Guinea pigs require a nutritious diet of hay, fresh vegetables, and high-quality dry food targeted especially for cavies to keep them in tip-top condition.
However, with so many different guinea pig meals on the market, it can be difficult narrowing down your options.
- Contains stabilized Vitamin C
- Includes flaxseed, probiotics, and natural Vitamin E
- High in fiber
- Fortified with vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C
- Encourages natural foraging behavior
- High in fiber
- Made in small batches to ensure its quality
- Fortified with essential minerals and vitamins
- Appetizing taste
Not all commercial guinea pig foods are healthy or nourishing – if you choose the wrong one, your pet could be at risk of nutritional deficiencies or other health issues like obesity.
I ran into the same problem when I first started raising and caring for guinea pigs. I thought I was using well-balanced and high-quality guinea pig food brands for my piggies, but after a worrisome trip to the vet, I was told both my guinea pigs were overweight.
I changed their diet straightaway to a better and more healthier food, and within a couple of months, I really noticed a difference in their health. Not only were they at normal weight, but they seemed a lot livelier and energetic too.
So, if you’re having trouble choosing the right guinea pig diet, here are my top recommendations so you can find the best guinea pig food.
The Best From the Reviews
Top Pick
Mazuri Timothy-Based Guinea Pig Food
The Mazuri Timothy-Based Complete Guinea Pig Food contains stabilized Vitamin C, natural Vitamin E, and other helpful ingredients like flaxseed for healthy skin, digestion, and immune system.
Mazuri Timothy-Based Guinea Pig Food
This food for cavies is my overall top pick as it contains high-quality and healthy ingredients, while also being relatively low in price.
Best Value
Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet for Guinea Pigs
Consisting of pellets, grains, nuts, and dried fruits/veggies, the Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet for Guinea Pigs ensures your pet always has a well-balanced and nourishing meal.
Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet for Guinea Pigs
If you need a complete diet for your cavy that is healthy and affordable, this one is a solid choice.
Editor’s Choice
Small Pet Select Guinea Pig Food
Made in small batches to ensure its high quality, the Small Pet Select Guinea Pig Food contains all the necessary minerals and vitamins for a healthy adult guinea pig.
Small Pet Select Guinea Pig Food
If you need a premium-quality food for cavies, this one is an excellent choice.
On to the Reviews…
Top Pick
Mazuri Timothy-Based Guinea Pig Food
These Timothy hay based food pellets contain all the essential nutrients your pet needs for healthy digestion, a shiny coat, and a healthy immune system. They’re suitable for young guinea pigs and adult guinea pigs.
Mazuri Timothy-Based Guinea Pig Food
Suitable for all life stages, the Mazuri Timothy-Based Guinea Pig Diet provides your cavy with everything they need to be happy and healthy. It’s my top pick as it’s nutritious, tasty, and relatively affordable.
Prevents Selective Feeding
The food comes in pellet form to prevent selective feeding and is primarily made up of Timothy hay, which is both lower in protein and contains more minerals than alfalfa hay.
High Fiber Content
It encourages more chewing activity as it has a high fiber content. Not only will this food aid with healthy digestion, but it will also assist with dental care.
Your guinea pig’s teeth are constantly growing, but chewing on hay, dry food, and wooden toys prevents their teeth from becoming overly long.
Healthy Immune System
This food for guinea pigs also contains stabilized Vitamin C, probiotics, flaxseed, and natural Vitamin E for a healthy immune system and gut.
My main gripe with this cavy food from Mazuri is its small bag size. There isn’t a larger size available, which may not be ideal if you have more than one cavy to feed – you’ll be running out frequently!
Specs
- Item Form: Pellet
- Life Stage: All
- First 5 Ingredients: Vitamins, protein, alfalfa, timothy, flaxseed
Pros
- High in fiber for healthy teeth and digestion
- Contains stabilized Vitamin C, natural Vitamin E, probiotics, and flaxseed
- Contains more minerals and less protein than alfalfa hay
Cons
- Bag size is a little small
Best Value
Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet for Guinea Pigs
A hearty mixture of high fiber pellets, dried fruit and veggies, seeds, nuts, and grains, this food from Wild Harvest has great nutritional value while being budget-friendly.
Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet for Guinea Pigs
If you need one of the best guinea pig pellets on the market that won’t break the bank, you can’t go wrong with the Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet for Guinea Pigs.
All the Essential Nutrients
The food is packed with nutrients that young guinea pigs and adult piggies need to thrive, including Timothy hay and Vitamin C. The pellets are high in fiber to keep your guinea pig’s gut in tip-top condition.
Delicious Mix of Dried Fruits and Veggies
While pellets make up the bulk of this food, there is a mix of delicious dried fruit and vegetables, alongside grains, seeds, and nuts for additional vitamins and minerals. This also encourages natural foraging behavior, which helps with mental stimulation and enrichment.
