Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 19, 2010 22:17:02 GMT -4
>>http://www.hartz.com/Small_Animals/Healt....ould_avoid.aspx<<
A very useful food link!
>> Foods Your Small Animal Should Avoid
Each small animal has a diet unique to it's species.
Vitamin C: guinea pigs need a lot of it, but in its citrus form it is bad for hamsters. Dairy products are OK for some small animals, but not for others. The alphabetical list below presents most foods that all small animals should avoid. When a food is particularly hazardous to a species, it is noted.
The snack black list
o Alcohol: Toxicity depends on amounts but alcohol can cause death in excess.
o Avocado: Leaves, fruit, seeds and bark contain a toxin known as Persin. Rabbits and mice are particularly vulnerable.
o Caffeine: Can cause heart failure in pets.
o Citrus: Hamsters must avoid high acid foods such as citrus or anything pickled or vinegar based. These foods cause gastro-intestinal upset.
o Chocolate: Contains a chemical called theobromine which is an alkaloid that most pets can't metabolize quickly. The theobromine can build up and reach a toxic level of concentration, leading to cardiac arrest.
o Dairy: Guinea pigs and ferrets are naturally lactose intolerant so feeding them dairy can cause severe problems.
o Green bananas: Inhibit starch digestion.
o Iceberg lettuce: Can cause calcium absorption problems in rabbits and is hard on the hamster's liver when fed in excess.
o Licorice: Causes neurological poisoning in rats.
o Nuts and Rawhide: Cannot be digested by ferrets. They will cause an intestinal blockage.
o Onions and garlic: Contain sulfoxides and disulfides which cause anemia.
o Orange juice: Contains d-limonene which can cause kidney cancer in male rats.
o Potatoes and tomatoes: Plants, leaves and stems, contain a poison called solanine which causes severe gastrointestinal problems.
o Raw artichokes, red cabbage and Brussels sprouts: Cause problems with nutrient absorption.
o Raw sweet potato: Can form cyanide in the stomach.
o Rhubarb: Contains oxalates which negatively affect your pet's urinary, digestive and nervous systems.
o Sticky foods: Any sort of sticky food that can get stuck in a Hamster's pouch should be avoided.
o Uncooked beans: Attack much needed vitamin A and can cause red blood cell clumping.
o Yeast dough: Can expand in the stomach and cause rupturing. Never feed yeast dough to any pet. <<
We also surely have threads up on RR about food.
We long ago decided hay or alfalfa for any hamster should be avoid as they pouch the food and that can possibly cause a mouth puncture causing infection.
Rabbits and guinea pigs need at least a BIG handful of hay daily for each animal.
Hamster likely will not guinea pig pellets.
Guinea Pigs:
* Give fresh water daily.
* Replace any water bottle that leaks and replace any wet bedding as soon as you spot these problems.
* If your piggies eat a lot of fresh veggies/fruit, they will drink less, but if they only have dry pellets and hay, then fresh water is doubly important.
Pellets are the least important thing in a guinea pigs diet, but should be fed 1 cup a day.
*Hay. Piggies love hay, and need it 24/7: they eat it, play in it, and sleep in it. Alfalfa hay can be given to pigs 6 months or younger, but contains too much calcium for older pigs and can contribute to disease. Timothy hay is very good. Other types of hay include meadow hay, oat hay, and orchard grass. Alternating hays may help prevent boredom. Alfalfa hay may be given as a treat once a month for protein maintenance.
* Vitamin C. Guinea pigs are one of the very few mammals (along with humans) who can't make their own vitamin C, so they need to get it from their food. Guinea Pigs are highly prone to getting scurvy, which is a disease caused by low levels of Vitamin C. Guinea pigs need 20 MG or more of Vitamin C daily.:
Fruits and Vegetables. Some are very high in vitamin C; Others are handy treats. What to try:
* Oranges - Only feed once a week, it can lead to mouth sores. Try giving them a slice or two. They eat the orange and leave the peel.
* Carrots - feed one pinky sized baby carrot per pig per day.
* Cucumber - has little nutritional value but is a great summer treat, can be fed every other day.
* Lettuce - DO NOT feed iceberg lettuce as it is high in nitrates, little nutritional value, and is almost all water.
* Tomatoes - one cherry or two grape tomatoes are fine per pig per day.
* Broccoli or cauliflower - small quantities only, as this can make them gassy.
* Cabbage - small quantities only, as this can make them gassy.
* Spinach - sparingly as the amount of calcium is too high.
* Cilantro and Parsley
* Green/Red/Yellow/Orange bell peppers
* Citrus fruits in low quantities, because the acid can lead to mouth sores.
I also serve mine chicory and greenleaf. I also give them SMALL amounts of peeled banana and little hunks of carrot (not too much!).
* Feed fruit in small quantities. Not only does fruit have a high sugar content, but it may also have a low Ca:P ratio, which could lead to bladder problems.
* Some guinea pigs get tired of having the same fruit or vegetable day after day, so vary their diet. There are some things are always eaten with vigor, though. The more the variety, the happier the pig!
* Guinea pigs are like people, and each have their own food preferences. If you have multiple pigs, be sure to provide even more of their favorites, and if they consistently leave a certain food, they probably don't like it. However, don't be discouraged; sometimes they need to figure out that it is tasty first, and it may take a few tries. This is especially true if they are young or if you have just acquired them from a laboratory or pet store (who usually only provide one type of food); they may not have a diverse palate quite yet.
Feeding GP pellets to a hamster? It should not be hazardous in the short term, but is a poor diet indeed as it is not designed for hamsters in terms of nutrition or taste. Why would you want to? Go get some hamster food, and use the GP food for the GP's.
