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People often ask us what food/treats we give our GPs. Our fave food is made by Oxbow "Essentials Cavy Cuisine" (2 choices - one for young/nursing/pregnant GPs and one for adult GPs) because it is hay-based (not corn-based or wheat-based like cheaper brands). Our Scamps also love Oxbow's Timothy Hay (of course!) and "Simple Rewards" Timothy Hay Treats and Oxbow's Vitamin C hay-based daily tablets (they are very hard, too hard for GP's teeth, so we break them into small bites using a hammer). Timothy hay (not alfalfa!) should account for 80% of an adult GP's diet! A Vit. C daily supplement is necessary for ALL GPs to prevent scurvy! (We buy Oxbow products online or at Petsmart.)

PLEASE NOTE: We are NOT employed by Oxbow and are NOT paid advertisers. We honestly LOVE this high-quality brand for our Scamps! They deserve the best ingredients for longer, healthier lives!

Bladderstones Require Invasive Surgery!

AVOID BLADDERSTONES:

*Most stones are calcium-based and can be FATAL if not removed.*

*Do not offer alfalfa to adult GPs. Alfalfa contains too much calcium.*

*Give your GPs Timothy Hay daily instead ~ it is VERY healthy and a necessary staple in their diet!*

*Always provide fresh, clean water daily for your GP!

*Make sure water bottles are clean and working properly.*

*Proper hydration is a key to good health and longevity!*

Oxbow's Critical Care

Through the years, we've had several GPs that have needed surgeries (for example, bladderstone removal) and Oxbow's Critical Care has been a lifesaver ~ literally! "Critical Care is a premium recovery food which can be given to herbivores [vegetarian animals] with poor nutritional status resulting from illness or surgery. This specially formulated product contains all the essential nutrients of a complete diet as well as high-fiber Timothy hay to support proper gut physiology and digestion." (Our GPs fave flavor is anise.) Critical Care is a powder that you mix with warm water and feed orally with a feeding syringe. (C.C. must be refrigerated or stored in the freezer.) GPs gobble it up! (See photos below!)

Norton always LOVED Critical Care as a treat!

Freemont ADORED Critical Care as a treat!

Within 24 hours of adopting Mr. Belvedere, we offered him Critical Care and he did not hesitate to gobble it up (although he had to learn how to drink from a syringe). Lap time with Critical Care is great bonding time!

IMPORTANT! GPs require daily Vitamin C supplements in their diet to prevent scurvy! ***Oxbow's Vit. C tablets are hay-based and our GPs love them ~ but ~ we break them into tiny pieces with a hammer because they are hard as a rock and could break incisors!***

Daily Vitamin C Prevents Scurvy!

GPs need Vit. C daily. Veggies like broccoli and green pepper are high in Vit. C but we still like to supplement their diets with liquid Vit. C -or- the Oxbow Vit. C Timothy hay supplement (pictured above). Most Petsmarts and Petcos sell Oasis Concentrated High Potency Pure C for GPs. Our GPs love it! Experts advise giving daily Vit. C in an oral syringe, instead of in a water bottle/bowl. "Water soluable formula provides the 25mg Vit. C that all GPs (cavies) need daily to prevent scurvy."

*PLEASE* find a knowledgeable exotic veterinarian for all of your GP's healthcare needs.

*Consult a vet ASAP if your GP has appetite loss, weight loss, noisy breathing, listlessness or other abnormal symptoms.*

*Problems like overgrown teeth, bladderstones and pneumonia can occur quickly and be fatal!*

RE: Overgrown Teeth (Incisors or Molars):

Ask your vet to use Isoflurane anesthesia (it's the safest for ALL surgical procedures). DO NOT ALLOW YOUR VET TO TRIM TEETH WITH NAIL CLIPPERS! That is CRUEL and PAINFUL and can cause many, many problems including fatality, shock, heart attack, loss of teeth, broken roots, painful eating, depression, etc.! 😥

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