, also comes as pellets, forage, bedding and more

Review: "I ordered this following the online reviews. It arrived promptly and smells so fresh. I love the fact it was delivered to my door. My piggies are loving the hay - so much better than the shop-bought, plastic-wrapped, yellow hay that you can buy!"

We can't all afford high-priced food for our pets, but we still love to feed them quality food. If you want more bang for your buck, Wilko has great guinea pig food which is a lower price than other brands. This 1.25kg bag of guinea pig nuggets come in at under £2. Perfect for those looking to save money.

Size: 1.25kg

Form: Nuggets

Review: "My guinea pig absolutely loves these pellets. Highly nutritious for him. Fantastic price for a good-sized bag which will keep us going for a good couple of months."

Getting Vitamin C into your guinea pig is really important for their overall health. Make it extra easy for them to eat with these vitamin C supplements by Oxbow, which contains those stabilised ingredients needed for small animals. These are recommended by vets to keep your guinea pigs in tip-top shape.

Size: 227g

Form: Tablets

Review: "Our guinea pig boy is getting on in years and was slowing down a little. I decided to try these tablets and what a difference in him. He's more energetic and even popcorns now and then. He gets one tablet a day - he rips it out of my hand and devours it in minutes."

If you're looking for a selection of food for your guinea, this muesli has a variety that's easy for every diet. Including that extra vitamin C as well as pea, maize and wheat in the pack, your pig won't be able to get enough of this. Add this in as an extra to their daily food.

Size: 2kg

Form: Muesli/Mix

Review: "This food is fantastic and my piggies can't get enough of it... Sometimes I wish they would do bigger bags of it. My guinea pigs are very fussy eaters but will eat this food every time."

ReadiGrass is a great way to get fresh grass and hay that will last for a long time. As an excellent source of fibre, you'll want to be feeding your guinea pigs loads of hay, and this Friendly Timothy choice is full of nutrients. Grown from Timothy grass right here in the UK, your guinea will be enjoying hay straight from Yorkshire.

Size: 1kg

Form: Hay

Review: "It's a perfect mid-priced product, the sweet-smelling, fresh long strands have different textures so you can be sure even the pickiest of pets will love it. I wish they would roll out the RediGrass line in store so I could pick it up with my weekly shop, otherwise, it's fantastic and I highly recommend anyone to try at least once. It's always best to let your pets decide what they like the best."

Hay cubes are a great option if you're looking for something different for a picky eater, or just want to branch out of regular hay. They're packed with fibre - important for your guinea's digestive health - and complement a balanced diet of vegetables and food mix. Also great if you don't want too much mess from regular hay.

Size: 424g

Form: Hay cubes

Review: "My guinea pigs love these. It is such an easy way to feed them quality hay without the mess when they are indoors for the winter. It also has the benefit of being really good for their teeth as it's so hard. They have to gnaw it to get the hay off. I wish they sold bigger bags for better value."

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