You and your guinea pig may have more in common than you realize. Both you and your guinea pig must have vitamin C to survive. Unlike many other mammals who synthesize vitamin C from glucose in the body, you and your guinea pig both lack a specific enzyme needed to perform this process. Therefore, both human and guinea pig vitamin C requirements must be satisfied by external sources.
Guinea pigs must have a regular and consistant source of vitamin C or they will perish. Vitamin C is a water-soluble micronutrient. Fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamins A, D, E and K) are dissolved by lipids - fat globules. Once these vitamins are absorbed by lipids, they are held in your body's tissues. Vitamin C, conversely, is not held and stored in our bodies. It is dissolved by water and any excess vitamin C in your guinea pig's or your body will be flushed out in the urine. Because vitamin C passes so quickly thru your cavy's body, they have to be given supplements on a regular daily basis.
A good way to bolster your pig's diet with the necessary C vitamin is to feed them a diet loaded in dark leafy vegetables like parsley, kale or romaine lettuce. Be sure to avoid iceberg lettuce as it is mostly water and empty calories. It is essentially devoid of any nutritive value whatsoever. As a general rule of thumb - the darker and richer the color of a fruit or vegetable - the more vitamins and nutrients it contains.
To insure that your pet pig is getting satisfactory quantities of daily vitamin C, it is also suggested that you supplement its diet with vitamin C supplements in the form of pills or liquid drops. Tablets can be crushed and sprinkled on food or dissolved in drinking water. Liquid supplements can be added to drinking water or sprinkled on your guinea pig's food.
Be careful when adding vitamin C to your pig's drinking water. Vitamin C can be destroyed by substances found in tap water in some geographical regions. Your best bet is to use only distilled or purified water.
Your cavy needs vitamin C to maintain life and health. While supplementation is recommended, it should not be the only single source of vitamin C for your guinea pig. Your pig's diet should also contain a lot of dark green vegetables. Since vitamin C is water-soluble, there is little danger of giving too much vitamin C to your cavy. All excess vitamin C will be safely flushed from the body in the urine.
Guinea pigs must have a regular and consistant source of vitamin C or they will perish. Vitamin C is a water-soluble micronutrient. Fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamins A, D, E and K) are dissolved by lipids - fat globules. Once these vitamins are absorbed by lipids, they are held in your body's tissues. Vitamin C, conversely, is not held and stored in our bodies. It is dissolved by water and any excess vitamin C in your guinea pig's or your body will be flushed out in the urine. Because vitamin C passes so quickly thru your cavy's body, they have to be given supplements on a regular daily basis.
A good way to bolster your pig's diet with the necessary C vitamin is to feed them a diet loaded in dark leafy vegetables like parsley, kale or romaine lettuce. Be sure to avoid iceberg lettuce as it is mostly water and empty calories. It is essentially devoid of any nutritive value whatsoever. As a general rule of thumb - the darker and richer the color of a fruit or vegetable - the more vitamins and nutrients it contains.
To insure that your pet pig is getting satisfactory quantities of daily vitamin C, it is also suggested that you supplement its diet with vitamin C supplements in the form of pills or liquid drops. Tablets can be crushed and sprinkled on food or dissolved in drinking water. Liquid supplements can be added to drinking water or sprinkled on your guinea pig's food.
Be careful when adding vitamin C to your pig's drinking water. Vitamin C can be destroyed by substances found in tap water in some geographical regions. Your best bet is to use only distilled or purified water.
Your cavy needs vitamin C to maintain life and health. While supplementation is recommended, it should not be the only single source of vitamin C for your guinea pig. Your pig's diet should also contain a lot of dark green vegetables. Since vitamin C is water-soluble, there is little danger of giving too much vitamin C to your cavy. All excess vitamin C will be safely flushed from the body in the urine.
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