Food guide
Guinea pigs food: the complete PetFoodRate 2026 guide
Guinea pigs are unique among small pets: they cannot synthesise vitamin C and must get it from food daily. A vitamin C deficiency leads to scurvy in just two to three weeks. Their diet is similar to rabbits: 80 percent fresh hay, 15 percent fresh vegetables rich in vitamin C, and 5 percent quality pellets specifically formulated for guinea pigs (never rabbit pellets). PetFoodRate grades guinea pig food from A to E based on stabilised vitamin C content, fiber, hay base, and absence of muesli.
What to look for
- Stabilised vitamin C explicitly listed (ideally 800 to 1000 mg per kg)
- Timothy hay as first ingredient
- At least 20 percent crude fiber
- Uniform pellet shape, never muesli mixes
What to avoid
- Pellets without specified vitamin C (the basic vitamin C degrades rapidly after opening the bag)
- Rabbit pellets (do not contain vitamin C, dangerous if fed to guinea pigs)
- Muesli mixes (same selective feeding problem as for rabbits)
- Pellets with iceberg lettuce, dandelion-only mixes (low calcium issues)
Our PetFoodRate top 5 guinea pigs
- #1 A Oxbow Essentials Guinea Pig Adult 88/100 dry food
- #2 B Burgess Excel Excel Adult Guinea Pig Nuggets 77/100 seeds and pellets
- #3 C Hamiform Cochon d'Inde 55/100 dry food
Selections by type for guinea pigs
Recommended brands for guinea pigs
Frequently asked questions
How much vitamin C does a guinea pig need?
A healthy adult guinea pig needs 10 to 30 mg of vitamin C per day. Pregnant, sick, or growing guinea pigs need 30 to 50 mg. Quality pellets provide a baseline, but you should always supplement with fresh vitamin C-rich vegetables like bell pepper (190 mg per 100g), kale, parsley, and broccoli. Citrus fruit is too acidic and not recommended.
Can guinea pigs eat rabbit food?
No. Rabbit pellets do not contain vitamin C and may also have different fiber, calcium, and protein ratios. Guinea pigs fed rabbit pellets long-term will develop scurvy. Always buy pellets specifically labelled for guinea pigs.
Do guinea pigs need hay 24/7?
Yes, exactly like rabbits. Fresh Timothy hay should be available all the time. It wears down their continuously growing teeth, provides essential fiber for gut motility, and prevents the boredom that leads to barbering and stress behaviours. Without unlimited hay, guinea pigs develop dental and digestive problems quickly.
Compare guinea pigs foods side by side
Pick two products from our database and get an ingredient-by-ingredient, sub-score-by-sub-score comparison.