pets and raw food

Rivera · Post by **Rivera** » Sat 09 Jan 2010 07:08

avocados are said toxic to guinea pigs, true?
The cause mentioned is "toxic" and/or "too much fat".

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Tue 12 Jan 2010 17:11

Yes, avocadoes are not good for them. I dont know why.
Guinea pigs eat quite a variety of other fruits though, like apples, bananas, cucumber, bell peppers, kiwi, oranges, raspberries and, tomatoes.
They also love carrots and cabbages, though the latter make them gassy, naturally...

Rivera · Post by **Rivera** » Wed 13 Jan 2010 04:40

But in the wild, how do they get their fats?

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Wed 13 Jan 2010 12:23

In the wild they also eat seeds, beetle larvae and other bugs.

Rivera · Post by **Rivera** » Thu 14 Jan 2010 04:47

RRM wrote:In the wild they also eat seeds, beetle larvae and other bugs.

On internet, they say guinea pigs are strict herbivores?

Which seeds provide fats? For home bred guinea pigs, except pellets, what can you give for fats?

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Thu 14 Jan 2010 17:15

Rivera wrote: On internet, they say guinea pigs are strict herbivores?

"On internet" always opposite claims are made.
There are loads of different sources, and they state different things.
Here for example:
http://www.smallanimaladvice.com/what_d ... gs_eat.php

Equally so, horses and cows are strict herbivores,
but they always ingest insects and worms while grazing.
Even the meaning of "strict herbivore" is relative...
(in as much that even the strictest vegans will ingest some animal matter by eating fruits and veggies, for example)

Which seeds provide fats?

Some websites claim they can eat no seeds at all,
whereas others make a distinction between different seeds, which makes sense,
because in their natural habitat they also eat grasses, and grasses contain seeds.
It seems that sunflower seeds and many 'bird seeds' are bad for them,
'because "they can choke on them".
The seeds need to be attached to something so that they have to chew on them first (as with grasses).

Rivera · Post by **Rivera** » Mon 18 Jan 2010 06:18

RRM wrote:Some websites claim they can eat no seeds at all,
whereas others make a distinction between different seeds, which makes sense,
because in their natural habitat they also eat grasses, and grasses contain seeds.
It seems that sunflower seeds and many 'bird seeds' are bad for them,
'because "they can choke on them".
The seeds need to be attached to something so that they have to chew on them first (as with grasses).

I found this on sunflower seeds:

Yes, guinea pigs can eat sunflower seeds. However, seeds are NOT good for them. In fact, seeds and grains are pretty bad for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs were designed to eat grass and greens, grains and seeds, while edible, can actually throw the gut flora out of balance and contribute to GI stasis...a condition that is always deadly if left untreated. Seeds and grains also contribute to obesity and obesity related health problems such as arthritis, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

While most commercial "gourmet" guinea pig diets do include an obscene amount of seeds, that does not make them an appropriate part of a healthy guinea pig diet. An appropriate guinea pig diet consists of a limited amount of alfalfa guinea pig pellets (only a few tablespoons/day depending on the size of the guinea pig), an unlimited amount of timothy or other grass hay (NOT alfalfa hay...alfalfa is a legume), and a large handful of leafy greens and veggies (such as kale, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip tops, carrots, etc) with a small amount of fruit a few times/week. A few sunflower seeds isn't going to kill your pig, but they should be fed only very rarely as a treat, if at all, and NOT as a regular part of their diet.

Is olive oil ok? It's from a fruit, it should be ok.

By the way, do you have a link where they list a detailed timothy grass nutrient content? I cannot find one detailed saying about minerals and vitamins. This grass does not have fats inside, right?

Can hamsters and rats eat avocado and olive oil?

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Mon 18 Jan 2010 20:16

Rivera wrote: Is olive oil ok? It's from a fruit, it should be ok.

Thats no guarantee.
They may react extremely adversely to oleuropin, for example.

By the way, do you have a link where they list a detailed timothy grass nutrient content?

No, i dont.

I cannot find one detailed saying about minerals and vitamins. This grass does not have fats inside, right?

No idea.

Can hamsters and rats eat avocado and olive oil?

Hamsters and rats should not be fed avocado due to specific glycosides.
I think that oil will give them diarrhea.

Rivera · Post by **Rivera** » Tue 19 Jan 2010 06:12

Some studies: Click, Click and Click. I don't know what to think about it.

Hamsters and rats should not be fed avocado due to specific glycosides.
I think that oil will give them diarrhea.

What would you recommend as fats for them?

Eating raw salmon and egg yolk and even only fruits like on the Wai diet would be ok?

Rats with their long teeth seem inclined to eat grains, but do they have a stomach made for this? Can they digest properly the grain?

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Tue 19 Jan 2010 17:44

Rivera wrote:Some studies: Click, Click and Click. I don't know what to think about it.

They are just studies performed on rats.
It says nothing about what is their natural diet.

What would you recommend as fats for them?

Nuts and seeds.

Eating raw salmon and egg yolk and even only fruits like on the Wai diet would be ok?

The rat diet is much more concentrated (a factor 10) than the human diet.
They will eat fruits, but [referably dried fruits, and nuts.
Yes, they like raw fish (and other raw meat, including worms) and even yolks.
They also like (and have 'the stomach' for) corn and other grains,
and vegetables.

Rivera · Post by **Rivera** » Thu 04 Feb 2010 09:22

What would you recommend as fats for them?
Nuts and seeds.

Can you name some please?

The rat diet is much more concentrated (a factor 10) than the human diet.

What do you mean by "more concentrated"?

Are nuts, yolks and salmon good for guinea pigs too?

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Fri 05 Feb 2010 19:44

Rivera wrote:
What would you recommend as fats for them?
Nuts and seeds.
Can you name some please?

Whole nuts in the shell (almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts) and sunflower seeds.
Only give it to them as a treat, and not as staple food.
They need only little fat.

The rat diet is much more concentrated (a factor 10) than the human diet.
What do you mean by "more concentrated"?

Our natural foods contain lots of water.
Their natural foods do not; so that the nutrients density is much higher (concentrated)
So that you should not give them whole fruits for example. (but dried fruits).

Are nuts, yolks and salmon good for guinea pigs too?

No meat or fish.
but im guessing that some nuts must be okay for them.
Feed them low-sugar fruits and here's a link for what veggies to feed them.
http://www.theguineapigrescue.com/Guine ... -25-09.doc
Wikipedia has some good info too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig

Rivera · Post by **Rivera** » Sat 13 Mar 2010 06:14

Are nuts, yolks and salmon good for guinea pigs too?
No meat or fish.
but im guessing that some nuts must be okay for them.
Feed them low-sugar fruits and here's a link for what veggies to feed them.

And yolks are ok?

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Sat 13 Mar 2010 16:19

I think yolks are in the meat category.

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Wed 16 Jun 2010 12:25

Moved from another thread:

Kookaburra wrote:
RRM wrote: There is one cat at my work whom i always feed raw top quality tender beef, tilapia and tuna
You don't think it's a waste of money to feed cats especially in this period of economic downtown? Moreover, its top quality!

Its a bribe.
In return she pretends to be in love with me, looking at me with her big brown eyes,
and following me wherever i go (whenever she's hungry, and right after breakfast / lunch / dinner).