However, some piggies may not be too fond of the taste of this food initially, especially if they are picky eaters. The food can also be a little dusty as the pellets are quite fragile and don’t hold their shape too well.
In addition, this food does contain some fillers and a fair number of dehydrated fruit pieces. Fruits are quite sugary, so I’d advise removing these pieces if you want to feed this food daily.
Specs
- Item Form: Pellet
- Life Stage: All
- First 5 Ingredients: Dehydrated alfalfa meal, ground timothy hay, heat-processed soybeans, ground corn, wheat middlings
Pros
- Contains vital nutrients like Vitamin C
- High-fiber pellets
- Encourages foraging behavior
Cons
- Contains some fillers and a lot of dehydrated fruit
- Taste may be unappetizing for picky eaters
Editor’s Choice
Small Pet Select Guinea Pig Food Pellets
Fortified with essential nutrients, the Small Select Guinea Pig Food offers a complete and healthy diet for your cavy.
Small Pet Select Guinea Pig Food Pellets
If you can afford to spend a little extra on a complete guinea pig food, I fully recommend the Small Pet Select Guinea Pig Food as it’s made with high-quality and nutritious ingredients.
Food Made with Dedication
The pellets are fortified with all the nutrients your adult guinea pig needs for a happy and healthy life. It’s made in small batches in the USA by a small family-owned business who are dedicated to creating only the most nourishing and best guinea pig foods.
Guaranteed Fresh and Quality
My guinea pigs love this food and greedily devour it within minutes every time I feed them. The hay used in this cavy food is hand-chosen to ensure freshness and quality, which is one of the main reasons why the piggies and I like these pellets so much.
The only minor complaint I have with this food is that the pellets can be a bit long, requiring you to break them up to make them easier for your pet to eat. However, this varies from batch to batch.
Specs
- Item Form: Pellets
- Life Stage: Adult
- First 5 Ingredients: Timothy hay, soybean hulls, soybean meal, sodium bentonite, wheat middlings
Pros
- Made from high-quality ingredients and in small batches
- Fortified with essential nutrients
- Great taste
Cons
- Pellets may need breaking up to make them easier to east
Oxbow Essentials Guinea Pig Food
Made with high-fiber Timothy hay and packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C, the Obox Essentials Guinea Pig Food is an excellent staple adult guinea pig food.
Oxbow Essentials Guinea Pig Food
Next up is the Oxbow Essentials Guinea Pig Food, which as its name suggests, contains all the essential vitamins and minerals your guinea pig’s diet needs.
High Fiber Content
It’s made with high-fiber Timothy hay to support your guinea pig’s digestion, as well as Vitamin C and antioxidants for immune system health.
Ideal for a Picky Eater
The pellets are uniform in size and shape to prevent selective feeding, which is ideal if your pet is a picky eater. My piggies can sometimes be a bit fussy when it comes to muesli pet foods – they rarely finish everything in their food bowls.
Formulated with Guidance
I think they’d benefit from this food from Oxbow Essentials as all the pellets look and taste the same. I also appreciate that the food has been formulated with guidance of top veterinarians and nutritionists too, as this offers assurance that the pellets are nutritious and of a high quality.
The only downside of this pellet food is that some cavies can find the taste a bit unappealing, particularly if they are picky eaters. If your pet is a fussy eater, try mixing in their new food with some of their old food to help them get used to it.
Specs
- Item Form: Pellet
- Life Stage: Adult
- First 5 Ingredients: Timothy grass meal, soybean hulls, soybean meal, cane molasses, wheat middlings
Pros
- Contains high-fiber Timothy hay
- Includes Vitamin C and antioxidants for healthy skin and immune system
- Prevents selective feeding
Cons
- Taste can be unappealing to picky eaters
Supreme Science Selective Guinea Pig Food
Containing natural ingredients and no added sugar, the Science Selective Guinea Pig Food is packed with nutrients like Vitamin C and omega-3 oils to keep your pet in tip-top shape.
Supreme Science Selective Guinea Pig Food
Another top-notch food for cavies is the Supreme Science Selective Guinea Pig Food, composed of natural ingredients with zero added sugar for a healthy piggy.
Prevents Selective Feeding
The pellets are all uniform in shape to prevent selective feeding, while still retaining a delicious taste that guinea pigs love.
Maintains a Healthy Skin
Packed with omega-3 oils from linseed, this pet healthy food helps maintain healthy skin and helps keep your guinea pig’s coat glossy and thick. It’s rich in fiber for a healthy digestive system and to prevent overgrown teeth.
