Vitamin C is an essential vitamin for guinea pigs because their body is unable to synthesize it endogenously. For this reason, it is essential to offer these animals a diet rich in vitamin C to cover their nutritional requirements and prevent the appearance of hypovitaminosis or deficiency of this vitamin. The daily supply of this vitamin is achieved by supplementing the feed with raw vegetables rich in vitamin C, although it may sometimes be necessary to supplement this compound through vitamin preparations or complexes.
What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is involved in numerous physiological processes. Among other things, it is necessary for the synthesis and repair of collagen, a fundamental element for the formation of bones, ligaments and tendons.
This is an essential vitamin for humans, primates, bats and guinea pigs, since they lack the necessary mechanism for its synthesis. The rest of the mammals are capable of synthesizing this vitamin naturally in the liver.
Importance of vitamin C for guinea pigs
As we just mentioned, vitamin C is an essential nutrient for guinea pigs. The fact that this vitamin is an essential nutrient for guinea pigs means that it cannot be synthesized by their body and, therefore, must be provided through dietin quantities sufficient to meet your daily needs.
Thus, the importance of vitamin C for guinea pigs lies in their inability to synthesize it endogenously. The specific cause that makes the guinea pig organism not capable of synthesizing vitamin C is the absence of L-gluconolactone oxidase, an enzyme responsible for synthesizing the vitamin from glucose, which is present in most of mammals but not guinea pigs.
Dose of vitamin C for guinea pigs
Daily vitamin C requirements in adult guinea pigs are estimated at 5-30 mg per kg of body weight. However, these requirements are increased in some physiological or pathological situations:
- In pregnant or lactating females: the requirements amount to 30-40 mg per kg of weight per day. We leave you these two other posts on our site about the Symptoms of a pregnant guinea pig and the Care for a pregnant guinea pig that may seem interesting to you.
- In sick animals and animals with vitamin C deficiency: up to 60-100 mg per kg of weight per day should be administered.
What foods have vitamin C for guinea pigs?
The easiest way to meet vitamin C needs is by feeding guinea pigs. Specifically, the contribution of this vitamin is achieved by supplementing the feed with small pieces of raw vegetables rich in vitamin C.
Among guinea pig foods with vitamin C are:
- Peppers: green pepper is one of the vegetables with the highest content of this vitamin, although red pepper is also a good source of vitamin C.
- Green Carrot Leaves.
- Fruits: like strawberries or kiwi.
- Citrus: like orange or tangerine. Although they are a good source of vitamin C, it is not part of the natural diet of guinea pigs. In addition, the citric acid in these fruits can cause inflammation at the corner of the mouth, so it is preferable to opt for other sources of vitamin C for guinea pigs.
We leave you this other article with a complete list of fruits and vegetables recommended for guinea pigs.
How to give your guinea pig vitamin C?
There are several ways to provide guinea pigs with vitamin C. Let's see some of them:
- Fresh vegetables that are sources of vitamin C: like the ones we listed in the previous section. Both fruits and vegetables should be administered washed, dried and at room temperature.
- Commercial feeds: Guinea pig feeds, whether pellets or mixtures, are often fortified with vitamin C. However, it is important comply with the storage conditions detailed on its packaging, as well as pay attention to its expiration date, since vitamin C is a compound that degrades easily.
- Vitamin C preparations or vitamin complexes: Vitamin C preparations are usually effervescent drops or tablets added to drinking water. You can also find vitamin complexes specifically designed for guinea pigs that combine vitamins from different groups.
The best way to provide vitamin C to guinea pigs is by combining raw vegetables rich in vitamin C with foods for guinea pigs with vitamin C. This is because vitamin preparations or complexes have some drawbacks partners:
- Need an exact dose: require an exact and precise product calculation.
- Stress source: for the animal since, with some preparations, it is necessary to manipulate the guinea pig to administer the vitamin, which which can be a source of stress for the animal.
- Refusal to drink water: since the products that are diluted in the drinking water can alter the taste or smell, causing a rejection of water consumption.
- Decreased effectiveness: due to factors such as light, contact with plastic, glass or metals, which can oxidize the compound.
For all these reasons, it is preferable to choose to supplement vitamin C through guinea pig feed and reserve vitamin preparations or complexes for situations in which they are prescribed by a veterinarian.
You may also be interested in this other article on our site about Forbidden Foods for Guinea Pigs.
Vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs
Vitamin C deficiency or scurvy in guinea pigs is a disease caused by a deficiency of this vitamin. Lack of vitamin C in guinea pigs can be caused by periods of prolonged fasting or by diets poor in this vitamin that do not meet the vitamin requirements of these animals.
Clinical signs associated with vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs are:
- General signs: such as anorexia, weight loss, lethargy and poor hair condition.
- Anemia and generalized hemorrhages due to alteration of the coagulation mechanism.
- Poor healing of wounds.
- Reduced immune response: all infectious processes in guinea pigs are linked to hypovitaminosis C.
- Nasal discharge.
- Gingivitis: with bleeding gums and pain in the oral cavity.
- Dentin alterations and mobile teeth.
- Musculoskeletal disorders in neonates.
- Increase of the costochondral junctions and epiphyses of long bones at the radiological level.
Treatment is based on a change in diet and oral vitamin C supplementation (30-50 mg per kg of weight, every 12 hours). In addition, it may be necessary to establish symptomatic treatment depending on the signs or lesions that the animal presents.
How do I know if my guinea pig is sick? Check out this article and discover the answer to this question.