By the way, some green for hamsters is good too, such as chicory.
A very useful food link!
>> Foods Your Small Animal Should Avoid
Each small animal has a diet unique to it's species.
Vitamin C: guinea pigs need a lot of it, but in its citrus form it is bad for hamsters. Dairy products are OK for some small animals, but not for others. The alphabetical list below presents most foods that all small animals should avoid. When a food is particularly hazardous to a species, it is noted.
The snack black list
o Alcohol: Toxicity depends on amounts but alcohol can cause death in excess.
o Avocado: Leaves, fruit, seeds and bark contain a toxin known as Persin. Rabbits and mice are particularly vulnerable.
o Caffeine: Can cause heart failure in pets.
o Citrus: Hamsters must avoid high acid foods such as citrus or anything pickled or vinegar based. These foods cause gastro-intestinal upset.
o Chocolate: Contains a chemical called theobromine which is an alkaloid that most pets can't metabolize quickly. The theobromine can build up and reach a toxic level of concentration, leading to cardiac arrest.
o Dairy: Guinea pigs and ferrets are naturally lactose intolerant so feeding them dairy can cause severe problems.
o Green bananas: Inhibit starch digestion.
o Iceberg lettuce: Can cause calcium absorption problems in rabbits and is hard on the hamster's liver when fed in excess.
o Licorice: Causes neurological poisoning in rats.
o Nuts and Rawhide: Cannot be digested by ferrets. They will cause an intestinal blockage.
o Onions and garlic: Contain sulfoxides and disulfides which cause anemia.
o Orange juice: Contains d-limonene which can cause kidney cancer in male rats.
o Potatoes and tomatoes: Plants, leaves and stems, contain a poison called solanine which causes severe gastrointestinal problems.
o Raw artichokes, red cabbage and Brussels sprouts: Cause problems with nutrient absorption.
o Raw sweet potato: Can form cyanide in the stomach.
o Rhubarb: Contains oxalates which negatively affect your pet's urinary, digestive and nervous systems.
o Sticky foods: Any sort of sticky food that can get stuck in a Hamster's pouch should be avoided.
o Uncooked beans: Attack much needed vitamin A and can cause red blood cell clumping.
o Yeast dough: Can expand in the stomach and cause rupturing. Never feed yeast dough to any pet. <<
We also surely have threads up on RR about food.
We long ago decided hay or alfalfa for any hamster should be avoid as they pouch the food and that can possibly cause a mouth puncture causing infection.
Rabbits and guinea pigs need at least a BIG handful of hay daily for each animal.
Hamster likely will not guinea pig pellets.
Guinea Pigs:
* Give fresh water daily.
* Replace any water bottle that leaks and replace any wet bedding as soon as you spot these problems.
* If your piggies eat a lot of fresh veggies/fruit, they will drink less, but if they only have dry pellets and hay, then fresh water is doubly important.
Pellets are the least important thing in a guinea pigs diet, but should be fed 1 cup a day.
*Hay. Piggies love hay, and need it 24/7: they eat it, play in it, and sleep in it. Alfalfa hay can be given to pigs 6 months or younger, but contains too much calcium for older pigs and can contribute to disease. Timothy hay is very good. Other types of hay include meadow hay, oat hay, and orchard grass. Alternating hays may help prevent boredom. Alfalfa hay may be given as a treat once a month for protein maintenance.
* Vitamin C. Guinea pigs are one of the very few mammals (along with humans) who can't make their own vitamin C, so they need to get it from their food. Guinea Pigs are highly prone to getting scurvy, which is a disease caused by low levels of Vitamin C. Guinea pigs need 20 MG or more of Vitamin C daily.:
Fruits and Vegetables. Some are very high in vitamin C; Others are handy treats. What to try:
* Oranges - Only feed once a week, it can lead to mouth sores. Try giving them a slice or two. They eat the orange and leave the peel.
* Carrots - feed one pinky sized baby carrot per pig per day.
* Cucumber - has little nutritional value but is a great summer treat, can be fed every other day.
* Lettuce - DO NOT feed iceberg lettuce as it is high in nitrates, little nutritional value, and is almost all water.
* Tomatoes - one cherry or two grape tomatoes are fine per pig per day.
* Broccoli or cauliflower - small quantities only, as this can make them gassy.
* Cabbage - small quantities only, as this can make them gassy.
* Spinach - sparingly as the amount of calcium is too high.
* Cilantro and Parsley
* Green/Red/Yellow/Orange bell peppers
* Citrus fruits in low quantities, because the acid can lead to mouth sores.
I also serve mine chicory and greenleaf. I also give them SMALL amounts of peeled banana and little hunks of carrot (not too much!).
* Feed fruit in small quantities. Not only does fruit have a high sugar content, but it may also have a low Ca:P ratio, which could lead to bladder problems.
* Some guinea pigs get tired of having the same fruit or vegetable day after day, so vary their diet. There are some things are always eaten with vigor, though. The more the variety, the happier the pig!
* Guinea pigs are like people, and each have their own food preferences. If you have multiple pigs, be sure to provide even more of their favorites, and if they consistently leave a certain food, they probably don't like it. However, don't be discouraged; sometimes they need to figure out that it is tasty first, and it may take a few tries. This is especially true if they are young or if you have just acquired them from a laboratory or pet store (who usually only provide one type of food); they may not have a diverse palate quite yet.
Feeding GP pellets to a hamster? It should not be hazardous in the short term, but is a poor diet indeed as it is not designed for hamsters in terms of nutrition or taste. Why would you want to? Go get some hamster food, and use the GP food for the GP's.
By the way, some green for hamsters is good too, such as chicory.