Stabilized Vitamin C
As guinea pigs can’t make their own Vitamin C, Science Selective Guinea Pig pellets contain stabilized Vitamin C to ensure your cavy’s daily diet is the best it can be.
However, the ingredients aren’t as high-quality as some of the other guinea pig pellets as there are some fillers.
Specs
- Item Form: Pellet
- Life Stage: Adult
- First 5 Ingredients: Alfalfa meal pellets, wheat, wheat middlings, soybean hulls, soybean meal
Pros
- Contains no added sugar
- Uniform pellet size to prevent selective feeding
- Contains Vitamin C and omega-3 oils
Cons
- Contains a few fillers
Vitakraft Guinea Pig Food
This food for adult guinea pigs is made up of pellets and a mixture of dried veggies and fruits, making it both nutritious and flavorful.
Vitakraft Guinea Pig Food
Feeding guinea pigs is made simple with this food from Vitakraft due to its nourishing and tasty blend of pellets, dried veggies, and fruits. It features key nutrients like Vitamin C, A, and E to support your cavy’s overall health to keep them in great shape.
Promotes Natural Foraging Behavior
This adult guinea pig food promotes natural foraging, which is important for mental stimulation and enrichment. Another great feature of the food is its inclusion of DHA Omega 3s – this improves brain and vision function, heart health, promotes a shiny and healthy coat, and strong immune system.
Contains Natural Probiotics
It comes in a resealable bag so it remains fresh after every use. Last but not least, the food contains natural probiotics to aid with your pet’s digestion.
However, this adult guinea pig food from Vitakraft does contain quite a bit of fillers and dehydrated fruit pieces.
The latter is fine in moderation, but it’s not ideal for an everyday diet. I’d recommend removing the fruit pieces if you want to feed this food daily.
So they don’t go to waste, put them aside and use them as treats.
Specs
- Item Form: Pellet
- Life Stage: Adult:
- First 5 Ingredients: Dehydrated alfalfa meal, soybean hulls, wheat middlings, dehulled soybean meal, ground corn
Pros
- Most guinea pigs love the taste
- Contains key nutrients like Vitamin A, C, and E
- Contains natural probiotics and Omega-3
Cons
- Contains some fillers
- Contains quite a lot of dehydrated fruit
Kaytee Timothy Hay Complete Plus Fruits And Vegetables
Kaytee Timothy Hay Food Plus Fruits And Vegetables encourages chewing activity and natural foraging. It contains probiotics, prebiotics, and Vitamin C to keep your cavy in tip-top shape
Kaytee Timothy Hay Complete Plus Fruits And Vegetables
Last but not least is the Kaytee Timothy complete for adult guinea pigs, a delicious blend of Timothy hay pellets, fruits, and vegetables to encourage your pet to forage just like they would in the wild.
Crispy and Crunchy
It encourages natural chewing activity due to its crispy and crunchy texture, which helps keep your guinea pig’s teeth strong and trim.
Probiotics and Prebiotics
Both probiotics and prebiotics are used in the food to aid with digestion and to keep your pet’s gut healthy. Additionally, it’s fortified with Vitamin C and high in fiber to promote good overall, as well as further increase the efficiency of your cavy’s digestive system.
Unfortunately, this adult guinea pig food from Kaytee can be a little dusty as the pellets are quite delicate.
The food is mostly composed of Timothy grass pellets with very little pieces of fruits and vegetables, but I actually think this is beneficial as dried veggies, fruits especially, should only be fed in moderation.
Specs
- Item Form: Pellet
- Life Stage: Adult
- First 5 Ingredients: Sun-cured Timothy grass hay, wheat middlings, ground wheat, oat hulls, dehydrated soybean meal
Pros
- A blend of Timothy grass pellets, fruits, and veggies fortified with key nutrients
- Contains probiotics and prebiotics for a health gut
- Supports dental health due to crunchy texture
Cons
- Can be a little dusty
What Do Adult Guinea Pigs Eat?
Guinea pigs are herbivores, so they primarily eat grasses, vegetables and herbs, and small amounts of fruits.
Your guinea pig’s natural diet should primarily be made up of grass hay like Timothy grass hay, as well as a small portion of high-quality pellets (Timothy hay based pellets are ideal), leafy green vegetables, and the occasional offering of fresh foods like fruits.
You should avoid giving them food not designed for guinea pigs, such as dog food, rabbit food, or hamster food, which won’t contain the proper nutrients your guinea pigs need.
In case you need them, we have guides such as the Best Hay for Guinea Pigs article and the Best Guinea Pig Pellets article to help you find the ideal food to feed your guinea pig.
NOTE
Fresh hay should be given in unlimited amounts every day as cavies require it for digestion and to prevent their teeth from growing too long.
What Vitamins Do Guinea Pigs Need?
Like humans, cavies are unable to make their own Vitamin C, so they need to get it from their food. That’s why guinea pigs need leafy green vegetables, fruits, and high-quality cavy foods enriched with Vitamin C in their diet.
DID YOU KNOW?
Some guinea pig owners use Vitamin C supplements to ensure their cavy is getting enough of it in their diet, but this is not normally necessary unless your pet is elderly, sick, or deficient in Vitamin C.
How Much Should I Feed My Guinea Pig?
Both young and adult guinea pigs need constant access to grass hay – opt for Timothy guinea pig hay as it contains more fiber and less calcium than alfalfa hay, which promotes a healthy urinary system.
The latter can lead to obesity and urinary tract problems if too frequently.
Adult cavies will also need around one cup of leafy vegetables each day…
Adult cavies will also need around one cup of leafy vegetables each day, alongside roughly an ⅛ cup of pellets daily. A small portion of fruit can be offered once or week as tasty treats.
How Often Should I Feed My Guinea Pig?
Your cavy should eat pellets, hay, and leafy green vegetables every day.
But keep in mind that Alfalfa-based pellets contain a lot of calcium and protein, making them unsuitable for daily consumption. Too much alfalfa-based food pellets can contribute to bladder stones or kidney stones.
Here’s a video about a guinea pig’s daily diet.
What Is the Best Dry Food for Guinea Pigs?
Dry pellets or nuggets are the best foods guinea pigs can eat, particularly those that are made from Timothy grass hay.
TIP
Small animal muesli can cause selective feeding and be fattening as they often contain nuts and seeds.
What Veg Can Guinea Pigs Eat Daily?
Guinea pigs can eat leafy green vegetables every day, including romaine lettuce, kale, cilantro, parsley, and red and green leaf green lettuces. Make sure to offer a variety of vegetables each day to ensure your pet gets a range of nutrients.
Foods to Avoid – What Is Poisonous to Guinea Pigs?
There are quite a number of foods that are poisonous to piggies, including a large number of vegetables. Here are some poisonous foods you should never feed your cavy.
- Bulb foods like garlic, onions, and white potatoes
- Rhubarb (it’s also high in oxalates)
- Leeks, chives, onions, shallots (anything from the onion family)
- Dairy products (including cheese, yogurt, eggs, and milk)
- Meat and insects
Can Guinea Pigs Drink Milk?
As mentioned earlier, guinea pigs are herbivores, so they lack the enzymes in their digestive tract to process milk and dairy products. You should never feed your cavy milk, yogurt, cheese, or any other foods containing dairy.
NOTE
Doing so could make your piggy extremely sick and result in an array of unpleasant symptoms like diarrhea and pain.
Can Guinea Pigs Have Peanut Butter?
Guinea pigs should not have peanut butter as it’s far too fatty and rich. In addition, peanut butter can cause choking as it can get lodged inside your cavy’s throat due to how sticky it is.
RECOMMENDATION
Healthy foods you can feed your pet as a treat include leafy green veggies or small chunks of fruit like strawberry, banana, and blueberry.
Final Thoughts
I hope I helped you decide on the best guinea pig food for your small pets, but if you need a helpful reminder, here are my top recommendations:
- Contains stabilized Vitamin C
- Includes flaxseed, probiotics, and natural Vitamin E
- High in fiber
- Fortified with vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C
- Encourages natural foraging behavior
- High in fiber
- Made in small batches to ensure its quality
- Fortified with essential minerals and vitamins
- Appetizing taste
Top Pick
Mazuri Timothy-Based Guinea Pig Food is an excellent young and adult guinea pig food as it’s made up of Timothy-hay pellets to keep your pet’s digestive system and teeth in great condition.
It also includes flaxseed, probiotics, natural Vitamin E, and stabilized Vitamin C to support your cavy’s overall health.
Best Value
Finding high-quality and affordable food for cavies can be a challenge for pet owners, but that difficulty is no more thanks to the Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet for Guinea Pigs.
Not only is it budget-friendly, but it’s high in fiber to support your guinea pig’s digestive system. It also contains a wholesome blend of dried veggies and fruit, seeds, grains, and nuts to encourage natural foraging.
Editor’s Choice
Although a little pricier than some of the other adult guinea pig meals I’ve looked at, the Small Pet Select Guinea Pig Food is hard to beat in terms of quality. It’s made in small batches and is made using hand-picked hay for great taste and freshness.
Feel Free to Share
Thanks for reading this article – I hope you found the best guinea pig food for your pet.
If you have any friends or know another guinea pig owner, be sure to share this post so they can find the best foods for their cavies too.
If you’re looking for more advice, check out our other guides and care articles like guinea pig grooming.
What food do you feed your furry friend? Let me know on social media, along with some cute pics of your piggies!
